J.J. Abrams Broke His Back on the 'Star Wars' Set

Director J.J. Abrams has revealed that he broke his back on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens while trying to help an injured Harrison Ford.

The legendary Han Solo actor broke his ankle when it got caught in the hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon. J.J. tried to help lift the door off Harrison, but he broke his back in the process.

“He’s down there and he’s toughing it out. He’s a super human being. He’s literally lying there making jokes,” J.J. said on The Daily Show. “This door had gone down, and I’m trying to help lift it up – because that’s the kind of guy I am. I’m trying to lift up this door and I feel this pop in my back. I’m like ‘Uh, that’s weird.’”

“[The doctor] goes, ‘Oh you have a broken back,’” he continued. “I broke my L4 trying to lift this door.”

J.J. revealed that he had to wear a back brace under his clothes and he hid the injury from everyone on set. “I felt like the most nebbishy Jewish director ever,” he said.