Jason Statham has praised stunt doubles as ‘unsung heroes’ after a man suffered a shocking fall on the set of Fast and Furious 9.
Stuntman Joe Watts was left with a serious head injury after falling ‘at least 30ft’ during filming of the new movie at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire on Monday.
And Jason – who has plays Deckard Shaw in the Fast and Furious franchise – has described the incident as ‘awful,’ in an interview with Extra.
Singing stunts praise: After a stuntman was injured onset Fast and Furious 9 on Monday, franchise star Jason Satham told Extra stunt doubles are the ‘unsung heroes’
The 51-year-old actor – who won’t be appearing in the movie, as he instead is starring in spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw with Dwayne The Rock Johnson, has been promoting his latest film alongside his costar and supported by his longtime partner Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
‘It’s an unpredictable science,’ he told Extra.
He continued: ‘You do every measure that you can eliminate these things from happening. It’s just a real shame that accidents happen. It’s awful for the families when someone gets really hurt.’
Watts was said to be sable but in an ‘induced coma’ as of Tuesday, according to Fox News.
Supportive partner: The 51-year-old actor – who won’t be appearing in the movie, as he instead is starring in spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw with Dwayne The Rock Johnson, has been promoting his latest film alongside his costar and supported by his longtime partner Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Statham not only praised the stunt doubles for their work but said he became close to many on sets throughout his career.
‘On set, the stunt people are and have been for my whole career the best relationships I have and the most fun I have ever had on a set, always with the stunt guys.
‘I feel they are the unsung heroes in some ways. They put themselves out there to make other people look good without anything back.’
Co-stars: Statham continued: ‘You do every measure that you can eliminate these things from happening. It’s just a real shame that accidents happen. It’s awful for the families when someone gets really hurt’
Dangerous scenes: The stuntman Joe Watts was in an induced coma as of Tuesday with a head injury (Vin Diesel starred alongside Paul Walker)
Watts’ injury was believed to have occurred after he jumped from a balcony while attached to a safety wire.
A source said at the time to The Mirror: ‘The stuntman fell at least 30ft – maybe a bit more.’
The source continued: ‘Vin Diesel was seen on set seconds after. He looked ashen, totally in shock and blinking back tears. He saw what happened.’
‘They were filming a very high balcony scene. The stuntman leapt from the balcony attached to a safety wire, but it looks like the cable snapped.’
‘He was meant to be left dangling below the balcony via the wire and then lowered slowly to the ground, but he plunged to the ground and landed on his head.’
His fiancée Tilly Powell has told friends on social media that Watts has been placed in an induced coma following the serious fall.
The new Fast and Furious film is set to release in May 2020.
Front row to horror: The source continued: ‘Vin Diesel was seen on set seconds after. He looked ashen, totally in shock and blinking back tears. He saw what happened’
