Dylan O’Brien is one among the unfortunate list of actors who had to go through traumatic experiences while filming. Known for his on-screen charm and talented young actor, the star has been part of several hit movies and shows. Unfortunately, the actor suffered a very serious accident which led to severe brain trauma as well as multiple fractures on the right side of his face.
While most actors feel depressed and anxious to have their looks changed after reconstructive surgeries, the actor felt lucky and expressed gratitude towards his doctors.
Also Read: 20 Actors That Almost Died While Filming
Dylan O’Brien Feels Licky After Harrowing Accident
Dylan O’Brien is best known for playing the role of Thomas in the movie adaptation of the Maze Runner series. His performance as well as the way he portrayed the character helped garner him a huge fan base as well as critical acclaim for his acting talent.
However, it was on the set of the third installment of the franchise, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, that the actor suffered the worst injuries of his life after a motorcycle stunt went dangerously wrong in 2016. He was thrown off a vehicle before getting struck by another.
Not only did he break most of the right side of his face, and suffered multiple other injuries but also got severe brain trauma. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, O’Brien stated,
“I’m all fixed up now… Four plates (referring to reconstructive surgery) that will be a part of me forever. I feel really lucky to have come away from it — in terms of coming away from it at all on the day, and really how my face has healed. I was really lucky with a really brilliant doctor, and he salvaged a lot of what I used to look like. … To anybody who saw me after it happened, I think it’s really astonishing how well everything healed and how my doctors fixed me up.”
While the actor has recovered, the anxiety and trauma continue to affect him to this day.
Dylan O’Brien Might Never Emotionally Recover From The Accident
Going through such a traumatic accident can shake up anyone and it is normal not being able to mentally function properly after a near-death experience. For the Maze Runner star, it was the same for he found even the slightest of chores overwhelming. It wasn’t the physical changes that bothered him but the psychological impact the accident had on him made it difficult for him to jump back (via Vulture).
However, starring in the movie American Assassin, seven months after the accident was a great help for the movie helped him get back on his feet (via The Salt Lake Tribune). Years after the accident, Dylan O’Brien stated in 2020 in an interview with Variety, that the anxiety it gave him might never go away,
“Even to this day, if I’m on set and I’m doing a stunt, if I’m in a rig, if there’s some action going on, I am slightly irritable. There is a degree of anxiety in me that I don’t think there’s ever not going to be.”
But despite it all, it is commendable the actor is going strong in his career.
The Maze Runner franchise can be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune, Vulture, and Variety
