The stuntwoman who was killed during filming of Deadpool 2 has been identified as Joi “SJ” Harris, who is a professional road racer.
While details are still coming in about Harris’ death, witnesses said that she was filming a motorcycle scene when she lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into a plate-glass window at Shaw Tower. A source close to the situation said that Harris had been rehearsing the stunt all day on Saturday, and a production source said that there were “two full days of rehearsals over the weekend, and on Monday, they ran the stunt five-plus times before filming.”
At the time, Harris was not wearing a helmet, because she was doing the stunt for the character of Domino in the film, who was not wearing a helmet during the scene.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2017
According to Deadline, there was concern that the pace of the film shooting was too much, with some crew members claiming there were multiple 16-hour days in a row, though the studio has vehemently denied that.
In the wake of Harris’ death, Ryan Reynolds, who plays the titular character, said he was “devastated.”
Director David Leitch said in a statement to Deadline: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today. No words can express how I and the rest of the Deadpool 2 crew feel about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and loved ones in this difficult time.”
And a 20th Century Fox spokesman told Deadline: “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of Deadpool 2 this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time.”