‘1923’ Star Brandon Sklenar Reveals Brutal On-Set Injury

Brandon Sklenar is no stranger to intense roles, but his most painful moment on set didn’t come from scripted heartbreak. Instead, it came from a helmet to the head.

The “1923” star recently opened up about a gruesome injury sustained while filming the hit “Yellowstone” prequel.

In a conversation with “The Housemaid” co-star Sydney Sweeney,Brandon Sklenar shared what he called the “dumbest way” he’s ever been hurt on set.

“Splitting my own head open with a helmet shooting a scene in ‘1923’. That was pretty dumb,” Sklenar admitted to Interview Magazine. “I was having to slam it down on this dude’s neck as he’s trying to kill me. And when we actually shot it, I had the helmet far enough in front of me to have some clearance.”

Things took a turn during a close-up shot from the attacker’s perspective. “Then we had to shoot from his point of view, of me slamming it on his neck, and because of the angle I had to hold the helmet really close to me, and we had one shot, so the director told me to just go really ape-sh-t on it,” he recalled.

The result? “So I came up and hit myself right here under my eye and just totally split my head open,” he said. “They had to superglue it.” He added that the accident left him with “a pretty good scar right next to another scar that I already had there.”

“1923” wrapped its second season with a heavy-hitting finale, eliminating seven main characters and closing out a significant chapter in the “Yellowstone” universe.

Sklenar’s revelations come amid renewed public interest in his connection to another project. “It Ends With Us.”

The actor, who played Atlas Corrigan opposite Blake Lively in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, has found himself tangentially pulled into the drama surrounding the film’s production.

When approached at the airport and asked if he had any words of encouragement for his “It Ends With Us” co-stars, Sklenar offered a cryptic but meaningful reply of “lead with love and compassion” before walking away.

The comment comes weeks after the actor fielded awkward questions about the legal battle between Lively and co-star/director Justin Baldoni.

The controversy began in December when Lively filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment and a subsequent smear campaign orchestrated by Baldoni, allegations he has firmly denied.

Sklenar initially voiced clear support for Lively, sharing a link to The New York Times article that broke the story on his Instagram Stories, writing, “For the love of God, read this,” and tagging Lively with a red heart emoji.

However, by March, his stance appeared more measured.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the Vanity Fair Oscars party, he was asked how he had been “supporting” Lively throughout the ordeal.

“It’s a tough situation,” Sklenar said. “I just hope everyone remembers what the movie is about and why we made it in the first place. It’s about love and it’s about supporting women in general and helping people through tough times.”

He continued, “And that movie’s helped so many people, and I just want people to remember like what it’s about and why we made it. And to kind of keep it on that. That kind of core ethos.”

According to Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, the site would be “regularly updated to present a transparent, factual account of events,” allowing the public to “draw their own conclusions.”

Among the documents shared on the now-controversial site is a text message exchange from February 2023. The conversation shows Baldoni sending Lively script revisions during the development of “It Ends With Us,” highlighting a moment of what appears to be creative collaboration between the co-stars.

In response to Baldoni’s input, Lively texted back, “You’re safe here,” a message that seemingly suggested a level of trust between them as they worked through the emotionally charged material of the adaptation.

While Baldoni’s team cites this message and others as evidence countering Lively’s claims, critics have questioned the ethics of making such messages public, particularly in an ongoing legal battle involving sensitive allegations.