Theo Wargo/Getty Images; HBO/YouTube
Daniel Radcliffe Tells Story of Paralyzed ‘Harry Potter’ Stunt Double in Doc ‘The Boy Who Lived’
An upcoming HBO documentary will tell the story of Daniel Radcliffe’s lead Harry Potter stunt double, David Holmes, who was left paralyzed after an accident on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, which is executive produced by Daniel, 34, will detail the decade-long bond between the Harry Potter star and his stuntman during the filming of the iconic franchise, and the aftermath of the tragic accident.
After David’s debilitating spinal injury, “Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need,” according to the official logline for the documentary.
“It is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration,” the description continues.
Speaking of the accident in the film’s trailer, Daniel said, “It is unfair. He shouldn’t have had to do any of that,” adding, “This terrible thing happened to Dave, but I don’t want to talk as if his life is a tragedy. The way his life has affected the lives of people around him means that it is the furthest thing from that imaginable.”
One speaker in the film’s trailer called the day of the accident the “worst day in the film business that [he’s] ever had.”
“It was brilliant, until it wasn’t,” the man, who was unnamed in the trailer, said of his experience working on the film.
The Woman in Black actor went on to describe David as a “cool older brother.” “He would do the most dangerous physical stuff,” Daniel added.
Despite the life-changing accident, David called being a stuntman for the Harry Potter movies “the best job in the world.”
“You’re constantly being tested, just risking it all,” he said. “I used to fly. Nothing’s like it, man.”
David showed his resilient spirit as he reflected on how life has changed since becoming paralyzed.
“Before my accident, everything was about being cool and being a stuntman,” David said in the trailer. “Now, it’s about being present.”
The former stuntman described his “crazy life” as being filled with “such highs and such lows,” but said with the support of family and friends, he was able to “find the light in the darkest of places.”
“I have so much love in my life,” David continued. “You know, I have lots of great friends, and I’m so lucky.”
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived premieres November 15 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, and will be available to stream on Max.
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