Top 10 Actor Mistakes That Were Kept in the Movie

Script written by Nathan Sharp

Top 10 Actor Mistakes That Were Kept in the Movie

Sometimes the true magic happens when you’re not looking for it. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 actor mistakes that were kept in the movie.

For this list, we’ll be looking at bloopers that made it into finished films, either accidentally or intentionally. These can include physical mishaps, forgotten lines, and happy accidents that made a scene even better.

#10: Chris Pratt Fumbles the Orb

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
The MCU is full of terrific casting, but Chris Pratt in the role of Star Lord is particularly inspired. And, as in “Parks and Recreation,” Pratt’s improvisation and blunders only add to his character. In the scene involving The Collector, Star Lord fumbles the orb and drops it on the ground. According to James Gunn in the audio commentary, this was a complete accident, as Chris Pratt actually fumbled the prop. But rather than laughing, Pratt decided to pick it up and play it off, and Gunn loved it so much that he kept it in the movie. It was a happy accident and a perfect example of Star Lord’s lovably goofball nature.

#9: Al Pacino Trips Over a Garbage Can

“Scent of a Woman” (1992)
Al Pacino won an Academy Award for his role as the blind Frank Slade, a retired and irritable lieutenant colonel. Pacino undertook meticulous research for the role, which included meeting with members of New York’s Associated Blind. He also met with the Lighthouse Guild, who taught him techniques that blind people use to perform everyday tasks. In order to simulate his character’s blindness, Pacino never allowed his eyes to focus. Because of this, he accidentally ran into a garbage can while filming on the street. The actors stayed in character, and the blooper was kept in the movie - adding to the realism of his performance.

#8: Jim Carrey Asks for a Line

“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004)
This movie didn’t do super well at the box office, but most people will agree that Jim Carrey made for a great Count Olaf. When meeting the Baudelaire children, Olaf asks Klaus to repeat himself so he can give a more appropriate reaction to their parents’ deaths. But legend has it that Carrey had actually wanted to do another take and was asking the script supervisor to give him the line again. Carrey can even be seen gesturing off-camera with his left hand, presumably towards the script supervisor. Through a clever bit of editing, the filmmakers were able to work it into the movie and make it seem like just another one of Olaf’s eccentricities.

#7: Aaron Ruell Breaks the Tupperware

“Napoleon Dynamite” (2004)
One of the funniest scenes in “Napoleon Dynamite” sees Kip driving over a tupperware bowl, shattering it, and driving away in utter defeat. This is another example of a real life gaffe making the scene even funnier than it was envisioned. The original plan was to have the tupperware slightly deform and reshape itself, but it ended up exploding with a satisfying pop. Not wanting to waste a fantastic opportunity, actor Aaron Ruell decided to improvise Kip’s disappointment and drove out of the shot. It is infinitely funnier than what was planned, and it proves that the comedy gods were smiling upon the “Napoleon Dynamite” filmmakers that day.

#6: Tom Felton Is Surprised Goyle Can Read

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002)
In order to access the Slytherin common room and suss out information from Malfoy, Harry and Ron decide to drink Polyjuice potion and disguise themselves as Crabbe and Goyle. Unfortunately, Harry forgets to take off his glasses, leading Malfoy to question why Goyle is wearing them. When Harry explains that he was reading, Malfoy off-handedly remarks that he didn’t know Goyle could read. This line was completely improvised by Tom Felton, who supposedly forgot his actual response. Jason Isaacs, who plays Felton’s fictional father Lucius, claims that improvisation was welcomed on set and that it often led to many great interactions.

#5: Matt Dillon Takes a Tumble

“The Outsiders” (1983)
“The Outsiders” is a pretty heavy story, but it’s punctuated with moments of levity. This is one of those moments. While putting the moves on Cherry, Dallas accidentally falls out of his chair and is laughed at by both Ponyboy and Cherry. It works wonderfully within the context of the scene, and it was also a total freak accident. Matt Dillon actually fell out of his chair, and the laughs from C. Thomas Howell and Diane Lane were genuine. In fact, you can totally see Howell glance off-camera towards the crew, presumably expecting the director to cut. Luckily, they decided to keep rolling, and Lane can be seen trying to contain her laughter as Dillon continues as planned.

#4: Ben Stiller Just Doesn’t Get It

“Zoolander” (2001)
It seems like Tom Felton took a page out of Ben Stiller’s book - whenever you forget your line, just make up something funny. When Derek Zoolander asks David Duchovny’s J.P. Prewett why male models are being used as assassins, Prewett embarks on a long and detailed explanation. It SEEMS like Zoolander is understanding perfectly. That is, until Prewett finishes his explanation, and Zoolander asks the exact same question. Stiller had actually forgotten his next line and decided to just ask the question again. Duchovny rolled with Stiller’s ad lib and improvised his own response to Zoolander’s dimwitted question.

#3: Benicio Del Toro Lets One Rip

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)
Farting plus a long day of shooting equals unstoppable giggles. The famous line-up sequence from “The Usual Suspects” was supposed to be serious and dramatic, but Benicio Del Toro kept farting and cracking everyone up. According to Kevin Pollak on the special edition DVD, Del Toro had been farting for twelve straight takes and the actors were getting giddy. This reportedly infuriated director Bryan Singer, who was trying to film the sequence properly. He’d lost all control of his actors and decided to just cut the scene in a humorous fashion by using a combination of the funniest takes. The result was comedy gold.

#2: Stormtrooper Bonks His Head

“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977)
It doesn’t get much more iconic than the head-bonking Stormtrooper. The identity of the stormtrooper remains disputed, although it’s believed to be either Laurie Goode or Michael Leader. Either way, the blooper has become a famous piece of movie history, and while it was initially overlooked, George Lucas has since acknowledged the gaffe in many ways. In “Attack of the Clones,” Jango Fett bumps his head on a clearance door in homage to the stormtrooper, and in the 2004 re-release, the bonking was given an audible sound effect. Apparently actors hitting their heads is quite common, as Gandalf hitting the wall in Bilbo’s hobbit hole was also unscripted.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Flustered Leo Calls the Couch a Bed
“Titanic” (1997)

Cleavon Little Can’t Keep a Straight Face
“Blazing Saddles” (1974)

George C. Scott Trips in One of Cinema’s Funniest Falls
“Dr. Strangelove” (1964)

Ludacris Can’t Contain His Laughter - Or His Drink
“Fast & Furious 6” (2013)

Paris Themmen Defies Instructions Not to Step in Front of Gene Wilder
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)

#1: Leonardo DiCaprio Slices His Hand Open

“Django Unchained” (2012)
If there’s one on-screen mistake more famous than the Stormtrooper bonking his head, then it’s Leonardo DiCaprio’s accident in “Django Unchained”. While filming the dinner table confrontation, DiCaprio accidentally slammed his hand into stemmed glassware and sliced it open. Ever the professional, DiCaprio didn’t even flinch and continued the scene as planned. It wasn’t until later that he looked down at his hand to assess the damage and saw it covered in blood. After the scene cut, DiCaprio reportedly received a standing ovation by the cast and crew. It was also he who had the idea of smearing blood on Broomhilda’s face - although fake blood was used for the sequence.