Sometimes, movie magic isn't solely found in the script. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most legendary and iconic movie scenes that were improvised.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most legendary and
00:10iconic movie scenes that were improvised.
00:1650.
00:19The Farting Story – Good Will Hunting Despite being one of his more dramatic roles,
00:28Robin Williams still provided plenty of humor throughout Good Will Hunting.
00:31Perhaps the most notable example is the story he shares with Will about his late wife farting
00:35in her sleep.
00:36The entire monologue was made up by Williams, and it actually caused Matt Damon to laugh
00:40for real.
00:48Of course, this being a funny story in the first place, they decided to just keep the
00:51laughter in.
00:52Legend also has it that you can see the camera shaking slightly, which is the result of the
00:56camera operator also chuckling behind the scenes.
00:5949.
01:00Dancing for Pedro – Napoleon Dynamite Much to his horror, Pedro learns that he must
01:13perform a skit as part of his election speech.
01:15Napoleon takes one for the team and does the skit for him, dancing to Jamiroquai's Canned
01:19Heat.
01:20This impresses the student body, and Napoleon finally gets some respect and adoration from
01:24his peers.
01:25With a little additional help from co-star Tina Majorino, this weirdly touching dance
01:29was completely improvised by John Heater, who took inspiration from the likes of Michael
01:33Jackson and Saturday Night Fever.
01:35Heater performed three different dances, and the best parts of each were spliced together
01:39in the editing room.
01:4248.
01:44Hiller Welcomes the Aliens – Independence Day It's one of the most iconic scenes in
01:53science fiction.
01:54An alien climbs out of a spaceship only to be met by the fist of Captain Steve Hiller,
01:58who delivers a one-liner for the ages.
02:00Punching an alien in the face is epic, delivering a one-liner immediately after, even more so.
02:05And it all came from the mind of Will Smith.
02:18While the close encounter line was in the script, screenwriter Dean Devlin revealed
02:22to Yahoo that Smith improvised Welcome to Earth.
02:25Apparently, Smith didn't love the line and changed it while filming, impressing Roland
02:28Emmerich so much that he left it in the movie.
02:30Now that's what we call good improv.
02:3347.
02:34The Arm Reload – Mission Impossible Fallout One scene from the sixth Mission Impossible
02:38film took the internet by storm, and that was the famous arm reload.
02:42August Walker is fighting some goons in a washroom when he suddenly pumps both of his
02:46arms, almost as if he's reloading a weapon.
02:48Then again, have you seen those arms?
02:49Those are weapons.
02:53According to director Christopher McQuarrie, this little motion was improvised by Henry
02:57Cabell.
02:58To make the story even funnier, he didn't even notice it while filming, telling the
03:01Toronto Sun,
03:02I don't even think I was aware of it until we were editing this scene.
03:05Well, it didn't take long for the internet to become aware of it, that's for sure.
03:1146.
03:12But Why Male Models – Zoolander The titular male model isn't the sharpest
03:16tool in the shed, which comes in handy when Ben Stiller forgets his lines.
03:24In one of the movie's most important scenes, David Duchovny's J.P. Prewett lays out a
03:29complicated conspiracy involving an evil plot and a series of male models.
03:33He goes into specifics about why male models are chosen, including their physiques.
03:37Derek listens to it all, but not a minute later asks again why male models are chosen.
03:42This hilarious question was improvised by Stiller, who had forgotten his next line and
03:56simply decided to repeat the question.
03:58It definitely works, being totally in line with his buffoonish and clueless character.
04:0245.
04:03Pity Party Speech – Bridesmaids Sometimes you just need a bit of tough love,
04:13and that's where Megan comes in.
04:14Annie is at a low point in her life and feeling a bit sorry for herself.
04:17That's when Megan makes a surprise visit to give a surprisingly effective pep talk,
04:22essentially telling her to suck it up and move on.
04:34Much of this speech was ad-libbed by Melissa McCarthy, who would later receive an Oscar
04:37nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
04:39According to director Paul Feig, many details throughout the speech were made up by McCarthy,
04:43like Megan having high security clearance at a government facility and being tormented
04:47by other kids in high school.
