Search

Is it true that someone was ...

Question: Is it true that someone was struck by lightning during the filming of The Passion of the Christ?


Answer: Yes. Actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004), was struck by lightning while shooting in October 2003. Assistant director Jan Michelini was struck a few minutes later. Neither man was permanently injured, but from Caviezel's description (this quote was taken from an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, but he discussed the lightning strike in many interviews), it was a pretty frightening experience. "I was doing the Sermon on the Mount….[a]nd when it happened, I saw the extras grab the ground. What they saw was fire coming out the right and left side of my head… I hear[d] Mel screaming out, 'What the heck happened to his hair?' I looked like I went to see Don King's hairstylist." Contrary to what you might think from movies, many people survive lightning strikes every year, but can suffer aftereffects for years, including memory lapses or loss, difficulty concentrating and sleep disturbances.

Related Links

Advertisement
Penelope

Saturday Night Live

Penelope

Season 35, Episode 5: Man and Wife and National Penelope Day.
The View

Saturday Night Live

The View

Season 35, Episode 5: Kate Gosslin guests at the table.
Digital Short: Firelight

Saturday Night Live

Digital Short: Firelight

Season 35, Episode 5: Two worlds collide in this Twilight parody.
DWTS celebs and dancers give their predi...

Dancing With The Stars

DWTS celebs and dancers give their predi...

Young Hollywood asks the celebrities and dancers of Dancing With The Stars to gi...
REAL HOUSEWIVES' Gretchen dishes on Tama...

Real Housewives of Orange County

REAL HOUSEWIVES' Gretchen dishes on Tama...

Real Houswives of Orange County's Gretchen talks about how she handled her 'boyf...
091110photogallery

Hollywood's Best Man Boobs

Now that Jeremy Piven's got us thinking about man boobs, see the members of the moob hall of fame

Shop

Buy Jesus and Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ: The Film, the Gospels and the Claims of History from Amazon.com

From Continuum (Paperback)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarhalfstarstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $25.58 (as of 11/10/09 2:08 PM EST - more info)

Buy Re-Viewing The Passion: Mel Gibson's Film and Its Critics from Amazon.com

From Palgrave Macmillan (Paperback)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $11.66 (as of 11/10/09 2:08 PM EST - more info)

Buy The War on Mel Gibson: The Media vs. The Passion from Amazon.com

From American Vision (Hardcover)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $24.95 (as of 11/10/09 2:08 PM EST - more info)