The man behind many of Harry Potter's soaring stunts is reflecting on the tragic accident that changed his life.
David Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double on the first six films in the series, suffered a spinal cord injury while rehearsing a flying scene, which left him paralyzed. He talks about the 2009 incident in the trailer for the upcoming HBO documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.
"I remember straight after breaking my neck, I said, 'There's no chance of coming back," David, 42, said in the trailer, released Nov. 1. "Before my accident, everything was about being cool and being a stuntman. Now it's about being present. I have so much love in my life."
The former stuntman, who was working on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 at the time of the accident, continued, "I've had such a crazy life. Such highs and such lows. But I was able to find the light in the darkest of places."
Daniel, an executive producer on the documentary, recounted his tight bond with David, noting that he "seemed like a cool older brother," who "would do the most dangerous physical stuff."
"This terrible thing happened to Dave, but I don't want to talk as if his life is a tragedy," the 34-year-old added, "The way his life has affected the lives of people around him means that it is the furthest thing from that imaginable."
Sharing the trailer on his Instagram, David expressed how much it means to be able to share the decade-in-the-making project. "I am honoured and excited to share with the world my journey," he wrote. "A lot of love, hard work dedication and support goes into me just existing. I am extremely grateful to everybody who has contributed to not only my life, but also this project."
He continued, "It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, well the same rules apply to living with a Spinal Cord Injury."
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived is set to premiere on Max Nov. 15.