It is true that the Alec Baldwin case has given much to talk about due to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. However, there are other cases in which 5 actors tragically died on film sets.
These deaths were very unfortunate, so they join the accident where Alec Baldwin is involved. Although many do not believe it, working in the film world also represents a risk, especially in action movies. In which weapons are usually manipulated, vehicles are driven recklessly and many explosions.
5 actors who lost their lives on film sets
The incident involving Alec Baldwin in the death of photographer Halyna Hotchins has been truly tragic. An unfortunate loss not only because of the great career of the cinematographer, but also because of the pain she has left in her family. Investigations into this fatal accident are still ongoing, but just as it happened with Hutchins, there are actors who have also lost their lives in a similar way.
Brandon Lee
One of the saddest deaths and at the same time, one of the most similar to what happened in the Alec Baldwin case. It happened on one of the filming sets of the movie El Cuervo in 1994, where Brandon Lee died, the popular actor of just 28 years of age was the son of the also deceased Bruce Lee.
The young actor was the protagonist of a film taken from the comic by James O’Barrhijo and directed by Alex Proyas. In the scene they were filming, Brandon Lee, who played the Raven, had to die from an attack by a group of criminals. The filming of said scene took place in an apartment located in Wilmington North Carolina.
However, the director made the decision to modify the plans a bit at the last moment. Proyas instructed one of the actors playing the criminal to use a 44 Magnum revolver to aim and then shoot Brandon. A plan that until then none of the production team had foreseen.
The sequence is supposed to be quite simple and the revolver would only have blanks in its chamber. However, seconds after being shot, Brandon Lee began to bleed on his right side. Once he was shot, the actor had to fall forward, but for some reason, he fell backwards. The bullet pierced his abdomen, causing internal bleeding in Bruce Lee’s son.
After the accident, quite similar to the one that occurred in the Alec Baldwin case, Brandon was taken to the nearest medical center. The actor underwent emergency surgery, but a few minutes later he died due to the seriousness of the gunshot wound.
For his part, Michael Massee, the actor who fired the revolver that would cause the death of Brandon Lee, never recovered from the trauma. Despite the fact that the death of Bruce Lee’s son was declared as negligence by the production of the film, many rumors were unleashed. Some think that someone on the film sets intentionally swapped the prop revolver for a real one.
However, according to official investigations, they indicated that inside the chamber of the revolver there was residue from a real bullet casing. The metal from said projectile was ejected when Massee activated the 44-caliber Magnum that ended Brandon’s life. Furthermore, both actors were less than five meters apart during the filming of the scene.
As in the case of Alec Baldwin, Brandon’s death has so far been one of the most publicized. Especially, why both cases culminate in fatality after firing a weapon that should have been a prop.
Bruce Lee
Although his death was not the result of a gunshot wound like his son Brandon’s or Alec Baldwin’s, it was also very unfortunate. In addition, the fateful event occurred on one of the filming sets of one of the most important films in Bruce Lee’s career.
The actor and martial arts specialist was found passed out in the bathroom of the film sets for the movie Operación Dragón. This happened in 1973, when Lee, barely 32 years old, was doing some dubbing for the movie.
Bruce Lee was rushed to a hospital, but died a few minutes after being treated due to cerebral edema. However, some claim that the actor mixed headache painkillers with cannabis.
The film was released a week after the death of Bruce Lee and has been one of the best martial arts-themed productions in history.
Jon Erik Hexum
A slightly different case from Alec Baldwin, but one that involves the mishandling of a weapon on a film set. Actor Jon Erik Hexum died on October 12, 1984 when he was recording the television series Cover Up.
When they were shooting the seventh episode of the series, the production team gave the actor a gun that was loaded with blanks. However, filming presented some delays, forcing Jon Erik Hexum to wait for recording to resume.
To pass the time while waiting to record, the actor decided to “play” Russian roulette with the gun the team had provided. It was a Magnum from which the actor removed the bullets except for one, to start the game.
Unfortunately for him, after putting the gun to his temple and activating it, Hexum was seriously injured. Although it is true that they were blank bullets, by squeezing the trigger so close the shot caused a shock wave that would fracture the actor’s skull. Jon Erik Hexum did not pass away instantly, he was taken to the hospital with massive bleeding and remained in a coma for six days. After this, the doctors reported his death due to brain death.
Jon Erik Hexum, who in addition to being an actor was also a model, died at the young age of 26 and left one of the most tragic scenes on film sets. Unlike the Alec Baldwin case, Hexum shot himself while pranking the film crew.
Paul Mantz
During the filming of the movie El Vuelo de Fénix, the pilot and also a stunt double, Paul Mantz He died after the plane failed. This when the production was filming a forced landing sequence that culminated in unfortunate consequences for the actor.
The film was directed by Robert Aldrich, in the unfortunate fact, the plane crashed into a dune causing the device to split in two. Paul Mantz died of open head trauma which killed him without help.
Although it has nothing to do with shootings in the case involving actor Alec Baldwin, the passing of stuntman Paul Mantz was also tragic.
David Richie
Although it is not an actor as such, the death of David Richie occurred on a film set. It was during a recording for the science fiction movie called Jumper in 2008. Thriller starring at that time by Samuel L. Jackson.
The set was fully decorated in the sci-fi theme for the filming of the movie. Everything to give it that futuristic and desert touch that the director wanted to achieve the greatest possible impact.
However, David Richie, who was the set designer and decorator for the film, would end up dead. A huge piece made of a mixture of ice and frozen sand fell off a wall and fell on Richie, which would cause him to die when he was crushed.
The unfortunate accident caused injuries to several of the attendees present on the filming set. However, the only one who was not as lucky as the rest was David Richie who died on set.
The curious thing about this tragic event was that the previously recorded scene had pleased the director. But for some reason they made the decision to repeat it, as a consequence Richie died while preparing the scenery once again.
The cinema can be exciting for viewers who enjoy watching the movies of their favorite actors. However, the latter have to go through many dangerous situations that can end tragically. Being the case of Alec Baldwin the last one that has caused a stir for the death of Halyna Hutchins.
Sources: La Vanguardia, Factor Nine, The Voice of Galicia.