The director encouraged Reedus to face the camera again after his serious Berlin accident
Summary
– John Carpenter helped Norman Reedus return to acting after his serious 2005 accident
– Reedus feared his facial injuries would prevent him from appearing on camera again
– Carpenter cast Reedus in the Masters of Horror episode Cigarette Burns
Norman Reedus feared his acting career was over after suffering serious facial injuries during a 2005 vehicle accident in Berlin.
Reedus was attending the Berlin Film Festival and had gone to an R.E.M. concert before the crash. A driver provided by Michael Stipe had traveled only a short distance when their vehicle collided with an 18-wheeler.
The impact sent Reedus through a window and into the street while unconscious. He later underwent several operations, including the reconstruction of his left eye socket with titanium and the placement of four screws in his nose.
Reedus said the damage left him convinced that he would never act again. While recovering in a Berlin hospital, he began developing a short film, believing his future would be behind the camera.
John Carpenter later offered Reedus a starring role in Cigarette Burns, an episode of the Masters of Horror anthology series.
Reedus initially resisted the offer because he remained deeply concerned about his appearance following the accident.
Carpenter encouraged him to get back on the horse and return to acting. Reedus accepted the role and later described the encouragement as life-changing.
The experience helped Reedus regain the confidence needed to continue working in front of the camera. His career later reached a much larger audience through his role as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead franchise.
Source: Lifestyle Asia
