More than 30 years ago the actor Roy Kinnear died after being thrown from a horse while filming The Return of the Musketeers in Spain. He had dreaded shooting that particular scene because it involved having to “thunder” at speed across a cobbled bridge, despite the danger and his lack of horsemanship.
His tragic death seemed to shock the industry into realising the need for health and safety changes, but his son Rory Kinnear, who followed his father into acting, has told the Observer that lives are still being put at risk, with corners cut due to the pressures of time and budgets – “all for the sake of a thrilling shot”.
