Top 50 Improvised Movie Moments

Top 50 Improvised Movie Moments

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most legendary and iconic movie scenes that were improvised.

#50: The Farting Story

“Good Will Hunting” (1997)

Despite being one of his more dramatic roles, Robin Williams still provided plenty of humor throughout “Good Will Hunting.” Perhaps the most notable example is the story he shares with Will about his late wife farting in her sleep. The entire monologue was made up by Williams, and it actually caused Matt Damon to laugh for real. Of course, this being a funny story in the first place, they decided to just keep the laughter in. Legend also has it that you can see the camera shaking slightly, which is the result of the camera operator also chuckling behind the scenes.

#49: Dancing for Pedro

“Napoleon Dynamite” (2004)

Much to his horror, Pedro learns that he must perform a skit as part of his election speech. Napoleon takes one for the team and does the skit for him, dancing to Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.” This impresses the student body, and Napoleon finally gets some respect and adoration from his peers. With a little additional help from co-star Tina Majorino, this weirdly touching dance was completely improvised by Jon Heder, who took inspiration from the likes of Michael Jackson and “Saturday Night Fever.” Heder performed three different dances, and the best parts of each were spliced together in the editing room.

#48: Hiller Welcomes the Aliens

“Independence Day” (1996)

It’s one of the most iconic scenes in science fiction - an alien climbs out of a spaceship, only to be met by the fist of Captain Steve Hiller, who delivers a one-liner for the ages. Punching an alien in the face is epic. Delivering a one-liner immediately after, even more so. And it all came from the mind of Will Smith. While the “close encounter” line was in the script, screenwriter Dean Devlin revealed to Yahoo! that Smith improvised, “Welcome to Earth.” Apparently, Smith didn’t love the line and changed it while filming, impressing Roland Emmerich so much that he left it in the movie. Now that’s what we call good improv.

#47: The Arm Reload

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018)

One scene from the sixth “Mission: Impossible” film took the internet by storm, and that was the famous arm reload. August Walker is fighting some goons in a washroom when he suddenly pumps both of his arms, almost as if he’s reloading a weapon. Then again, have you seen those arms? Those are weapons. According to director Christopher McQuarrie, this little motion was improvised by Henry Cavill. To make the story even funnier, he didn’t even notice it while filming, telling The Toronto Sun, “I don’t even think I was aware of it until we were editing the scene.” Well, it didn’t take long for the internet to become aware of it, that’s for sure.

#46: “But Why Male Models?”

“Zoolander” (2001)

The titular male model isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, which comes in handy when Ben Stiller forgets his lines. In one of the movie’s most important scenes, David Duchovny’s J.P. Prewett lays out a complicated conspiracy involving an evil plot and a series of male models. He goes into specifics about why male models are chosen, including their physiques. Derek listens to it all, but not a minute later asks again why male models are chosen. This hilarious question was improvised by Stiller, who had forgotten his next line and simply decided to repeat the question. It definitely works, being totally in line with his buffoonish and clueless character.

#45: The Pity Party Speech

“Bridesmaids” (2011)

Sometimes you just need a bit of tough love, and that’s where Megan comes in. Annie is at a low point in her life and feeling a bit sorry for herself. That’s when Megan makes a surprise visit to give a surprisingly effective pep talk, essentially telling her to suck it up and move on. Much of this speech was ad-libbed by Melissa McCarthy, who would later receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. According to director Paul Feig, many details throughout the speech were made up by McCarthy, like Megan having high-security clearance at a government facility and being tormented by other kids in high school.

#44: “Think of My Children!”

“The Mummy” (1999)

This old-fashioned adventure flick blends action, comedy, and horror into one glorious package, making us all realize why we love going to the movies. Brendan Fraser does a lot of the movie’s heavy comedic lifting, but he’s aided by the wonderful Kevin J. O’Connor, playing Beni Gabor. The two play off each other perfectly, like in this scene where Rick catches Beni spying on him. Rick points a gun at Beni and threatens to kill him, prompting Beni to yell, “Think of my children,” in a desperate attempt to save himself. This line was improvised by O’Connor. In the script, he says, “You were never any good with the ladies, O’Connell.” And that’s not nearly as memorable…

#43: “I’m the King of the World!”

