A tragic accident on the set of a Harry Potter film left Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double paralysed for life.
Getting a role of any shape or size in the Wizarding World is job no one would turn down right?
And for David Holmes, a then-teenage gymnast from Essex, that meant playing the lead’s stunt double in the first six films.
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He’d been trusted with doing all the risky tricks and moments Radcliffe couldn’t - so among other things, he got to fly about on broomsticks and motorbikes.
But one day on the set of Deathly Hallows: Part 1, his life changed forever.
Now paralysed from a freak accident, Holmes lives his life in a wheelchair.
His life both before and after the accident is to be explored in a new Sky and HBO documentary executive produced by the main Harry actor himself, titled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.
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“Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralysed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down," a synopsis for the documentary reads.
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Holmes took to Instagram yesterday (24 October) to announce the new show, writing: "Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world. In January 2009, I had a stunt rehearsal accident that changed my life forever. This film tells the story of not just my achievements in front of camera, but also the challenges I face every day, and my overall attitude to life after suffering a broken neck."
Holmes was filming a 'jerk back' stunt - designed to replicate the effects of an explosion - when he slammed into a wall and was seriously injured.
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Back in 2014, he spoke to The Mirror about his terrifying accident on set of the Wizarding World.
He said: "I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath.
"My stunt co-ordinator grabbed my hand and said, 'squeeze my fingers'. I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldn't squeeze his fingers.
"I looked into his eyes and that's when I realised what happened was major.
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"I remember slipping in and out of consciousness because of the pain levels.
"I'd broken a bone before, so recognising that weird feeling across my whole body from my fingertips right down to my toes, I knew I had really done some damage."
Holmes was rushed to hospital where he was able to undergo major surgery, though he was left devastated when he woke up.
Not only was he left paralysed from the waist down, but he was also left with only limited movement in his arms and hands.
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Since becoming paralysed, Holmes has taken up automobile racing and also launched a podcast with Radcliffe, called Cunning Stunts, where they interviewed other stunt actors about the risks they face.
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived will premiere on HBO on 15 November. UK viewers can stream it on Sky Documentaries and NOW from 18 November.
Featured Image Credit: Sky/Davidholmes/InstagramTopics: Harry Potter, TV and Film, Daniel Radcliffe, Documentaries