David Holmes is the Harry Potter you’ve never heard of. That’s because he was Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double.

At just 25 years old, David Holmes was living the dream. He was working on the biggest film franchise in the world, out partying, and fully immersed in a life of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

A former gymnast turned stuntman, he was in all the Harry Potter films—growing up alongside the cast, almost like a big brother to a group of pre-teens who would go on to become global stars. But while rehearsing a stunt for the final Harry Potter film—a move he’d done many times before—something went terribly wrong. David was flung into a wall and broke his neck. He now refers to his injury as “the gift that keeps on taking.”

Over 15 years later, David has the use of only one arm. But as you’ll hear in this conversation, he doesn’t see himself as a victim. Life, he says, guarantees nothing. It’s what you do with what you’ve got that counts.

And David is doing a lot. From writing a novel to producing a documentary with his friend Daniel Radcliffe, hosting a podcast, advocating for disability rights—and yes, having the best sex of his life.

You can follow David and find his book, The Boy Who Lived, here: https://www.instagram.com/davidholmes83/?hl=en

If this conversation brought up any hard feelings for you - please seek help. You can reach Lifeline on 13 11 14

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CREDITS:

Guests: David Holmes

Host: Kate Langbroek

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Senior Producer: Grace Rouvray

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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