Off the Cuff
Some of the best parts in movies are only so memorable because of the film’s writing or directing—things that have been well thought out and prepared. However, many famous scenes only exist because something spontaneous happened on set. Intentional or not, these moments were good enough for the final cut.
Real World Experience
Sometimes, a director will intentionally allow an actor to improvise their performance. This was the case with Full Metal Jacket, specifically R. Lee Ermey’s role as the drill instructor. Stanley Kubrick was so impressed with his improvisation that he allowed Ermey to ad-lib much of his dialogue, especially his insults.
Warner Bros., Full Metal Jacket
A Fairy Tale
Even without lived experience, an improvised performance can come from an actor's own creativity. In Caddyshack, director Harold Ramis asked Bill Murray to ad-lib the now-famous “Cinderella Boy” scene. Murray was simply told to announce his own sports fantasy and his improv delivered—but that wasn’t the only time.
Not Everyone’s A Hugger
In Groundhog Day, Phil (Bill Murray) is consistently accosted by the same annoyingly persistent Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky). During one of these meetings, Phil pulled Ned into a hug and Murray hilariously improvised the line, “I don't know where you're headed, but can you call in sick?” At least Murray’s improv was intentional this time.
It’s A Slippery Slope
Bill Murray seems to encounter the supernatural a lot, and Scrooged is no exception. After dousing a waiter with water—thinking he was on fire—Frank (Murray) tries to exit the restaurant with dignity. Unfortunately, he slips on the wet floor, which Murray actually did in the moment and played off like a pro.
Only A Suggestion
Obviously, comedies are some of the best movies to improvise on. In When Harry Met Sally…, a nearby woman says the famous line, “I’ll have what she’s having,” in response to the sounds that Sally (Meg Ryan) is making. As it happened, the line wasn't in the script—Billy Crystal suggested it to the actress in the moment.
Castle Rock Entertainment, When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
It Would Take A Miracle
Now, Billy Crystal is no stranger to improvising scenes himself. As Miracle Max in The Princess Bride, Crystal ad-libbed most of his lines, causing those around him to laugh so much they had to be removed. However, The Princess Bride isn’t the only film where improvisational comedy and swordplay go hand in hand.
Act III Communications, The Princess Bride
Quick And Easy
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) was supposed to film a longer, more elaborate fight scene. However, Ford was sick that day, and instead suggested something a little simpler: He had a gun, so why not just shoot the guy with the sword? And he ended up creating one of Indy's most iconic moments.
Of course, Ford would later be on the other end of some improv.
On The Run
Much of the dialogue between the two leads in The Fugitive was improvised. For instance, in response to Harrison Ford’s line, “I didn’t kill my wife,” Tommy Lee Jones was scripted to say, “That isn't my problem.”
However, Jones instead suggested the line we heard in the final cut: ”I don’t care.” Fortunately, Ford gets away, but not everyone in these movies can be as lucky.
Just Desserts
After Peter Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano) has one of Don Corleone’s traitorous men “taken out” in The Godfather, he improvises the line, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli,” to the man with him. Although, this isn’t the only movie in the series with a famous ad-lib.
Just Came To Say Hello
As Frankie Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo) is also “taken out” in The Godfather Part II, the killer—Tony Rosato (Danny Aiello)—says the line, “Michael Corleone says hello.” The line was ad-libbed, and director Francis Ford Coppola liked it so much, he kept it in. Still, there are certainly some more iconic quotes.
Paramount, The Godfather Part II
De Niro’s Delivery
One of the most iconic lines in film history is from none other than Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver when Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is speaking to his reflection. With no dialogue scripted, De Niro made it his own and ad-libbed the whole scene, including the famous, “You talkin' to me?”
Open Doors Policy
Referential humor is great, but in a horror context, it can make a scene even more unnerving. In the climax of The Shining, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) decided to ad-lib after he broke through the bathroom door. What we got was the iconic reference to The Johnny Carson Show and its already well-known opening line, “Here's Johnny!”
Bigger Is Better
The production of Jaws was notoriously riddled with trials and tribulations. As such, the phrase, “You're gonna need a bigger boat” was used by the crew whenever things weren’t going their way. The actor for Brody—Roy Scheider—then inserted the line into the perfect scene, when Brody sees the shark for the first time.
