The Boy Who Lived: Surviving Harry Potter – Stuntman David Holmes Tells His Inspiring Story

TEDx Talks released a wonderful video titled The Boy Who Lived: Surviving Harry Potterand features the Harry Potter stuntman David Holmes telling his incredibly inspiring story.

“When working as Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double on the set of Harry Potter, David Holme’s life changed forever when a routine stunt went horribly wrong.

“This is the uplifting and fascinating story of how David rose from the ashes and rebuilt his life to become a broadcaster, a disability ambassador and, most recently, a BAFTA-nominated documentarian.

“David Holmes is a television host, writer and stunt enthusiast. First, as a gymnast, David worked in acrobatics, starting at age 14 in Lost In Space. From there, David very quickly became an in-demand member of the stunt team on major Hollywood productions, including Prince Of Persia, The Golden Compass and all eight Harry Potter films, where he had the essential role of Daniel Radcliffe.

“David qualified for the Stunt Register when he was 22 and having just been a key part of one of the biggest franchises ever, the world was at his feet; then, on January 28, 2009, at the age of 25, a stunt rehearsal went wrong and David was paralyzed.

David created the HBO documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived in 2023, where he revealed the nature of his accident and disability to millions of viewers.

“Touching, insightful and inspiring, the documentary reflects David himself, showing people that his legacy lies not just in his contributions to some of cinema’s greatest stunt sequences, but also in his courage, resilience and unwavering determination.

“This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.”

Check out the video below and let us know what you think.