Miles Teller facial scars: The story behind how the Top Gun: Maverick star got his injuries, explained 

Miles Teller has become a celebrated figure after appearing in his latest project Top Gun: Maverick. The actor amassed a large following after playing the role of Bradley Bradshaw. Since then, many have become interested in the actor’s personal life and especially in how he obtained the scars on his face.

The 35-year-old actor began his journey in Hollywood after starring in teen comedies like Project X and 21 & Over. However, he was noticed by critics after taking centre stage in Whiplash directed by Damien Chazzelle.

Since then, he has also appeared in movies including Rabbit Hole, where he starred opposite Nicole Kidman and has also starred in the 2011 remake of Footloose. The actor gained massive traction after the 2013 coming-of-age drama The Spectacular Now which went on to receive a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Most recently, Miles Teller acted alongside Chris Hemsworth in the Netflix movie Spiderhead.

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How did Miles Teller get his facial scars?

During a Popcorn With Peter Travers episode on ABC News, Miles Teller told Peter Travers that he got his facial scars after getting into a car accident. He was 20-years-old at the time and was attending college.

The actor revealed that his friend lost control while driving the vehicle at 80 mph. This led to the car rolling over eight times in total. Teller claimed that he flew 50 feet away during the incident. The actor further added that his friend thought he was dead.

Teller was reportedly driving home from a music festival along with his friend when the car flew three lanes of traffic, leaving Teller flying out of the window.

Miles Teller was also given the staggering statistic of him surviving such a car accident, which was 99.9%. As a result of his injuries, he had 20 staples put into his shoulder. He also underwent multiple facial surgeries. The doctor also decided not to remove some pieces of gravel that were embedded in his face as they were concerned that the procedure would cause more scarring.

Following the accident and several “painful” surgeries, the actor attempted to land roles by going to several auditions. However, he was rejected several times due to his facial scars.

In an interview, he revealed:

“When I first started auditioning, people were straight up just like, 'Yeah, Miles is a good actor, but it doesn't make sense for this character to have scars.”

The Top Gun: Maverick star landed his breakthrough role in Rabbit Hole after dealing with multiple audition rejections. He revealed that director John Cameron Mitchell viewed his scars as a strength that added a dimension to the character in the film. Teller claimed that Mitchell said:

“I love the scars. It tells a secret.”

The budding actor went on to become a well-known figure in Hollywood. However, his relationship with a college friend who was also affected in the crash took a toll. Sources claim that Miles Teller’s relationship took a hit after he sued his friend’s insurance company months following the accident.

In an interview, Miles Teller explained:

“I was racking up all these medical bills, so we had to sue his insurance because he was driving. It’s not like we’re suing HIM. We’re suing his insurance. He comes to me, he’s like, ‘Miles, I don’t know if we can be friend when my parents’ insurance premiums are going to go up.’ I just sat with that for, like, 24 hours, and after that I was like, ‘Man, [expletive] you. I’ve never made you feel bad for this. For you to make me feel guilty and make me feel like you’re the victim here, that’s really [expletive] up.”

The actor shared that his friends went on to live with his friend, who Miles Teller parted ways with, which led to him losing touch with all his college peers.