Hollywood stuntman Joe Watts critically injured on…
A Hollywood stuntman left with a damaged cranium and mind injury after falling 25 toes on the “Fast and Furious” set has spoken for the first time about his miraculous recovery.
Joe Watts, 37, has an envious roll of blockbuster credit and was at the top of his occupation when 5 million viewers watched him take the place of Alfie Moon and be thrown down the steps by Kat in an Eastenders Christmas particular.
But less than a yr later, his life had been reworked eternally when an incident on the set of “Fast and Furious” left him combating for his life.
Joe Watts had a damaged cranium and mind injury after he fell 25 toes on the “Fast and Furious” set. Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
He suffered catastrophic accidents when a stunt went mistaken during filming at the Warner Bros studio in England in 2019, ensuing in him touchdown headfirst on onerous concrete.
Watts spent 5 days in an induced coma, a additional month recovering at the Major Trauma Centre at Royal London Hospital and six weeks of rehabilitation at The Wellington Hospital.
But Watts, who was not anticipated to survive the incident, has since spent years making an attempt to stroll, discuss and live independently again.
And he has now shared his long journey to recovery after having the ability to ship an emotional speech at his marriage ceremony to long-term associate Tilly Powell.
Watts was talking out to help a charity Day One Trauma Support that helps others with life-changing accidents.
Watts just lately spoke out about his miraculous recovery. Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
“My accident completely ended my life in every way other than me surviving,” Watts said. “I lost everything: all skill sets, abilities, stunt career, relationships, memories and all my potential. I was a high-level gymnast and professional stuntman prior; I can’t do anything like that anymore, which is sad. It ended relationships, including with my parents who I don’t have a relationship with any more, and close friends who couldn’t be there for me. I’ve had to relearn everything from scratch: balance, communication, emotional control, independence, awareness of self, how to ride my bike, how to drive a car, how to process my fear, how to be accepted in society, etc. My life is so different now.”
Watts, from Fetcham, Surrey, had more than 40 credit to his identify, including on three Star Wars movies as a stormtrooper.
Watts had also boxed with Robbie Williams on a music video, appeared in Mission Impossible, Jurassic World, Mamma Mia 2, doubling for Mark Strong on Kingsman 2 and a number of Disney movies, among others.
He has shared for the first time how a lot his life has modified to help Day One Trauma Support promote this yr’s Major Trauma Awareness Week.
The producers of the motion movie have been fined over $1 million after the road on his stunt vest grew to become indifferent.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident discovered a number of failings by FF9 Pictures Limited – who produced the movie – and the sentencing decide said he was “lucky to be alive and was “astonished” at the shortage of care.
Watts suffered catastrophic accidents when a stunt went mistaken during filming at the Warner Bros studio in England in 2019. Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
“My wife stuck by my side throughout,” Watts shared. Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
Speaking about the incident, Watts said, “I don’t have any memories of what happened. My final memory is on the Friday when we were lining up for the stunt, practicing, and rehearsing. I found out someone else was throwing me and wanted to throw me over a different shoulder. I remember highlighting to the bosses I was uncomfortable with the change in my trajectory. Unfortunately, the stunt coordinators felt it was ok. As a stunt performer it is difficult, and I didn’t want to cause issues. You are like a puppet on a string and must put your trust in everyone else. I can only highlight what I see. A film set is a very busy and stressful environment and there are so many decisions being made – I guess they just did not see my perspective.”
Watts has no reminiscences of the incident on the Monday but has since discovered what brought about it.
He said the first take went nicely and made it into the movie but on the second one a change was made to the wiring.
Watts had over 40 credit as a stuntman before the accident. Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
As he was thrown over the balcony and somersaulted, he hit the purpose of rigidity on the wire and it indifferent from his stunt harness, accelerating him into the concrete below.
A later investigation revealed no system for double checking that the maillon on the stunt vest had been correctly engaged and tightened or if the stunt vest had stretched between takes.
The probe also revealed that Watts’ harness had not had the required six-month inspection and manufacturing company also didn’t prolong the crash matting after modifications to the set and stunt sequence.
“I was very lucky to survive.,” Watts added. “Few do hitting concrete from that high at such pace. It was miraculous actually. My speech and recovery only occurred because I wished it to occur. I keep in mind coming to in hospital – my aware thoughts wasn’t linked, and actuality didn’t exist. Looking back, the plates have been shifting into place until my cognition was switched back on. It was surreal. The tough factor with a mind injury is I still believed I used to be the same particular person.
“I believed I could walk and run but I couldn’t balance. I had to relearn to walk again and move my legs to be able to walk in a straight line. I had been a high-level gymnast and had exceptional balance – but had lost the ability to walk down the road. I had to relearn communication. Inside it felt like I could always talk but I’ve seen videos of me in hospital and nothing was coming out. My brain was telling me I was coming across differently. I had to relearn how to ride a bike, drive a car, fly on planes, everything that I could always do. I spent six years finding out I can’t do this and then thinking how I can relearn it.”
Watts said it had been a long recovery, but he was now prepared to share his story to strive and inspire others.
“Part of why I want to speak on stage now is celebrating the communication skills I have relearnt and share with people what I’ve come through,” Watts claimed. “I need to encourage them and if they’re going through comparable then to empower them. I went through heavy depression. So much of people told me to focus on the sunshine at the end of the tunnel. But no matter how onerous I attempted I couldn’t discover the partitions of the tunnels. My means of climbing out from that was discovering a ardour and for me it was artwork.
“It was a place I could step away from it all and escape. My brain injury is an invisible disability – multiple times I have been struggling outside shops and people assume I am just causing a problem. I have felt a lot of judgment throughout the recovery. Everything was within my brain. Even when I was given feedback I was doing well, it was still very hard. I still don’t feel I am who I used to be. Every year I feel even more recovered. I was angry for a long time. I struggled with my anger and emotional control and had serious depression. I found my silver lining in painting. My wife would notice I had a red mist and was getting angry, but I would have no recollection.”
Watts appeared as a stormtrooper on “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.” Courtesy Joe Watts / SWNS
Watts said a big turning level was his marriage ceremony in June 2022.
“My wife stuck by my side throughout, my parents couldn’t adapt to who I had become – they preferred who I used to be,” Watts said. “But getting married was wonderful. I used to be surrounded by my stunt household. I had centered for a yr and a half before the marriage and had it all rehearsed in my thoughts. There have been 140 people there and I used to be ready to stand up and converse, despite beforehand being too fearful to. It was a magical day. I’ve bought so a lot gratitude now for the expertise I’ve been through.
“My wife and her father are involved in the stunt industry still. At the beginning, I was hating the fact I couldn’t do it anymore and ostracized myself from the group. But I have a lot of appreciation for their constant support and a lot of gratitude for my short experience working as a professional stuntman. It is a good hook for conversation when I tell people about the films I’ve been in. I now want to spread my story further with Day One Trauma Support and feel very lucky to work with them. “I’m proud of myself for my recovery so far. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve come so far.”
He is also among a group of major trauma survivors sharing messages of hope to inspire other people who have skilled catastrophic accidents.
FF9 Pictures Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work and so forth Act 1974.
The company was fined over $1 million and ordered to pay almost $20,000 in prices at Luton Magistrates’ Court.
Sentencing, district decide Talwinder Buttar acknowledged Watts is lucky to be alive and added she was astonished that the crash matting was not sufficient.
“Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed,” HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said. “In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimizing the risk of an injury.”
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