There is a lot of controversy about whether or not a role about an amputee should be played by an amputee….I do NOT cover that here. Instead, I list off some great movies that portray true stories about some inspiring amputees. There is, however, a surprise for those of you who need a movie with a real amputee in it! Take a look at these Amputee Movies!
Movies about real amputees
Soul Surfer
Bethany Hamilton’s life as a surfer after a horrific shark attack and her recovery!
127 Hours
Aaron Ralston, a canyoneer, who becomes trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon southeastern Utah, in April 2003.
The Terry Fox Story
a biopic of Canadian amputee athlete Terry Fox, dramatizing his national Marathon of Hope run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Fun Fact: the actor also lost his leg in the same way as did the character he portrayed!
Read about how I found this statue here!
Movies that used amputees for effect
R. David Smith was born missing his left arm just below the elbow and grew up with a learning disability, but created “Stunts Ability”, which teaches limb deficient and other people with disabilities how to work in the movie industry. What some see as disadvantages physically became advantages for the roles played.
PREDATOR 2
R. David Smith’s first big movie role was as a stuntman on the Predator sequel.
The Thing
There’s a scene where the chest cavity of Norris (Charles Hallahan) turns into a mouth and bites off the arms of Dr. Copper. An unnamed double-amputee extra wore fake arms that were scored to break off. The effect is terrifying for 1980s cinematography!
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
On the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence director Steven Spielberg wanted to use as much practical, or on-set special effects, as he could. So, when scenes of broken robots at the “Flesh Fair” he hired a number of amputees to play different roles. It was a great opportunity for people from Stunts-Ability to appear in a Steven Spielberg movie, and have lots of people see what they can do.
Spiderman 3 (2007)
When Baxter Humby was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his hand. So, the doctors had to amputate his hand. He grew up to be a world champion Muy Thai kickboxer known as “The One Armed Bandit.” As a child, Humby dreamed of being Spider-Man because he believed in his credo that “we are all given a gift and with great power comes great responsibility.” Follow your dreams because you could be spiderman 🙂
Starship Troopers
Amputees are often used for war movies to show casualties and Starship Troopers is no exception. Casey Pieretti was hired to do a scene where the bug bites off a soldier’s legs. This actor was in college on a basketball scholarship when a drunk driver hit him. After the accident, he lost his right leg.
Recent Films with Famous Actors playing Amputees
Stronger (2017)
The film follows Bauman, who loses his legs in the Boston Marathon bombing and must adjust to his new life, and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Bauman. Jeff struggles to adjust to his condition as well as his newfound fame.
Skyscraper (2018)
The story follows a former FBI agent who must rescue his family from a newly built skyscraper – the tallest in the world – after it is taken over by criminals and set on fire. Although having one leg amputated from the knee down from a previous mission, he is fitted with a modern prosthetic leg, which keeps his full mobility. Fun Fact: Johnson surprised amputees at NYU Langone Health’s Limb Loss Program at the Rusk Rehabilitation Institute after a screening of the action film!
