Some Of These Crashes Wrote Off Entire Cars During Films
When it comes to filming action scenes, car chases, and high-speed stunts, Hollywood productions often bring in trained stunt drivers. But sometimes, the actors themselves get behind the wheel—and things don’t always go as planned. From muscle cars to luxury imports, accidents on set have become legendary stories in film history. Here’s a look at actors who crashed their cars during filming, the vehicles involved, and the circumstances that led to these headline-making mishaps.
Paul Walker Loses Control On The Fast & Furious Set
During production of 2 Fast 2 Furious, Paul Walker pushed a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R hard during a take. While Walker was known for his driving skills, one scene demanded a risky maneuver that caused the car to slide into a barrier. Thankfully, he walked away unscathed, but the crew quickly reinforced the use of stunt drivers afterward.
Universal Pictures, 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Tom Cruise’s Porsche Mishap In Risky Business
Before he became famous for doing his own stunts, Tom Cruise had a minor crash while filming Risky Business. Driving his father’s borrowed Porsche 928 in the iconic chase sequence, Cruise reportedly clipped a fence post during a retake. The car suffered a dent, and the production had to scramble to repair it overnight.
Warner Bros., Risky Business (1983)
Ryan Gosling’s Crash In Drive
While filming the gritty neo-noir Drive, Ryan Gosling insisted on performing several driving stunts himself in a Chevy Impala getaway car. During one take, he overcooked a turn, sending the car into a lighting rig. The accident shut down filming for a few hours but reinforced Gosling’s reputation for commitment to realism.
Greg Gjerdingen, Wikimedia Commons
Keanu Reeves Damages A Mustang In John Wick
Keanu Reeves is a car enthusiast who trained extensively for John Wick. In one of the chase scenes, he drove a classic ’69 Ford Mustang Mach 1. While rehearsing a sequence, Reeves misjudged the timing and clipped a camera truck, damaging the car’s front fender. Reeves reportedly apologized profusely, though the Mustang was quickly repaired.
Christian Bale’s On-Set Accident With A Lamborghini
During The Dark Knight, Christian Bale piloted Bruce Wayne’s Lamborghini Murciélago through Gotham’s streets. On one wet night shoot, Bale lost traction and skidded the supercar into a road barrier. The crash was minor, but it cost Warner Bros. thousands in repairs and delayed the night’s schedule.
Lamborghini Crash - The Dark Knight, Cinerama
Aaron Paul’s Need For Speed Crash
Fresh off Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul starred in Need For Speed, which was filled with muscle cars and exotic supercars. Paul took the wheel of a Shelby Mustang GT500 replica during one chase. Unfortunately, a tight turn led him into a guardrail, bending the suspension. The crew reassured him it was expected in such a car-heavy production.
DreamWorks Pictures, Need for Speed (2014)
Daniel Craig’s Aston Martin Incident In Casino Royale
Bond films are famous for wrecking Aston Martins, but sometimes the damage isn’t planned. Daniel Craig, during Casino Royale, misjudged a maneuver in the DBS and skidded into a small embankment. The incident caused cosmetic damage, but producers later joked it added to Bond’s reputation for destroying luxury vehicles.
2009 Aston Martin DBS - The V12 Manual from Casino Royale (POV Binaural Audio), Tedward
Charlize Theron’s Mini Cooper Collision In The Italian Job
In The Italian Job remake, Charlize Theron learned to drive a Mini Cooper for chase sequences. Despite her skill, she miscalculated a corner in a Los Angeles parking structure and hit a concrete pillar. The car was repairable, but the moment showed just how tough precision driving could be even for well-trained actors.
Paramount Pictures, The Italian Job (2003)
Matt Damon’s Car Trouble On The Bourne Identity
Matt Damon, known for his Bourne stunts, drove a battered Mini Cooper through Paris in The Bourne Identity. While filming a chase, Damon locked the brakes too late and slammed into a stack of props. The collision wasn’t in the script but was cleverly incorporated into the final cut for added realism.
