Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Actor Nearly Killed by Prop Gun

Unexpectedly loaded revolver shakes up Of Mice and Men rehearsal

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 21, 2009 2:34 PM CST

(Newser) – A Florida theater company’s production of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men got a little too real Monday when a prop gun almost killed an actor in rehearsal, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. A revolver used in the play’s final scene—in which the character Lennie is shot—turned out to be loaded, sending a bullet ricocheting off Fred Kellerman’s skull and through one of his ears.

“The doctor said this is a million-in-one chance of something like this happening,” Kellerman, 81, said of the lucky shot, made possible when one of the cast members brought the gun from home without checking to see if it was loaded.

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

Actors at Canada's Stratford Festival presumably didn't use a live gun during this production of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." (Stratford Festival of Canada)

Actor Fred Kellerman was shot when a prop revolver used in a rehearsal turned out to be loaded. (Shutterstock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

A (homemade) trailer for "Of Mice and Men." (Exeron91)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Florida Passes 'Take Your Gun to Work' Law

Biz groups fear increase in office shootings

(NEWSER) - Florida lawmakers have passed a law that prohibits most businesses from banning employees keeping guns in their cars on company property, Reuters reports. Backers hail the measure as a victory for Second Amendment rights. Business groups, fearing an increase in workplace shootings, are urging the governor to veto the so-called "take your gun to work" bill. More»

3 Dead in Florida Hostage Standoff

Man appears to have killed 9-year-old son

(NEWSER) - Police are still sorting out what happened at a Florida RV park last night, after a standoff that left three people dead and two others badly hurt. Police got a call about a shooting at the park just before 6:30pm, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . When they arrived, they found a man lying outside an RV. But before they could get close, a man inside the RV said he had a woman hostage, and would kill her if they approached. More»

Grandma Shoots Son-in-Law in Custody Battle, Police Say

Victim takes video of assault on iPhone

(NEWSER) - A Florida woman allegedly shot her son-in-law twice at point-blank range last week, enraged over his ongoing divorce with her daughter. Mother-in-law Cheryl Hepner claims he pulled the weapon, but whoops: He recorded the shooting on his iPhone, ABC News reports. "I can't believe you did that!" screams son-in-law Salvatore Miglino on the video. "I can't believe you f***ing shot me!" More»

Hollywood Gunman Opens Fire on Motorists

He wounds one driver before being fatally shot by police

(NEWSER) - A gunman indiscriminately opened fire at passing motorists in Hollywood today, hitting one person in the head who is now critically wounded, reports the Los Angeles Times . The gunman was then shot dead by two police officers who were on a nearby movie set and alerted by bystanders. The shooting took place on Vine Street, just south of the ArcLight movie theater. More»

TV Station Edits Clip to Make 4-Year-Old Sound Thuggish

Chicago pre-schooler's quote aired out of context

(NEWSER) - A Chicago TV station has apologized for quoting a 4-year-old boy out of context—in a way that just happened to make him sound like a wannabe gangster. A journalist reporting on a drive-by shooting that killed two teens in the boy's neighborhood asked him: "When you get older are you going to stay away from all these guns?" The boy responded "No," and said when he gets older, "I'm going to have me a gun!" The station ended the clip there, making no mention of the fact that the boy added, "I'm going to be the police!" More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Actor Nearly Killed by Prop Gun