Stopping by 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', the 'Pacific Rim' actor recalls suffering illness after illness in India while shooting the Apple TV adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' 2004 novel.
- Jan 17, 2020
AceShowbiz - Actor Charlie Hunnam battled dengue fever and a series of nasty infections while filming his forthcoming show "Shantaram" on location in India.
The "Pacific Rim" star plays an escaped prisoner in the Apple TV adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' best-selling 2004 novel of the same name, but surviving the months-long shoot proved to be a real challenge for the Brit as he suffered illness after illness.
"I had a series of pretty significant health issues that, as they went on, seemed like a series of assassination attempts," he quipped on America's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".
"I got a lung infection, which turns into a sinus infection, and then I got conjunctivitis in both my eyes, then I got an ear infection, then I got strep throat, then a bacterial gut infection, and then I got bitten by a mosquito and contracted dengue fever," Hunnam recalled.
The never-ending string of ailments left the 39-year-old in disbelief: "It was kind of confounding, because I kind of pride myself on having impeccable personal hygiene," he said. "But I think some of those things are going to sometimes go against you."
"I think my immune system was too delicate, because I'm too clean. You've got to roll around in the mud a little bit."
The nightmare shoot took place shortly after Hunnam faced a separate medical emergency during what was supposed to be a relaxing camping trip, when he accidentally disrupted a nest of wasps and had to run through the woods naked in a bid to escape the swarm.
Hunnam was stung a number of times, and he ended up in his doctor's office two days later.
"I got very sick, and I spoke to my doctor and he said, 'You probably had so much venom in your system that your body starts to create antibodies to fight the venom,' and then if I got stung again, because I have those antibodies in my system, I could have a very bad reaction," he shared. "So I'm supposed to carry an EpiPen (potentially life-saving anaphylaxis shot) but of course I'm an idiot and I don't."
After enduring a rough few months, Hunnam couldn't wait to bid farewell to 2019: "It was a strange year, but we're in a new decade," he said, optimistically.
