Daniel Radcliffe Makes Documentary About ‘Harry Potter’ Stunt Actor Who Became Paralyzed While Filming

Daniel Radcliffe has made a documentary about his former Harry Potter stunt double David Holmes, who became paralyzed after an on-set accident.

The actor, who played the title role in the film series, worked with David Holmes for 10 years until the stunt actor broke his neck while working on 2010 installment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and was unable to walk again.

Daniel is now bringing his pal's story to the screen in a film titled David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived. David took to Instagram to unveil the film plans, 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."

He added: "I want to say a very special thank you to Daniel; for his willingness to help tell my story, and for his years of support, friendship and love. We are both immensely proud of our time on the Harry Potter films, and the joy and comfort it brings to audiences around the world on a daily basis.

The spirit of Harry lives in us, and anybody else lucky enough to have worked on those films, and always will."

A synopsis from HBO explained: "The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just 11.

"Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down."

The statement added: "As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.

"Featuring candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with David, Daniel Radcliffe, friends, family and former crew, the film also reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up, forging identities in an uncertain world and the bonds that bind us together and lift us up."

Daniel and David previously teamed up during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to launch a podcast together called Cunning Stunts in which they talked about Hollywood stunts.

During an episode of the podcast, Daniel attempted to dispel one of the biggest myths about stunt performers. He said: "I think there’s a myth around stuntmen that they are just superhuman in some way. When the public see something really painful or horrible, they think it was a visual effect or that there’s some clever, safe way of doing it. Often that’s not the case.

"There’s no way of faking, for example, falling down stairs. When you get hit by a car, you’re still getting hit by a car, even if it’s going slower than it would. They find the safest way of doing it, but it can still hurt."

The film will debut in November.