There’s no overstating how huge the Harry Potter movie series was for fans of the wizarding world from 2001 until its 2011 conclusion. However, behind the scenes, tragedy struck in 2009 that left lasting repercussions on a lot of the cast and crew — Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double, David Holmes, was paralyzed while rehearsing a scene for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. I finally watched the documentary about Holmes with my HBO Max subscription, and I am both heartbroken and inspired.
David Holmes started working as a stuntman for the Harry Potter films in the first movie and grew up alongside Daniel Radcliffe and the rest. Holmes was the one we all saw getting blasted into rocks and falling off broomsticks for all those years. His career came to an end on January 28, 2009, when a stunt went wrong during rehearsal, causing him to break his neck when he was thrown backward into a wall. David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived manages to convey both the tragedy of what happened and Holmes’ refusal to let that kill his spirit.
There’s No Getting Around How Catastrophic David Holmes’ Paralysis Was And Continues To Be
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived opens with the former stuntman talking about how important movement was to him. He said his brain didn’t fully function if he wasn’t in motion, and his mother described his childhood as extremely active. Even in the weeks before the accident, Daniel Radcliffe said Holmes and fellow Harry Potter stuntman Marc Mailley had visited him in New York, where they were running around the city, climbing light posts and jumping and flipping everywhere.
To think this man all of a sudden lost use of his body from the chest down is the ultimate cruelty. David Holmes himself described his body as a prison cell, but as he continues to lose feeling and movement capabilities, he said it’s becoming more like a coffin.
His paralysis meant he could no longer care for himself — not to mention continue doing a job that he loved and had been doing since his young teen years. It’s almost too much to think about someone having to find a whole new way to live and reason for living.
David Holmes’ life was obviously the most affected by the accident, but so many around him suffered as well. To this day Daniel Radcliffe and Marc Mailley — who begrudgingly became Radcliffe’s double afterward at Holmes’ insistence — can’t talk about it without crying. Harry Potter stunt director Greg Powell, who originally hired Holmes and was in charge the day of the accident, still blames himself. In the documentary, he said:
In the nicest way, I’m gonna say I wish I’d never met him, when I see him like that, because he wouldn’t be like that if he hadn’t have met me.
David Holmes and Greg Powell had a very close father/son relationship before the accident, but they don’t see each other often now, seemingly because the stunt coordinator can’t stop thinking about the life that Holmes would have now if it hadn’t happened.
The Harry Potter stunt double has had countless bumps in the road and low moments over the years, as told in The Boy Who Lived; however, David Holmes seems determined to keep the smile on his face and be an example for overcoming adversity.
David Holmes’ Story Includes Plenty Of Heartwarming Moments Too
I think what I loved most about David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived was how his friends rallied around him. Even while Daniel Radcliffe admitted it was awkward at first to visit the stuntman in the hospital, he quickly realized Holmes was still the same guy he’d always looked up to like a big brother.
Another of David Holmes’ friends, Tommy Wells, stepped in to become his buddy’s caretaker, or as Holmes said, “my arms and legs.” I mean, the love between two friends doesn’t go deeper than that. When asked if being Holmes’ care assistant was a big responsibility, Wells firmly and quickly said:
No. I’m hanging around with my best mate. It’s not a responsibility. For me it’s just a natural thing. I come at 8 o’clock, I hang around with my best mate. We do some fun things. We do some horrible things. We do some upsetting things. We do some quite depressing things sometimes, but we just do.
Tommy Wells has been the one helping to figure out how to get David Holmes to everything from appointments to meetings to safaris in South Africa. I was so touched by their beautiful friendship.
David Holmes has also raised a lot of money for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and other spinal cord injury groups through an annual cricket event that’s been ongoing since 2009. Harry Potter stuntmen Marc Mailley and Tolga Kenan continue to work in the industry and have made strides in making the job safer.
One Thing David Holmes Said Has Stuck With Me Since Watching His Documentary
There was one thing the stuntman said that really struck me when I was watching the doc regarding the burden of his loved ones’ expectations after the accident. David Holmes knew immediately when it happened that he’d broken his neck, and he knew the damage was irreversible. It was important to make the others in his life aware of this too, and he said:
I told all my family and my friends straight away: ‘Try and hope for me to be happy like I am. Not happy like you want me to be, because there’s a good chance that won’t be achievable. So don’t make me feel like I’m constantly failing you for not trying to fix and unfix all the problems.’
He makes an amazing point, and I’d imagine that was pretty helpful (though admittedly devastating) to help his family and friends know how to approach him in those early days. Daniel Radcliffe said he really learned about being there for his buddy without trying to or being able to fix anything.
“The Boy Who Lived” may be Harry Potter’s nickname in the book and movie series, but it really is the perfect way to describe David Holmes. Not only did he survive the terrible stunt tragedy, but he refused to stop living after he became paralyzed.
Seeing David Holmes’ story made me agree completely with Ryan Gosling’s reason for making The Fall Guy, because there’s no reason stuntmen shouldn’t get more recognition for their work. Holmes gave everything to the Harry Potter franchise, and he said if he regained his mobility tomorrow he’d be right back at work.
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of the wizarding world should watch this documentary (or read Holmes’ book, which comes highly recommended by Emma Watson). David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived and all of the Harry Potter movies can be streamed on HBO Max.
