Despite the many hours spent rehearsing on set, sometimes the best on-screen moments are the ones not written in the script. From pranks to bloopers, here are some of the most memorable movie moments.
Home Alone: Scream Scene
Home Alone is a Christmas classic most of us are guilty of rewatching every year. But it turns out that one of the most memorable scenes from the film was supposed to happen entirely differently.
The movie's director, Chris Columbus, revealed that the scream scene with young Kevin's aftershave incident was actually a blooper. "My direction to him was when you pat your face, move your hands, and scream," he shared. "It was the first take, he kept his hands on his cheeks. We all started laughing hysterically."
Jaws: Boat Scene
Jaws: the movie that scared most of us out stepping foot in the ocean for a long time. The 1975 movie was a great success, with sequels following its release. However, it turns out that the famous catchphrase we still remember after all these years was completely unplanned.
"'You're gonna need a bigger boat' - [the crew would say it]... any time anything went wrong," shared screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Thanks to actor Roy Scheider, the phrase made its way into several scenes, including the famous one where he fought off the great white shark.
Clueless: Debate Scene
Thanks to the timeless rom-com Clueless, we've been blessed with memories of Cher Horowitz that many of us have a habit of going back to every now and then. One of them is the well-known debate scene that apparently was actually never written in the script.
As it turns out, Alicia Silverstone's mispronunciation of "Haitians" wasn't fictional. "[Production] started to walk up to her to tell her the right pronunciation, and I had to run interference," said director Amy Heckerling. "I didn't want her to know that she had it wrong." She definitely wins a prize for that one.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Introduction Scene
So many of the characters and events from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory are hard to forget. Gene Wilder has made especially sure that Willy Wonka's eccentric character is entrenched in our memories forever. The actor improvised a lot on set, and one of his ideas actually ended up being part of the movie.
The scene we're talking about is the one where Willy Wonka introduced himself to the candy man. His grand entrance - including the cane, the fake limp, and the somersault - weren't in the script. Wilder explained the reason for it, saying, "Because from that time on, no one will know if I'm lying or telling the truth."
The Usual Suspects: Lineup Scene
We imagine that passing gas on set would most likely result in a very unpleasant work environment for actors. But apparently, that's not always the case. One of The Usual Suspects' main stars shared that there actually was a gassy cast member during the movie's classic lineup scene.
Kevin Pollak has shared that co-star Benicio Del Toro "farted like 12 takes in a row" during the giggly on-screen conversation. "The lineup became the bonding scene. Since then, I've held to the belief that sometimes you're good, sometimes someone farts," joked screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie.
Fight Club: Fighting Scene
Here we are, breaking the first two rules of Fight Club, but we promise it's for a good reason. We're about to reveal what really happened in that abandoned parking lot - and we'll start by saying that Edward Norton's first time hitting Brad Pitt didn't exactly go as planned.
The star explained that the writers intended for the first fight scene between the two to show a mild punch at Pitt's shoulder. "[The movie's director] came up to me and said, 'Hit him, connect with him somewhere.' I didn't know what to do, and I hit him in the ear," said Norton. Pitt's reaction on-screen was 100% real!
Pretty Woman: Jewelry Scene
Vivian Ward's blonde wig, cut-out dress, and red jacket is probably still one of our favorite Julia Roberts looks ever. And one particularly memorable scene is the little prank co-star Richard Gere played on her while they were filming the jewelry box scene.
Director Garry Marshall shared the behind-the-scenes of how the famous moment made its way into the final cut. "I said, 'Richard, you gotta wake her up a little, so when she reaches for the box, slam it,'" he said. "We put it in… and it became like the trademark of the movie."
The Shining: "Here’s Johnny" Scene
Mr. Torrance's evil smile hasn't left our minds since it first appeared in The Shining. Neither has Jack Nicholson's voice saying the two famous words: "Here's Johnny!" It's funny to think that, despite becoming one of the movie's most iconic scenes, it wasn't even originally part of the script.