“Titanic” (1997)

This legendary film is chock-full of iconic moments, like young Jack Dawson standing on the bow of the ship and proclaiming himself the King of the World. Believe it or not, this was not in the script. In Cameron’s shooting text, the camera pans away after Fabrizio says that he can see the Statue of Liberty. However, Cameron wanted a little more, so he and Leonardo DiCaprio experimented with different ideas on set. It was Cameron who came up with the iconic line, and while DiCaprio didn’t like it, he did it anyway… and made movie history in the process. It is now ranked as the 100th best movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute.

#42: Give It Up for Gordon

“The Dark Knight” (2008)

Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker is almost mythical at this point, and like most myths, there exists a degree of uncertainty and dramatic exaggeration. For example, it’s long been rumored that Ledger’s reaction to the delayed hospital explosion was improvised - it was not. But what was improvised was his sarcastic clapping for James Gordon. According to Christopher Nolan, Ledger kept everyone on their toes and did a lot of improvising on set, whether it be entirely new lines or little bits of physical work. Apparently it was Ledger’s idea to have the Joker clap for Gordon, and this little idea has since become one of the movie’s most iconic visuals.

#41: Adrian’s Broadcasts

“Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987)

“Good Will Hunting” isn’t the only movie to flex the improv chops of Robin Williams. Almost ten years earlier he was playing Adrian Cronauer in “Good Morning, Vietnam” and making up most of his material. Director Barry Levinson forbade Williams from meeting the real Cronauer, as he didn’t want Williams doing an impression. As a result, Williams later claimed that his portrayal of Adrian was only 5% Cronauer, 95% himself. This is highly obvious in the famous broadcast sequences, the hyperactive ramblings of which are pure Robin Williams. Unsurprisingly, these broadcasts were entirely improvised, with Levinson giving the famous comedian free rein behind the microphone.

#40: “Alright Alright Alright”

“Dazed and Confused” (1993)

It must feel pretty darn good to have one of your improvised lines become an iconic piece of movie history. “Dazed and Confused” is a cult classic that is largely remembered for Matthew McConaughey’s David Wooderson. David has been widely memed throughout the years, and many of his lines are modern day classics. One of them is of course “Alright alright alright,” which is now something of a catchphrase for McConaughey himself. According to the actor, that legendary line was completely improvised. He heard “action” from writer/director Richard Linklater and spontaneously made movie history. Not too bad for your first major gig.

#39: Al Pacino Hits a Garbage Can

“Scent of a Woman” (1992)

This movie earned Al Pacino his first Oscar win. He plays Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cranky man who is blind, and is aided by Chris O'Donnell’s Charlie Simms. In one of the movie’s best sequences, Frank is walking down a busy street, runs into a garbage can, and stumbles. Legend has it that this was completely unplanned. Pacino apparently got into character by not allowing his eyes to focus, thereby simulating a degree of impaired vision. While shooting the scene, it’s been said he genuinely didn’t see the can and walked straight into it. Luckily, both he and O'Donnell are consummate pros, so they apparently just kinda ran with it.

#38: “Stu’s Song”

“The Hangover” (2009)

Hitting the pause button on their efforts to find Doug, the main trio takes a break inside of their trashed hotel suite. Stu uses this opportunity to hop on the piano and sing a short song about his missing friend. The set of “The Hangover” was evidently quite welcoming, with director Todd Phillips encouraging creative freedom. As such, Stu’s Song was reportedly crafted by the musically talented Ed Helms. According to Helms, he would often goof around on the piano while filming, so Phillips decided to have him sing in the movie. The result was “Stu’s Song,” and one of the most memorable laughs of the whole film.

