Working on the set of a movie isn’t all fun and games. Even though it may seem like acting is an easy job, it comes with its risks. The stuntmen on set are constantly putting themselves in danger. The actors are in a high-pressure environment. The crew members aren’t even safe. If you don’t believe it, here are a few of the most terrifying movie set deaths that have occurred while filming:
Brandon Lee was the son of the famous martial artist and actor, Bruce Lee. However, when Brandon decided to take on acting like his father, he ended up dying during an incident on the set of The Crow. It happened when a .44 Magnum revolver was meant to be pointed and cocked at Brandon during a scene. The gun was loaded, and it ended up shooting Brandon in the abdomen. The doctors were unable to heal his wounds, and Brandon died hours later.
A man named Harry O’Connor, a professional stuntman, died during the filming of a Vin Diesel movie, “xXx.” Harry was attached to a paraglider, which was being pulled at a fast speed, and ended up striking a bridge. He died instantly from his severe wounds.
During a poorly planned car chase in “Taxi 2,” one of the cameramen ended up getting hit and killed. Meanwhile, another cameraman lost both of his legs in a similar accident. The stuntman who was found responsible for the incident, Remy Julienne, was fined and received a small jail sentence for his crime.
The Twilight Zone was a massively popular television show about strange occurrences. However, when it was turned into a movie, real tragedy struck. During a scene that involved a helicopter, the vehicle accidentally crashed and the blades decapitated Vic Morrow. Two child actors, which were only 6 and 7 years old, were also hit and killed.
While filming this sci-fi movie, a man was killed by a frozen piece of sand as the crew was dismantling pieces of the set. A chunk of the sand fell off and hit David Ritchie, killing him instantly. It also struck another member of the crew, but he was not in any serious danger.
During the filming of Top Gun, a world renowned pilot was asked to help with cinematography. He was meant to capture spinning scenery while up in the air, but something unexpected happened that caused his plane to crash. No one was able to give an accurate explanation of the incident, but some people believe the camera mounted on top of the plane redistributed the vehicle’s weight, making it impossible to perform the stunt safely.
During the flood scene in this 1928 movie, real water was used in order to portray the event. So much water was used three extras ended up drowning on set. There were also extras who suffered from broken limbs, and a man who needed to get his leg amputated after the scene.