Top 10 Heartwarming Behind the Scenes Cast Stories

Top 10 Heartwarming Behind the Scenes Cast Stories

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Heartwarming Behind the Scenes Cast Stories.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the sweetest and most wholesome off-screen anecdotes from TV and movie productions.

Do you have any other heartwarming behind-the-scenes stories to share? Warm all our hearts by dropping them in the comments.

#10: The Friends Who Negotiated Together
“Friends” (1994-2004)

The 2021 “Friends” Reunion uncovered plenty of revelations. For instance, at one time, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer really thought they could be each other’s lobsters. However, our favorite behind-the-scenes story involves the entire cast. Indeed, they banded together and approached NBC about their salaries. They felt that as equals in the show, they deserved to be paid as such. Apparently, for Aniston and Schwimmer, that meant taking less money at first. But clearly, they were strongest as a group. After all, the network wasn’t going to fire the entire cast of their most popular show. Their strategy paid off, and, by season nine, each star reportedly earned $1,000,000 per episode. Could your heart BE any more warmed right now?

#9: The Pre-Show Ritual
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96)

Audiences enjoyed plenty of musical moments across the six seasons of this classic ‘90s sitcom. However, music was also a big part of the cast’s off-screen bonding experience. Will Smith would blast music, and everyone would gather in his dressing room to hype themselves up for that night’s taping. The uplifting footage from the 2020 reunion special shows the cast dancing around, goofing off, and just having the best time. You really get a sense of how tight they all must have been. Speaking of tight-knit bonds, James Avery coached Smith through that famous heartbreaking scene. He saw Smith’s potential and pushed him to do his best. We’re not crying…

#8: Natalie Wood’s Christmas Spirit
“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947)

There’s nothing more wholesome at Christmas than a kid getting excited over a Santa sighting. So imagine being about 8 years old and believing that jolly ol’ Kris Kringle is your co-star. This was the case for Natalie Wood, who thought that Edmund Gwenn was the real deal while filming this holiday classic. Something about his beard and Santa suit made her believe the magic was true. This is funnier still when you consider that her character, Susan Walker, isn’t the biggest believer in Santa at first. However, this meant that Wood’s wonderment and joy throughout the film was authentic. Sadly the illusion was shattered when Gwenn came to the cast and crew afterparty looking like himself.

#7: Love at the Airport
“Love Actually” (2003)

Another must-watch Christmas flick, “Love Actually” has an opening scene that never fails to hit us in the feels. Watching all those people reunite with family and friends is so sweet and likely leaves you welling up with every rewatch. Well, as it turns out, those moments are completely real. Cameras were set up and left rolling around Heathrow airport’s arrivals area. When they captured a special moment they wanted to feature in the film, they’d go up to the individuals and request permission to use the footage. The touching result really helped set the tone for the movie. About eighteen years later, Heathrow Airport recreated the iconic scene to show people reuniting for the holidays after pandemic travel restrictions were loosened.

#6: Manny Jacinto’s Thoughtful Parting Gift
“The Good Place” (2016-20)

In 2020, fans of “The Good Place” said a bittersweet farewell to the divine sitcom. And we apologize if you’ve just started to get over it because this adorable behind-the-scenes story will have you reaching for the tissues. Remember how Manny Jacinto’s character Jason surprises D'Arcy Carden’s Janet with a necklace as a heartfelt gesture during their goodbye scene? Well, the cast gathered together to watch the final episode and celebrate their time together. While out, Jacinto told Carden that he had a present for her. He took her aside and revealed that he’d taken that very same necklace. And just like that, it became a token of their time together. Are your eyes welling up? Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

#5: Fred Astaire Coached a Tearful Debbie Reynolds
“Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)

You might’ve heard the story about how Gene Kelly worked a teenage Debbie Reynolds so hard that her feet bled while making “Singin’ in the Rain.” But did you hear the one about how Fred Astaire comforted the young actress and coached her through that movie’s dance demands? Reynolds was struggling, and Astaire discovered her sobbing under a piano. He reassured her and invited her to watch him in rehearsal so she could see how grueling showbiz life can be — even for stars like him. Reynolds was so touched by the gesture, calling him “the sweetest man.” Needless to say, she held her own next to her co-stars and gave us one of the most iconic movie musical dances of all time.