Traffic Stopper
Sometimes improv can actually be dangerous. In Midnight Cowboy, when Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight were almost run over, the driver was allegedly no actor. According to Hoffman, a real taxi had accidentally driven into the shot and, in character, he responded with his classic, “Hey, I'm walking here!”
But this wasn’t the only accident to ever make the final cut.
Jerome Hellman Productions, Midnight Cowboy
Uncle Billy’s Blunder
Much of acting is reacting, even when caught off guard. In It’s a Wonderful Life, Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) stumbles off screen after having a few too many, and a crash is heard before he yells, “I’m alright, I’m alright!” In reality, it was a crewmember knocking over some props, and Mitchell cleverly improvised his line off-screen.
Watch Your Step
In The Princess Diaries, when Mia (Anne Hathaway) slips and falls onto a set of bleachers, it’s Hathaway slipping for real! She laughed it off, so director Garry Marshall included it in the movie. Thankfully, she didn’t hurt herself. Some other actors weren't so lucky.
Walt Disney, The Princess Diaries
Wax On, Wax Off
Some say an artist must suffer for their craft, and if anyone knows that, it’s Steve Carell. In The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Carell actually had his chest waxed to film the iconic scene. Almost all of his dialogue was ad-libbed and fueled by pain—but this next actor takes that to a whole new level.
Universal, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Kicking And Screaming
There were many injuries while filming The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, but not many led to such a good performance. When Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) kicked a helmet in anger before screaming and falling to the ground, director Peter Jackson was so impressed he included the shot in the movie.
Unfortunately, Mortensen had broken two toes, leaving Jackson even more impressed.
New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
A Close Encounter
During Independence Day, when Will Smith’s character is crossing the desert, he spends the time rambling to the unconscious alien he’s dragging. However, the salt flats they were filming on were filled with decomposing brine shrimp, leading Smith to yell out and—quite earnestly—ask what the smell was.
Twentieth Century, Independence Day
Space Invaders
In keeping with the sci-fi theme, James Cameron's Aliens was full of unscripted lines, mostly by Bill Paxton. Playing the comic relief, Paxton had many memorable quotes, with arguably his most iconic, “Game over, man! Game over!” being improvised by Paxton. Of course, this wasn’t the first ad-lib of his career.
Twentieth Century, Aliens 1986
After A Rough Night
Bill Paxton fans may find one of his Weird Science lines more iconic. When his character finds his inebriated younger brother, he asks, “How about a nice greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?” According to Paxton, the line was something his father said to him whenever he thought he was hungover. Still, it’s not the grossest thing.
Bad Table Manners
John Belushi was known for his physical comedy, including grossing the audience out. While filming the National Lampoon's Animal House, he improvised most of the cafeteria scene, especially when he spewed mashed potatoes over everyone and said, “I’m a zit.”
The other actors were completely caught off guard—something that has proven fruitful in other movies too.
Universal, National Lampoon's Animal House
High Seas Improv
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is extremely quotable, but one of the most iconic sequences was completely unscripted. In Dead Man’s Chest, when Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) sings about his jar of dirt, it was all improvised by Depp. Because of this, the reactions from the rest of the cast are out of genuine confusion.
Walt Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Harder They Fall
Speaking of leaving everyone in the dark, Gene Wilder would frequently do this during Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. When his titular character was introduced, Wilder decided to limp slowly out to the crowd before falling and tumbling forward. Jumping back up, he was met with the other actors’ very real surprise.
Wolper Pictures, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Funny Business
While some actors delight their co-stars with improv, others may end up making things a bit tense. In Goodfellas, when Tommy (Joe Pesci) gets called “funny” by Henry (Ray Liotta), Tommy pretends to become increasingly offended until Henry realizes he’s joking. The thing is, Pesci didn’t tell anyone he would be doing this, so the uncomfortable reactions are genuine.
Warner Bros., Goodfellas (1990)
A One-Sided Standoff
From tense to terrifying, it’s a whole other ball game when an actor might fear for their life. The famous one-on-one scene in The Departed between Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio features Nicholson shoving a pistol in Dicaprio’s face. The kicker? Neither DiCaprio nor Martin Scorcese knew about the firearm, which was 100% real!
Staying in Character
Playing Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events, Jim Carrey flexed his ability to blend comedy and drama. In one scene, Carrey wanted another take and asked for the line again. Since his character is an actor, it worked perfectly and stayed in the film. Though, this is just one moment in Carrey’s long portfolio of improvisation.
