Actor Jennifer Garner has recalled an intense fight scene from an earlier project in which she bit off a “chunk” of a fellow actor’s ear while filming. Speaking during a panel for The Last Thing He Told Me, Jennifer said she reunited on set with actor and stuntman Sala Baker nearly two decades after the incident, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“The last time I fought him was in The Kingdom,” Jennifer said, referring to the 2007 action thriller directed by Peter Berg. She explained that the director encouraged realism during the scene and gave minimal choreography, telling both actors to do whatever was necessary to survive, as quoted by E! News.
“He did, and I did, and I ended up scrambling onto his back,” she went on. “I bit his ear, and we have a picture of him missing a chunk of ear, because we were not kidding,” she said.
The two later reunited for a kidnapping scene in season two of the Apple TV series The Last Thing He Told Me. Jennifer said neither she nor Sala held back during filming, prompting concern from the crew early in the shoot, according to E! News.
“We went for it in a way that the crew, this was maybe our first or second day of shooting–were like, ‘Can you be careful with her?'” the 13 Going on 30 star recalled. “I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, he’s not going to be careful. I’m not going to be careful. Just back out of the way. I have a score to settle here.'”
During the panel, her co-star Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays her on-screen husband in the series, reacted with surprise when she repeated the story. Jennifer jokingly compared the incident to Mike Tyson’s infamous 1997 boxing match moment.
Despite the story, Jennifer defended her actions with humour, warning that she should not be underestimated.
Jennifer also spoke about why portraying Hannah Hall, a woman determined to protect her stepdaughter, has been particularly rewarding. She said the character’s preparedness and determination drive much of the show’s emotional core.
Season two of The Last Thing He Told Me is set to premiere on February 20, according to E! News.
