The Boy Who Lived: Surviving Harry Potter | David Holmes | TEDxSoho

When working as Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double on the set of Harry Potter, David Holme's life was changed forever when a routine stunt went horribly wrong. This is the uplifting and fascinating story of how David rose from the ashes and reconstructed his life to become a broadcaster, disability ambassador, and, most recently, a BAFTA-nominated documentarian.

David Holmes is a broadcaster, writer and stunt enthusiast. First, a gymnast, David worked in stunts, starting at the age of 14 on Lost In Space. From there, David very quickly became an in-demand member of the stunt team for huge Hollywood productions, including Prince Of Persia, The Golden Compass and all eight Harry Potter films, where he had the essential role as Daniel Radcliffe's double. David qualified for the Stunt Register when he was 22 years old, and having just been a key part of one of the biggest franchises ever, the world was at his feet; then on January 28th 2009, at the age of 25, a stunt rehearsal went wrong and David was left paralysed.

David created the HBO documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived in 2023, where he revealed to millions of viewers the nature of his accident and his disability. Touching, insightful and inspiring, the documentary reflected David himself, showing people that his legacy is not just his contributions to some of cinema's finest stunt sequences but also his courage, resilience, and unwavering determination. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx