Those little details that make already awesome movie performances that bit more amazing.
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00:00 From being thrown into the middle of an utterly insane stunt-heavy set piece at the last minute,
00:05 to having to pull off an entire movie shoot in just 48 hours. Each of the following performances
00:10 were already worthy of your admiration, but the ridiculous truth behind what actually went into
00:15 making them a reality only makes you appreciate them that little bit more. Gareth here from
00:20 WhatCulture.com and here are 10 recent movie performances even more impressive when you know
00:25 the truth. 10. A last-minute helicopter scene keeps the cast on their toes - Ambulance
00:30 When signing up to appear in a flick helmed by the action-obsessed mind behind the likes of the
00:35 Transformers franchise and Armageddon, it's safe to assume that you'll wind up being thrust into
00:39 the middle of a pulsating, real-life stunt-heavy sequence before your time on set is over. But in
00:44 the case of Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, when working on Michael Bay's most recent
00:49 project by the name of Ambulance, the duo were very much under the impression they were done
00:53 for the day, before arguably one of the thriller's most intense action scenes was suddenly dropped
00:58 in their laps. With both stars on their way home in the titular vehicle to get their own clothes on,
01:02 the barmy director radioed for the two sharps to spin around and head to the LA river. Upon
01:07 showing up to the locale, Bay would reveal to his actors, "I have an idea. I have two helicopters."
01:12 And before long, Gyllenhaal was hanging out the side of said ambulance, as Bay improvised and
01:17 entirely shot a gripping back-and-forth between the airborne and grounding vehicles in just two
01:22 and a half hours. Madness. For those who haven't been treated to the pressure cooker of a film
01:31 that is Philip Barantini's tension-filled culinary nightmare Boiling Point, the story centres on
01:36 Stephen Graham's anxious yet charming head chef Andy Jones, as he navigates one of the busiest
01:41 nights of the year and a kitchen full of combustible elements. But likely adding to the
01:46 on-screen pressure and stress that helps make this one of the most gripping dramas of recent times,
01:50 was the fact that the entire process of shooting this intense set of events
01:54 was ultimately crammed into just two days. Originally, the plan was to try and execute
01:59 eight whole takes of the impressive single-shot tale over the course of a still-ridiculous four
02:03 days. But when the pandemic hit, the production was forced to suddenly shut down, effectively
02:08 halving Barantini's scheduled shooting time for his finally-choreographed masterpiece. It didn't
02:12 matter, though, as the director was overjoyed to discover that the third take of the film was
02:17 utterly nailed. Having to step into the shoes of one of the most iconic figures in musical theatre
02:28 history, in a remake of one of the most adored cinematic adaptations of all time, would likely
02:33 be enough to leave most humans resembling an anxious puddle in the corner of a movie set.
02:37 But taking that pressure-filled scenario up a few notches in the making of Steven Spielberg's
02:41 recent critically acclaimed spin on West Side Story, was the fact that Rachel Ziegler had some
02:46 rather high-profile front-row audience members when it came time for her to warble Maria's
02:50 legendary "I Feel Pretty" number. In one of his three no-doubt jaw-dropping set visits,
02:56 the immortal Bruce Springsteen was present for Ziegler's live rendition of the song,
03:00 with iconic composer Stephen Sondheim - who actually wrote the lyrics for the number in
03:04 question - also sitting alongside Brucie for the Maria Starr's performance. Understandably noting
03:09 how she was starstruck to the point of not being able to go over and say hello to the unmistakable
03:13 icons, and two of her all-time heroes, the whole experience was enough to make Ziegler feel insanely
03:18 nervous, never mind pretty. 7. Pedro Pascal wrecked 14 prop cars without
03:23 getting injured The unbearable weight of massive talent. Movie stunts are no joke, even when a star
03:28 is only forced to take part in an action-packed exchange just a few times in order to get the
03:33 sequence in the can. So you have to admire the fact that Pedro Pascal was very much game to be
03:37 whacked into by a moving prop car a frankly absurd amount of times over the course of shooting one
03:42 particularly hilarious stunt. Found within this year's Ode to All Things Nicolas Cage,
03:47 the unbearable weight of massive talent. Perhaps even more amazingly, despite wrecking a grand
03:52 total of 14 prop vehicles in the forging of this car crash of a shot, Pascal was said to have gotten
03:57 through the whole ordeal without so much as a scratch on him. According to the Mandalorian star
04:02 himself when replying to a tweet revealing his 14 car wrecking exploits, he executed each and every
04:07 take without messing up my hair. But I still wouldn't recommend trying this acid trip at home.
04:11 Number six, Austin Butler lost touch with who he was and was rushed to hospital. Elvis. While the
04:16 chance to appear in not only Baz Luhrmann's first feature film in almost a decade, but one focusing
04:21 on the life of arguably the most legendary rock and roll figure of all time was clearly too
04:25 tantalizing an opportunity to turn down for Austin Butler. The need to live up to this larger than
04:30 life icon more than took a toll on the once upon a time in Hollywood star. As Butler would recall
04:35 to GQ, upon looking back at the sheer lengths he went to when trying to delve into the mind of the
04:39 king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley, you can lose touch with who you actually are.
04:44 And I definitely had that when I finished Elvis, not knowing who I was. And highlighting the
04:49 frankly extreme levels of pressure he put on himself throughout his gyrating work on the
04:53 project, Butler would also reveal how his body ultimately broke down the moment he finished up
04:58 on the shoot, and that he was eventually diagnosed with a virus that simulates appendicitis,
05:02 before being bedridden for seven days. Number five, plastic wrap took its toll on Paul Dano,
05:08 the Batman. It was evident from the minute he signed on the dotted Batman line,
05:12 that Paul Dano would put his heart and soul into making his Riddler a presence to remember.
