The famous accident involving Alec Baldwin in 2021 was not the first of its kind in the film industry. In 1993, a similar incident shook the world with Brandon Lee's death, from an accidental gunshot during a film shoot.
Brandon Lee died on March 31, 1993, in Wilmington, Noth Carolina, from an accidental shotgun while shooting the film 'The Crow'.
The young actor, aged 28, was the son of martial arts star Bruce Lee. At the time of the accident, Brandon was filming his ninth movie, 'The Crow.' His career was on the rise, but a tragic accident ended his life while he was involved in a shootout scene.
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In the scene that led to Brandon Lee's death, the actor was shot by the character played by Michael Massee. The gun was supposed to be loaded with blank ammunition, but during the second take, a failure resulted in tragedy. Apparently, someone had mistakenly left a real bullet tip lodged in the barrel of the gun.
The scene was filmed as planned, but the actor did not get up from the ground after it ended. Unbeknownst to anyone, a real bullet had struck the protagonist's body, causing Brandon Lee's death. The film industry was filled with consternation at the unexpected loss of a budding star.
The death of Brandon Lee from a gunshot during a film shoot was not an isolated case. Unfortunately, accidents have always accompanied the film world, especially during shoots involving risky or action scenes.
The aforementioned case of Alec Baldwin's accident bears parallels to what happened on the set of 'The Crow.' In 2021, Baldwin mistakenly fired a gun loaded with real ammunition, resulting in the death of director of photography Halyna Hutchins.
Most of the time, fortunately, accidents on film sets do not result in fatalities. Stunt doubles and even stars like Tom Cruise, who perform their own risky scenes, have experienced accidents and varying degrees of injuries. Cruise had a shocking accident while filming 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout,' in a scene where he jumped from one building to another.
At other times, accidents occur when stars are off the set. One of the most well-known and mourned cases by movie fans was the tragic death of Paul Walker. The 'Fast and Furious' franchise star lost his life in a fatal traffic accident.
Risk prevention and safety measures are essential in an industry with so many hazardous scenes and situations. Adequate review of blank ammunition would have prevented tragedies like the death of Brandon Lee or Halyna Hutchins.
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