Although it’s not uncommon for performers to glean inspiration from traumatic events, not many stars can say that a near-death experience helped them realize a burning passion for the comedic arts. Starring in huge hits likePitch Perfect,Workaholics,The Righteous Gemstones, and more, actor and comedianAdam Devinehas a shockingly unfunny origin story for getting into comedy. While he has since healed from his injuries and made a remarkable recovery, at just eleven years old, Devine was involved in a life-threatening accident that could have cost him his life or his legs but instead sparked an enduring career as a successful comedic actor. All of this of course begs the question: What happened to Adam Devine?
‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Star Adam Devine Was Hit by a Cement Truck as a Child
According to aninterview withEntertainment Weekly, when Adam Devine was eleven years old, he was living in Omaha, Nebraska, in a suburban area undergoing lots of construction. One day he was hanging out with his buddies, heading to a convenience store to grab some candy and perhaps get a sneak peek at some adult magazines. However, when his friend waved him across a busy street on a hill, Devine took this as a signal that the coast was clear, rather than a signal that said friend just urgently wanted to get his hands on a copy ofPenthousemagazine. Devine walked his bike out onto the road and was struck by a cement truck barreling down the hill, and was sucked under the wheel before being spit out and sliding 500 feet down the road. According to Devine, his bike took the initial hit, and he credits this for surviving the accident.
While he survived, the damage to Devine’s body was extensive. He discussed on the podcastArmchair ExpertwithDax Shepardthat he “broke everything from [the] waist down” except for his right femur, and everything from his knees down was crushed. Adding to the laundry list of horrific injuries, he also lost a lot of skin, had a collapsed lung, and was in a medically induced coma for two weeks. Amputation was on the table but was thankfully unnecessary, although he remained in hospital for nearly two months. Devine has been open about the emotional trauma caused by the incident as well as the obvious physical trauma, discussing the fear of being a kid in a hospital bed hopped up on painkillers and surrounded by crying adults, not sure what the rest of his life was going to look like.He had to learn how to walk, stand, and sit again, but the future Hollywood star miraculously regained full mobility after undergoing 26 surgeries over the coming years. All of this sounds like the perfect inspiration for a kid to get into comedy, right?
Before Acting, ‘Pitch Perfect’s Adam Devine Wanted to Be a Baseball Player
Well, apparently, when he was a little kid, Adam Devine had grand aspirations of a baseball career and was more of an athlete than a thespian. However, following his accident, his dreams of a pro-baseball career were shattered, and he had to figure out a new sense of identity. When his injuries required him to use a wheelchair for a while, he quickly learned —and was taught by his father— that from then on, his words would be his greatest defense against any bullies that might come his way.TheWorkaholicsstarstarted writing down some verbal comebacks and witty retorts, and quickly discovered that he had a knack for comedy. His local video store also took pity on him during his recovery and offered him unlimited free movie rentals, which allowed him to watch as many comedies as he desired and find heroes in comedy legends likeAdam SandlerandChris Farley. He began writing more jokes and sketches, and his fixation with all things funny eventually led to Devine calling into a radio station to do characters and impressions. The station was taken with the young talent and offered him a gig, but when they learned that he was just a kid and not an employable adult, they instead opted to compensate him for his work with concert tickets and free CDs.
Flash forward nearly 30 years, and Adam Devine has brought some iconic comedic characters to life both on the small and big screen. From playing themost likable sibling Kelvin onThe Righteous Gemstones, to earnest Accafella Bumper in the Pitch Perfect trilogy and itssuccessful spin-off seriesBumper in Berlin, Devine has been consistently proving that although it came to him in an unexpected way, he was always destined for show biz. While it’s unfortunate that his claim to fame had to stem from such a terrifying ordeal, Devine has since said that the experience helped him realize that anything is possible, and fans of his work can appreciate that he took the horrific hand he was dealt and turned it into such a joyful and impressive career.