04:5744.
04:59Think of My Children – The Mummy This old-fashioned adventure flick blends
05:02action, comedy, and horror into one glorious package, making us all realize why we love
05:07going to the movies.
05:08Brendan Fraser does a lot of the movie's heavy comedic lifting, but he's aided by
05:12the wonderful Kevin J. O'Connor playing Benny Gabor.
05:22The two play off each other perfectly, like in this scene where Rick catches Benny spying
05:26on him.
05:27Rick points a gun at Benny and then threatens to kill him, prompting Benny to yell,
05:30Think of my children!
05:31in a desperate attempt to save himself.
05:32This line was improvised by O'Connor.
05:34In the script, he says you were never any good with the ladies, O'Connell, and that's
05:38not nearly as memorable.
05:4343.
05:44I'm the King of the World – Titanic This legendary film is chock-full of iconic
05:49moments, like young Jack Dawson standing on the bow of the ship and proclaiming himself
05:53the king of the world.
05:59Believe it or not, this was not in the script, and Cameron's shooting text that camera
06:03pans away after Fabrizio says that he can see the Statue of Liberty.
06:06However, Cameron wanted a little more, so he and Leonardo DiCaprio experimented with
06:10different ideas on set.
06:12It was Cameron who came up with the iconic line, and while DiCaprio didn't like it,
06:15he did it anyway, and made movie history in the process.
06:18It's now ranked as the 100th best movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute.
06:2742.
06:30Give It Up For Gordon – The Dark Knight Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is
06:37almost mythical at this point, and like most myths, there exists a degree of uncertainty
06:41and dramatic exaggeration.
06:42For example, it's long been rumored that Ledger's reaction to the delayed hospital
06:46explosion was improvised.
06:47It was not.
06:48But what was improvised was the sarcastic clapping for James Gordon.
06:52According to Christopher Nolan, Ledger kept everyone on their toes and did a lot of improvising
06:56on set, whether it be entirely new lines or little bits of physical work.
07:00Apparently, it was Ledger's idea to have the Joker clap for Gordon, and this little
07:03idea has since become one of the movie's most iconic visuals.
07:1041.
07:14Adrian's Broadcasts – Good Morning Vietnam Good Will Hunting isn't the only movie to
07:26flex the improv chops of Robin Williams.
07:28Almost 10 years earlier, he was playing Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam and making
07:32up most of his material.
07:34Director Barry Levinson forbade Williams from meeting the real Cronauer, as he didn't
07:38want Williams doing an impression.
07:45As a result, Williams later claimed that his portrayal of Adrian was only 5% Cronauer,
07:5095% himself.
07:51This is highly obvious in the famous broadcast sequences, the hyperactive ramblings of which
07:55are pure Robin Williams.
07:57Unsurprisingly, these broadcasts were entirely improvised, with Levinson giving the famous
08:02comedian free reign behind the microphone.
08:0940.
08:11Alright, Alright, Alright – Dazed and Confused It must feel pretty darn good to have one
08:17of your improvised lines become an iconic piece of movie history.
08:23Dazed and Confused is a cult classic that is largely remembered for Matthew McConaughey's
08:27David Wooderson.
08:28David has been widely memed throughout the years, and many of his lines are modern-day
08:31classics.
08:32One of them is, of course, Alright, Alright, Alright, which is now something of a catchphrase
08:36for McConaughey himself.
08:38According to the actor, that legendary line was completely improvised.
08:41He heard action from writer-director Richard Linklater and spontaneously made movie history.
08:46Not too bad for your first major gig.
08:5139.
08:57Al Pacino Hits a Garbage Can – Scent of a Woman This movie earned Al Pacino his first
09:01Oscar win.
09:02He plays Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cranky man who is blind and is aided by Chris
09:06O'Donnell's Charlie Sims.
09:07In one of the movie's best sequences, Frank as walking down a busy street runs into a
09:11garbage can and stumbles.
09:15Legend has it that this was completely unplanned.
09:17Pacino apparently got into character by not allowing his eyes to focus, thereby simulating
09:21a degree of impaired vision.
09:23While shooting the scene, it's been said he genuinely didn't see the can and walked
09:26straight into it.
09:27Luckily, both he and O'Donnell are consummate pros, so they apparently just kind of ran
09:30with it.
09:3538.
09:38Stu's Song – The Hangover Hitting the pause button on their efforts to
09:41find Doug, the main trio takes a break inside of their trashed hotel suite.
09:45Stu uses this opportunity to hop on the piano and sing a short song about his missing friend.
09:55The set of The Hangover was evidently quite welcoming, with director Todd Phillips encouraging
10:07creative freedom.
10:08As such, Stu's song was reportedly crafted by the musically talented Ed Helms.
10:17According to Helms, he would often goof around on the piano while filming, so Phillips decided
10:28to have him sing in the movie.
10:29The result was Stu's Song, and one of the most memorable laughs of the whole film.
10:3737.
10:39Eating Baby Corn – Big This classic Tom Hanks comedy concerns Josh
10:43Baskin, a 12-year-old kid who makes an ambiguous wish to become big.
10:47The next day, the preteen is suddenly grown into a grown man portrayed by Hanks.
10:58The result is a lot of great physical comedy, with the adult Hanks often acting like a child.
11:02The iconic actor brought a lot of creative magic to the performance, including one scene
11:06in which Josh eats baby corn like corn on the cob.
11:09Apparently director Penny Marshall signaled to Hanks that she wanted him to do something
11:12with the corn, and this is what we came up with.
11:14It was so great it ended up in the movie, which we think was a great decision.
11:1936.
11:23Mrs. White's Speech – Clue Near the end of this classic whodunit, Mrs.
11:27White comically describes her hatred for Yvette.
11:31This is a defining and utterly hilarious moment in the movie, and it largely came from the
11:35creative mind of actress Madeline Kahn.
11:37Director Jonathan Lynn was reportedly quite strict about improvising and generally liked
11:41keep to the script.
11:42However, this scene proved the exception, as Kahn seemingly couldn't help herself.
11:45She took a straightforward line from the script and spinned it into comic gold, rambling
11:49and perfectly stumbling over her words.
11:51The confused reactions from the other characters were also genuine, as the actors had no idea
11:55what Kahn was saying.
12:0235.
12:11Any Moments – Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy
12:14And here we come to the other end of the spectrum.
12:16Anchorman had a script courtesy of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, but it seems that as director,
12:20McKay gave his actors lots of freedom when it came to improv.
12:31According to Paul Rudd, they would shoot the scene how it was written in the script and
12:34then do takes where they just improvised and played off each other.
12:36As such, many of the movie's more iconic lines were ad-libbed by the actors, including
12:40Brick's famous I Love Lamp moment.
12:42Another was apparently Ron Burgundy's glass case of emotion, a brilliant term for the
12:46phone booth that's been said to have been made up by Will Ferrell.
12:5234.
12:55Going to Eleven – Spinal Tap Rob Reiner is a brilliant director who is
12:59clearly a fan of improv.
13:01For example, the iconic, from When Harry Met Sally, was reportedly made up by Billy Crystal
13:07and given to Reiner's mother to say.
13:09But that's nothing compared to This Is Spinal Tap.
13:11Reiner told the British Film Institute that almost the entire movie was improvised.
13:15Usually all they had were loose story arcs guiding how a scene should play, with some
13:18material anchoring the story.
13:20For example, they knew they wanted an amp that went to eleven, but the bulk of the ordeal
13:23is pure improv magic, with the dialogue being made up on the spot by Christopher Guest and
13:28Reiner himself.
13:2933.
13:40The Truffle Shuffle – The Goonies This iconic film from Richard Donner is known
13:43for its sense of adventure, but that would mean nothing without a memorable cast of characters
13:47at the helm.
13:48One of them is Jeff Cohen's Chunk, who is unfortunately often ridiculed for his appearance.
14:03In one of the movie's most well-known scenes, Chunk is told he has to do the Truffle Shuffle
14:07before he can come into the house.
14:08He proceeds to lift his shirt and shake his belly while making a funny face.
