Daniel Radcliffe to feature in documentary of his paralyzed 'Harry Potter' stunt double David Holmes

Stuntmen heroically display their skills and perform dangerous and prominent scenes for the actors in films. Harry Potter’s iconic Daniel Radcliffe had David Holmes as his stuntman doing all the difficult scenes. The man behind the scenes from “Sorcerer's Stone” to “Deathly Hallows Part 1” is a valiant chap. According to Variety, Radcliffe will feature in a documentary sharing the life and valor of the stuntman who was paralyzed after a mishap during the filming. Radcliffe will feature as one of the interviewees in the documentary “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.” The documentary to be released in November is dedicated to Holmes, who broke his neck and was paralyzed from the chest down.

The article also reported that the actor would be the executive producer of the documentary as well. Sharing the synopsis as given by HBO, the article reads, “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. 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,” the synopsis continued. Holmed told Mirror in an interview, “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. I looked into his eyes and that’s when I realized what happened was major.” The now 30-year-old expressed, “I thought, ‘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.’” Radcliffe organized a fundraiser for Holmes to help with various expenses at the time.

Revealing his bond with Holmes, the actor said, “I’ve got a relationship that goes back many, many years with Dave. I would hate for people to just see me and Dave and go, ‘Oh, there’s Daniel Radcliffe with a person in a wheelchair’ – because I would never, even for a moment, want them to assume that Dave was anything except for an incredibly important person in my life.” The documentary promises candid shots, behind–the–scenes and other stills featuring Holmes and Radcliffe in action. Sharing the new documentary glimpse on Instagram, the stuntman also penned a heartfelt caption about his journey, learning and gratitude.

It read, “Finally, the day has come. I can now share with you the secret project and four years of hard work that has gone into creating this film: The Boy Who Lived. Being a stuntman was my calling in life and doubling Harry was the best job in the world.” Extending gratitude he said, “I am only able to live because of the united love and support that I am fortunate enough to have had. And it is thanks to this love and support that I can share my journey with you all.”