Glen Powell nearly lost hand during ‘The Running Man’ shoot

Actor Glen Powell revealed that he nearly lost his hand due to a severe injury sustained while filming the dystopian thriller ‘The Running Man’ in Bulgaria. During an altercation scene involving a retractable knife, Powell suffered a real injury that severed tissue and led to a septic infection.

Powell initially did not realize the severity of the wound due to his focus on the production schedule. After being rushed to an emergency room, doctors warned him that he could have woken up without a hand following surgery. Despite the injury, Powell returned to the set the following day, leading the production to write a bandaged arm into the script. He also had to film demanding sequences, including scaling a building in -10 degree weather, while managing the injury.

Powell described the experience as leaving him ‘physically and emotionally broken,’ prompting him to reflect on the intensity of his career pace.