14:16According to Donner, he didn't give any direction to Cohen, and the silly dance was
14:19made up by the young actor.
14:2132.
14:22Takagi Won't Be Returning – Die Hard At a time of wild excess in the action movie
14:26industry, Die Hard brilliantly flipped the script.
14:28One of the most notable aspects of the groundbreaking film was villain Hans Gruber.
14:35He wasn't a stereotypically macho guy, but rather a sharp-dressed and wickedly intelligent
14:43man who utilized wits over brawn.
14:45Alan Rickman understood the assignment and apparently personally crafted one of the movie's
14:49most darkly comedic lines.
14:51After killing Takagi, Hans informs the building that their boss won't be returning for the
14:55rest of his life.
14:56The line was reportedly improvised by Rickman, and his coy delivery makes it a classic.
15:0431.
15:13Sam Doesn't Care – The Fugitive A classic cat-and-mouse thriller, The Fugitive
15:25stars Harrison Ford as the titular good guy and Tommy Lee Jones as his pursuer, Deputy
15:29U.S. Marshal Sam Gerrard.
15:31Jones is a veteran of the screen, and he knows when something sounds good.
15:34During the storm drain scene, Kimball makes one more effort to convince the Marshal of
15:38his innocence.
15:39Sam isn't having it and coldly responds by saying,
15:42Jones was reportedly supposed to say something along the lines of,
15:46So you didn't kill your wife, not my problem, but it seems he decided to put a little spin
15:49on it.
15:50We think he did a great job, as the new line sounds far colder and more unforgiving.
15:5430.
15:55Game Over Man, Game Over – Aliens In this iconic sequel from James Cameron,
15:59the late Bill Paxton plays Hudson, a soldier sent to investigate planet LV-426.
16:10Hudson is, let's face it, a bit of a whiner, but his anxious personality helped make him
16:14a fan favorite.
16:15His immaturity is on full display after the dropship crashes, leaving him and the other
16:19heroes stranded on the planet.
16:21Hudson goes into full panic mode and utters one of the most iconic lines of the franchise.
16:28The what-are-we-supposed-to-do-now part of the dialogue was scripted, but Paxton reportedly
16:32added the famous Game Over bit himself.
16:3429.
16:35The Cinderella Story – Caddyshack Bill Murray is said to have improvised many
16:39of his most famous on-screen moments, like excitedly greeting Ned Ryerson with a hug
16:43in Groundhog Day and claiming that ghosts ate the piano in Ghostbusters, but the best
16:52has to be the Cinderella story from Caddyshack.
16:55Legend has it that Murray improvised most of his lines, receiving only vague directions
16:59from Harold Ramis.
17:00That was apparently the case with this scene, in which Murray was reportedly simply told
17:03to behave in kid-like fashion.
17:05It seems he did the rest, using a grass whip as a golf club and imagining himself at the
17:09U.S. Masters.
17:1028.
17:11Miracle Max – The Princess Bride It's obvious that Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal
17:26had a great working relationship and that Reiner understood the genius of Crystal's
17:30brand of comedy.
17:31The comedian briefly appeared in Reiner's The Princess Bride, donning a heap of makeup
17:35to play Miracle Max.
17:36Crystal spent just three days on set, and Reiner allowed him to ad-lib many of his lines.
17:40The result was total joy not just for the audience, but for the folks on set as well.
17:44Reiner even stepped away due to laughing too hard.
17:46Mandy Patinkin also claims that he potentially cracked a rib while trying desperately to
17:50contain his laughter.
17:5527.
17:59Wonka's Introduction – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
18:02Willy Wonka is, shall we say, a wee bit of a troll.
18:09The guy loves to have a laugh, and yes, the jokes often come at the expense of children.
18:13Wonka makes his first public appearance after years living as a recluse, and it's not
18:17what the kids were expecting.
18:18He seems frail and delicate, walking slowly with a cane and not displaying much in the
18:22way of mirth.
18:23However, he reveals with a playful somersault that it was all an act.
18:31This entire bit came to be thanks to the late Gene Wilder, as he wanted to characterize
18:34Wonka as untrustworthy and hard to read.
