10 Stunts That Went Wrong In James Bond Films

While the filming for Bond films can have major physical challenges for the actors and stuntsmen acting as 007, supporting actors are by no means immune from this. The first example on this list comes from 1995's Goldeneye, and the actor suffering the injury was the Dark Phoenix herself, Famke Janssen. While portraying the role of femme fatale Xenia Onatopp, Janssen managed to break her rib at the hands of Pierce Brosnan no less.

But as Janssen tells the story, she very much brought the injuries upon herself. During a press junket for Hansel + Gretel Witch Hunters, another film in which she broke a rib on set, Janssen explained that she had instructed Brosnan, her Goldeneye costar, to get quite physical with her in a fight scene in a spa.

Janssen had instructed Brosnan to pick her up and throw her across the room as her character enjoyed pain and she wanted the scene to look realistic. She explained that Brosnan was very hesitant and didn't want to go ahead with her instructions, but was finally convinced by Janssen who believed she couldn't be hurt due to the padded walls. How wrong she was!

After a short recovery break recovering from a the broken rib, Janssen returned to complete filming, an extremely impressive feat considering the physicality her role commanded. While her portrayal of Xenia Onatopp was already considered one of the best villain roles in Bond history, the story of her commitment to the physicality of the role makes her performance all the more impressive.