Arguably one of the most iconic movies of the 20th century, The Princess Bride has made famous the phrase “You killed my father, prepare to die!” and the concept of ROUS (rodents of unusual size.) Plus Andre the Giant starred in it, so you’ve gotta love that!
Just recently, Cary Elwes (who played Westley, true love to Princess Buttercup) began promoting his new book, titled As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, which comes out in October. In it, he revealed a surprising new secret about his time on the film’s set: he had a broken toe while making the movie!
Apparently, six weeks into filming, Elwes was driving Andre the Giant’s ATV when his foot got wedged between the pedal and a bunch of rocks. His toe was fractured and he described the resulting pain as excruciating. Boldly making the decision that, “the show must go on,” he kept working, making the whole movie with a badly swollen foot. (Check out this YouTube video where, 46 seconds in, Elwes sits down to take some pressure off his sore foot.) He writes that he even had to train for all his sword fighting scenes without moving his feet (but admits that it made him even better at the complicated arm movements.)
Why am I telling you all this? Aside from the fact that it gives me an opportunity to discuss an amazing movie, it also allows me to highlight a life lesson to anyone dealing with a foot, ankle or toe fracture: just because you’re hurt doesn’t mean your life is over. If you work with an experienced podiatrist like myself, you will be surprised by the accommodations we can come up with that will allow you to continue your daily activities almost as easily as before you became injured.
