James Cameron Performed CPR on Drowned Rat to Protect ‘The Abyss’ Animal Safety Record

James Cameron, known for his intense and often chaotic film sets, has a lesser-known story from the making of his 1989 sci-fi classic ‘The Abyss’ that shows a surprising softer side.

Cameron once saved a rat that drowned during filming. The rodent was used to demonstrate the movie’s oxygenated water technology, and its death would have jeopardized the production’s “No Animals Were Harmed” certification.

Faced with the dilemma, Cameron performed CPR on the rat himself. The effort worked, and the rat revived. Cameron later adopted the little creature, naming it Beady. “Beady and I bonded over the whole thing,” Cameron said.

“I saved his life. We were brothers. He used to sit on my desk while I was writing Terminator 2, and he lived to a ripe old age. He didn’t seem particularly traumatized, though I know the film is outlawed in the U.K. because of ‘animal cruelty.’”

This story highlights the lengths Cameron would go to protect his films, even on one of the most grueling shoots in Hollywood history. The Abyss itself was a tough production. The film, starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn, follows a U.S. search and recovery team working with an oil platform crew to rescue a sunken submarine.

While deep underwater, they encounter unexpected phenomena. The movie was released by 20th Century Fox on August 9, 1989, earned $90 million at the box office, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Cameron’s insistence on realism also extended to the movie’s breathing fluid. The liquid exists in reality and had been tested on animals prior to filming, ensuring safety. Ed Harris did not breathe the liquid himself but held his breath inside a helmet filled with it while being towed underwater. He described the experience as challenging, with fluid rushing up his nose and swelling his eyes.

The story of Beady the rat stands out as a small but telling example of Cameron’s dedication, not just to the technical aspects of his movies but also to animal safety on set. It also shows a rare, tender moment from a director often associated with extreme intensity and high-stakes filmmaking.

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