18:36In Wilder's own words, no one would know if I was lying or telling the truth.
18:4326.
18:47The Necklace Presentation – Pretty Woman
18:53The titular pretty woman is Vivian Ward, a sex worker who is hired to be a social escort
18:57for Edward Lewis.
18:58At one point, Edward presents Vivian with a gorgeous and very expensive necklace.
19:02In real life, this piece of jewelry is rumored to have been quite expensive, but that's
19:05not even the wildest part of the story.
19:07During the presentation, he playfully closes the box on her hand, causing her to laugh
19:11in surprise.
19:14This was actually an unscripted prank planned by Richard Gere and director Gary Marshall,
19:18so Julia Roberts' reaction is real.
19:20The central pair's chemistry is just off the charts, and this brilliant bit only added
19:23to their magnetism.
19:2525.
19:26My Funniest Ending in Movie History – Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying
19:30and Love the Bomb
19:32Stanley Kubrick is known for his dense and complex dramas, but he also had a stellar
19:35eye for comedy.
19:36Dr. Strangelove is a brilliant satire of the Cold War and, by extension, humanity's penchant
19:40for violence and destruction.
19:50Much of the movie's genius stems from its star, Peter Sellers, who improvised the bulk
19:54of his dialogue.
19:55Sellers' greatest achievement seems to have been the movie's famous ending, in
19:58which Dr. Strangelove randomly rises from his wheelchair and realizes that he can walk.
20:10This fantastic bit of comedy was reportedly all Sellers, and it's now regarded as one
20:14of the funniest endings in movie history.
20:16Few people could match Kubrick's genius, but Sellers was evidently one of them.
20:2024.
20:21Mr. Blonde's Dance – Reservoir Dogs
20:23Despite his cheery and rather innocent-sounding name, Mr. Blonde is anything but.
20:27He's actually quite sadistic, and this is coming from the other criminals of the movie.
20:34Blonde's mean streak is best exemplified in the infamous dance sequence, which sees
20:38him tormenting a police officer.
20:40According to actor Michael Madsen, the only real direction given in the script was Mr.
20:44Blonde maniacally dances around.
20:45It was up to him to decide what that looked like.
20:48Madsen had also reportedly never rehearsed the dance with Quentin Tarantino, so he simply
20:52made it up on the day of shooting.
20:53The rest is history.
20:5823.
21:02You Can't Handle the Truth – A Few Good Men
21:05You Can't Handle the Truth did for courtrooms what I'm King of the World did for boats.
21:08It's basically impossible not to say it while inside one.
21:14It's an absolute zinger, and in 2005, it was rated the 29th best in movie history.
21:23of all time by the American Film Institute.
21:25Not too shabby for Jack Nicholson.
21:26Yeah, the movie was penned by legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, but it was apparently Nicholson
21:31who came up with this particular quote.
21:33It's believed that the line in the script read, You already have the truth, but that
21:36doesn't sound as sharp.
21:37Enter Nicholson, who seemingly made a couple, shall we say, unforgettable alterations.
21:4422.
21:48I Know – Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back
22:00It was the moment everyone was waiting for.
22:02Princess Leia, devastated that Han is about to be frozen, finally tells him that she loves
22:07him.
22:08And his response?
22:09Not I love you too, not a reassuring smile, but a cold and unflinching I know.
22:12In the script, Han actually does respond with the banal I love you too, but Harrison Ford
22:16recognized that it doesn't really fit the character's snarky, non-emotional personality.
22:20They reportedly shot the scene with Ford sticking to the script for protection.
22:24Ford himself came up with the I know that ultimately gave us movie magic.
22:2821.
22:30Don't Forget the Dessert – The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece isn't
22:36exactly a humorous affair, but it's not without some laughs.
22:40One of the funniest moments comes after Pauly is killed, with Clemenza telling Rocco to
22:44It's a fantastic line that not only introduces a macabre sense of normalcy to the violence,
22:51but it plays into a previous line about Clemenza being told to pick up cannoli.
22:55It's also delivered in a dry, comic fashion by actor Richard Castellano, which helps get
22:59across just how mundane these activities are.
