Actresses Who Endured Real Physical Harm While Filming

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Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - November 14th 2025, 19:00 GMT+1

Jennifer Lawrence Dont Look Up 2021 — Jennifer Lawrence – Don’t Look Up (2021)

Being struck in the face by exploding glass wasn’t exactly in Jennifer Lawrence’s contract, but that’s Hollywood for you. During a chaotic sequence on *Don’t Look Up*, a controlled explosion misfired, sending shards into her eye area and leaving her with a minor facial injury. Production was halted while she recovered, though she reportedly came back to set unfazed and cracking jokes. Add to that a chipped veneer she lost early in filming – forcing her to shoot “half-toothless” for a stretch – and you’ve got a rough week at the office. The world may have been ending on-screen, but off-screen, it was Lawrence who took the real hit. | © Hyperobject Industries / Bluegrass Films

Charlize Theron The Old Guard 2020 — Charlize Theron – The Old Guard (2020)

By now, Charlize Theron has a reputation for doing her own stunts – and for paying the price. While filming *The Old Guard*, the actress tore a tendon in her thumb during one of the film’s elaborate fight sequences. The injury was bad enough to require surgery once production wrapped. It wasn’t her first time sacrificing her body for a role, but Theron’s stoic professionalism made it easy to miss how much pain she was in while swinging axes and trading punches on set. She later admitted that the recovery process took longer than expected, a brutal reminder that superheroic endurance doesn’t stop when the cameras do. | © Skydance Media / Denver and Delilah Productions

Emily Blunt Edge of Tomorrow 2014 — Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Nothing says “action star” like flipping a heavy exosuit – unless it’s accidentally *getting crushed* by one. Emily Blunt learned that lesson while shooting *Edge of Tomorrow*, where she performed her own stunts in a bulky, 85-pound metal suit. In one take, a high-speed car chase went wrong and Blunt’s vehicle crashed, leaving her shaken and sore. She described lying on the ground, unable to move, while Tom Cruise looked on in horror. Thankfully, she avoided serious injury, but the bruises and strain from those long days in armor were no joke. The film’s slogan – “Live. Die. Repeat.” – must’ve hit a little too close to home. | © Village Roadshow Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures

Isla Fisher Now You See Me 2013 — Isla Fisher – Now You See Me (2013)

Drowning on camera is one thing; almost drowning *for real* is another. Isla Fisher experienced a genuine scare while filming the famous water-tank escape scene in *Now You See Me*. Her chains got tangled during the take, trapping her underwater far longer than planned. Crew members initially thought her thrashing was “method acting,” unaware she was actually fighting for air. Fisher managed to free herself before losing consciousness, but the near-miss left her visibly shaken. The moment serves as a chilling example of how quickly a magic trick can turn deadly when real danger sneaks into the illusion. | © Summit Entertainment / K/O Paper Products

Halle Berry The Call 2013 — Halle Berry – The Call (2013)

You wouldn’t think a small, confined space could cause much damage, but *The Call* proved otherwise for Halle Berry. During an intense fight scene, a head-butt went wrong and left Berry with a concussion that halted production. It wasn’t her first on-set injury – she’s broken bones and sprained ankles across her career – but this one reminded her that even contained thrillers can pack a physical punch. She recovered quickly and went back to filming, proving once again why she’s one of Hollywood’s most resilient action stars. It’s safe to say she doesn’t need any more convincing to wear a stunt double next time. | © Troika Pictures / WWE Studios

Charlize theron aeon flux — Charlize Theron – Æon Flux (2005)

Charlize Theron may look untouchable on screen, but during the filming of *Æon Flux*, she came dangerously close to a career-ending injury. While performing one of her own stunts – a graceful backflip that went horribly wrong – she landed on her neck and herniated a disc in her spine. Production was shut down for nearly two months while she recovered, and for a while, she feared she might never walk properly again. The accident left her shaken but unbroken, and she returned to finish the movie herself. It’s one of those moments that proves even Hollywood superheroes are made of flesh, bone, and a whole lot of determination. | © Lakeshore Entertainment / MTV Films

Cropped Uma Thurman Kill Bill Vol 2 2004 — Uma Thurman – Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

The image of Uma Thurman behind the wheel in *Kill Bill: Vol. 2* might look badass, but what happened during that scene was anything but cinematic magic. Director Quentin Tarantino reportedly convinced her to drive a car herself for a high-speed shot, despite her concerns about safety. The car crashed into a tree, leaving Thurman with permanent damage to her knees and neck. She later called the experience one of her darkest memories in Hollywood. The scene made it into the final cut, but every time you watch her speeding down that dirt road, remember – she wasn’t acting terrified. She truly was. | © A Band Apart / Miramax Films

Cropped Nicole Kidman Moulin Rouge 2001 — Nicole Kidman – Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Glitter, corsets, and spectacular musical numbers – *Moulin Rouge!* may look like pure cinematic joy, but Nicole Kidman’s time on set was physically brutal. While rehearsing one of the film’s elaborate dance sequences, she fractured two ribs and severely injured her knee after slipping in a corset that left little room to breathe. The pain got so bad she had to film many scenes while sitting or lying down. Despite the injuries, Kidman powered through, giving a performance so emotionally charged it’s hard to believe she was wincing through every take. Turns out, love isn’t the only thing that hurts. | © Bazmark Films / 20th Century Fox

