Gabrielle Carteris, best known for her role in the iconic television series Beverly Hills, 90210, has opened up about a traumatic injury she suffered while filming in Canada during the early 2000s. In a candid discussion on the February 23, 2023 episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast, she described how a seemingly routine shoot turned into a life-changing event.
Carteris recounted a particular scene in which she was the female lead. An unnamed co-star, described as a very large man standing at approximately 6 feet 6 inches, was brought in for a guest appearance. “He kept lifting me up over and over again,” she explained, mentioning her discomfort when he began to lift her by her neck during rehearsals. Afterward, she started to notice concerning symptoms.
Days later, Carteris experienced a loss of feeling in her face. “I was getting bad headaches, and I wasn’t feeling good,” she stated. While preparing for a scene, she noticed that part of her face was not moving. “Suddenly, I looked like The Joker,” she said, describing the disfiguring nature of her condition, which was eventually diagnosed as a form of palsy.
The injury escalated to the point where her body began to convulse, prompting the presence of a set doctor. Recognizing the seriousness of her condition, Carteris chose to return home to Los Angeles for medical treatment. It was during her flight that she fully grasped the impact of her injuries. “I remember being in the airport really deformed,” she recalled, feeling embarrassed as people stared at her.
Carteris, who served as the president of SAG-AFTRA until 2021, stated that her recovery journey took several years. She credited the team at the UCLA Movement Center for their support in helping her regain her speech and physical health. “It was major,” she reflected on the rehabilitation process.
Despite the challenges she faced, Carteris took significant steps to advocate for herself and others in the industry. “I did a lawsuit that took almost nine years,” she revealed, noting that she ultimately won and it contributed to changes in safety laws in Canada.
Her experience not only shaped her approach to acting but also inspired her leadership within SAG-AFTRA. “From all that, the things that stopped me from continuing with my acting brought me into my leadership and my service,” she explained. “This will be my paying it forward. It was a life-changing journey.”
Carteris’s story highlights the often unseen risks actors face on set and the importance of advocating for safety measures in the industry. Her resilience serves as a reminder of the power of personal experiences to foster change and inspire leadership.
