‘Game of Thrones’ Stunt Actor Exposes Dangerous Set Practices After Brutal Accident Ended Her Career During Final Season

From 2011 to 2019, you couldn’t talk about TV without referring to the biggest show on television. Game of Thrones was unlike any other series in the TV medium, and it is actually hard to find a show that can stand beside it in terms of its strong following. Naturally, for those working in the entertainment industry, landing a role on such a show would seem like a dream come true, even if it’s behind the camera. But as it turns out, this might not be the case. It is certainly the opposite for Casey Michaels, a stuntwoman who saw her career swiftly end when she had an accident during the production of the eighth and final season of the HBO juggernaut.

Deadline has unveiled an exposé that provides an extensive account of Michaels’ case, now that the trials have ended, and settlements have been reached. It is an eye-opening report that gives readers an inside look at what can only be described as negligence by Rowley Irlam, the stunt coordinator in charge of Game of Thrones. The incident took place in February 2018, and from that moment on, Michaels knew that her career was over. Deadline reports that she received a settlement of $9.3 million after it was proven that what occurred wasn’t her fault.

The scene in question was part of the third episode in Season 8. Michaels played a White Walker who was supposed to drop approximately 12 feet into a rig made up of cardboard and crash mats. Although rehearsals were common, not all stunt personnel were required to rehearse. The first take went well, but for the second take, some changes were made. Per Irlam’s orders, they were not supposed to spot their landings because they were playing zombies. They were told to “drop like pencils.”

Michaels was the last one to drop. 26 stunt people had gone before, and the rig was not in the best condition. “I hit the floor and heard my bones breaking underneath me,” Michaels says when recalling the accident that shattered her ankle. After stunt experts were asked to provide several evaluations of the set conditions, they all agreed that it was negligent to use such a precarious rig for the scene.

Did Anything Change After Casey Michaels’ Stunt Incident?

Many would have thought that after HBO had to pay a considerable amount of money to settle, and Michaels’ case was thoroughly documented and evaluated by experts in the field, things would change. Nevertheless, the now-retired stunt specialist says that there’s only denial from the other party: “I can forgive accidents. I can forgive mistakes. I cannot forgive lies. Two people went to hospital, and they [the Game of Thrones stunt coordinators] are still denying that they did anything wrong. Their egos are so great that they cannot put their hands up and say, ‘We understand this was wrong. We will correct this, we will do better, we will learn from our mistakes.'”

HBO, on the other hand, appears to have turned the page, and Irlam continues to lead a group of stunt coordinators for House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones’ prequel spin-off. When inquired about the incident involving Michaels, a spokesperson said: “We are saddened to learn about the adversity Ms. Michaels has experienced… Mr. Irlam is a celebrated and respected stunt coordinator and has an extensive history with HBO productions. As an expert in such a physically demanding field, we remain confident in his abilities and know he has always done everything possible to maintain the high safety standards that are required in our productions.”

So, no. Nothing has changed on the set of HBO’s most successful TV show, which is an irony considering how important stunts have become, and the groundbreaking decision by the Academy to start awarding Oscars to the best stunt work in Hollywood. Hopefully, Michaels’ case becomes a cautionary tale for stunt people, as well as coordinators, who are supposed to guarantee safety on the sets.