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Beverly Hills, 90210 Star Speaks Out About Debilitating On-Set Injury
Gabrielle Carteris suffered facial paralysis and pain after an incident during filming in the early 2000s.
Feb. 23, 2026 at 10:10pm
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Actress Gabrielle Carteris, best known for her role as Andrea Zuckerman on Beverly Hills, 90210, has opened up about a "life-changing" injury she suffered while filming a movie in Canada in the early 2000s. Carteris said she was repeatedly lifted and dragged down stairs by a "hyped up" guest actor, which led to her losing feeling in her face and developing severe headaches and pain. The actress said her face became so disfigured that she "looked like the Joker" and had trouble speaking. Carteris eventually sued over the incident, which she said helped change some laws in Canada and influenced her advocacy work as SAG-AFTRA president from 2016 to 2021.
Why it matters
Carteris' story highlights the risks and challenges actors can face on set, and how on-the-job injuries can have long-lasting impacts. Her lawsuit and advocacy work also shed light on the need for improved safety protocols and worker protections in the entertainment industry.
The details
According to Carteris, she was the female lead in a movie being filmed in Canada in the early 2000s. During a scene where her character was being lifted and dragged down stairs by a 6'6" guest actor, Carteris said the actor kept lifting her by the neck, despite her requests for him to stop. A couple days later, Carteris started losing feeling in her face and developed severe headaches and pain. She said her face became so disfigured that she "looked like the Joker" and had trouble speaking. Carteris flew home to be with her family and eventually sought treatment at UCLA's Movement Disorder Clinic. She said the experience led her to file a lawsuit that took nearly 9 years to resolve, but helped change some laws in Canada.
- In the early 2000s, Carteris was filming a movie in Canada when the incident occurred.
- A couple days after the incident, Carteris started experiencing facial paralysis and pain.
The players
Gabrielle Carteris
An actress best known for her role as Andrea Zuckerman on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210.
Charles Isaacs
Carteris' husband.
What they’re saying
“I looked like the Joker. It was so disfiguring and it was a form of palsy.”
— Gabrielle Carteris, Actress (Still Here Hollywood Podcast w/ Steve Kmetko)
“I was so like really deformed and I couldn't talk.”
— Gabrielle Carteris, Actress (Still Here Hollywood Podcast w/ Steve Kmetko)
“I think what it did is informed really my belief in labor and unions.”
— Gabrielle Carteris, Actress (Still Here Hollywood Podcast w/ Steve Kmetko)
What’s next
Carteris' lawsuit over the incident took nearly 9 years to resolve, but helped change some laws in Canada regarding on-set safety protocols.
The takeaway
Carteris' story highlights the risks and challenges actors can face on set, and the need for improved safety measures and worker protections in the entertainment industry. Her advocacy work as SAG-AFTRA president was influenced by her own debilitating on-set injury experience.
