In a hilarious interview on The Daily Show, in which both parties traded jokes several times, Jon Stewart culled a new story out of writer/director J.J. Abrams about his work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And it's a fairly shocking one, which Abrams kept as a personal secret until now. (You can watch the entire interview in the video embedded below.)
Everyone is aware that at one point early in filming, actor Harrison Ford was knocked down by a hydraulic door on set. It pressed down on his ankle and broke it. Abrams revealed that the accident actually bent Ford's ankle ninety degrees in the wrong direction. He also mentioned that Ford "toughed it out" and "made jokes" while waiting for the door to be lifted off of him. Abrams himself was one of those who rushed to Ford's aid and tried to lift the door, which was made heavier by its hydraulics.
What no one knew at the time is that Abrams was also injured in the same accident.
"I'm trying to help lift [the door] up," the director told Stewart, "and I feel this pop in my back... I go to the doctor a couple of days later, and he goes, 'Oh, you have a broken back.'"
Abrams had broken his L4, a.k.a. the fourth lumbar vertebra of his spine. The doctor had him don a "really silly back brace," which he wore under his clothes for months. He claimed that "no one knew" about his injury. Abrams has made no secret of his adoration for Star Wars and his incredible fortune at being hired to make Episode VII — so it's easy to imagine why he chose not to tell anyone about his broken back.
He undoubtedly feared being replaced, not to mention the media's reaction to learning that the movie's star and director had sustained injuries in the same incident, which could affect filming. But it speaks to his devotion to the project that he pushed through — dealing with chronic pain and keeping it hidden from the entire cast and crew for months.
Abrams told Stewart that despite their age difference (Abrams is 49; Ford is 73) and the severity of Ford's ankle break, the actor healed much faster than the director. He joked that Ford is a "super human" who should have the Marvel Comics logo floating in the corner over his head at all times.
Regardless of his difficulties, Abrams assured Stewart that he's healed from the accident and perfectly fine now.
Via: IGN
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