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View Full Version : Director accidentally shoots actor during play rehearsal


TomHynes
01-21-2009, 1:49 PM
At first this seemed surprising, then I realized it was about senior citizens in Florida.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jan/21/actor-accidentally-shot



Real-life tragedy nearly struck at a Florida theatre on Monday night, when an actor fired a live gun at a cast member's head.

During rehearsals for an amateur production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in Sarasota, the show's director, Bill Bordy, shot 81-year-old actor Fred Kellerman in the back of the head at point-blank range, only to realise with horror that the gun he used was loaded with live ammunition. Luckily the shot only grazed Kellerman's skull, and he was quickly released from hospital.

The incident occurred during the final run-through of the play's last scene, in which George Milton shoots his friend Lennie Small to spare him a painful death at the hands of a lynch mob. The Smith and Wesson pistol had been borrowed from a fellow cast member in the Sarasota Senior Theater who had, it appeared, forgotten that it was loaded.

In his defence, Bordy told reporters: "I'm the actor, I'm the director and we're running late, and without thinking I didn't check the gun."

"I was like, 'Oh my God, dear Lord, no'. Luckily I was a lousy shot."

The shooting comes only a month after the attention of the world's media was seized by another theatrical near-disaster – albeit one that occurred several thousands of miles away, in Vienna. Actor Daniel Hoevels made headlines in December after cutting his throat on stage with what turned out to be a real blade. The city's Burgtheater later admitted that the knife had been left out by a stage manager who had forgotten to blunt it; Hoevels suffered only minor injuries and was treading the boards again the following night.

For his part, Kellerman claimed the worst part of being shot was the loud bang, which caused him to lose his hearing momentarily, followed by a painful tetanus shot administered by nurses at the hospital.

The show went ahead on schedule just two hours later, with an understudy filling Kellerman's shoes.

No charges have been filed, although police are still investigating the incident.

LiquidFlorian
01-21-2009, 2:42 PM
damn... This is why I recommend Airsoft guns to all my acting buddies...

Tarn_Helm
01-21-2009, 2:50 PM
At first this seemed surprising, then I realized it was about senior citizens in Florida.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jan/21/actor-accidentally-shot



Real-life tragedy nearly struck at a Florida theatre on Monday night, when an actor fired a live gun at a cast member's head.

During rehearsals for an amateur production of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in Sarasota, the show's director, Bill Bordy, shot 81-year-old actor Fred Kellerman in the back of the head at point-blank range, only to realise with horror that the gun he used was loaded with live ammunition. Luckily the shot only grazed Kellerman's skull, and he was quickly released from hospital.

The incident occurred during the final run-through of the play's last scene, in which George Milton shoots his friend Lennie Small to spare him a painful death at the hands of a lynch mob. The Smith and Wesson pistol had been borrowed from a fellow cast member in the Sarasota Senior Theater who had, it appeared, forgotten that it was loaded.

In his defence, Bordy told reporters: "I'm the actor, I'm the director and we're running late, and without thinking I didn't check the gun."

"I was like, 'Oh my God, dear Lord, no'. Luckily I was a lousy shot."

The shooting comes only a month after the attention of the world's media was seized by another theatrical near-disaster – albeit one that occurred several thousands of miles away, in Vienna. Actor Daniel Hoevels made headlines in December after cutting his throat on stage with what turned out to be a real blade. The city's Burgtheater later admitted that the knife had been left out by a stage manager who had forgotten to blunt it; Hoevels suffered only minor injuries and was treading the boards again the following night.

For his part, Kellerman claimed the worst part of being shot was the loud bang, which caused him to lose his hearing momentarily, followed by a painful tetanus shot administered by nurses at the hospital.

The show went ahead on schedule just two hours later, with an understudy filling Kellerman's shoes.

No charges have been filed, although police are still investigating the incident.
I have no words for this.

Literally speechless.

vwynn
01-21-2009, 3:00 PM
at least the Effects were real =D GOOD SHOW! Bravo bravo..

Ignorance of the law is one thing.. but ignorance of the gun? You ALWAYS check to see if the gun is loaded before handing it off to someone.. or.. using it in a play. (not even sure if it sounded right)

pullnshoot25
01-21-2009, 3:11 PM
Holy freaking crap, that guy is FARKING LUCKY!

Hot damn. That is just freaking stupid all around.

damndave
01-21-2009, 3:24 PM
why the hell are they using real rounds?

Spiggy
01-21-2009, 3:27 PM
why the hell are they using real rounds?
the stage communities are populated with liberals who have never handled firearms before. Obviously this guy was a dunce, especially being able to miss from firing point blank

csmintel
01-21-2009, 3:27 PM
i would beat the *^$*^& out this idiot. His excuse is that he is just an actor and a director. he didn't think to check the gun. Mother&##$%$#!

5968
01-21-2009, 5:07 PM
Why would you even have real rounds around the "props". What a bunch of f'en idiots. I'm surprised somebody wasn't killed.

devildog999
01-21-2009, 5:09 PM
Thank god he missed. Don't know HOW he missed, at point blank and all; but that guy is LUCKY!

savs2k
01-21-2009, 5:11 PM
holy crap that persons lucky to be alive. But um how the f do you miss a head shot at point blank? I mean really? Anyways I don't see any reason for a person to use a real gun in a play.... no one is going to notice that you gun is fake unless calguns goes to a play together. geez

Cpl. Haas
01-21-2009, 5:21 PM
Someone was too stupid to hire an armorer apparently... :mad:

This is I always hand the gun directly to the actor/actress right before the camera rolls; as soon as I hear "cut!", I swoop in and grab it back.

vwynn
01-21-2009, 7:37 PM
instead of using a real gun.. how about using ur hands like clint did in grand torino hah

56Chevy
01-21-2009, 7:43 PM
holy crap that persons lucky to be alive. But um how the f do you miss a head shot at point blank? I mean really? Anyways I don't see any reason for a person to use a real gun in a play.... no one is going to notice that you gun is fake unless calguns goes to a play together. geez
Maybe he was firing a S&W .500 magnum with 1 hand...blindfolded.

elrcastor
01-21-2009, 9:21 PM
Maybe he was firing a S&W .500 magnum with 1 hand...blindfolded.

if he did that the gun would be stuck in the wall behind him!

56Chevy
01-21-2009, 9:38 PM
if he did that the gun would be stuck in the wall behind him!
Now that would be worth the price of admission!:thumbsup:

Thefeeder
01-21-2009, 9:38 PM
the stage communities are populated with liberals who have never handled firearms before. Obviously this guy was a dunce, especially being able to miss from firing point blank

Maybe he was not a liberal, a good shot and tried of the old guy breaking wind during his monolog.

showerbabies
01-26-2009, 1:31 PM
Maybe it wasn't an accident. Remember Bruce Lee's kid, Brandon Lee in "The Crow?"

ZRX61
01-26-2009, 1:57 PM
I can think of a few actors that should have auditioned for that role...;)