Acting has multiple perks! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the actors whose pain endurance levels carried them through jobs they really didn’t want to give up.
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00:00 "Quitting is not an option. You know, it's gonna take a referee to say stop, you know?"
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the actors whose pain
00:10 endurance levels carried them through jobs they really didn't want to give up.
00:14 "I did all my own stunts with a broken rib."
00:17 Number 10. Harrison Ford - The Fugitive
00:22 We could easily compile a list of the various injuries this actor has sustained throughout
00:26 his career. However, there's one in particular that we're not entirely sure production,
00:31 even if they knew he was hurt, was necessarily aware of the extent of the injury.
00:37 "I planted my right foot and cut left and you could hear the
00:41 arterial cruciate ligament. For those who are technically interested, snap."
00:47 He's such a pro that he had many audiences fooled into thinking his
00:51 limp in The Fugitive was just a character quirk.
00:54 "I didn't kill my wife. I don't care."
00:58 Yet Mr. Ford, known for tackling his own stunts, had in fact suffered a leg injury during that
01:05 famous train scene. Still, the limp worked for the character, given everything he'd been through,
01:10 so they ran with it. And for ages, many of us were none the wiser.
01:15 "This is my stop. It's my stop too."
01:20 9. Cary Elwes - The Princess Bride
01:24 You may have heard about Christopher Guest and Cary Elwes' sword scene mishap,
01:28 but that's not the injury we're discussing today.
01:31 "What is it?"
01:31 "You have six fingers on your right hand. Someone was looking for you."
01:36 According to Elwes, his toe got trapped and broken while driving a quad vehicle around
01:42 the set that belonged to co-star Andre the Giant. Still in the early days of filming,
01:47 Elwes feared he might be recast due to his injury and the demanding nature of his character's scenes.
01:53 "I was petrified and I thought, 'Man, they're gonna let me go.'"
01:56 So despite the pain, he pushed through. Director Rob Reiner later uncovered the truth,
02:02 reassured Elwes his job was safe, and allowed him time for healing. If you watch the film
02:07 closely, you'll notice moments where Elwes isn't so steady on his feet.
02:12 "Drop your sword."
02:16 Number 8 - Helen Mirren - Shazam! Fury of the Gods
02:20 This global icon eagerly embraced the chance to join the Shazam!ly in its 2023 sequel.
02:26 "This is very personal."
02:29 She was ready to dive into some serious action, doing some of her own stunts,
02:34 including an epic battle showdown. Unfortunately, a nearby wall also got in on the action when
02:40 Mirren accidentally slammed her hand into it, breaking her little finger in the process.
02:45 "But I was incredibly brave and I didn't say anything."
02:48 However, she chose to stay mum and carry on for the most adorable reason.
02:53 Figuring real stunt folks face these hazards regularly, she wanted to fit in and show she
02:59 was brave, so she powered through. Now, her Shazam! finger is a constant memento from her time on set.
03:05 "The strongest, most keenly intelligent champions this realm has ever witnessed."
03:11 Number 7 - KJ Apa - Riverdale
03:14 In the intense season 1 finale, the gang rushes to Cheryl's rescue at the frozen Sweetwater River.
03:20 As she disappears beneath the surface, Archie smashes at the ice desperately.
03:27 In the scene, we watch Archie overlook his injury to save his friend.
03:36 It turns out that KJ Apa was also oblivious to his wound, just like his character. Although Apa
03:42 was actually punching a softer, foam-like material, he got so caught up in the moment,
03:48 attacking the surface with more gusto than needed, that he ended up with a broken hand.
03:52 "Did KJ Apa break his hand?"
03:55 "He did, he broke his right hand."
03:57 However, he says that due to the colder climate, he didn't even notice until later,
04:02 and thought it better to keep it to himself.
04:05 Number 6 - Ben Barnes - Westworld
04:08 Ian Bailey was originally cast as Logan Delos, but had to drop out due to another commitment.
04:14 Barnes, located in the UK at the time, took over the gig,
04:17 swiftly arranging a same-day flight as production was just days away.
04:21 "I know that you think you have a handle on what this is gonna be."
04:25 Unfortunately, he barely left his place when he broke his foot,
04:30 rushing down the stairs to catch a cab heading to the airport.
04:33 Worried it might jeopardize the job,
04:35 he slyly incorporated it into his character's walk instead of coming clean.
04:39 "I came back and I asked you for your help."
04:43 Of course, that choice stuck, even after he'd healed.
04:47 Barnes also shared that during his physical for the show,
04:50 he cleverly avoided standing to keep his injury out of sight.
04:54 "But your world was built for me, and people like me. Not for you."
05:03 [Sigh]
05:04 Number 5 - Josh Brolin - No Country for Old Men
05:08 Even the big shots don't want to risk blowing a major role,
05:11 especially when it's with the legendary Coen brothers.
05:14 "What's in the satchel?"
05:15 "It's full of money."
05:16 "That'll be the day."