Nicholson impulsively decided to improvise his lines for the scene during filming as a tribute to the opening dialogue of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. And although director Stanley Kubrick had planned to cut Nicholson's unscripted lines, he eventually decided to leave them in the final cut.
Rocky: Market Scene
Before Sylvester Stallone's rise to fame with the movie Rocky, he was just another aspiring actor from NYC. So those watching him tear through a local market while filming the running scene in the 1976 film didn't really think twice before throwing a piece of fruit at him.
As the actor made his way through the Italian market, one of the stall owners didn't realize he was actually being filmed, and threw an orange at Stallone. Imagine throwing a piece of fruit at someone who would soon be one of the biggest names in Hollywood!
Mrs. Doubtfire: Cream Scene
Robin Williams has been our favorite nanny ever since he appeared as Mrs. Doubtfire on the big screen in 1993. In addition to being an expert at putting smiles on people's faces, he also knew how to instantly turn failure into funny. That's exactly what he did when a little mishap occurred on set.
In the famous scene, Williams makes a face mask out of icing, which then drips into Mrs. Sellner's tea. But guess what? It was never meant to happen! The lighting on set had begun to melt the frosting on his face, and he quickly came up with a line to cover up the mishap: "There you go, you've got your cream and your sugar."
The Princess Diaries: Bleachers Scene
Sometimes, even royals have their clumsy moments. One such example is Anne Hathaway, who laughed off a little accident on set so perfectly that it ended up being part of the movie. The scene we're talking about is the one where Mia Thermopolis falls on the bleachers.
The actress recalled the hilarious mishap on set, saying, "We were filming in San Francisco... it had rained." Her real reaction after slipping on the wet bleachers ended up in the movie's final cut. And now it's all we can think about every time we watch the scene.
Dirty Dancing: Crawling Scene
It turns out they really were having the time of their life on the set of Dirty Dancing. Apparently, the warm-up exercise Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze did on the dance floor was too fun not to film. The unscripted rehearsal ended up being one of the movie's most memorable scenes.
It's strange to think that Dirty Dancing's famous crawl scene wasn't originally a part of the script. Director Emile Ardolino later shared that the two co-stars were just goofing around during rehearsal. The two actors probably had no idea the authentic moment would up being so iconic.
Crazy Stupid Love: Dirty Dancing Scene
Since we're on the subject of Dirty Dancing, we might as well bring up Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's famous scene where they recreated Baby's famous lift. Fans undoubtedly remember the moment they saw it in Crazy Stupid Love - but they probably don't know it was never part of the script!
The well-known moment happened all thanks to Ryan Gosling, who unintentionally pitched the idea to the screenwriters. "[Gosling told us] he'd done the Dirty Dancing lift in real life to a girl," one of the writers shared. (Are we surprised?) "[I] said, 'Ok, that's going in the movie!"
Anchorman: Lamp Scene
Thanks to its legendary cast members - Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, and Paul Rudd - Anchorman will probably forever be one of our favorite comedies of all time. And with all these hilarious actors under the same roof, unexpected comedy scenes were bound to come into being.
Carell once recalled the moment he got a green light to off-script. "We should have more lines for you, but we don't have any on the page," he shared. "He literally said 'Just say something,' and hence came 'I ate a big red candle' [and] 'I love lamp.'" Yet another hilarious moment Steve Carell has so generously given us.
Bridesmaids: Plane Scene
Sometimes we look back on things we did when we were intoxicated and might regret them. Other times we don't even remember them at all. But in Kristen Wiig's case, they can be a total comedy show - and she's apparently so good at playing the part that the Bridesmaids director sat back and watched her improvise an entire scene.
"Every time we would do a take, Kristen would do something different," said director Paul Feig, referring to the hilarious scene. "She was so funny at playing drunk that... whenever she would come through that curtain back here, it was always just like... 'What's she gonna do this time?'" She didn't disappoint, that's for sure.
