Dylan O’Brien Said He Raised The Alarm About Safety Issues On Movie Set Before Suffering Life-Threatening Injury

Dylan O’Brien said he attempted to address safety issues before he suffered a life-threatening injury when a stunt went wrong during the filming of “Maze Runner: The Death Cure.”

The famous actor spoke with Men’s Health during an interview published Oct. 7, and candidly expressed the concerns he had raised. He said the 2016 incident was “life-changing” for him, and claimed it could have been entirely avoided if someone had taken his concerns seriously. He now has a very different perspective about handling such situations.

“I’ve approached everything differently, you could say, particularly with regards to standing my ground on set,” he said.

“It’s very commonplace in the culture for young actors to be controlled, and the way they strive to do that is by always being like, Oh, don’t become difficult. Don’t be a pain in the ass. Or Are you complaining, are you being difficult? Things like that,” he told Men’s Health.

The famous actor acknowledged that he has become focused on ensuring his concerns are heard, and taken seriously.

“I learned after the accident to not conflate taking care of yourself and looking after yourself,” he said.

“Don’t let them manipulate you into thinking that is being difficult, because I can look at that day and know I was a 24-year-old kid who was raising concerns about how we were approaching things, and they were not listened to, they were not respected,” he claimed.

He recalled the incident that caused him horrific injury.

TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 07: Dylan O’Brien attends the Road to the Golden Globes Party during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto on September 07, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

“And then what happened happened. And by all accounts, it was all pretty gotten away with, I would say, as well,” O’Brien told Men’s Health.

Now more jaded in his approach to safety on set, O’Brien has taken on the responsibility of ensuring his own safety.

“It’s taught me that, at the end of the day, in these spaces, you have your own back, and that’s the most you can rely on,” he said.

The star pushed back against common phrases he suggested are used to diminish concerns that are voiced by actors on movie sets.

“I just turned 33. I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I know the person I am, and the character I bring to set, and the way I treat people and the way that I treat a workspace, and I know I’m not difficult. I know I’m not an asshole,” he told the outlet. (RELATED: Jake Gyllenhaal Reveals Gruesome Injury He Suffered On Set Of Cult Classic Action Remake)

“I know I was trying to protect myself that day, and so I’ve just never forgotten that. That’s always rung true as being the thing to hold with me,” he continued.

The actor suffered a concussion, a fracture in the face and additional injuries after he was reportedly launched from a vehicle and struck by a second during a stunt at a “Maze Runner” set located in Vancouver, the New York Post reported.