David Holmes, a stunt double for the film's star, Daniel Radcliffe, remains in hospital with a serious back injury after the accident on January 28th. “When you are lying down for a year, you have a lot of time to think,” recalls Holmes. Holmes is now an ambassador for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and is working to support newly injured patients in the first stages of recovery with adapting to their disability, and has founded a production company, Ripples, dedicated to sharing experiences of everyday life and their rehabilitation process. Holmes was rehearsing a ‘jerk back’ stunt, which mimics the effects of an explosion, when he was thrown into a wall and broke his neck, instantly paralyzing him, reports The Mirror. “We were at Alnwick Castle and there’s a scene where Harry has to hit a ball with a bat,” Holmes recalls. A STUNTMAN who was left paralysed after an accident on the set of a Harry Potter film has spoken of his ordeal for the first time. He was also credited as playing the role of Adrian Pucey. The team stuck together to tackle obstacles throughout the process, including the building contactor going out of business ¾ of the way through the build. Jun 10, 2020 5:43 pm @zsharf. Moving on...Holmes now runs a production company that produces podcasts to help other peoSource:Supplied. “There was definitely a sense of tragedy for me, but also a sense of sheer determination to beat it and better it.
“Imagine being an 11-year-old boy and being told, ‘You’re going to run around on crash mats and jump on trampolines.’ It was kind of heaven. By submitting your details, you agree to cookies being used in accordance with our Cookie Policy and to receive updates from us by email unless you have ticked the relevant box below. Although Holmes is able to move his arms, push-button controls are almost impossible. “It was hard for my parents to hear but it was important to me to have that control.
“You realize the whole community is built up of so many memories and so many characters.”. Holmes notes that since the accident he has “ten times” the creativity he used to. The tool at the heart of his automation system – the iPad – fortuitously was released around the time he was discharged from hospital.
“When you are lying down for a year, you have a lot of time to think,” recalls Holmes. As the podcast has gone on, my spinal injury has deteriorated. “But when you go through what happened with Dave or Olivia, or the many people we’ve talked to that have had severe things happen to them, you realize everyone has put their bodies on the line to make the things we love. No, I made it into an architectural feature in the centre of the house.” Now, Holmes only requires one carer to help him in and out of bed in the morning and night. Perhaps most importantly, Holmes says he now has a greater sense of comfort and security at night-time. “It was all the other stuff, like not being able to dance again or have sex.”. I was a gymnast, then I became a stuntman. If you don’t, they’ll never know what you’re capable of.”. “I didn’t want the house to look like it was for a disabled person. David Holmes was born in 1981 in the UK. The Cunning Stunts podcast series can be downloaded here. Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. Check out our gallery of Emmy nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories in real life and in character. As Hollywood continues its thirst for bigger and better action with every passing blockbuster, Holmes and Radcliffe both feel it is past time the stunt community was recognized by the motion picture Academy with an Oscar category for the work they put in to do what they do. “35 feet is a lot higher than you think once you get up there.”. “When the iPad came out, I could suddenly operator a whole computer system.” Large light buttons he can now hit with his knuckle provide greater control of his surroudings. To receive weekly newsletters simply complete the form below. In hospital you had to bite down on a buzzer for someone to come and help you.”, “In David’s case, talking to all the contractors involved was even more important than usual as there was so many people involved (for doors and windows, heating and ventilation control, CCTV, door entry, telephony and lighting),” recalls Tom Booth, projects director at CSS, who led on the installation. “I watch films all the time. They find the safest way of doing it, but it can still hurt.”. Connecting the EMEA Residential AV & Automation Industry since 2003.