Meet Daniel Radcliffe’s ‘Harry Potter’ Stunt Double David Holmes

Daniel Radcliffe grew to become a family title after starring in Harry Potter — however his former stunt double David Holmes’ story stays untold.

Radcliffe, 34, and Holmes, 42, bonded in 2000 after Holmes was employed to be his stunt double within the beloved fantasy franchise. However, tragedy struck in 2009 forward of Deathly Hallows: Part 1’s launch and Holmes was left paralyzed from a spinal damage.

The pair’s friendship went past the movies — and past the accident — and now, followers will get to know the person behind Harry Potter’s magical actions in HBO’s David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.

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Over the course of 10 years, the celebrities of Harry Potter introduced magic, mischief and extra to thousands and thousands of followers around the globe. Based on the collection of seven books by J.Okay. Rowling, stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint captured the hearts of viewers between 2001 and 2011. The eight films raked in […]

“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,” the official synopsis reads. “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. 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.”

Scroll all the way down to study extra about Holmes — and his upcoming documentary:

1. Which ‘Harry Potter’ Movies Did David Holmes Star In?

Holmes first appeared as Radcliffe’s double in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Additionally, Holmes performed Adrian Pucey within the first movie and Slytherin Beater No. 1 in 2002’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

He continued to work alongside Radcliffe doing stunts within the first six Warner Bros. movies earlier than getting injured on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Holmes, nonetheless, is credited as “Harry Potter stunt double” in each Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2, which had been launched in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

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2. How Did David Holmes Become Paralyzed?

The former gymnast had an accident in January 2009 whereas on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. During the shoot, Holmes plummeted to the bottom after a deliberate explosion for the stunt went awry, per Deadline. Following the accident, Holmes was recognized as a stage C6/7 tetraplegic and was paralyzed from the chest down.

3. Did David Holmes Work as a Stunt Double in Other Films?

Some of the England native’s different stunt credit embrace Greet Street Hooligans, The Last Legion, My Boy Jack, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Doomsday, Prince Persia: The Sands of Time and 2015’s Mortdecai.

4. What Is David Holmes and Daniel Radcliffe’s Podcast About?

Holmes launched the “Cunning Stunts” podcast with Radcliffe in 2020. The enterprise enterprise falls beneath Holmes’ Ripple Productions umbrella, which he created in 2013. The podcast options interviews with stunt performers previous and current in hopes of shining a lightweight on how dangerous the job is and lift consciousness for the artwork.

5. Where and When Can You Watch ‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’?

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived premieres on HBO Wednesday, November 15, at 9 p.m. ET. It may even be accessible to stream on Max. The undertaking, which is govt produced by Radcliffe and directed by Dan Hartley, will embrace “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,” per HBO. “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.”