David Holmes was the first to play quidditch for real on a Wizarding World broomstick. As Harry Potter's stunt double, his amazing gymnastic skills saw him earn onscreen immortality jumping off buildings and dodging fire bursts to bring Harry's story to life. Growing up alongside Daniel Radcliffe, they became like brothers. The entire team was like a second family. Then tragedy struck. During the making of Deathly Hallows Part 1 a stunt went badly wrong and David's spinal cord snapped. He was only 25 and would never walk again.
Sixteen years later, the pain can still be excruciating, his muscles are wasting, and he requires round-the-clock care. His future may seem bleak, but David has accepted his new reality, with all the different possibilities, purposes and powerful human connections that have come with it. His candid and inspiring story shares his life before and after, showing us the importance of making the most of every day, and the good that can come out of even the worst of circumstances.
'A story of resilience, pain and joy' - inews
As stunt double to Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter film franchise, stuntman David Holmes helped to move J.K. Rowling's era-defining story from the page to the big screen. His work as a real-life Fall Guy enabled him to create some of the most memorable action sequences in the Wizarding World, as he became the first person ever to play Quidditch. In living his own hero's journey, David was also one of only a handful of people to have worn the iconic wizard's cape, glasses and scar in front of the cameras.
That is, until an accident changed his life forever.
During the making of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, David broke his neck in a stunt rehearsal and was instantly paralysed. From talented junior gymnast and stunt prodigy to fully qualified Hollywood stuntman, his story is a brutally honest portrait of a man who lost everything but found different ways to reimagine new possibilities with love, friendship and optimism - and he later co-created a BAFTA-nominated documentary about his life. David's behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest film series of all time is both jaw-dropping and hilarious.
Powerful and emotional, his is a story of hope and vulnerability and paints a picture of what it truly takes to rebuild a life and become The Boy Who Lived.
