15 Most Tragic TV and Movie Workplace Accidents in History

Movies and TV shows can be difficult to make. We only see the seamless result, and oftentimes, we forget that there are hundreds of people involved in putting together the final product. 

Since the advent of film, some of these people have risked and even lost their lives while attempting to entertain us. From the 2021 tragedy involving Alec Baldwin on the “Rust” set to several movie accidents dating back to the silent era, check out which films throughout entertainment history have suffered the most from fatal on-set mishaps.  

While several of them have led to safety regulation changes in Hollywood, only time will tell if this latest incident will lead to more definitive rules in regard to the use of firearms on movie sets.

'Rust'

Year: 2021

Person who died: Halyna Hutchins

Job on the crew: Cinematographer

What Happened on the Set of 'Rust'

In 2021, Halyna Hutchins was killed by actor Alec Baldwin who pulled the trigger on a prop gun he was handling while rehearsing a scene in "Rust."

The assistant director handed Baldwin the weapon and yelled "cold gun," which would indicate that there were no live rounds in it, but that was not the case. Neither he nor Baldwin knew there were live rounds. Balwin fired and hit Hutchins, who died in the arms of another crew member. Director Joel Souza was also hit, but he survived.  

In January 2023, Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, as was the movie's armorer. The district attorney for Santa Fe County, Mary Carmack-Altwies, said it's up to the actor to check the gun before pointing it at anyone. "You should not point a gun at someone that you’re not willing to shoot. That goes to basic safety standards," she said.

'Motherless Brooklyn'

Year: 2018

Person who died: Lieutenant Michael Davidson

Job: Firefighter

What Happened on the Set of 'Motherless Brooklyn'

Before filming the Edward Norton period drama, the production team built a basement and room walls to resemble that of a bar, which were coated in polyurethane.

A fire started in the basement location of a brownstone during filming, and when the New York Fire Department showed up, they didn't realize the basement wasn't usually occupied.

Lt. Davidson got lost in the artificial rooms around the film set. He was separated from the other firefighters and lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen. 

'Midnight Rider'

Year: 2014

Person who died: Sarah Jones

Job on the crew: Camera assistant

What Happened on the Set of 'Midnight Rider'

Producers of the Gregg Allmann biopic did not have permission to shoot on the Doctortown railroad trestle in Wayne County, Georgia. Despite this, they went ahead with filming. 

The scene called for William Hurt, the lead actor, to be in bed on the railroad tracks. As they attempted to shoot the scene, a train came barreling through.

Cast and crew scrambled — some did not realize how fast the train was going and tried to get the props and cameras off the tracks. The train hit the bed, sending pieces of it flying. These hit Jones and propelled her into the oncoming train, killing her instantly.  

'The Crow'

Year: 1993

Person who died: Brandon Lee

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'The Crow'

Brandon Lee was also killed by a prop gun. As he entered the set in character as Eric Draven, another actor fired at him from 20 feet away.

A bullet pierced his abdomen and lodged in his spine, killing him a few hours later. 

An official investigation concluded that a piece of one of the cartridge's bullets broke off and lodged in the weapon. It was fired along with the blank at Lee when the actor pulled the trigger. 

'The Return of the Musketeers'

Year: 1988

Person who died: Roy Kinnear

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'The Return of the Musketeers'

Character actor Roy Kinnear, best known for his 1971 role in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" as Veruca Salt’s father, was killed after riding a horse on a Toledo, Spain, film set. 

As he and the other actors crossed a bridge, the Spanish crew misunderstood the director and washed down the cobblestone pavement underneath them before the cameras rolled.  

Kinnear’s horse slipped on the wet cobblestones, and he was thrown from it. He broke his pelvis and died from internal injuries. 

'Cover Up' (Episode: Golden Opportunity)

Year: 1984

Person who died: Jon-Erik Hexum 

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'Cover Up'

On the day Jon-Erik Hexum died, he was given a .44 magnum with blanks, as his character was to load bullets for an upcoming scene. 

While filming, there was a delay, and Hexum became bored. As a joke, he spun the barrel, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. 

There was just enough blunt force trauma from the muzzle blast to fracture his skull and drive fragments of it into his brain. Despite undergoing surgery, he never woke up. He passed away at just 26 years old. 

'Twilight Zone: The Movie'

Year: 1982

Person who died: Vic Morrow

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'Twilight Zone: The Movie'

Morrow was carrying two children for a scene in which he was escaping American soldiers who were pursuing him by helicopter. During filming, the pilot hovered the aircraft about 25 feet above ground near debris mortar.

When he turned the aircraft, the effect detonated with the helicopter's tail directly above. The rotor detached from the tail, and the aircraft spun out of control.

Morrow and one of the children were decapitated, while the other was crushed by the landing gear. 