Universal Pictures, The Bourne Identity (2002)
Robert Pattinson’s Crash In Good Time
In the indie thriller Good Time, Robert Pattinson handled a beat-up sedan for several getaway sequences. In one unscripted moment, Pattinson clipped another parked car while reversing at speed. The director liked the rawness of the moment and kept part of the sequence in the final cut.
Vin Diesel’s Muscle Car Damage In Fast & Furious
Vin Diesel, synonymous with Dominic Toretto’s Dodge Charger, has had his share of mishaps. While filming Fast & Furious 6, Diesel attempted a burnout scene and lost control, grazing a concrete divider. The Charger’s rear axle took the brunt of the damage, delaying shooting for the day.
Universal Pictures, Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Hugh Jackman’s Crash In Logan
For Logan, Hugh Jackman piloted a Chrysler limousine in several chase scenes. In one rehearsal, Jackman took a turn too sharply and clipped a tree stump hidden near the road. The limo’s undercarriage was badly scraped, forcing the team to bring in a backup vehicle for filming.
20th Century Fox, Logan (2017)
Jason Statham’s On-Set Dunk In The Expendables 3
While not a traditional road crash, Jason Statham’s accident was legendary. Driving a three-ton truck for The Expendables 3, Statham lost the brakes and plunged into the Black Sea. He escaped unharmed, but the truck was a total loss. The crew praised Statham for reacting quickly and swimming to safety.
The Expendables 3: Statham's Stunt Goes Wrong, IGN
Margot Robbie’s Fender Bender In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Margot Robbie, playing Sharon Tate, had a small driving sequence in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While rehearsing, Robbie lightly rear-ended a parked car in her Porsche 911 replica. The accident was minor but caused plenty of laughter on set.
Sony Pictures Releasing, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Nicolas Cage’s Classic Car Mishap In Gone In 60 Seconds
Nicolas Cage was determined to do his own stunts in Gone In 60 Seconds. Behind the wheel of “Eleanor,” a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, Cage spun out during a burnout scene and scraped the side of the car against a barrier. The car was repaired, but fans consider it a famous “real” dent in cinema car history.
Touchstone Pictures, Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Idris Elba’s Rally Crash During Filming
While filming the mini-series Idris Elba: No Limits, the actor took on real rally driving. In one stage, he lost traction in a Mitsubishi Evo and rolled into a ditch. The crash was serious enough to end filming for the day, though Elba walked away shaken but fine.
Bruce Willis’s Taxi Collision In Die Hard With A Vengeance
Bruce Willis had plenty of car stunts in Die Hard With A Vengeance. While filming the chaotic cab chase through New York, Willis clipped a parked car while swerving at speed. The accident bent the taxi’s front axle, forcing a long reset between takes.
20th Century Fox, Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
Angelina Jolie’s SUV Trouble In Salt
In the spy thriller Salt, Angelina Jolie performed several of her own driving stunts in a black SUV. In one chase, Jolie misjudged her braking distance and slammed into production barrels, damaging the SUV’s bumper. Jolie reportedly laughed it off and went back for another take.
Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky IV Crash
While Rocky Balboa is more famous for boxing than cars, Stallone had his moment behind the wheel. In Rocky IV, he drove a black Lamborghini Jalpa for a montage. During one retake, Stallone accidentally over-revved and slid into a guardrail. The car needed repairs before the next day’s filming.
ilikewaffles11, Wikimedia Commons
Brad Pitt’s Bike Crash On A TV Set
Though not technically a car, Brad Pitt famously crashed a motorcycle while filming a TV commercial overseas. Riding through city streets, Pitt lost balance and tipped the bike over at low speed. He walked away without injury, but production halted briefly to assess the damage.
Which Crash Is Your Favorite?
Filming car chases and driving sequences always comes with risk—whether it’s a high-budget blockbuster or a small indie film. While trained stunt drivers usually take the wheel for dangerous shots, these stories prove that even Hollywood’s biggest stars aren’t immune to a crash or two. From dented classics to totaled muscle cars, the accidents become part of the film’s lore and often only deepen fans’ fascination with both the actor and the machine. After all, when actors and cars share the screen, sparks—and sometimes collisions—are bound to fly.
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