Cropped Kate Winslet Titanic 1997 — Kate Winslet – Titanic (1997)

You’d think surviving *Titanic* once would be enough, but for Kate Winslet, the danger wasn’t just on-screen. During production, she nearly drowned when her heavy costume got caught on a metal gate underwater, trapping her as the freezing tank filled around her. Winslet freed herself just in time, but the ordeal left her bruised, battered, and with a lingering fear of deep water. Add to that hypothermia from weeks of filming in cold conditions, and it’s safe to say her “I’ll never let go” moment hit differently behind the scenes. The glamour of Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster didn’t quite extend to its icy realism. | © Lightstorm Entertainment / Paramount Pictures

Cropped Meryl Streep The River Wild 1994 — Meryl Streep – The River Wild (1994)

Even Meryl Streep – queen of composure – isn’t immune to the wrath of nature. While shooting *The River Wild*, she was thrown from a raft into freezing rapids after losing her grip during a stunt. For a tense moment, the crew thought she’d been swept away for good. Though she escaped without major injury, Streep later admitted that she came terrifyingly close to drowning. She got right back in the raft afterward (because of course she did), but it’s a chilling reminder that even Oscar-winning legends sometimes get in over their heads – literally. | © Universal Pictures / City Light Films

Cropped Tippi Hedren Roar 1981 — Tippi Hedren – Roar (1981)

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you make a movie with over 150 untrained lions, tigers, and other big cats – *Roar* has your answer, and Tippi Hedren’s scars to prove it. While filming, Hedren was bitten, clawed, and even lifted off the ground by a lion that decided she looked like lunch. The injuries included scalp wounds and a fractured leg, and production halted several times as both cast and crew were repeatedly mauled. Amazingly, Hedren finished the film, though she later admitted it was “the most dangerous movie ever made.” Watching it now, you can’t help but feel that no amount of realism is worth almost becoming a snack. | © Filmways Pictures / Noé Productions

Cropped Sylvia Miles The Sentinel 1977 — Sylvia Miles – The Sentinel (1977)

Horror films often promise terror, but *The Sentinel* delivered a bit too much of it for Sylvia Miles. During a stunt sequence gone wrong, she fell and dislocated her hip – an injury that left her bedridden for weeks. The eerie supernatural thriller was meant to shock audiences, but it’s safe to say Miles didn’t expect to suffer real pain from it. True to form, she shrugged it off with dark humor, later saying that the experience only made her performance more convincing. Sometimes, horror doesn’t need makeup or effects – just one bad step and a concrete floor. | © Universal Pictures / Jeffrey Konvitz Productions

Cropped Linda Blair Ellen Burstyn The Exorcist 1973 — Linda Blair & Ellen Burstyn – The Exorcist (1973)

Few films have caused as much chaos behind the scenes as *The Exorcist*, and its two leading ladies took the brunt of it. Linda Blair, just 14 at the time, suffered a serious back injury when her mechanical rig malfunctioned during a violent thrashing scene, leaving her in chronic pain for years. Ellen Burstyn wasn’t spared either – she was yanked backward by a harness with such force during a take that it permanently injured her spine. The screams you hear in those moments? Completely real. It’s no wonder the movie’s reputation for being cursed still lingers decades later. | © Warner Bros. Pictures / Hoya Productions

Cropped Elizabeth Taylor National Velvet 1944 — Elizabeth Taylor – National Velvet (1944)

Before she was a Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor was a 12-year-old girl riding a horse that would change her life – and almost take it. During the filming of *National Velvet*, she was thrown from her horse and fractured her spine, an injury that caused lifelong back problems. Despite the pain, she returned to finish the movie, proving her resilience even at such a young age. The fall left her with recurring issues that required multiple surgeries throughout her career, but Taylor never lost her love for horses. It’s a reminder that even childhood dreams can come with grown-up consequences. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Cropped Margaret Hamilton — Margaret Hamilton – The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Being the Wicked Witch of the West came with more fire than Margaret Hamilton bargained for. During one of the film’s most memorable scenes, a trapdoor malfunctioned, and she was caught in a burst of flames, suffering severe second- and third-degree burns on her face and hand. Production was delayed for weeks while she recovered. To make matters worse, her stunt double was also injured later in another fire-related scene – proving Oz wasn’t exactly the safest place to work. The movie may look magical, but behind the curtain, it was pure chaos and danger for everyone involved in bringing that Technicolor dream to life. | © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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They say “the show must go on,” but sometimes that show comes with broken bones, burns, or a trip to the ER. From pyrotechnic misfires to near drownings and stunt-gone-wrongs, these actresses didn’t just pretend to suffer on screen – they actually did. Whether it was pure bad luck or Hollywood recklessness, these behind-the-scenes mishaps prove that movie magic can come with some very real pain.

So if you’ve ever gasped during an action scene and thought, “Wow, that looked real!” – well, sometimes it was. These are actresses who paid a physical price for their performances. And if you’re more curious about the psychological side of on-set suffering, check out our companion piece on the most emotionally traumatic experiences actresses have endured in Hollywood.