Harry Potter: Daniel Radcliffe makes doc on paralysed stunt double

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Daniel Radcliffe and David Holmes. Daniel is standing wearing a blue checked shirt with white lines and black trousers. David is in a wheelchair with black wheels and silver rims, wearing a brown and white top looking up at Daniel. The background is of a warehouse with lots of shelves stacked with items in plastic boxes.Image source, Sky
Image caption,

Daniel and David first worked together on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Daniel Radcliffe has produced a documentary about his Harry Potter stunt double, who was paralysed while filming the blockbuster.

David Holmes sustained a spinal injury during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

He announced the news on Instagram about the "secret project", which he says has taken four years to make.

The HBO documentary, The Boy Who Lived, will feature interviews from both, as well as footage from David's stunts.

"Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world," David wrote on Instagram.

David was a teenage gymnast from Essex when he was selected to play Daniel's double in the first film, when the actor was 11.

But it was a stunt rehearsal accident in January 2009 which David said changed his "life forever".

"This film tells the story of not just my achievements in front of camera, but also the challenges I face every day, and my overall attitude to life after suffering a broken neck," he said.

"In the turbulent world we find ourselves living in right now, I would like to quote Harry: 'We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.'"

David also thanked medical staff, as well as Harry Potter author JK Rowling and Daniel for their support.

Writing about Daniel, he said they were both "immensely proud of our time on the Harry Potter films, and the joy and comfort it brings to audiences around the world on a daily basis".

It's not the first time the pair have worked together - the actor helped launch David's podcast Cunning Stunts, which features interviews with other stunt doubles, in 2020.

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived will be available to stream on Sky Documentaries and NOW from 18 November.

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