Screenwriters spend a lot of time writing lines that are often debated and rewritten many times but directors decide what ends up in the final cut. If they like an improvised scene better than the scripted one, they just go with it. Here we have compiled 15 actors who gave unscripted, genuine performances.
1) Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
The soldier in the famous Biggus Dickus scene was an extra who had been told simply not to laugh and had no idea what was about to happen, so his reaction was completely genuine.
2) Die Hard (1988)
While filming Gruber’s death scene, Rickman was told he would be dropped on the count of three, but the director counted to two before dropping him, making his reaction completely genuine.
3) The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)
When Lucy first enters Narnia, her reaction is completely genuine as the director never revealed the set to Georgie Henley.
4) Alien (1979)
The effects which were used in the scene were purposefully kept secret from the actors and their reactions of surprise and shock were completely genuine.
5) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
None of the kids had seen the puppet before filming, so their reactions to meeting it first for the first time were completely real.
6) Rocky (1976)
People’s reaction in the scene where he runs through the Italian marketplace is completely genuine as they had no idea what was going on. They were puzzled to see a man running back and forth being followed by a van.
7) The Fugitive (1993)
Harrison Ford’s answers and growing frustration with the detectives during the interrogation scene were improvised and completely genuine because he was not provided a script for that scene.
8) The Dark Knight (2008)
Joker was constantly licking his lips because the prosthetic scars that Heath Ledger wore kept falling off, so Heath would lick his lips to keep them in place. It became a part of the Joker’s character gradually.
9) Django Unchained (2012)
Leonardo Dicaprio accidentally cut his hand open while filming a scene but kept acting. It was cleaned up between takes and replaced with fake blood, which he smeared all over Kerry Washington’s face.
10) Elf (2003)
During the Jack-In-The-Box Scene, Will Ferrell’s reactions were real as the director surprised him every time by triggering the toys with a remote control.
11) The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Steve Carell’s reaction was real because he really got his chest waxed in that scene.
12) Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Dustin Hoffman’s reaction “Hey, I’m Walkin’ Here!” to Ney York traffic was unscripted.
13) Rocky IV (1985)
Stallone told Lundgren to “just bomb away” and really go at him for the first 15 seconds and well, Lundgren did. One of the punches, which you can see in the movie, was so hard that it sent Stallone to the hospital for nine days.
14) The Princess Diaries (2001)
The scene where Mia trips and falls wasn’t a part of the script. Anne Hathaway accidentally slipped in a puddle. Director Garry Marshall liked it so much that he decided to keep it in the movie.
15) The Hateful Eight (2015)
Due to a miscommunication, Kurt Russell accidentally smashed a 140-year-old antique guitar instead of the prop.