05:17 But the actor soon found himself paying the price for going to rather extreme lengths,
05:21 in order to authentically chill and disturb all who witnessed his Edward Nashton's many
05:26 Zodiac Killer-inspired antics. As he'd eventually reveal to Entertainment Weekly,
05:30 Dano struggled sleeping some nights due to this particularly intense personality being a little
05:35 hard to come down from. Going further, the thorn in Robert Pattinson's bat's side would also admit
05:40 how his idea to completely wrap his head and body in plastic wrap, to highlight how the character
05:45 would have gone out of his way to avoid leaving any DNA evidence behind, eventually led to his
05:49 head unexpectedly throbbing, due to the excessive heat being generated beneath. Luckily, the crew
05:55 later landed upon the idea of popping a few holes in the makeshift mask. But Dano would still
06:00 recommend skipping the cling wrap, should you opt for a Riddler cosplay this Halloween.
06:04 4. Walker Scobell's Dedication to Deadpool
06:07 The Adam Project Walker Scobell's work as a highly believable
06:10 younger version of Ryan Reynolds' Adam Reid, caught the attention of just about everybody
06:14 in The Adam Project. This largely inexperienced performer's ability to effectively capture the
06:19 essence of his older counterpart throughout, was far from just a result of the youngster's
06:23 undoubted ability, however. As revealed by director Sean Levy in a conversation with The Wrap,
06:28 Scobell is actually very much obsessed with Deadpool, to the point where the lad had
06:32 reportedly been watching the rated R flick since he was seven, and could even recite the sequel
06:36 from memory. So by the time he was faced with having to replicate Reynolds' mannerisms on set,
06:41 Scobell was so clued up on how the merc-with-a-mouth actor would deliver just about any
06:45 line of dialogue, that Levy was able to entirely trust his young star to produce improvised magic,
06:50 or unleash a newly forged line in precisely the way the real Ryan would without skipping a damn
06:54 beat. 3. Bradley Cooper
06:56 and Rooney Mara's Real-Life Transformations - Nightmare Alley
06:59 The reality of an unprecedented pandemic gripping the globe left many big screen projects on ice,
07:05 until the world was in a safer place to continue. But instead of simply wasting that time on the
07:09 sidelines, Bradley Cooper used his six-month enforced break in the middle of production
07:13 on Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley to add another dimension to his ever-present
07:17 leading light of Stanton Carlyle. With the back end of the feature largely being already in the can,
07:21 Cooper decided that dropping a whopping 15 pounds would help his character appear younger in the
07:26 earlier scenes, that would eventually be filmed once they got back up and running. Rooney Mara
07:30 also underwent a rather drastic change during that extended absence from set, with the Molly
07:35 Cahill actor falling pregnant during the initial stint of filming, before eventually giving birth
07:40 during the break. Then, just one month on from bringing a child into the world, Mara epically
07:45 picked right back up where she left off. 2. Benedict Wong Breaks His Ribs Doing His
07:49 Own Stunts - Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
07:53 It turns out that wanting to very much throw yourself into the middle of the multiversal
07:56 violence regularly served up in Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange sequel, as revealed by fellow
08:01 Benedict during a recent interview talking all things Multiverse of Madness, the current Sorcerer
08:06 Supreme star was actually left nursing four broken ribs, on the back of having his body slammed into
08:11 an object during a particularly gnarly stunt on the shoot. And while it wasn't clarified as to
08:16 precisely which moment resulted in this nasty collection of injuries for the Ecclesburn
08:20 sensation, it does add some additional weight to the many moments you see Wong's Wong thrown around
08:24 the likes of Camartage and Matt Wundergaar at various points in the flick. The fact Wong himself
08:30 hasn't even uttered a word about said broken bones, either, tells you all you need to know
08:33 about the level of quietly tough thespian we're dealing with here, too. But seriously, maybe leave
08:38 it to the pros, guys, yeah? 1. Jet Flying And That Football Scene
08:41 Weren't A Piece Of Cake - Top Gun Maverick Any actor expecting a breezy few months at the office?
08:47 Upon agreeing to appear in a Tom Cruise-starring Top Gun sequel, clearly hadn't done their
08:51 homework. And sure enough, the relentless aviation training and all-round intensity of the shoot in
08:56 general more than did a number on a few of the talented cast members. Miles Teller in particular
09:00 was left feeling worse for wear on the back of being taken up in a jet for a sortie. After
09:05 realising he'd broken out in hives, blood analysis would show that the rooster actor actually
09:09 possessed flame retardant, pesticide and jet fuel in his blood. Away from the impressive airborne
09:15 action evidently battering the cast, the youngsters tasked with paying homage to the first film's
09:19 topless volleyball scene were unexpectedly put through the wringer, too. On the back of seemingly
09:23 getting their shredded-up beach football sequence completely wrapped up, the likes of Glenn Powell
09:28 and co. all indulged in many a beer and milkshake to celebrate. Fast forward a week and Cruise soon
09:33 felt the footage was not up to scratch, forcing the anxiety-ridden actors to dive straight back
09:38 into the gym, day and night, to prepare for the glistening sequence again. You're a cruel man,
09:43 Mr Cruise, but my God is that film epic. And that's our list of any other recent movie
09:47 performances even more impressive when you know the truth. Let us know all about them in the
09:50 comments section right down below and do not forget to like, share and click on that subscribe
09:54 button while you're there. Also, if this kind of thing is your bag, then head on over to
09:58 WhatCulture.com and find some more incredible articles just like the one this video you're
10:02 watching right this second is based on. I've been Gareth from WhatCulture.com, thank you very much
10:06 for clicking on this lovely video today and hopefully I will see your lovely faces very,