The Truth About How Jonah Hill Got That Gnarly Scar On His Arm

If you've ever seen Jonah Hill in a T-shirt, you may have noticed a gnarly scar that circles his forearm and snakes up his bicep. As the actor told Rolling Stone, the scar came from a traumatizing accident that Hill endured as a teenager.

As a middle schooler, Hill's mother was diagnosed with cancer, causing the then-teen to act out. He began skateboarding and smoking marijuana, causing his grades to take a nosedive. When he was 15, Hill and a friend snuck out to take a joyride in an SUV. As his friend jerked the wheel and swerved, the vehicle flipped over and dragged Hill's arm along the pavement. When he woke up in the hospital, he overheard two doctors contemplating whether the arm needed to be amputated. He also saw his parents crying.

After the accident, Hill vowed to get his act together and strive for success. "I said to myself, 'I'll never let them down ever again.'" While the scar might be a mark from a traumatic experience, for Hill, it's a deeply important symbol. "I look at this scar every day," the actor said. "That reminds me to work hard."

Hill's acting career would land him in the hospital one more time but under extremely different circumstances. While filming "The Wolf of Wall Street," a physically ill Jonah Hill was admitted to the hospital for three weeks for ingesting too much fake cocaine. The imitation coke-fueled bronchitis may not have left a scar, but it's a similar testament to Hill's work ethic.