Princess Bride: Miracle Max Scene
When the legendary Billy Crystal was invited to the set of Princess Bride back in 1987, it soon began to give production a lot of improvised materials they couldn't resist adding to the movie. "From the first shot in which cantankerous Max appears... he began ad-libbing," co-star Cary Elwes recalled.
It was precisely Crystal's over-the-top character that made him very popular among the movie's producers. "For three days straight and ten hours a day, Billy improvised thirteenth-century period jokes, never saying the same thing or the same line twice," Elwes laughed.
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: Draco Scene
Draco Malfoy became notorious among fans of the Harry Potter series for his sly comments. And we'll never forget the wizard's comments during his scene with - who he thought was - fellow Slytherins Crabbe and Goyle in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.
"I didn't know you could read," Malfoy tells Harry - disguised as Greg Goyle - with the character's usual look of disgust on his face. Although the line certainly matches Draco's personality created by J. K. Rowling, that particular line was ad-libbed by Tom Felton right then and there!
Titanic: Ledge Scene
It was the movie that made Leonardo DiCaprio a star in Hollywood - and in our hearts: the moment we were first introduced to Jack, during his first time sailing on the ship's bow. And according to Titanic's director, it was actually "made up on the spot."
James Cameron recalled trying to come up with DiCaprio's line. "We had tried this, and we had tried that… and nothing was really working," he shared. The idea then suddenly came to him. "I said, 'All right, I got one for you. Just say, "I'm the king of the world.'" And our hearts are still struggling to go on.
Dazed and Confused: Driving Scene
"Alright, alright, alright!" The 1993 film Dazed and Confused marked the start of 23-year-old Matthew McConaughey's career - as well as the beginning of his famous catchphrase. But what if we said the phrase had actually never been written into the script?
Dazed? Confused? Nope! McConaughey knew exactly how to handle the situation when he was brought in for a last-minute scene with no lines prepared. Since he'd been listening to Jim Morrison's The Doors before filming began, he said his iconic phrase, "alright, alright, alright," which made the final cut.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Waxing Scene
Many of us know the pain of hair removal using wax. But only Steve Carell can tell us what it's like having to get one's chest waxed with an entire audience and crew members watching. That's right - we're talking about his role as "Andy" in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
And get this - the whole waxing scene was actually Carell's idea! And his on-screen reaction to being waxed? Completely authentic. "There is no way you can act the horror that you are witnessing and the joy of watching a man go through something like that," he said of the unforgettable moment.
Dumb and Dumber: Hitchhiking Scene
Who knew that such an annoying sound could possibly turn into one of the most hilarious movie moments ever? We're not sure if Jim Carey necessarily knew how funny the car scene would turn out when he decided to add his own touch to it. But we can definitely agree it turned out to be a good idea.
"There were moments, very few, where Jim would go off. And one of the few was, 'You wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?'" said co-star Jeff Daniels. "That was in the middle of a take." Daniels' response? "I just repeated what he was doing because when in doubt, repeat Jim." We're definitely not complaining.
Pitch Perfect: Audition Scene
The most important things to bring to an audition are headshots or resumés, a snack, and confidence. But in Pitch Perfect, Anna Kendrick added one essential item to the list: a plastic cup. Her audition scene went on to become one of the most famous scenes from the movie - all thanks to Reddit.
The actress remembers using the a cappella "cup song" - an idea she found on the internet - when she auditioned for the role. The movie's directors loved it so much that it eventually ended up being incorporated into the movie. We're definitely glad it made the cut!
Mean Girls: Party Scene
Mean Girls is one of those golden movies still etched in our memories from all the rewatching we did. One of the most iconic scenes from the film was the fight that went down between Janis and Cady with Damien driving the car - and guess what? It was never a part of the script!
