During her unbelievable career in entertainment, Uma Thurman has done it all. She's starred in successful films, has had some misfires, and has even linked up with DC to play one of the most iconic villains in history.
While working on the Kill Bill movies with Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman had several issues pop up. Sure, working with the iconic suit was tough, but at one point, the actress sustained permanent injuries thanks to an accident that took place on set.
Let's take a look back at the accident and what Thurman's said about it.
Uma Thurman Thrived In Several Great Roles
Following a successful stint as a model during her teenage years, Uma Thurman transitioned into professional acting. Eventually, she was able to land the right roles, and she became one of the most popular and talked-about actresses in the entertainment industry.
Things really fell into place for the actress during the 1990s, especially once she linked up with Quentin Tarantino for the 1994 classic, Pulp Fiction. That film undoubtedly changed the game for the actress, and soon enough, she was landing rolls in major films like Batman & Robin.
Through the years, Thurman would appear in other movies like Paycheck, the Kill Bill films, Be Cool, and even Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. That is a ton of work on the big screen, but the actress has done a bit of television work, as well.
Thurman's body of work is impressive, but we want to focus on her time making the Kill Bill movies.
She Starred In The 'Kill Bill' Movies
Both Kill Bill movies are considered fantastic in their own right, and a lot of it comes down to the working relationship between Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino. Unfortunately, their time making these films was marred thanks to an accident that Tarantino was responsible for.
Years after this all took place, Uma Thurman finally opened up about what happened. The star was not comfortable shooting a crash scene, but she was eventually persuaded by Quentin Tarantino to get behind the wheel of the vehicle.
According to Thurman, "He said: ‘I promise you the car is fine. It’s a straight piece of road. Hit 40 miles per hour or your hair won’t blow the right way and I’ll make you do it again.’ But that was a deathbox that I was in. The seat wasn’t screwed down properly. It was a sand road and it was not a straight road."
She then talked about how the pair got into an argument after filming the scene.
"I accused him of trying to kill me. And he was very angry at that, I guess understandably, because he didn’t feel he had tried to kill me," she added.
Sadly, she sustained some serious injuries because of the crash.
Thurman's Back And Knees Went Through Tough Times
When speaking with the New York Times, Thurman said that she permanently injured her back and knees due to the crash on set.
Tarantino was eventually asked about the situation at hand, and the filmmaker was candid with his response.
"We did the shot. And she crashed. At first, no one really knew what happened. After the crash, when Uma went to the hospital, I was feeling in total anguish at what had happened. Watching her fight for the wheel… remembering me hammering about how it was safe and she could do it. Emphasizing that it was a straight road, a straight road… the fact that she believe me, and I literally watched this little S curve pop up. And it spins her like a top. It was heartbreaking. Beyond one of the biggest regrets of my career, it is one of the biggest regrets of my life," he said.
It's hard to believe that something like this could happen on a professional movie set, but injuries occur more often than some might think. They don't always make headlines like this, but people get banged up while making major movies.
Some might think that Thurman would sever all ties with her former collaborator, but the pair eventually patched things up.
"We’ve had our fights over the years. When you know someone for as long as I’ve known him, 25 years of creative collaboration...yes, did we have some tragedies take place? Sure. But you can’t reduce that type of history and legacy," Thurman revealed.
This story should serve as a warning to all performers who work on set. It should also send a message to those responsible for ensuring the safety of others during stunt work.