When Dylan O’Brien signed on to star in the Maze Runner film franchise, he likely had no idea the life-altering ordeal that awaited him on set. But in a candid new interview, the actor is pulling back the curtain on the harrowing accident that nearly cost him his life – and how it has fundamentally reshaped the way he approaches his craft.
“It was a life-changing incident,” O’Brien tells Men’s Health, reflecting on the horrific 2016 stunt gone wrong that left him with a concussion, facial fractures, and severe brain trauma. “I’ve approached everything differently; you could say, particularly regarding standing my ground on set.”
The incident occurred while filming The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, the third installment in the popular YA dystopian series. O’Brien, who was just 24 years old at the time, was pulled from the top of a moving vehicle unexpectedly while wearing a harness, only to be struck by another car. Production was immediately halted as the actor underwent a lengthy recovery process.
But as O’Brien now reveals, the true tragedy of that fateful day is that it could have been prevented. According to the Saturday Night star, he had raised concerns about the safety of the stunt before filming, only to have his warnings brushed aside.
“It’s commonplace in the culture for young actors to be controlled, and they strive to do that by always being like, ‘Oh, don’t become difficult. Don’t be a pain in the ass,'” O’Brien explains. “I can look at that day and know I was a 24-year-old kid raising concerns about how we were approaching things, and they were not listened to or respected.”
In the aftermath of the accident, which O’Brien says “by all accounts, it was all pretty gotten away with,” the actor has made a conscious effort to stand his ground and advocate for his safety on set. It’s a lesson he’s learned the hard way that has fundamentally reshaped his approach to the industry.
“I know the person I am, and the character I bring to set, and the way I treat people and the way that I treat a workspace, and I know I’m not difficult,” O’Brien asserts. “I know I’m not an asshole. I know I was trying to protect myself that day, so I have never forgotten that. That’s always true as being the thing to hold with me.”
It’s a powerful message from an actor who has grappled with the physical and emotional toll of his near-death experience. It comes at a time when the film industry is under intense scrutiny over issues of set safety, particularly in the wake of the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
For O’Brien, the lesson is clear: the well-being of performers should never be an afterthought, and actors should feel empowered to speak up when they have legitimate concerns. He’s determined to uphold this principle, even if it means risking the ire of those in power.
“At the end of the day, in these spaces, you have your own back, and that’s the most you can rely on,” he states, a hard-earned wisdom shaping his approach to the craft.
While the road back from his injuries was long and arduous—”I really was in a dark place there for a while, and it wasn’t an easy journey back,” he told Vulture in a previous interview—O’Brien has emerged from the experience with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to using his platform to enact change.
“I know the person I am, and the character I bring to set, and the way I treat people and the way that I treat a workspace, and I know I’m not difficult,” he reaffirms. “I know I’m not an asshole. I know I was trying to protect myself that day, so I’ve never forgotten that.”
It’s a message that resonates far beyond the confines of the entertainment industry, a powerful reminder that prioritizing one’s safety should never be equated with being “difficult” or “a pain in the ass.” And for Dylan O’Brien, it’s a lesson forged in the crucible of his near-death experience.
As the industry grapples with the fallout from Rust and other on-set tragedies, O’Brien’s story serves as a clarion call for a fundamental shift in how we think about performer safety. He’s committed to waging this fight, no matter the personal cost.
“I’ve approached everything differently, you could say, particularly regarding standing my ground on set,” O’Brien concludes. And for an actor whose stance deserves our utmost respect, he’s been through the wringer; that stance deserves our utmost respect.