Austin Butler felt comfortable riding a motorcycle and does plenty of that in the upcoming The Bikeriders movie. However, a certain incident probably made him a bit more cautious.

The new film stars Butler as a motorcycle gang member in the '60s, so naturally, there's going to be a lot of riding involved. And to stay as on point to the times, there were no helmets. “There's no CGI,” director Jeff Nichols told Variety. “There's no filter. We put up a camera lens, and they got up on the bikes and rode them. But, yeah, I was terrified.”

All good for that realistic effect, but it also proved to be a bit dangerous.

The Bikeriders director discusses the lack of helmets

“I mean you take all the safety precautions that you can and you have stunt coordinator Jeff Milburn, who is a motorcycle guru,” the director continued. “But at some point, it's a 60-year-old machine and you're spinning with speed and you have a famous person with no helmet on.”

Butler thought he could handle a bike rather well and did not wear safety precautions like a helmet—until one day.

“I should have been more scared on a motorcycle probably,” Butler said. “It wasn't until I crashed, that I realized that it was possible. That then gave me a healthy respect.”

Luckily, Austin wasn't hurt at all. He could hop off the bike and landed on his feet, preventing a nasty spill.

Regarding the set not having helmets, they still had precautions in place when filming. That included bringing in a risk management specialist to ensure all went smoothly.

Producer Sarah Green said, “It was the first time we actually had a risk management specialist — a whole new crew member. She just interfaced with stunts, the grips, anyone who was handling safety and the insurance company. It was a big deal. I wasn't sure we'd get insurance because of the no helmets.”

The idea of riding a motorcycle appealed to many stars, and roles in the film were well sought after.

When it came to putting the film together, Nichols told BBC, “The script started to circulate, and maybe it's not shocking a lot of young actors in Hollywood really responded to it and wanted to be in a 1960s motorcycle film.”

Regarding casting Butler, he said, “I had the same reaction that everyone has. As soon as I shook his hand, I was like: ‘This is a movie star, and it's not just the looks. He has a presence.' At this point in my career, I've been around a lot of famous people, but he has the thing. I was immediately engaged by him, and I offered him the part on the spot. It was before Elvis had come out.”

Be sure to catch Austin Butler in The Bikeriders when it roars into cinemas on June 21.