David Holmes filled in as Daniel Radcliffe’s “body double” in 2009 – when he broke his neck during filming.
Now the story of the unfortunate incident has been turned into a documentary. “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” will premiere on HBO on November 18 diverse.
Holmes was 28 years old when something went wrong during the filming of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.” Today he is 42 years old and in a wheelchair. He was paralyzed from the waist down.
When he now gets his own movie, it will be with actor Daniel Radcliffe (34 years old) in the “Harry Potter” film series. He is the executive producer.
Four years of secret work
The two worked closely together from the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001, until the seventh film – which brought Holmes’ professional career to an abrupt end.
«Finally the day has come. Now I can share with you the entire secret project and the four years of hard work that went into making this film“, writes David Holmes Instagram Tuesday night.
« Stunt work was my calling in life, and “double” Harry was the best job in the world. (…) This film tells the story of not only my accomplishments in front of the camera, but also the challenges I face every day, and my general attitude towards life after I broke my neck“, he explains – under a photo of himself with Radcliffe.
The planned explosion in the film first leads to a largely unplanned outcome. Holmes was originally supposed to be pushed to his death with a belt, but instead ended up straight into a wall before falling to the ground.
The broken neck caused permanent damage to the young stuntman’s spine.
«I am only alive because of the immense love and support I have been fortunate enough to receive. It is because of this love and support that I was able to share my journey with all of you», writes the now 42-year-old.
In the TV documentary, it was purportedly revealed how his colleagues stepped in to support Holmes and his family after the incident – but instead it was Holmes’ “extraordinary will to fight that became an inspiration to everyone around him”.
Dan Hartley (49) is the director of the documentary.
Podcast together
The film is not the first collaboration between Radcliffe and Holmes after the accident. During the pandemic, they started a podcast “Cunning Stunts” together.
Radcliffe stated at the time that he believed there was a myth associated with stunt actors, that they were somehow superhuman.
– When audiences see something really painful or terrible, they think it was a visual effect, or that there is a smart, safe way to do it. Often this is not the case. For example, there is no way to pretend to fall down the stairs, the actor explained.
– When you get hit by a car, the car will still hit you, even if it is moving slower than usual. They found the safest way to do it, but it still hurts.
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