Poll: On-Screen Injuries That Really Happened
No acting necessary with these moments; these actors really got injured in the following scenes. You know what they say: Sometimes you just CAN'T fake it! Which of these on-screen injuries that REALLY happened seemed most natural to you? After voting, you may discuss the poll here.
Vote:
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#1
Diane Kruger was actually being choked by Christoph Waltz in the now infamous scene of Inglourious Basterds (2009). Tarantino kept filming the scene as he wanted the realism of her actually being choked. -
Channing Tatum in Foxcatcher (2014)
Channing Tatum improvised the scene where he broke the mirror with his head, doing so with such intensity that he actually cut his forehead on the glass in the process. -
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler (2014)
In the scene in Nightcrawler (2014) where Jake Gyllenhaal is talking to himself in the mirror, the mirror actually cracked and cut his hand. He had to get 14 stitches because of it. -
Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
In the film's opening scene, Martin Sheen improvised much of his actions and was actually fairly drunk during it. When he punched the mirror, which was real glass, he severly cut his thumb. -
Brad Pitt in Se7en (1995)
When Mills chases John Doe in the rain, the pain we see on Brad Pitt's face when he falls is genuine; he actually required surgery when his arm went through a car windshield. -
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
When Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) kicks the helmet after thinking Merry and Pippin are dead, Mortensen actually breaks his two toes. It was his fourth attempt doing this kick and the scream we see him let out is real. -
Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner (1982)
Daryl Hannah actually hurt her shoulder during the scene in Blade Runner (1982) where she was running into the truck. -
Cary Elwes and Robin Wright in The Princess Bride (1987)
Cary Elwes told Christopher Guest to hit him very hard in the scene where he strikes him. Elwes actually went to the hospital and as a result, production was shut down for a day. -
Sylvester Stallone in First Blood (1982)
Funny enough, Sylvester Stallone actually suffered MULTIPLE injuries while shooting First Blood (1982), most notably breaking a rib while performing his own stunt during the bottom third of the tree fall. -
Seizô Fukumoto, Akira Koieyama, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Lee Murayama in The Last Samurai (2003)
There is a scene in The Last Samurai (2003) when Cruise is dismounting his horse and the horse actually kicks one of the extras in the 'family jewels'. -
James Caan and Gianni Russo in The Godfather (1972)
In the scene in The Godfather (1972) when Sonny (James Caan) throws Carlo (Gianni Russo) into the garbage can, Russo apparently broke two ribs and cracked his elbow. -
Fred Astaire and Randolph Scott in Follow the Fleet (1936)
During the fight scene between Fred Astaire and Randolph Scott, Astaire - not skilled in movie fight scenes - accidentally bloodied Scott's nose; Astaire was mortified, but Scott remained pointedly nonchalant. -
Halle Berry in Gothika (2003)
Halle Berry broke her arm filming a scene with Robert Downey Jr. in the hospital interrogation. Downey was supposed to grab her arm and twist, but twisted too hard and the arm snapped. Production was halted for eight weeks. -
Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
When leaving Munchkinland, Margaret Hamilton's cape became caught in the platform when the burst of fire appeared. Her make-up heated up, causing second- and third-degree burns on her hands and face as a result. -
Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Malcolm McDowell's eyes were anesthetized for the torture scenes so that he would film for periods of time without too much discomfort. Nevertheless his corneas got repeatedly scratched by the metal lid locks. -
John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich (1999)
The scene when a can is thrown at John Malkovich's head is real. Malkovich expected that no one would be able to hit him on the head with a half-full can of beer from a passing car. Eventually the task fell to John Cusack's writing partner, who nailed it on the first try. -
Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV (1985)
Sylvester Stallone decided he and Dolph Lundgren should really hit each other for their fight, so to increase the intensity. Stallone went to the hospital after realizing Lundgren had hit him so hard in the chest, his heart slammed against his breastbone and began to swell. -
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kerry Washington in Django Unchained (2012)
When Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) smashes his hand on the dinner table, the blood we see on his hand is real. Leo accidentally crushed a small stemmed glass with his palm and cut through his hand. -
Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist (1973)
Ellen Burstyn received a permanent spinal injury during filming. In the sequence where she is thrown away from her possessed daughter, a harness jerked her hard away from the bed. She fell on her coccyx and screamed in pain.