Harry Potter stunt double says Daniel Radcliffe was left in tears after on-set accident

Daniel Radcliffe was left in tears on the set of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, according to his stunt double.

Radcliffe was just 11 years old when he was cast as the titular wizard in the film adaptation of the books by JK Rowling. The stories follow a young wizard as he and his friends defeat the evil wizard Lord Voldemort.

Due to Radcliffe’s young age and inexperience, stuntman David Holmeswas recruited to perform his stunts for him. Holmes was 17 years old and in sixth grade when he got the gig.

Holmes was seriously injured and suffered a broken neck left him paralyzed from the chest down and permanently disabled after an accident on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2009.

“Dan and I became friends and he felt comfortable performing some of the little stunts, or pranks as they are called, himself,” Holmes wrote in an excerpt from his memoir: The boy who lived, published in The times.

“One of these happened when we were shooting the scenes where Voldemort’s ghost passed through Harry towards the end The Philosopher’s Stonea moment that lays him on the ground.

“I had given Dan his own set of hip and back cushions to mark the occasion, but when setting up he had taken the wrong position and was a few steps further than where he should have been. Worse still, I hadn’t noticed. When filming started, Dan fell backwards as planned, but hit his head on the wall behind it.

Once the accident occurred, Radcliffe was left devastated and in tears.

“When I looked down at him, his eyes were full of tears,” Holmes explained.

“My stomach turned. Not only was I responsible for taking the hits on Dan’s behalf, but I also had to check on his safety when he was doing physical work. Instead, I got distracted. The previous day I had broken one or two ribs with a gag that had gone wrong.

“I had taken care of my own bruises and taken my eye off the ball. When it was decided that we would have to stop for the day, Dan looked dejected.

‘Then I realized: Dan hadn’t cried from the pain. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to make his first joke ever.”

Radcliffe made a documentary about Holmes after the accident that permanently disabled the stunt double. David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived would shed light on the ‘tragic’ incident that ‘turned his world upside down’. Holmes and Radcliffe also started making a podcast, Clever stuntsto raise awareness about the issues stunt performers face.

The Harry Potter books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, with the films grossing a record $7.7 billion.