23:01The line in both the script and novel is simply leave the gun.
23:05A talk Castellano had with his wife, Ardell Sheridan, led to the idea of adding the cannoli
23:09bit and bringing Clemenza's day full circle.
23:1320.
23:15Showtune – The Warriors For the Coney Island confrontation between
23:22this film's rival gangs, director Walter Hill wanted David Patrick Kelly's character
23:26Luther to taunt the Warriors from his 55 Cadillac, and he gave him free reign to do it any way
23:31he wanted.
23:32Kelly clinked three bottles together in one hand, and delivered the legendary sing-song
23:37taunt that we've come to know.
23:45According to Kelly, it was a childhood tormentor that inspired the chant.
23:48It also helps that he's a musician blessed with the singing chops for the line.
23:5619.
24:00Just Kickin' It – The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
24:10Showbiz is dangerous.
24:12During a particularly emotional scene in the adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy, Viggo Mortensen's
24:17character Aragorn breaks down when he comes to the realization that two of his Hobbit
24:20friends might be dead, and he expresses himself by kicking a nearby helmet.
24:30Turns out his breakdown was not only emotional, but also physical, because after too many
24:35takes of kicking solid metal, he broke two toes.
24:56The shot chosen for the final cut of the film was the toe-breaker, because you can't fake
25:00the intensity of the actor's excruciating pain.
25:0718.
25:09The Barn Story – Saving Private Ryan
25:22Matt Damon only shows up towards the end of this epic war film, and he's so preoccupied
25:27with survival, we barely get to know his character, except in this scene, which was
25:31improvised by the actor.
25:44As Ryan and Captain Miller quietly await more fighting, Private Ryan reminisces about his
25:49lost brothers in a spontaneous tale.
26:02Damon obviously thinks the story is as funny as we do, but once he realizes it's the last
26:06time his family was together, the scene takes on a bittersweet feel, made all the more impressive
26:12when you remember it was ad-libbed.
26:1317.
26:14The Zit – Animal House
26:24When a director gives a comedian like John Belushi a little wiggle room, anything can
26:28happen, but it's almost guaranteed to be funny.
26:30John Landis knew that when Bluto began dumping food onto his tray, something magical might
26:35occur, so he let the cameraman follow him for the rest of the scene.
26:38Everything Belushi did in the cafeteria was unscripted, and since the cast and crew weren't
26:43in on his joke or its disgusting punchline, the reactions captured on camera were real.
26:52It's classic Belushi, and possibly the flick's most famous scene.
26:5616.
26:57Chest Waxing – The 40-Year-Old Virgin
26:59Some say a comic is only as good as his ability to improvise.
27:03By that logic, this film features some stellar comedians, as it has many unscripted moments
27:08including Steve Carell's genuine pain-induced curses at having his very hairy chest waxed.
27:19On top of that, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen's jokes were completely off the cuff.
27:27And if you're a fan of their back-and-forth banter, you should check out the extended
27:30DVD scenes, where the two try to outdo each other for several minutes, all ad-libbed,
27:35of course.
27:3615.
27:37Roy Batty's Monologue – Blade Runner
27:50It's completely natural for actors to tweak their lines for a monologue, but rarely do
27:54they go beyond grammar or sentence structure to resonate this much with the character and
27:58audience.
28:11Though there were previous scripted versions of this soliloquy, Rutger Hauer mainly improved
28:16the depth and philosophical musings of Roy Batty's last words, and gave us even more
28:21reason to ask the question, what is human?
28:40It might sound a little cheesy on paper, but it isn't when it's delivered as a replicant
28:45leader's dramatic final epiphany.
28:4714.
28:49Sword to a Gunfight – Raiders of the Lost Ark
28:58Actors aren't immune to travel troubles, and even a tough guy like Harrison Ford submitted
29:02to dysentery while filming Raiders in Tunisia.
29:05That's a big reason this scene was altered.
29:07Originally, Indy was supposed to engage the show-offy swordsman in a choreographed sword
29:12fight where the adventurous archaeologist would disarm him with his whip, but Ford was
29:16sick and just wanted to shoot the guy.