#37: Eating Baby Corn

“Big” (1988)

This classic Tom Hanks comedy concerns Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old kid who makes an ambiguous wish to become “big.” The next day, the preteen has suddenly grown into a grown man portrayed by Hanks. The result is a lot of great physical comedy, with the adult Hanks often acting like a child. The iconic actor brought a lot of creative magic to the performance, including one scene in which Josh eats baby corn like corn on the cob. Apparently director Penny Marshall signaled to Hanks that she wanted him to do something with the corn, and this is what we came up with. It was so great it ended up in the movie, which we think was a great decision.

#36: Mrs. White’s Speech

“Clue” (1985)

Near the end of this classic whodunnit, Mrs. White comically describes her hatred for Yvette. This is a defining and utterly hilarious moment in the movie, and it largely came from the creative mind of actress Madeline Kahn. Director Jonathan Lynn was reportedly quite strict about improvising and generally liked to keep to the script. However, this scene proved the exception, as Kahn seemingly couldn’t help herself. She took a straightforward line from the script and spinned it into comic gold, rambling and perfectly stumbling over her words. The confused reactions from the other characters are also genuine, as the actors had no idea what Kahn was saying.

#35: Many Moments

“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004)

And here we come to the other end of the spectrum. “Anchorman” had a script, courtesy of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. But it seems that as director, McKay gave his actors lots of freedom when it came to improv. According to Paul Rudd, they would shoot the scene how it was written in the script and then do takes where they just improvised and played off each other. As such, many of the movie’s more iconic lines were ad-libbed by the actors, including Brick’s famous “I love lamp” moment. Another was apparently Ron Burgundy’s “glass case of emotion,” a brilliant term for the phone booth that’s been said to have been made up by Will Ferrell.

#34: Going to 11 (& Much More)

“This Is Spinal Tap” (1984)

Rob Reiner is a brilliant director who is clearly a fan of improv. For example, the iconic “I’ll have what she’s having” from “When Harry Met Sally” was reportedly made up by Billy Crystal and given to Reiner’s mother to say. But that’s nothing compared to “This Is Spinal Tap.” Reiner told the British Film Institute that almost the entire movie was improvised. Usually, all they had were loose story arcs guiding how a scene should play, with some material anchoring the story. For example, they knew they wanted an amp that went to 11. But the bulk of the ordeal is pure improv magic, with the dialogue being made up on the spot by Christopher Guest and Reiner himself.

#33: The Truffle Shuffle

“The Goonies” (1985)

This iconic film from Richard Donner is known for its sense of adventure, but that would mean nothing without a memorable cast of characters at the helm. One of them is Jeff Cohen’s “Chunk,” who is unfortunately often ridiculed for his appearance. In one of the movie’s most well-known scenes, Chunk is told he has to do the “truffle shuffle” before he can come into the house. He proceeds to lift his shirt and shake his belly while making a funny face. According to Donner, he didn’t give any direction to Cohen, and the silly dance was made up by the young actor.

#32: Takagi Won’t Be Returning

“Die Hard” (1988)

At a time of wild excess in the action movie industry, “Die Hard” brilliantly flipped the script. One of the most notable aspects of the groundbreaking film was villain Hans Gruber. He wasn’t a stereotypically macho guy, but rather a sharp-dressed and wickedly intelligent man who utilized wits over brawn. Alan Rickman understood the assignment and, apparently, personally crafted one of the movie’s most darkly comedic lines. After killing Takagi, Hans informs the building that their boss won’t be returning “for the rest of his life.” The line was reportedly improvised by Rickman, and his coy delivery makes it a classic.

#31: Sam Doesn’t Care

“The Fugitive” (1993)

A classic cat and mouse thriller, “The Fugitive” stars Harrison Ford as the titular good guy and Tommy Lee Jones as his pursuer, Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard. Jones is a veteran of the screen, and he knows when something sounds good. During the storm drain scene, Kimble makes one more effort to convince the Marshal of his innocence. Sam isn’t having it and coldly responds by saying: [“I don’t care.”] Jones was reportedly supposed to say something along the lines of “So you didn’t kill your wife. Not my problem” But it seems he decided to put a little spin on it. We think he did a great job, as the new line sounds far colder and more unforgiving.

