Three accidents have been reported so far on the set of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Recently however, a 30-second video leaked to the media, revealing the accident suffered by stunt performer Andy Pilgrim in November 2014, during the production of the series’ fifth season.
In the video shared with Deadline by Wayne Michaels, father to Casey Michaels and respected stunt performer, a 16-foot wall could be seen falling forward with a thud. As the Night King’s dead army of which Pilgrim was a part, proceeded forward, he could be seen lying on the wall apparently having suffered a serious ankle fracture. The Harry Potter and The Batman stuntman sued Fire and Blood Productions in 2019 stating that the wall was supposed to be lowered by a crane as rehearsed. Instead, it fell forward uncontrollably, bouncing up as it hit the floor and breaking his ankle in the process. He was later settled with £500,000 ($686,000).
Following the release of this video, HBO has backed up their stunt designer, Rowley Irlam. In a new statement, they defend Irlam stating that he does everything possible to maintain safety. Irlam, on the other hand, reinstated his 20-year experience in a statement through HBO. He mentioned that the case had been settled and there were no faults found against him personally. “Mr Pilgrim continued to work within my team for two additional seasons following the incident, serving as stunt performer and stunt safety professional only,” he defended.
“A Disturbing Pattern Of Behavior”: Wayne Michaels on His Daughter’s Accident Under Irlam
Image via HBO
One of the three accidents which happened on the Game of Thrones set and under the watch of Irlam, was that of Casey Michaels just four years after Pilgrim’s accident. Casey’s father, Wayne Michaels expressed his sentiments regarding what he describes as a disturbing pattern of behaviour.
On the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, Casey Michaels, who doubled as a foot soldier of the White Walker’s army, shattered her left ankle after she dropped from a 12-foot ledge into a landing rig made of cardboard boxes. In an interview with Deadline, she shared that she landed safely after looking down to spot her landing. However, Irlam instructed the stunt performers of that scene to literally drop like a pencil as they were supposed to be zombies. Casey argues that she fell blindly into a landing rig that had been changed without warning. She ended up suing and was settled with £7 million ($9.3 million).
As Irlam continues to deny any responsibility for Casey Michaels accident, Wayne Michaels insists he is raising awareness about HBO and the British Stunt Register’s safety standards. “It is not uncommon for stunt coordinators to deny responsibility despite the injured performer having reported to, and received instructions from them during the stunt,” he commented.
All seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on Max.
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Game of Thrones |
|---|---|
| Cast | Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau |
| Release Date | April 17, 2011 |
| Stream On | Max (formerly HBO Max) |
| Directed by | Various (incl. David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Alan Taylor) |
| Produced by | David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss |
| Based On | A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin |
| Plot Summary | Noble families clash for control of the Iron Throne in a brutal, sprawling fantasy epic across Westeros and beyond. |
| Musical Elements | Score by Ramin Djawadi |
| Current Status | Aired from 2011–2019; all 8 seasons available on Max |
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