20 actors who had near-death experiences while filming

Acting may look like a fun job, but it can be a truly dangerous profession. The following 20 performers who had near-death experiences on set can attest to that notion. 

Some actors have nearly died on set, including Kate Winslet. The star had a brush with death while filming Titanic after getting trapped inside a body of water. Winslet was nearly out of breath by the time she got free. 

Decades after opting out of a camping trip that left three of her friends murdered, Kristin Chenoweth escaped death again. While on the set of The Good Wife, the actress was struck by lightning and ended up with a fractured skull, a broken nose, and cracked teeth, among other injuries. 

Isla Fisher’s near-death experience was caught on camera. While filming Now You See Me, the star was trapped in a tank with water. She was supposed to free herself, but she was unable to. In her attempt to get out, some crew members thought she was acting. 

While on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Dylan O’Brien almost didn’t find the antidote. O’Brien was involved in a near-fatal car accident that left him with a concussion, facial fracture, and brain trauma. The recovery was gnarly. 

Gunnar Hansen nearly had the most ironic death of all time. While playing Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hansen hit his head on a doorway as the mask he wore impeded his peripheral vision. The actor slipped and threw the chainsaw into the air, which only narrowly missed his head. 

Given his record of performing on-set stunts, it’s no surprise that Tom Cruise has had a near-death experience. The action star was filming a car scene with Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow, and Blunt was unable to brake fast enough. The car and the actors crashed into a tree. 

Charlize Theron has done her own stunts in films a number of times, but they haven’t always gone well. While filming Æon Flux, Theron did a backflip, but she landed on her neck instead of her feet. The actress was nearly paralyzed.

Water on film sets comes with lots of risks. Ed Harris nearly met his end while filming The Abyss. The actor almost drowned multiple times because of a crew member’s failure to get him a breathing regulator. 

While filming Back to the Future Part III, Michael J. Fox accidentally choked himself unconscious during a scene where his character was hanged. Thankfully, someone on set realized what happened and cut the rope.

Sylvester Stallone boxed so much while filming the Rocky movies that he eventually had a serious injury from it. While filming the fourth installment, Stallone was punched so hard by Dolph Lundgren that his chest caved in, and he had to spend nine days at the hospital to recover.  

While filming The Call, Halle Berry hit her head on a concrete floor and became unconscious. The aftermath could’ve been disastrous. 

Yes, Tom Hanks, national treasure, nearly died on set. While filming Cast Away, Hanks had a cut on his leg, and the laceration enabled a staph infection. Hanks had to stay three days in the hospital, and he might have died had he left it untreated. 

Jaimie Alexander ended up with a slew of injuries that nearly killed her while filming Thor: The Dark World and slipping on a metal staircase. She ended up with a slipped disc, 11 broken vertebrae, and a dislocated shoulder, among others. 

There were lots of things that could’ve gone wrong on the set of The Hunger Games. While filming the first installment of the series, Lawrence nearly suffocated due to an issue with a fog machine. 

Aaron Paul almost died while filming Breaking Bad. While taking care of one scene, Paul ended up switching to a new spot. Shortly after making the change, an enormous rock fell where Paul had previously been standing. 

Johnny Depp somehow avoided death while on set of The Lone Ranger. While riding a horse, Depp fell off when his saddle became loose, and he was dragged by his horse for quite some time. 

While filming The Expendables 3, Jason Statham was driving a truck. Due to a brake malfunction, the truck and Statham fell into the Black Sea. Statham was once a professional driver and knew how to get out of the situation, but any other actor might’ve fallen to their death. 

Brendan Fraser’s life was saved while filming The Mummy. While filming a hanging scene, something went wrong, and Fraser stopped breathing. The actor had to be resuscitated. 

Filming Prison Break was nearly as dangerous as an actual escape from jail. While filming the series, an iron bar fell on Dominic Purcell’s head. The incident injured Purcell’s head and nose, and he required 150 stitches. 

While George Clooney was filming Syriana, a chair he was tied to was knocked over, resulting in a serious head injury. Clooney ended up with chronic headaches due to the accident, and he had to have surgery to solve the problem.