MOVIE NEWS – Filming a sword-fighting scene always carries risks, but director Michael Caton-Jones probably didn’t expect the climactic duel of Rob Roy to end with Liam Neeson bleeding — courtesy of a slip-up from costar Tim Roth.

In the dramatic finale of Rob Roy, Liam Neeson’s rugged Scottish outlaw faces off against Tim Roth’s refined swordsman in what has since been hailed as one of cinema’s best choreographed sword fights. Unfortunately for the actors, real danger snuck into the staged violence. Both stars had trained extensively, rehearsing the elaborate sequence for months — but as it turns out, all the prep in the world can’t guarantee a perfect take.

A Prop Sword, a Slip in Timing — and a Real Injury

Though Neeson is now best known as a grizzled action hero in films like Taken, this incident left him visibly shaken. On the Overdue Rentals podcast, Tim Roth shared the story of how he accidentally stabbed Neeson in the hand during filming, with what was supposed to be a safe, blunted weapon.

“I had tons of rehearsal time, mainly with Liam’s stunt double — who honestly looked just like him. So I had all the moves locked in. But when Liam stepped in, he was still catching up with the choreography. At one point, he went to block my move, and the blade slipped between his fingers and into his hand. I just yelled, ‘Oh my god, get the medic!’”

He added that the swords were made of aluminum and designed to be safe, but despite their blunt ends, accidents like this are always a risk during close combat scenes.

What Goes Around Comes Around

Though Neeson’s injury was relatively minor and quickly treated by on-set medics, Roth couldn’t stop thinking about it. As fate would have it, karma struck back nearly a decade later. During the filming of 2001’s The Musketeer, Roth was accidentally stabbed in the exact same spot on his hand where he’d once wounded Neeson.

“It was uncanny,” Roth said, recalling the moment. “It felt like some weird cosmic payback. I couldn’t help but laugh when I realized what had happened.”

As the Academy begins to recognize the importance of stunt work with its own award category, Roth’s tale is a powerful reminder of the risks performers take in bringing realism to action scenes. Even with all the planning and safety protocols in place, sometimes the unexpected happens — and it ends up right there in the final cut, adding an all-too-real moment of pain to the spectacle.

Source: Overdue Rentals