Cary Elwes, 59, shares image of bandaged finger after rattlesnake bite as he thanks fans

June 2024 · 7 minute read

Princess Bride actor Cary Elwes shared an image of his finger on Wednesday.

The appendage was heavily bandaged after he was bitten by a rattlesnake on Saturday in Malibu causing the star to have to rush to the hospital to get anti-venom.

‘I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support,’ the actor wrote on Twitter. ‘Thank you all for your very kind well wishes. I am doing much better and looking forward to being “left handed” again soon!’

Thanks! Princess Bride actor Cary Elwes shared an image of his finger on Wednesday after being bitten by a rattlesnake. He thanked his fans for their 'support'

Thanks! Princess Bride actor Cary Elwes shared an image of his finger on Wednesday after being bitten by a rattlesnake. He thanked his fans for their ‘support’

He added a prayer, heart and double sword emoji. 

The bite was so serious the 59-year-old star needed immediate medical attention which meant he had to be airlifted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, according to a Monday report from TMZ.

The incident happened when he was gardening in or near his back yard in Malibu.

On Monday the actor posted a grisly photo to Twitter where he showed off his very swollen finger that had turned partially black. 

The situation was scary: Elwes seen in good health on April 18 in Los Angeles

The situation was scary: Elwes seen in good health on April 18 in Los Angeles

The top of the finger looked black from bruises and there were black lines around the sides with the number 445 written in ink.

He shared some information on the scary attack.

‘Bit not by a ROUS but a rattlesnake,’ began the star. A ROUS is a rat-like creature from Princess Bride.

‘Grateful to the staff of Malibu Urgent Care, LA County Fire Dept. and the staff and medical professionals at UCLAHealth for their great care. Am recovering well thanks to all these wonderful folks,’ wrote Elwes.

And he added a prayer emoji.

Eeek! On Monday the actor posted a grisly photo to Twitter where he showed off his very swollen finger that had turned partially black

Eeek! On Monday the actor posted a grisly photo to Twitter where he showed off his very swollen finger that had turned partially black

TMZ claimed that his friends who came to the actor’s aid felt that the poison from the bite was ‘life-threatening.’

But sources told the site that Elwes will have a ‘full recovery.’

On his hit film Princess Bride he was hospitalized twice: He was knocked out by a fight scene and he also broke his toe.

Ouch: According to UCI Health, the only thing that can be done after being bitten by a rattlesnake is to get antivenom at the hospital

Ouch: According to UCI Health, the only thing that can be done after being bitten by a rattlesnake is to get antivenom at the hospital

The actor will have to report for work soon. 

He is starring in Rebel Moon for director Zack Snyder of Justice League and Man Of Steel fame.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A SNAKE BITE? 

According to UCI Health, there is not much anyone can do once a person has been bitten by a rattlesnake.

The bite causes pain and swelling, and sometimes muscle twitching.

‘There is no intervention at the scene of a venomous snakebite that is recommended,’ Dr Jeffrey Suchard, UCI Health emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, shared.

‘Your goal is to get to a hospital as soon as possible to be assessed for possible antivenom treatment.’

It takes four to six hours before the venom from the snake bite evolves into a serious situation.

He added that it is not smart to suck out the venom, which is seen done in movies. It has been proven to be ineffective, he added.

And he said to never cut into the skin to bleed out the venom because this does not work and it does harm to the body.

Also, icing the bite does not help either, he claimed. 

Elwes was last seen in good health on April 18 at the Los Angeles premiere of the new Nicolas Cage movie The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent. The movie also stars Pedro Pascal and Tiffany Haddish.

According to UCI Health, there is not much anyone can do once been bitten by a rattlesnake.

The bite can cause pain and swelling as well as muscle twitching.

‘There is no intervention at the scene of a venomous snakebite that is recommended,’ Dr Jeffrey Suchard, UCI Health emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, shared.

‘Your goal is to get to a hospital as soon as possible to be assessed for possible antivenom treatment.’

It takes four to six hours before the venom from the snake bite evolves into a serious situation.

He added that it is not smart to suck out the venom, which is often done in movies. It has been proven to be ineffective, he added.

And he said to never cut into the skin to bleed out the venom because this does not work and it does harm to the body.

Also, icing the bite does not help either.

Though Cary has had a long and varied acting career, he has always been most closely associated with his 1987 movie The Princess Bride which also starred Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, André the Giant, Peter Falk, Fred Savage and Billy Crystal.

There has been talk of a remake.

In 2019 it was suggested that the film be redone with a new recast. Variety in an article about producer Norman Lear, 97, quoted Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra regarding interest in remaking Lear’s work.

‘We have so many people coming to us saying, ”We want to remake this show or that show”,’ Vinciquerra said.

He knows pain: On his hit film Princess Bride he was hospitalized twice: Once when he was knocked out by a fight scene, and also when he broke his toe. Seen with Robin Wright

He knows pain: On his hit film Princess Bride he was hospitalized twice: Once when he was knocked out by a fight scene, and also when he broke his toe. Seen with Robin Wright

‘Very famous people whose names I won’t use, but they want to redo The Princess Bride. Some people want to do animated versions of some of the sitcoms. Not a month goes by when we don’t have an idea coming from some very big name wanting to do things with Norman,’ he added.

Lear via his Act III production company was a financier of The Princess Bride directed by Rob Reiner, who he knew from his role as Michael Stivic on All In The Family.

Act III continues to own the two Reiner-directed films that it produced, The Princess Bride and Stand By Me.

The thought of a reboot was rejected soundly on Twitter.

One tweet quoted Inigo Montoya [Patinkin] from the movie saying, ‘Prepare to die’ after hearing ‘that Sony wants to remake The Princess Bride’.

Get ready:  A tweet quoted Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin] from the movie saying, 'Prepare to die' after hearing 'that Sony wants to remake The Princess Bride'

Get ready:  A tweet quoted Inigo Montoya [Mandy Patinkin] from the movie saying, ‘Prepare to die’ after hearing ‘that Sony wants to remake The Princess Bride’

Another quoted Westley [Elwes] issuing a threat, reading, ‘@sony If you remake The Princess Bride “… every shriek of every child shall be yours to cherish…, every woman that cries Dear God, what is that thing? will reverberate forever with your perfect ears.”

Vizzini was quoted in another retweet of the Variety article that read, ‘You’ve fallen for one of the two classic blunders! The first being never get involved in a land war in Asia but only slightly lesser known: never go in on a Princess Bride reboot!’.

Others pointed out that Reiner and The Princess Bride book author and screenplay writer William Goldman who died at age 87 deserved credit for the movie.

Actor and comedian Seth Rogen responded to a tweet suggesting he was among ‘the very famous’ unnamed people who wanted to remake the film.

‘I would never dare,’ Rogen responded.

The Princess Bride was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2016 after being deemed as ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.’

In June 2020 the Princess Bride was brought back to life by Sophie Turner as Westley and Joe Jonas as Princess Buttercup.

The redo was filmed at their own homes amid quarantine using their phones. 

Other cast members included Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Diego Luna, Elijah Wood, Jon Hamm, Common, Chris Pine, Tiffany Haddish, Beanie Feldstein, Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, Jack Black, Diego Luna, Taika Waititi and Zazie Beetz.

‘The actors will trade off roles throughout scenes, each paying homage to The Princess Bride in their own unique way,’ Variety reported at the time.

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