This Terrifying ’90s Movie Scene Made The Stunt Performer Quit – So The Actress Did It Instead

One Fried Green Tomatoes scene was so scary it made Mary Stuart Masterson’s stunt double quit. Masterson plays the role of Idgie Threadgoode, Ninny Threadgoode’s sister-in-law and the main character in the story Ninny tells to Evelyn Couch. The film follows the love affair between Idgie and her late brother’s girlfriend, Ruth, and their restaurant, the Whistle Stop Cafe, hence the film’s title. The movie was adapted from Frannie Flagg’s 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, but the title was shortened for the film. Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jessica Tandy also star in the movie.

Idgie and Ruth bond in the movie, but one moment that stands out to Ruth in realizing her feelings for Idgie is when Idgie gets honey from a swarm of bees in a tree. The moment inspires Ruth’s nickname for Idgie, which is Bee Charmer. At the end of the film, when Ninny and Evelyn visit Ruth’s grave, there is a fresh jar of honey that is signed by the Bee Charmer, signifying that Idgie is still alive. Masterson did not receive an Academy Award nomination for her performance, though she put a lot of effort into the honey-collecting scene.

The Bees Scene In Fried Green Tomatoes Made The Stunt Professional Quit

In the scene where Idgie is collecting honey, and Ruth is watching from afar, Idgie sticks her bare hand into the bee’s tree to collect the honey as they flock to her, covering her arm and her body. They remain on her for quite some time, and Ruth is visibly shocked by the sight. The scene was not faked for the movie, and it required someone to step in and physically film it.

Fried Green Tomatoes initially had a stunt double to fill in for Masterson. However, the stunt double was so terrified when she found out that she had to be covered in real bees for the scene that she quit, leaving filmmakers in a tricky situation. They couldn’t get another stunt double in the middle of production, so one of their stars made a very brave decision, and it turned out great for the film.

Mary Stuart Masterson Had To Do The Bees Scene Herself

With no stunt double, Masterson stepped up and filmed the scene herself. If she was as scared as her stunt double was, it didn’t come across in the movie itself at all. Masterson handled the scene like a pro, and because she did it herself, it potentially worked out better than if a stunt double did it, as the filmmakers didn’t need to strategically shoot the scene to avoid showing when the stunt double took over. The scary bee scene came across as very authentic, making it easy to understand why Ruth fell in love with Idgie in Fried Green Tomatoes.