#4: Mara Wilson’s Surrogate Family
“Matilda” (1996)

This 1996 classic was a staple of many childhoods, and made us wish for telekinetic powers of our own. But behind the scenes, life for the actress playing its young protagonist, Mara Wilson, had taken a dark turn. Her mother, Suzie, had received a breast cancer diagnosis. So Wilson’s on-screen parents Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman made sure to be there for her. They took her under their wings while her mom underwent treatment. Sadly, Suzie passed away a few months after filming wrapped, before the film’s theatrical release. However, it was later revealed that DeVito had taken a rough cut of the project to the hospital so that Suzie could watch it. That’s one amazing co-star.

#3: Alan Rickman Being an All-Around Sweetheart
“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)

Despite playing the mysterious anti-hero Severus Snape, Alan Rickman was a kind-hearted soul in reality. According to Matthew Lewis, who portrayed Neville Longbottom, the late actor treated everyone as his “equal.” There are so many heartwarming stories about Rickman, all of which paint him in a gracious and humble light. They range from looking out for his young castmates, holding onto an unflattering doodle by Rupert Grint, and showing little ones around the “Harry Potter” set. He even made a child with cancer’s desire to shoot a scene a reality. In other words, it sounds like he knew how to make those around him feel seen. The great actor and all-around wonderful man is sorely missed.

#2: Bill Skarsgård Reassured His Young Co-stars
“It” (2017)

Even for an adult, Pennywise is the stuff of nightmares. So imagine being a kid in constant close proximity to that terrifying clown. In an interview with his brother, Alexander, Bill Skarsgård shared how bizarre the experience was. It sounds like on the one hand, it was his job to scare these kids. But on the other hand, he noticed how genuinely frightened some of them were. And several even started crying mid-take. The actor was somewhat startled by his impact on these young extras. So after they cut, he apologized and tried to reassure them that this was all just make-believe. As sweet as the story is, it might have been more comforting if he wasn’t still dressed as the clown. Still, it’s priceless.

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

James Gandolfini Spread His Profits, “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
He Learned He Was the Only One Getting Money From DVD Sales, so He Shared His Cut With His Castmates

Willy Wonka & Charlie Bonded, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
Actors Peter Ostrum & Gene Wilder Would Often Split a Chocolate Bar at Lunch

The “Cabaret” Storyline, “Schitt's Creek” (2015-20)
The Actress Behind Stevie, Emily Hampshire, Had Previously Mentioned to Dan Levy That Her Dream Role Was Sally Bowles

Paris Hilton Got Support From the Crew, “House of Wax” (2005)
The Socialite Was Embarrassed to Scream on Set, so Everyone Did It with Her

Emma Thompson Took a Stand Over Body Image Issues, “Brideshead Revisited” (2008)
Upon Overhearing a Producer Ask Another Actress to Lose Weight, She Made It Clear That She Would Quit if the Behavior Persisted

#1: Robin Williams Performed Stand-up for Steven Spielberg
“Schindler's List” (1993)

"Schindler's List" is arguably one of Spielberg's greatest films. But given its heavy subject matter, it was also incredibly grueling to make. To cope with the intense weight of it all, the director is said to have watched a lot of "Saturday Night Live" alongside his co-workers. However, nothing lifted his spirits quite like receiving weekly phone calls from his old buddy Robin Williams. The actor reportedly performed short stand-up routines and would simply hang up after receiving “the biggest laugh.” There are so many incredible stories about the late actor's kind-hearted nature. Still, something as simple as taking time out of his busy schedule to cheer up a friend really warms our hearts.