29:21Though it wasn't improvised while cameras rolled, that move impacted the franchise in
29:25a big way, and the scene is one of the series' most iconic and hilarious moments.
29:3013.
29:31The Most Annoying Sound in the World – Dumb and Dumber
29:40As dumb-dumbs Harry and Lloyd head on their cross-country road trip, they meet all sorts
29:45of people, including a hitman who's trying to kill them.
29:49Well, sucks to be that guy, cause car rides with these two mean sing-alongs, anti-quitsies,
30:02and the most annoying sound in the world.
30:08That last one was injected into the film by Jim Carrey on the fly, and you can see in
30:13Jeff Daniels' reaction that he was not expecting it.
30:20Even the hitman's outburst was unscripted, proving that sometimes, unplanned is best.
30:3712.
30:38Look Out, Bello – Tarzan the Ape Man
30:54This jungle-living ape-man originated in a series of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, where
30:59his signature sound was described as, quote, the victory cry of the bull ape.
31:04When it came to bringing that noise to the screen, Olympic swimmer and once-competitive
31:07yodeler Johnny Weissmuller was the first actor to succeed where others had failed.
31:18Tasked with inventing a call to summon his jungle crew, Weissmuller – and apparently
31:22some Hollywood sound editing trickery – combined to create one of the most celebrated, imitated,
31:27reused and easily-recognized sound bites in film history.
31:3411.
31:38I Got a Jar of Dirt – Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man's Chest
31:44When Jack Sparrow was given the jar of dirt, he was unsure of its power.
31:48But when he comes face-to-face with Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman, he can't help but
31:52flaunt it a little.
31:53The script simply had Jack Sparrow calling Davy Jones' names with some schoolyard-level
31:57taunting, but that didn't sit well with Johnny Depp.
32:00The reactions of the rest of the actors are genuine confusion and surprise, as Depp falls
32:05down the stairs, only to get up and sing the infectious little ditty to further taunt Jones.
32:1510.
32:19Singing in the Rain – A Clockwork Orange
32:27Always a perfectionist, Stanley Kubrick shot and re-shot the scene where the main group
32:31of droogs engages in their brand of ultra-violence.
32:35But the scene still felt empty, so Kubrick instructed actor Malcolm McDowell to inject
32:40a little spontaneity – which he did – to the tune of Singing in the Rain.
32:49Taking this classic old song and twisting it into such a creepy scene turns out to be
32:53a terrifying blend of happiness and evil, and one that will be seared into our brains
32:58forever.
32:599.
33:00Hey, I'm Walking Here – Midnight Cowboy
33:07Though there's some debate about whether this scene was actually unscripted, it's
33:11still a memorable movie moment that Dustin Hoffman claims to have improvised.
33:14He and Jon Voight are walking NYC streets discussing the ins and outs of the gigolo
33:18business when BAM!
33:20A taxi works its way into the shot, almost running Hoffman down and prompting him to
33:24deliver the endlessly quotable line,
33:26Hoffman has said that while he uttered those iconic words, what he really wanted to say
33:42was, hey, we're making a movie here, but method acting's his game, so he stayed in
33:47character the entire time.
33:498.
33:52Boat, Envy, Jaws
33:55This ain't just any shark – Chief Brody knows it, and so did the actor playing him.
34:00In fact, Roy Scheider was the one who came up with the film's most famous line off
34:03the cuff.
34:04The first time we actually get a look at the giant great white, Scheider decided to cut
34:08the tension with a one-liner that earned its spot in the annals of film history.
34:14He didn't come up with the phrase on the spot, though.
34:16It was actually a common saying on the set – as the story goes, the film's producers
34:20didn't spring for a big enough barge to hold all the equipment, so saying you're
34:24gonna need a bigger boat became a running joke among crew members.
34:287.
34:30Mirror Image, Taxi Driver
34:32Martin Scorsese encourages actors to contribute to his films, and this is one case where he
34:37hit pay dirt.
34:38The script read, Travis speaks to himself in the mirror.
34:41Robert De Niro turned those instructions into one of the most famous and oft-quoted sequences
34:46in cinema history.
