How Charlie Cox Nearly Died While Filming His Show
Charlie Cox nearly died on the set of Moby Dick, and it wasn’t because of whales, when the rowboat he was in capsized. Luckily for Cox, William Hurt’s unnamed stunt double (rumored to be the legendary Tomas Ereminas) was there to save the day. The story, which had William Hurt been in that boat, the incident may have ended in tragedy, is recounted in the December 2022 issue of Total Film Magazine.
The 2011 Mike Barker mini-series is based on Herman Melville’s 1851 novel and stars Charlie Cox as the narrator, Ishmael, and William Hurt as the revenge-obsessed Captain Ahab. The story demands harrowing sea scenes necessitating professional stunt doubles for the actors.
Charlie Cox’s chilling accident involved one of these scenes. In 2009, while filming the series in Malta, Cox was scheduled to appear in an at-sea rowboat scene with co-star William Hurt. Hurt, at 61, had concerns about filming in the open water, and his stunt double took his place. It’s unclear if the scene called for the boat to flip, but that was ultimately its fate.
Both William Hurt’s stunt double (who has yet to be named) and Charlie Cox were plunged into the water. Cox realized his leg was trapped under a thwart (bench), and he could not swim free. In an interview with Total Film Magazine, Cox said the stuntman freed his leg and likely saved his life:
“With all due respect to the late, great Bill Hurt, being the age he was and not being a stuntman, I don’t think he would have thought to do that. So this stunt guy potentially saved my life.” Charlie Cox is obviously grateful to his skilled collegue.
Despite the frightening near-miss, no one was seriously injured, and filming continued. The series originally aired in 2011 and received warm reviews. The story of Moby Dick is the subject of countless other screen adaptations since the first in 1926. Barker’s adaptation isn’t a strict re-telling and strays from the original work, but fans don’t seem to mind.
On-set accidents are an unfortunate part of filmmaking that can become attached to a film or director’s legacy. Accidents involving water or the ocean are particularly deadly. Like Charlie Cox, Jason Statham learned that while filming the Expendables 3.
In a daring chase scene, Statham accidentally drove a truck into the Black Sea when the vehicle’s brakes failed. Much like Charlie Cox’s accident, a history of stunt work saved the day. Because of his years of expert stunt driving experience, Statham could escape the truck before it came to rest 60 feet below the surface.
Stunt professionals are often overlooked, but they’re the heart and soul of every action scene. Having an experienced stunt professional on set does more than give actors an out for advanced stunts. Stuntpeople care about the safety of everyone on set and, on occasion, come to the rescue.
Actors can get in on the heroics too. Like Jason Statham saved himself with his stunt experience, Jackie Chan once saved a double on set. While filming Rush Hour 2, a stunt double was knocked from a moving boat and began to drown. Chan’s years of experience kept him calm as he dove into the water to save his colleague.