The Sonnenfeld Company, A Series of Unfortunate Events
You’re A Mean One
Apparently, Jim Carrey can’t mess up even when he wants to! In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, when he pulled a tablecloth from a nearby table, everything else was supposed to come with it. However, the tablecloth came out flawlessly, without a mess. In frustration, Carrey knocked everything off the table anyway, all of which made it into the movie.
Universal, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Cover Your Ears
As is fitting in something as ridiculous as Dumb and Dumber, a decent amount of the dialogue is ad-libbed. One of the best parts, though, is when Lloyd (Carrey) produces the “most annoying sound in the world.” Carrey improvised all of it, evidenced by Jeff Daniels breaking character.
New Line Cinema, Dumb and Dumber
Strange Question
If anything shows Dana Carvey’s comedic talents, it’s Wayne’s World. When Garth (Carvey) asks Wayne (Mike Myers) if he ever found Bugs Bunny in a dress attractive, making Wayne burst out laughing, it’s totally unscripted. Although the two clips were edited together, Myers was genuinely laughing at Carvey’s humor. But there is one man who surpasses all in improvisation.
Impromptu Storytelling
If there’s one actor known for his improvisation and ability to make his co-stars break character, it’s Robin Williams. In Good Will Hunting, his character Sean tells Will (Matt Damon) a story about his gassy wife. Matt Damon spends the whole scene laughing because Williams ad-libbed the whole story and Damon couldn’t keep it together.
Hi, Barbie!
In another moment where a co-star couldn’t keep a straight face, Ryan Gosling ad-libbed his line, “Sublime!” after Barbie asks to be his girlfriend in Barbie. Margot Robbie had no idea he was going to say this, and began laughing, proving that the best unscripted moments are not just present in older movies.
We Hear What We Want To Hear
According to Martin Scorcese, in Killers of the Flower Moon when Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) guesses that Mollie (Lily Gladstone) called him a “handsome devil” instead of what she truly called him, DiCaprio’s line was ad-libbed. Gladstone’s laugh was genuine, which isn’t the last instance of breaking character on this list.
Apple Studios, Killers of the Flower Moon
Clap Back
Thanks to Fast & Furious 6, one of the best unscripted comebacks belongs to Dwayne Johnson. In a scene where Roman (Tyrese Gibson) sees Hobbs (Johnson) and jokingly tells Mia (Jordana Brewster), “You’d better hide your baby oil.” Johnson quickly ad-libs that Roman had better hide his big forehead, which made Ludacris choke on his drink.
May Your Coat Be With You
Maintaining continuity is important, and it’s easier when everyone looks out for it. When sneaking onto Starkiller Base in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Han (Harrison Ford) drops his jacket once he’s inside. Later on, when they’re leaving, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) hands Han his jacket back—an improvised act making Ford’s visible confusion real.
Lukasfilm, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Work Friends
Even the biggest franchises aren’t afraid of letting good moments come up organically. When a child from the Make-A-Wish Foundation visited the set of Thor: Ragnarok, he suggested a line for Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The line comes in when Thor sees Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and says, “We know each other, he's a friend from work!”
Spidey Senses
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of great unscripted moments, but none more tragic than this. In Avengers: Infinity War, when Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is turning to dust, he tells Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) repeatedly that he doesn’t want to go.
According to the directors, the Russo Brothers, this emotional moment was all improvised by Holland.
Marvel Studios, Avengers: Infinity War
Bring It In
In another big franchise, a more awkward improvised moment made it into the film. Near the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) gives a returning Draco (Tom Felton) an uncomfortable hug. The hug wasn’t scripted, so Felton had genuine tension—but this isn’t the only uncomfortable intimacy in recent films.
Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Garnering Favor
Austin Butler’s role as Feyd-Rautha is one of the scariest parts of Dune: Part Two. It makes sense then, that this unscripted moment is just as intense as his character. After he was given control of Arrakis, and Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) kissed him, Butler improvised by grabbing Skarsgård’s face and giving him another, more passionate, kiss.
Planning For The Future
Speaking of intense, a fantastic example of improvisation comes from the recent film Bottoms. In a scene where Josie (Ayo Edebiri) and PJ (Rachel Sennott) are leaving the carnival, Josie has a small breakdown as she envisions the rest of her life.
The entire monologue was ad-libbed by Edebiri, and all of Sennott’s reactions are authentic.
