When filming a movie that requires actors to participate in a little bit of dueling, there is always a chance that someone is going to come away with a few bruises and scratches. However, when Michael Caton-Jones set cameras rolling onLiam Neeson’s 1994 movieRob Roy, he didn’t know that the intricately planned fight in the movie’s finale would lead to his lead actor being stabbed in the hand by costarTim Roth.
The final act of the historical epic, which had the unfortunate luck of being made and released around thesame time as Mel Gibson’sBraveheart, saw Neeson’s titular rugged highlander clashing swords with Roth’s aristocratic swordsman in what has been called one of the greatest on-screen sword fights. Such a scene requires a lot of preparation, and both Roth and Neeson put in months of rehearsals before shooting the scene for real.
Why Liam Neeson Was “Embarrassed” By the Action Movie That Changed His Career
Liam Neeson became an action hero thanks his role in ‘Taken,’ but there was one moment that left the actor feeling a little awkward.
On an episode of theOverdue Rentalspodcast, Roth shared the story of how he accidentally stabbed the Irishman despite using a blunted prop sword. He said:
“I had loads of time to practice, so I was working with [Neeson’s] double. This amazing guy, that actually really looked like him as well. But I was working, rehearsing with his double a lot, so I had my moves down, but Liam was playing catch up with us. So at one point, he went to parry a move that I did, and my sword went in-between his finger and up in [his hand]. It was like, ‘Oh my god, medic!’ And they’re blunt-ended swords, they were carefully crafted, made out of aluminum, I think.”
Tim Roth Suffered a Moment of Karma, Proving How Stunt Work Is Always Risky
While Neeson’s injury was not incredibly serious and quickly bandaged by crew members, Roth thought about the incident for a long while afterward. Perhaps by the time he starred inThe Musketeerin 2001, he had completely forgotten about it, or he would have if that movie had not been painful for more than it just being a flop.
According to Roth, while filmingThe Musketeerhe was accidentally stabbed in exactly the same place as he had stabbed Neeson almost a decade before. As the actor said himself, it was a moment of karmic payback that he could not help but smile about as he recalled the serendipity of it all.
At a time whenstunt performances are about to start getting some long-overdue recognitionat the Academy Awards, Roth’s recollection is a reminder that whoever performs stunts in movies and TV shows is putting a lot on the line every time cameras roll – regardless of how much preparation is put into it. Of course, if a real injury ends up in the final performance, then it can also add an unfortunate but authentic moment of truth to the final production.
Source:Overdue Rentals
