8 Stars Whose Lives Were Changed by On-Set Accidents

Every job has its advantages and disadvantages, and when making a choice, we are fully aware of the possible outcomes. When it comes to acting and the type of film being shot, the risks that actors take to bring a scene to life can be significant.

Although many scenes can now be achieved with special effects, that wasn’t always the case in the past. Take a look at how these actors’ lives changed due to accidents that occurred during filming.

1. Buddy Ebsen

Before the Tin Man became the character we recognize today in The Wizard of Oz, another actor wore the metal suit. Buddy Ebsen was originally selected for the part, but his time on set was cut short when he developed a dangerous allergic reaction to the aluminum powder in his makeup. Just days into filming, he collapsed with breathing problems and had to be hospitalized, relying on oxygen to recover.

Doctors made it clear that returning to the role could cost him his life. As a result, Ebsen had no choice but to leave the production. Jack Haley stepped in, donning a less hazardous, cream-based makeup. While Ebsen’s scenes were replaced, a piece of his performance remains: his voice is still featured in a few of the film’s musical sequences.

2. Margaret Qualley

Margaret Qualley went all in for her role in The Substance, so much so that it wrecked her skin. A year of heavy prosthetics and thick makeup left her battling severe acne that got so bad, the crew sometimes couldn’t even film her face.

She shared on a podcast that the layers of glue and fake skin completely messed with her pores and caused nonstop breakouts. Even during her next movie, Kinds of Kindness, the effects lingered. The team had to get creative with camera angles to hide it. Still, she stayed patient, stuck to a solid skincare routine, and eventually healed fully.

3. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn’t just pretend to be a fearless bike messenger in Premium Rush, he became one. While filming a high-speed chase through the streets of New York, things got a little too real. He lost control and crashed straight through a taxi’s back window, glass everywhere.

The result? A nasty arm injury that took 31 stitches to close. But instead of taking a break, he showed up the next day, stitched up and ready to roll, like the crash was just another scene in the script.

4. Harrison Ford

During the filming of The Force Awakens, Harrison Ford was seriously injured when the Millennium Falcon’s hydraulic door unexpectedly slammed down on him, breaking his leg. The incident halted production and sparked a safety investigation, ultimately costing Disney’s production team a $2 million fine for failing to meet proper safety standards.

5. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise doesn’t fake it when it comes to action. While filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout, he leapt from one rooftop to another, and didn’t quite stick the landing. He ended up breaking his ankle, and the whole thing was caught on camera.

Instead of stopping, he powered through the pain and completed the take. That very shot made it into the final cut. Production paused while he recovered, but the scene became a badge of honor, a testament to how far Cruise will go to keep it real.

6. Margot Robbie

To transform into Tonya Harding for I, Tonya, Margot Robbie pushed her body to its breaking point. Day after day, she hit the ice with relentless focus, determined to mirror Harding’s athletic edge. But the effort came at a price, tingling arms, constant pain, and, eventually, a herniated disc. The diagnosis forced her to reckon with the physical extremes she had reached in pursuit of authenticity.

7. Natalie Portman

While working on Black Swan, Natalie Portman dislocated a rib during a lift sequence, and there was no medic on set at the time. Despite the pain, she pushed through and completed the scene without treatment.

When medical help eventually arrived, the cameras kept rolling. "When I got lifted, it went out of place. It sort of goes under another rib. So that was real, (the scene in which a physical therapist) was doing real work on me. Darren was like, 'Film it! Film it! Stay in character, talk in your character's voice!'" she shared.

8. Colin Firth

Colin Firth became so absorbed in playing King George VI in The King's Speech that the role started affecting him physically. Training his speech to mimic a stammer, then layering the struggle of suppressing it, pushed his body too far.

Somewhere along the way, a nerve got compressed, and his left arm went numb for days at a time. The role didn’t end when the cameras stopped, it lingered in his body like a shadow.

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