We all know Harrison Ford was hospitalized last year after breaking his ankle on the set of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," leading production to shut down for a couple of weeks. However, he wasn't the only one injured in the accident.
Director J.J. Abrams revealed last night on "The Daily Show" broke his back while trying to help the now 73-year-old actor after the hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon closed on his ankle.
“The guy is like a real-life superhero," the filmmaker told host Jon Stewart. "He should have the whole Marvel logo above his name."
Recalling the accident, in which the door bent Ford's ankle 90 degrees, Abrams said, "He’s down there and he’s toughing it out. He’s a superhuman being. He’s literally lying there making jokes. This door had gone down, and I’m trying to help lift it up – because that’s the kind of guy I am. I’m trying to lift up this door and I feel this pop in my back, and I’m like ‘Uh, that’s weird.’”
A couple of days later, a visit to a physician revealed the extent of the director's injury. “He goes, ‘Oh you have a broken back,’” Abrams said. “I broke my L4 trying to lift this door.”
The super-secretive director had to wear a back brace under his shirt for -- "Nobody knows, I didn't tell anyone, right?" -- while the significantly older Ford bounced back from his injury surprisingly quickly. A few months after the accient, while Abrams was still wearing the brace, "Harrison Ford, from across the stage, sprints at me faster than I will ever run. And he's like, 'Hey J.J.!' And I'm like, 'Hi, Harrison Ford.' Ooh, it hurts to talk that way. I felt like the most nebbishy Jewish director ever."
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens Dec. 18.
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(via The Hollywood Reporter)