While everyone on the planet heard aboutHarrison Fordbreaking his leg on the set ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens, no one reported on the otherinjurythat happened as a result of the widelyreported accident. According to directorJ.J. Abrams, he literally broke his back trying to help out his leading man. Don’t worry, it wasn’t as serious as it sounds. And the director was able to continue working through the pain.
J.J. Abramsserves as a producer on this weekend’s blockbuster releaseMission: Impossible Rogue Nation. He stopped byThe Daily ShowwithJon Stewartto not only promote the sequel, but also say good-bye to the host who is leaving very soon. WhileJ.J. Abramsstill won’t go into specific detail aboutStar Wars: The Force Awakensor its plot, he did share an interesting behind-the-scenes account of the dayHarrison Fordgot hisleg stuck in a hydraulic door, which resulted in abroken legand delay in production.
J.J. Abramsreveals that he actually cracked one of his vertebrae as he scrambled to helpHarrison Ford. The injury was not serious enough to keep the director off his feet. He soon returned to the set, working with the assistance of a body brace. He talked about the experience in his 6 minute interview withJon Stewart, and while it seems like a bit of minutia now, the incident will surely live on in legend. As Star Wars: The Force Awakens proved to truly be a back breaking experience forJ.J. Abrams. About the whole ordeal, he told this toJon Stewart.
“[Harrison Ford] is like a real life superhero. He should have that Marvel logo above his name. We were filming a scene and there was an accident on set. There was a hydraulic door that went down, and he got pushed down. His ankle went 90 degrees. He’s down there, and he’s toughing it out. He’s a super human being. He’s literally lying there making jokes. This door had come down, and I’m trying to help lift it up. Because that’s the kind of guy I am. I’m trying to lift it up, and I here a pop in my back. I’m, like, ‘Ah, that’s weird.’ So I go to the doctor a couple of days later. And he goes, ‘Oh, you have a broken back.’ I broke my L-4 trying to lift this door. So, a few months later I’m still wearing this really silly back brace under my shirt. No one knows, I didn’t tell anyone. I see Harrison Ford on stage. He sprints at me faster than I will ever run. He’s like, ‘Hey, J.J.’ I’m like, ‘Hi, Harrison Ford!’ Ooh, it hurts to talk that way…So, I felt like the most jewish, nebbishy director of all time. He’s like a miracle man. It’s ridiculous.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be in theaters this December, and it’s most notable for bringing back the three main leads from the original trilogy.Carrie Fisher,Harrison FordandMark Hamillwill return as Princess Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, joining a new cast that includesJohn Boyega,Daisy Ridley,Adam Driver,Oscar Isaac,Domhnall Gleeson,Lupita Nyong’oandMax von Sydow. WhileJ.J. Abramsclaims that this new movie will focus largely on the new characters coming in, the original trio will still have plenty to do on screen. And Han Solo is said to be one of the main leads in the story. This might help fans cope with the end of the movie, becauseSPOILER ALERT, the character of Han Solo is rumored to get beheaded by Sith Lord Kylo Ren. If true, this will certainly be a gruesome way to go for one of the most beloved characters in all of sci-fi history. You can check out all ofJ.J. Abrams' interview withJon Stewarthere. But be warned, he doesn’t say much at all about the actual movie.
