LL Cool J Relives Almost Being Drowned By Animatronic Shark On Movie Set

Recalling a traumatic moment on the set of The Deep Blue Sea , LL Cool J details the moment he was almost drowned by an animatronic shark. Released in 1999 , The Deep Blue Sea follows a group of scientists who discover their facility is besieged by a group of genetically engineered sharks trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Directed by Renny Harlin, Samuel L. and starring Jackson, Thomas Jane and Saffron Burrows, the film received mixed reviews but did enough at the box office to warrant multiple sequels.

In a recent appearance on Hot Ones from YouTube channel First We Feast, LL recalled a horrific encounter he had on the set of Deep Blue Sea , when an unfortunate dinner nearly cost him his life.

The actor and rapper explained that after the technician controlling the animatronic shark was called out to dinner, he was left to wrestle in the water. Check out LL's recollection of the events below when asked about the truth of his story of nearly drowning:

“That's right, a thousand percent. I was on set, probably had 479 on the call list. I searched and [someone called] "Dinner." The guy with the little joystick [said], “Pastrami!” and I just got caught. Here I am [pantomime joke]. It looks like something real. And they give me this little respirator and you blow and inhale. Finally, I'm struggling to get out, and when I get out, there's a man sitting there with a cigarette and he's like, "[Laughs] I saw what happened."

Related: Deep Blue Seas 3 honors the unexpected death of Samuel L. Jackson from the original

Sharks have been a Hollywood attraction for decades. While Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic Jaws still holds the title of not only being the greatest shark movie of all time, but one of the greatest movies ever made, there have been plenty of other shark movies that have failed. . animals with varying degrees of efficiency. Deep Blue Sea leans boldly on its slightly goofy premise and B-movie sensibility, but the result is still a pleasant enough viewing experience.

One of the biggest things holding back The Deep Blue Sea is the film's CGI. At a time when visual effects couldn't do what they can today, many of the film's shark scenes (including the shocking death of Jackson's character) didn't hold up. But recently , Megalodon , starring Jason Statham, took shark attack movies to new heights by featuring a huge man-eating shark with some breathtaking effects. The film was successful enough to receive a sequel due this summer.

The Shallows , starring Blake Lively, recently provided another fresh take on the shark film genre, telling a richer but equally compelling tale of a surfer's struggle to survive against a great white shark. Then, of course, there are the dumber shark movies, like Sharknado , which are ridiculously dumb and more comical than anything else. It may not be the best shark movie ever made, but The Deep Blue Sea has moments of genuine tension and horror that were definitely on set for at least one actor.

And on top of everything. Like Shark Death in the Deep Blue mirrors the Jaws franchise

Source: Let's Celebrate First