34:49While not really capturing Travis Bickle's loneliness and alienation, this scene has
34:53been cited as the one that says the most about his flawed personality.
34:56It's gone on to be referenced time and time again in movies and TV shows alike.
35:016.
35:02Funny How, Goodfellas
35:03Even if you've never seen this flick, there's one scene you surely know.
35:19Scorsese again allowed actors to invent dialogue, which he would retroactively add into the
35:24script.
35:25And Joe Pesci nabbed an Oscar by showing he could turn on a dime.
35:35Not only does his improvised diatribe explain his character, it also stops his buddies dead
35:40in their tracks and has audiences holding their breath.
35:43He manages to keep the tension going just long enough to really emphasize the humor
35:47when he finally lets up and admits he's joking.
35:565.
35:59Hopkins Is Hysterical, The Silence of the Lambs
36:07Sir Anthony Hopkins is still haunting our dreams with his portrayal of cannibalistic
36:11serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
36:13And the scene where he's introduced is arguably his creepiest.
36:17But yes, we're counting the muzzle.
36:22The mounting tension and quiet hostility between Hannibal and Clarice is palpable, and one
36:27sound sums it up best.
36:40Call it a hiss, a slurp, whatever, Hopkins invented it on the spot to spook Clarice,
36:45creeping us all out at the same time.
36:47We'll never be able to get this eerie moment out of our heads, and for that, he more than
36:52deserves his Oscar.
36:534.
36:54Major Malfunction, Full Metal Jacket
36:56What's the best way to portray how brutal drill instructors are?
37:03Hire a real one, obviously.
37:05Stanley Kubrick originally enlisted ex-Marine R. Lee Ermey as a consultant for his war
37:10flick, thinking he wasn't vicious enough for the drill sergeant role.
37:13But Ermey proved him wrong, and wound up chewing out recruits for almost 40 minutes
37:23straight as gunnery sergeant Hartman.
37:27Oh, and he invented about half of his own dialogue, spouting one-of-a-kind insults and
37:36unique nicknames left and right.
37:48One thing is for sure, we would not want to be on the receiving end of one of his rants.
37:533.
37:54It's Sweat and Smears, Django Unchained
38:07When injured on the job, most people would take a 30-second breather before continuing
38:11with their day.
38:12Not Leonardo DiCaprio.
38:14He got so into character for Django Unchained that when he slammed his hand down onto a
38:18table during a tense scene, smashing a glass and cutting his hand so badly he required
38:23stitches, he just kept right on with his racist rant.
38:34Apparently the room erupted into a standing ovation after the take.
38:38DiCaprio even worked the accident into the scene by suggesting they shoot a moment where
38:42he smears fake blood across Kerry Washington's face.
38:532.
38:54Here's Johnny, The Shining
38:56Mirroring the plot of this Stephen King adaptation, Stanley Kubrick caused the downward mental
39:01spiral of some of his actors, mainly Shelley Duvall.
39:05Helping him along was Jack Nicholson, who improvised the film's shining moment.
39:15After chasing his family into a bathroom, Jack borrows a popular late-night catchphrase
39:19to add comedy and creepiness to the scene.
39:24Channeling Ed McMahon in horrifying fashion, he riled Duvall up so much her screams started
39:30to become real.
39:32Here's a tip, never play hide-and-seek with Jack Nicholson.
39:551.
39:56Kid You Not, Casablanca
40:00This Hollywood classic is full of quotable lines, though some aren't exactly what we
40:04think but that's another story.
40:10However, only one was unscripted.
40:20Representing the couple's bond, the famous words are said by Humphrey Bogart multiple
40:24times throughout the film.
40:27Turns out Bogie borrowed the phrase from real life.
40:29Between takes, he taught Ingrid Bergman to play poker and would often utter the iconic
40:34line to her.
40:35Who knew you could ad-lib one of the most famous phrases in film history?
40:44Did you know these scenes were improvised?
40:46Let us know in the comments below.
40:52Did you enjoy this video?
40:54Check out these other clips from WatchMojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
40:58to be notified about our latest videos.