We'll never forget the rage that these two were feeling when they pulled up at Cady's house party. But it turns out it was all off-script! Especially when Damien, improvising, yelled out, "And I want my pink shirt back!" as he drove away. Also, that was actually his shirt that Lindsay Lohan was wearing in the movie!
Don’t Look Up: Concert Scene
The talented Ariana Grande has definitely proven she's not only an expert singer but also an amazing actress as well. In fact, she's such a good performer that one time she went off-script while filming Don't Look Up. The best part? Director Adam McKay called it "one of his favorite moments in the movie."
"She's the one who added all that stuff about, 'We're all gonna die, turn off that... Box News,'" Adam said of Grande's famous concert scene. "That was her riffing on the first scratch track of the melody, and the second I heard it, I was like, 'Oh, that's going in the movie.'"
Forrest Gump: Military Scene
Forrest Gump is one of the most adored movies of all time, winning six Oscars and seven Golden Globe Awards. That may be sort of why we were so surprised to know that several of Tom Hanks' famous lines from the film were totally unscripted. In fact, when we were first introduced to his character, he was 100% improvising!
"My name's Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump," said Tom Hanks after enlisting in the army. Seeing that director Robert Zemeckis was completely entertained by the improvised lines, he decided to allow the iconic exchange to be in the final cut.
The Devil Wears Prada: Final Scene
Any movie with Meryl Streep in it is hard to disappoint. Especially when her contribution to the film isn't just her impeccable acting skills. According to screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, Streep was actually behind one of The Devil Wears Prada's most famous scenes.
"In the table read, I'd written a line in the last scene in the limousine, 'everybody wants to be me,'" McKenna shared. "[Meryl Streep] changed it to, 'everybody wants to be us,' because there was the sense that it's about the mores of an entire world; It's not about one woman and her values." Iconic.
Spider-Man No Way Home: Farewell Scene
Most Spider-Man fans were probably in tears watching Andrew Garfield officially retire his famous suit. It turns out the No Way Home star was just as emotional about leaving his MCU family. His farewell in the latest film was actually completely unscripted.
"There's a line I improvised in the movie, looking at [Maguire and Holland], and I tell them I love them," the star revealed. "That was just me loving them." Don't worry, we won't spoil it for those who haven't seen the last installment yet. But we gotta tell ya, we'll never forget that scene.
Toy Story: Buzz's Scene
The famous movie about talking toys has inspired many action figures and Halloween outfits across the country. One of the actors in the animated Disney gem was none other than Tim Allen. Actually, it was precisely his own touch he added to Toy Story that made one of the scenes so great.
"Early on, they'd give it to me. [Now] they just say, 'Tim, read the script,'" the Toy Story star joked of his tendency to improvise. But one unscripted moment was featured in the final cut - "When Woody goes, 'You are a toy!' and I said, 'You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity.'"
The Hunger Games: Train Scene
One of our favorite movie moments would definitely be Elizabeth Banks' time in The Capitol. Apparently, there's a good reason we were so entertained by it: "I got to improv a lot with Effie," the Hunger Games actress confessed. "There were really very few words scripted, so I got to have fun with that."
One of these famous lines was formulated when Effie Trinket was aboard the Capitol train. "That is mahogany!" the actress hilariously joked. "I threw it in there... and [the director] called cut, and I went over to him, and said, 'You have to keep that in the movie, because the fans will go bananas.'"
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Rehearsal Scene
Leonardo DiCaprio has so many memorable movie moments, it's sometimes hard to keep track. But one thing we'll never forget is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's freakout scene. In addition to it being completely unplanned - but it was actually all DiCaprio's idea.
"It wasn't in the script... we never rehearsed it or anything," Quentin Tarantino said of DiCaprio's decision to go off-script. "Leo had a whole thing," he continued. "[He] was like, 'Look, I need I need to [mess] up during the 'Lancer' sequence, all right?" There's no doubt this actor knows how to do mistakes the right way.