Stuntwoman sues for £4m over Game of Thrones zombie battle injury
A STUNTWOMAN who suffered ‘career-ending’ injuries while playing a zombie in Game of Thrones is suing the makers for £4million.
Casey Michaels, 32, received a ‘serious fracture dislocation’ to her left ankle during filming for the hit fantasy series.
The injury occurred after she jumped off a 12ft-high (3.7m) rooftop during the making of what is said to be the longest battle scene in TV and cinematic history.
Miss Michaels claims the incident ruined her career and is suing Fire and Blood Productions, blaming the company for her injuries.
She argues the landing area she jumped on to during the stunt was unsafe. She and 28 other actors playing an ‘army of the undead’ were allegedly told by production staff to walk off the roof ‘as if unaware of the drop’ in keeping with the zombie-like nature of the characters. They would then fall on to a landing area comprised of cardboard boxes and mats.
‘By their nature, however, the cardboard boxes are not durable and become damaged as each stunt performer lands on the box rig and also as each stunt performer climbs off of the box rig after landing,’ the claim alleges.
Miss Michaels was the last performer to step off the roof, landing feet-first while wearing shin, knee, elbow, hip and back pads. She says her injuries on the set in Northern Ireland in 2018 not only ended her stunt career but also her dreams of becoming a stunt co-ordinator and director.
The injuries occurred during filming of the season eight episode The long Night, which features a dramatic battle scene. It reportedly followed a punishing filming schedule of 55 night shoots over 11 weeks during harsh weather.
Cinematographer Fabian Wagner has described the battle shoot as ‘physically exhausting’. Miss Michaels had made regular appearances in Game of Thrones, and had appeared in many high-profile movies and TV series prior to her accident, including Star Wars.
She has acted as a body double for stars including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Julianne Moore. Miss Michaels said she has had multiple operations on her foot along with ‘intensive’ physiotherapy and has been treated for depression and trauma.
The £4million figure is mainly to account for lost future earnings but Fire and Blood deny any blame and are fighting her claim. During a pretrial hearing at the High Court, lawyers for the firm said the company also contests the size of the claim.
The judge gave directions for a ten-day trial.
The case will return to court but a date is yet to be set.
‘Physically exhausting’