The Horrific Harry Potter Scene That Left a Stuntman Paralyzed For 13 Years
David Holmes did all of Daniel Radcliffe's stunts from the time Harry Potter took the screen in 2001 until the series ended in 2011. His final performance would unfortunately be his last moment not confined to a wheelchair.
Holmes' first credit as a stunt double came with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" when he was 17. His small stature made him a suitable double for 11-year-old Radcliffe. He doubled for Radcliffe in every Harry Potter film thereafter, until a tragic accident occurred in 2009 while filming "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2", released two years later.
While rehearsing a flying scene Holmes' Potter was jerked back, and his neck was broken. He's been paralyzed from the chest down for the past 13 years, only having limited mobility in each of his arms and hands.
In that time, his love for the industry has not swayed. He's now working with former "acting double" Radcliffe on their podcast called "Cunning Stunts." The duo interviews stunt performers across genres to highlight an underrated part of the industry, the one responsible for much of the movie magic.
Holmes said he started the podcast because he enjoyed being on sets and listening to the stories shared among those in his profession and has missed it since being off of sets. Radcliffe joined because the actor also enjoyed those stories, particularly when he worked with the high-flying stunt performers on his former franchise.
On top of being his stunt double, Holmes was also given the job of whipping Radcliffe into prime physical shape. Holmes told a story of Radcliffe shooting a scene at Alnwick Castle in which Harry is supposed to hit a ball with a bat.
"As soon as me and Greg [Powell, stunt coordinator,] saw Dan swing the bat, he just looked at me and went, 'We're going to have to do a bit of work with him.'"
Radcliffe said that, as an actor who has an interest in doing his own stunts, he has to be involved in it as much as he can. Any actor interested in stunt work needs to build a relationship with the stunt department and their double, or else they'll never know what the actor is capable of.
The two worked together for the entire eight-movie run of the franchise's original series, though Radcliffe did end up doing several of his own stunts. He mentioned one he did at 14 or 16 in which he fell 35 feet onto Hogwarts castle, as well as an enormous underwater scene.
To hear more stories from Holmes and others across the industry, find "Cunning Stunts" wherever podcasts can be heard.