'Off to See the Wizard' (Episode: High Jungle)

Year: 1966

Person who died: Eric Fleming 

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'Off to See the Wizard'

"Rawhide'' star Eric Fleming flew to South America to shoot on the Amazon in Peru. When he and another actor, Nico Minardos, got to the location, they realized they weren’t prepared to navigate the strong current from the river rapids in a canoe. The Indians who had served at their stunt doubles refused to go in the water. 

The men, who believed they were strong swimmers, decided to go ahead, but a storm was brewing, and rapids were more than they could handle.

As the canoe took on more water, Fleming decided to jump out and swim to shore. He never made it. Minardos, who stayed with the canoe, survived. 

'Tsvetok Na Kamne'

Year: 1960

Person who died: Inna Burduchenko 

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'Tsvetok Na Kamne'

Russian actress Inna Burduchenko was just 21 when she met her fate in an on-set accident. 

She was coming out of a burning house when tragedy struck — as the set burned around her, her heel got stuck in the wooden floorboards and a burning beam came down on top of her. 

Cameraman Miner Sergei Ivanov rushed in to save her. With burns covering 80 percent of her body, she succumbed to her injuries. She was also three months pregnant at the time. 

'Solomon and Sheba'

Year: 1958

Person who died: Tyrone Power

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'Solomon and Sheba'

Swashbuckler Tyrone Power went to Spain to film "Solomon and Sheba" against doctor’s and his wife’s orders. He had a bad heart — his father had also died at an early age from a heart attack. 

After filming a strenuous duel scene with friend George Sanders, he suffered a massive heart attack on set and died an hour after finishing. He was just 44 years old. 

'The Royal Mounted Rides Again'

Year: 1945

Person who died: Addison "Jack" Randall

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'The Royal Mounted Rides Again'

Randall was filming an episode in the "Royal Mounted" series when he died in a tragic accident. A star of Western serials, it had been a few years since he had done any extensive horseback riding. The ride in which he was killed was filmed three times, and his accident occurred on the third try. 

Some say the horse he was on was spooked by paper blowing in the wind, while others say his hat had blown off as he rode, and he was trying to catch it. 

Despite the circumstance, he struck a tree and fell from the animal. He died from severe chest trauma, broken ribs and a punctured lung. 

'They Died With Their Boots On'

Year: 1941

Person who died: Jack Budlong

Job on the crew: Extra

What Happened on the Set of 'They Died With Their Boots On'

For reasons no one really knows, Budlong, who had a minor role as a cavalryman in this story about Civil War General George Custer, insisted on using a real saber for his scene instead of a prop.

As he led a cavalry charge, an explosive spooked his horse. He was thrown from it and impaled on the sword. He died instantly. 

'The Warrens of Virginia'

Year: 1923

Person who died: Martha Mansfield 

Job on the crew: Actor

What Happened on the Set of 'The Warrens of Virginia'

Martha Mansfield was well on her way to silent film stardom, having already played against some of the biggest names of the era, including John Barrymore, Bela Lugosi and Rudolph Valentino, when she died in a freak accident at just 24 years old. 

She was wearing a Civil War-era costume and just returned to her car after filming a scene when someone tossed a lit match after lighting a cigarette. It landed in the car and her clothes burst into flames.

The fire was immediately put out, but she suffered severe burns and never recovered. There has never been a determination as to who threw the match. 

'The Skywayman'

Year: 1920

People who died: Ormer Locklear and Milton "Skeets" Elliott

Jobs on the crew: Stuntmen

What Happened on the Set of 'The Skywayman'

One of Hollywood’s first stunt pilots, Ormer Locklear was scheduled to perform his last stunt for "The Skywayman." It would be a night shot, with arclights directed at Locklear’s plane.  

His copilot, Milton "Skeets" Elliott, planned to light flares to simulate fire as Locklear spun and dove the aircraft, making it look like it was out of control. The crew was supposed to shut down the lights as they got near oil derricks below, so he knew when to pull out of the dive. 

As the camera rolled, both men did their parts, but the lights stayed on. They allegedly blinded Locklear, who attempted to pull out of the dive, but it was too late. Both men died instantly. 

'Across the Border'

Year: 1914

Person who died: Grace McHugh and Owen Carter

Jobs on the crew: Actor and cameraman (respectively)

What Happened on the Set of 'Across the Border'

While filming a short for the Colorado Motion Picture Co. on the Arkansas River, budding star Grace McHugh, 16, was to ride on a horse across the Arkansas River in  Cañon City, Colorado. She rode out to an area 30 feet from shore when her horse stumbled, and she was thrown from it into about 3.5 feet of water.

Another actor grabbed her hand, but they separated and she began to drift downstream. A cameraman, Owen Carter, attempted to save her, but he also drowned. Some accounts say that what they thought was a sandbar turned out to be quicksand. 

His body was found nearly a week later, a little more than a mile from the filming location. Grace’s body was found 12 days after her death, almost 10 miles away.