JJ Abrams Broke His Back to Save Han Solo

On Thursday’s The Daily Show, director JJ Abrams told Jon Stewart about an on-set accident that occurred while filming the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awaknes. A hydraulic door fell on Harrison Ford and when Abrams tried to lift it off, he ended up hurting (himself) more than helping.

Abrams explained to Stewart, "We were filming a scene and there was an accident on set. There was a hydraulic door that went down - he was pushed down, and his ankle goes 90 degrees...So, I'm trying to lift up this door and I feel this kind of, like, pop in my back, I'm like, 'Ugh, that's weird.' So I go to the doctor a couple days later and he goes, 'Oh, you have a broken back'. I broke my L4 trying to lift this door."

This is the same incident in which the legendary actor broke his leg back in June of last year, one that kept Ford from filming for about a month. Still, while Hans Solo made headlines for his injury, Abrams' flew under the radar. Said the director, "A few months later I'm still wearing this silly back brace under my shirt, no one knows, I didn't tell anyone, right? So I have this back brace on. Harrison Ford from across the stage sprints at me faster than I will ever run and he's like, 'Hey JJ,' I'm like, 'Hi Harrison Ford' -- oh, it hurts to talk that way, so I felt like the most nebbishly Jewish director ever."