'Harry Potter' stunt double, paralyzed in on-set accident, shares story in new HBO doc

"Harry Potter" stunt double David Holmes shares the story behind his paralysis in an upcoming documentary.  

"David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived," an HBO original film set to debut next month, will include behind-the-scenes footage and conversations with colleagues, friends and loved ones, Variety reported. 

The film, described as a coming-of-age story, follows prodigious teenage gymnast David Holmes from Essex, England, who was chosen to be Radcliffe’s stunt double for the first “Harry Potter” film, HBO shared with Variety. 

Holmes continued to work as Radcliffe’s stunt double until an accident on the set of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," the penultimate film in the franchise, left Holmes "paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down,” Variety reported. 

“David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience becomes the greatest source of strength and inspiration from those closest to him, who rallied to support Holmes and his family in their time of need," according to HBO material shared with Variety.

Living with adversity, growing up, forging identities in an uncertain world and the bonds that bind us together and lift us up are some of the themes present in the film.

How to watch 'David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived'

"David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived" will premiere on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. The documentary will also be available to stream on Max. 

Daniel Radcliffe has signed on to executive produce the film, along with Holmes and a gaggle of others from HBO and Sky Studios.

Who is David Holmes? 

David Holmes is a former gymnast, stunt performer and podcast host of “Cunning Stunts,” a podcast launched in 2020 with Radcliffe, Harry Potter’s leading man. 

Holmes has stunt credits in more than a dozen well-recognized films including "The Golden Compass" and "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" including the seven Harry Potter movies he was a part of, according to IMDB. 

The podcast series highlights and pays tribute to the work that our stunt coordinators and performers do on set, according to the Apple Podcasts webpage. 

“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,” Radcliffe told Variety around the time the podcast was launched. 

Holmes was severely injured in January 2009 on the set of "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" while filming a flying scene, recognized as one of the most dangerous stunts in the business, the Mirror reported in 2014.

He was hurled into a wall after being pulled backwards at speed by a high-strength wire and broke his neck, leaving him paralyzed.

“My first thought was, ‘Don’t ring Mum and Dad, I don’t want to worry them,” Holmes told the Mirror. 

“I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath. My stunt coordinator grabbed my hand and said, ‘Squeeze my fingers.’ I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldn’t squeeze his fingers,” which is when he realized he had really done some damage. 

Doctors told him he would be paralyzed from the chest down with limited mobility in his arms and hands. 

“My first thoughts weren’t about not being able to walk again. It was all the other stuff, like not being able to dance again or have sex,” he reportedly told the Mirror. 

Holmes spent months trying to get his strength back after his muscles wasted away. 

“I have gone from being able to stand on my hands for half an hour at a time and then all of a sudden I can’t sit up in bed.” 

Despite the severity of his injury, Holmes has been determined to not let his disability define him.

“I haven’t let my accident affect my outlook on life and I am still very determined and positive. I also haven’t let it hold me back in life and I still enjoy track days racing my car, going on holidays with my friends and am now looking forward to starting a new career.” 

Holmes previously stated that his time working on the "Harry Potter" films was an amazing experience. 

“I loved it and Dan was an absolute pleasure to work with. The cast and crew were like a second family, and I remain in touch with a lot of them to this day,” he said. 

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