Dylan O'Brien Felt His Concerns Weren't 'Listened to' Day of 'Life-Changing' Near-Death Accident onMaze RunnerSet

Mar. 15, 2025

Dylan O’Brien on September 8, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.Photo:Tracey Biel/Variety via Getty

Tracey Biel/Variety via Getty

Dylan O’Brienis reflecting on his near-death accident on the set ofMaze Runner: The Death Curein 2016.

TheSaturday Nightstar, 33, opened up in a new interview withMen’s Healthabout the “life-changing incident,” explaining that his concerns weren’t taken seriously on set that day. Now, 15 years into his career, he’s learned to become his biggest advocate.

“It’s taught me that, at the end of the day, in these spaces, you have your own back, and that’s the most you can rely on,” he told the magazine.“I know the person I am, and the character I bring to set, and the way I treat people and the way that I treat a workspace, and I know I’m not difficult. I know I’m not an asshole."

Men’s Health interview with Dylan O’Brien.Brad Ogbonna for Men’s Health

Brad Ogbonna for Men’s Health

“I know I was trying to protect myself that day, and so I’ve just never forgotten that," he continued. “That’s always rung true as being the thing to hold with me.”

While making the finalMaze Runnermovie, O’Brien performed a stunt that reportedly threw him from one vehicle and struck another while filming the action film in Vancouver. The accident left him with a concussion and a facial fracture, among other injuries, and production was halted in late April 2016. Filming resumed the following year andThe Death Curehit theaters in January 2018.

O’Brien explained that since he’s “approached everything differently,” adding “particularly with regards to standing [his] ground on set.”

Dylan O’Brien in Maze Runner.Twentieth Century Fox

“I learned after the accident to not conflate taking care of yourself and looking after yourself,” theTeen Wolfalum said.

“Don’t let them manipulate you into thinking that is being difficult, because I can look at that day and know I was a 24-year-old kid who was raising concerns about how we were approaching things, and they were not listened to, they were not respected,” he toldMen’s Health, adding, “Then what happened happened."

Although O’Brien was able “to build this armor” for himself, “it’s a shame that it had to be that for [him]," he said. He explained that there’s “nothing wrong” with telling people, “ ‘No, man, I’m going to look after myself, I’m going to take care of myself.’ ”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“There’s nothing wrong with asking questions. There’s nothing wrong with bringing ideas, even if we’re talking creatively. It’s our job to bring ideas. There’s nothing wrong with raising concerns,” he admitted.

He also remarked that the nature of his job is a “collaborative” and “creative” process, but also actors will deal “with big dangerous s— sometimes, too.”

Saturday Night, which features O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, hits theaters on Sept. 27,

source: people.com