Very few people have never heard of Harry Potter. After all, it’s one of the most popular fantasy books turned franchises in Hollywood history. However, few fans know the gruesome story behind Daniel’s stunt double’s injury.
An Accident on the Harry Potter Filmset
In 2009, while the cast was filming the iconic Harry Potter series, tragedy struck and changed the course of one particular person, forever. David Holmes, who played Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double for the renowned role of Harry Potter, was paralyzed in an accident and has been wheelchair bound since.
Filming the Harry Potter 2-Part Finale
The cast was filming Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows when the event took place. Holmes was immediately rushed to the hospital and was treated for his injuries. Sadly, he’s permanently paralyzed from the chest down, with limited motion in his hands and arms. Despite the tragedy, Holmes states that Daniel is “like family” and that he’s very close to the rest of the cast. However, it’s his relationship with Radcliffe that has made the biggest impact.
Touching Opinions about Fellow Castmates
“I’ve built relationships with all of the cast. Some I speak to more than the others, but I absolutely speak to all of them,” Holmes said. “It wasn’t just as his stunt double but I was his PE teacher, we’ve shared holidays together, and now I get to watch him grow as a man,” he added, speaking of the Harry Potter star.
Commenting on the Close Relationships
“I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful day yesterday catching up with Dan, not only was it a great day catching up with one of my best friends but it is such a joy it is to see him smashing it as a father. He certainly has his hands full chasing around a toddler,” Holmes shared on Instagram regarding his appreciation for the former Harry Potter actor.
Harry Potter Set Accident Inspires New Ventures
The tragic accident inspired Holmes to write a book and it caught the attention of the public. Meanwhile, the book was turned into a documentary and Radcliffe was the executive producer. Fast forward to today, and Radcliffe paid a visit to Holmes and the pair talked “all things film and TV and shared some of our favourite music discoveries.” He explained that the pair had another visitor, Marc Mailley.
Another Close Friend
Mailley took on the stunt double role following Holmes’ accident and remains in close contact with the cast as well. “He also kindly signed a few copies of my book, which I will be signing myself (as best I can) and then auctioning off for charity in the coming years,” Holmes added of understudy for the Harry Potter action scenes everyone has come to know and love. Even years later, the franchise is still so popular that bake offs and other events are held annually, not to mention the whole Harry Potter world in Orlando.
Reciprocated Feelings among Harry Potter Castmates
Meanwhile, Radcliffe shares a similar sentiment. For example, Radcliffe has made several charitable contributions to causes close to Holmes’ heart, as reported by LadBible. “These were the guys that were there every day with me,” Radcliffe says. “We were together all the time. These are some of really the key relationships from on set and the years since. He very kindly was like, We should do all of this again,” Radcliffe added.
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Book Turned Documentary
Furthermore, Holmes wrote a book and it became Following his experiences, and the accident, on the set of Harry Potter. “The Boy Who Lived” was a book that has been adapted into a 2023 documentary. “If I’m setting myself on fire for 15 seconds, all day long, that’s fine, that’s my sweet spot,” Holmes explained.
Making of Films
“But to actually be the main feature of a big project like this was pretty daunting, but hopefully these guys got the best of me.” He added. What began as an independent project, eventually was picked up by HBO, “a corporate sibling” of Warner Bros., which released the Harry Potter films, according to GQ.
The “Cathartic” Documentary
Although the book turned documentary was a way of showcasing an individual experience, it seemingly benefited everyone in the cast. “We all had that moment of realizing that we had never en masse talked about it,” Radcliffe shared, noting the documentary was “genuinely cathartic and all of us realize that like, oh, maybe we should have all had therapy or something after this.”
Moving Forward with no “Ill-Will”
Amazingly, Holmes has continued to persevere through adversity, wheelchair bound and paralyzed but holding no “ill-will” for the actors, producers, or his experience. Rather, he still “obsesses” over the industry. “The thing I learned most about my journey is what is it to be a man in the 21st Century?” Holmes concluded. “And for a long time I’ve never found that, and now I understand that it is accountability for who you are and the person you project out to the world.”