05:19 So when Josh Brolin broke his collarbone shortly before playing Llewellyn Moss,
05:24 he enlisted his doctor to help him downplay his injuries.
05:27 "Keep going, don't stop."
05:29 He told the directors that it was just a stress fracture that would heal in a matter of weeks.
05:34 In truth, he'd practically shattered his clavicle and was facing months of recovery.
05:39 Still, Brolin creatively maneuvered through certain scenes to accommodate the injury.
05:43 It was only after the colleagues became better acquainted - and it would have been
05:50 too late to replace him anyway - that Brolin finally told them the whole truth.
05:55 "Don't worry, I'm not the man who's after you."
05:57 "I know that."
05:59 Number 4 - Halle Berry - Bruised
06:04 The irony of this movie title isn't lost on us, but Bruises wouldn't be out of place in
06:08 a story depicting a UFC fighter staging an epic comeback.
06:12 "You gonna take it?"
06:12 "A title fight?"
06:14 "Mhm."
06:14 "Yeah, I'm gonna take it."
06:20 "Come on, say it with your chest."
06:21 "Yeah. Yeah."
06:24 However, a couple of broken ribs complicates matters in a film with
06:28 plenty of high-action fight scenes. Unfortunately, on Berry's second day of shooting,
06:33 an ill-placed kick left her with two broken ribs. Perhaps wearing her director's hat at this point,
06:38 she considered a production timeout for recovery. Yet, fearing the impact on the project and
06:44 uncertainty over timing and funding realigning, she chose to push through the pain.
06:49 "I had, by that time, after two and a half years of training, I felt like a fighter. And I had
06:53 the fighting spirit inside me."
06:54 It's a tough call she's not entirely sure she'd repeat,
06:58 although it definitely demonstrates the resilience of a UFC fighter.
07:01 "I'm in it to win it. How about you?"
07:02 Number 3 - Jackson Rathbone - The Twilight Saga
07:08 In the world of The Twilight Saga, vampires may have speedy healing powers,
07:12 but unfortunately, that magic doesn't extend to their human actor counterparts.
07:17 "But I was her puppet. She pulled the strings."
07:21 During a pre-recorded segment on the short-lived British TV show
07:25 "OMG! With Peach's Geldorf," the actor who portrayed Jasper Hale spilled some of his own
07:30 behind-the-scenes secrets. He revealed that he would typically do his own stunts,
07:34 so when he broke his rib, he decided not to mention it to avoid being made to sit out.
07:39 "I didn't even tell the production company because I was afraid they were gonna,
07:42 you know, not let me do my own stunts."
07:43 Instead, he strapped on a splint and, as he so humorously put it,
07:47 quote, "bit through the pain."
07:49 "Never go for the obvious kill. They'll be expecting that."
07:54 Number 2 - Keanu Reeves - The Matrix
07:59 When Reeves signed up for this sci-fi action flick, the directors laid out the need for
08:03 some hardcore martial arts training, and asked if he was game.
08:08 "Understand. Then hit me, if you can."
08:12 Not wanting to miss his shot, he said yes, conveniently leaving out the part about
08:16 ongoing neck issues that required spinal disc surgery. Lucky for him, the recovery routine
08:22 involved staying active and fit right into the training regimen, though he had to take it easy
08:28 and avoid too much kicking action.
08:30 "How did I beat you?"
08:31 "You're too fast."
08:39 He wasn't the only one on set concealing an injury, either.
08:42 Carrie-Anne Moss, aka Trinity, had a bum ankle, but kept quiet about it,
08:47 worrying it might cost her the job if she fessed up.
08:50 "You can't leave me!"
08:51 "You have to!"
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09:06 Number 1 - Emilia Clarke - Game of Thrones
09:12 Game of Thrones always kept us on the edge of our seats, putting characters through the wringer.
09:16 "They can live in my new world, or they can die in their old one."
09:20 Little did anyone know that one of its stars was also facing a personal battle off-camera.
09:26 As the series wrapped up, the Daenerys actress revealed that shortly after season one,
09:31 she suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm, leading to emergency surgery and a grueling
09:37 recovery where she temporarily forgot her name.
09:40 "You betrayed me, from the first."
09:44 A month in the hospital revealed a second growth, a ticking time bomb, requiring more surgery.
09:51 "The amount of my brain that is no longer usable, it's remarkable that I am able to
10:00 speak, sometimes articulately."
10:04 Her condition was kept on a need-to-know basis on set,
10:07 with a select few looking out for her well-being. Throughout this ordeal,
10:11 her fears extended beyond health challenges to the daunting prospect of losing her hard-earned career.
10:17 "I am Daenerys Stormborn, of House Targaryen, of the blood of old Valyria. I am the dragon's
10:27 daughter, and I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming."
10:34 Are you aware of any other actors who hid their injuries to keep their jobs?
10:38 Let us know in the comments.
10:40 "Son of a — that's gonna leave a mark."
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10:51 [Music]