How Ike Barinholtz Survived The Fatal Neck Injury During The Blockers Shooting

Actor Ike Barinholtz had a terrifying brush with fate while shooting a fall stunt on the set of the film, ‘Blockers.’ The accident, which occurred in 2017, resulted in a severe neck injury, leaving ‘The Mindy Project’ star with two fractured cervical vertebrae.

Recalling the frightening moments after the fall, the actor shared with People five weeks after the incident:

“We knew something was wrong right away. It was scary and was touch and go for a while. Luckily, I’ve had great doctors who have really helped me with my recovery. I do as they tell me.”

The road to recovery involved stabilizing his neck to allow the fractured 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae to heal properly. As per doctor’s orders, Ike was required to wear a neck brace during this period. With his usual humor, Barinholtz remarked:

“I have to wear an incredibly stylish neck brace for a while as the bone heals. It’s a cool look, especially in the summer.”

Still, the timing of Ike’s accident seemed to have worked out in an unexpected way. The neck brace he needed to wear was cleverly incorporated into his character’s storyline on the next season of ‘The Mindy Project.’ Playing the role of ex-con and nurse Morgan Tookers, the brace blended with the essence of his eccentric and oddball character. He explained:

“After the accident, I talked to Mindy [Kaling], and we agreed that the only option was writing it into the show. Luckily, on ‘The Mindy Project,’ I play a character who could break his neck falling out of his bunk bed, and it’s completely believable.”

Recently, Barinholtz starred in the satirical political mockumentary, ‘Maximum Truth,’ which hit the theaters on June 23. Being one of the film’s co-writers, the actor plays an attorney and consultant named Rick Klingman. He also appeared for three episodes in the HBO mini-series, ‘White House Plumbers.’