#30: “Game Over, Man! Game Over!”

“Aliens” (1986)

In this iconic sequel from James Cameron, the late Bill Paxton plays Hudson, a soldier sent to investigate planet LV-426. Hudson is, let’s face it, a bit of a whiner, but his anxious personality helped make him a fan favorite. His immaturity is on full display after the dropship crashes, leaving him and the other heroes stranded on the planet. Hudson goes into full panic mode and utters one of the most iconic lines of the franchise. The what are we supposed to do now part of the dialogue was scripted, but Paxton reportedly added the famous “game over” bit himself.

#29: The “Cinderella Story”

“Caddyshack” (1980)

Bill Murray is said to have improvised many of his most famous on-screen moments, like excitedly greeting Ned Ryerson with a hug in “Groundhog Day” and claiming that ghosts hate the piano in “Ghostbusters.” But the best has to be the “Cinderella story” from “Caddyshack.” Legend has it that Murray improvised most of his lines, receiving only vague directions from Harold Ramis. That was apparently the case with this scene, in which Murray was reportedly simply told to behave in kid-like fashion. It seems he did the rest, using a grass whip as a golf club and imagining himself at the U.S. Masters.

#28: Miracle Max

“The Princess Bride” (1987)

It’s obvious that Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal had a great working relationship and that Reiner understood the genius of Crystal’s brand of comedy. The comedian briefly appeared in Reiner’s “The Princess Bride,” donning a heap of makeup to play Miracle Max. Crystal spent just three days on set, and Reiner allowed him to ad lib many of his lines. The result was total joy not just for the audience, but for the folks on set as well. Reiner even stepped away due to laughing too hard. Mandy Patinkin also claims that he potentially “cracked a rib” while trying desperately to contain his laughter.

#27: Wonka’s Introduction

“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)

Willy Wonka is, shall we say, a wee bit of a troll. The guy loves to have a laugh, and yes, the jokes often come at the expense of children. Wonka makes his first public appearance after years living as a recluse, and it is not what the kids were expecting. He seems frail and delicate, walking slowly with a cane and not displaying much in the way of mirth. However, he reveals with a playful somersault that it was all an act. This entire bit came to be thanks to the late Gene Wilder, as he wanted to characterize Wonka as untrustworthy and hard-to-read. In Wilder’s own words, “no one would know if I was lying or telling the truth.”

#26: The Necklace Presentation

“Pretty Woman” (1990)

The titular pretty woman is Vivian Ward, a sex worker who is hired to be a social escort for Edward Lewis. At one point, Edward presents Vivian with a gorgeous and very expensive necklace. In real life, this piece of jewelry is rumored to have been quite expensive, but that’s not even the wildest part of this story. During the presentation, he playfully closes the box on her hand, causing her to laugh in surprise. This was actually an unscripted prank planned by Richard Gere and director Garry Marshall, so Julia Roberts’s reaction is real. The central pair’s chemistry is just off the charts, and this brilliant bit only added to their magnetism.

#25: The Funniest Ending in Movie History?

“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)

Stanley Kubrick is known for his dense and complex dramas, but he also had a stellar eye for comedy. “Dr. Strangelove” is a brilliant satire of the Cold War, and by extension, humanity’s penchant for violence and destruction. Much of the movie’s genius stems from its star Peter Sellers, who improvised the bulk of his dialogue. Sellers’s greatest achievement seems to have been the movie’s famous ending, in which Dr. Strangelove randomly rises from his wheelchair and realizes that he can walk. This fantastic bit of comedy was reportedly all Sellers, and it is now regarded as one of the funniest endings in movie history. Few people could match Kubrick’s genius, but Sellers was evidently one of them.

#24: Mr. Blonde’s Dance

“Reservoir Dogs” (1992)

Despite his cheery and rather innocent-sounding name, Mr. Blonde is anything but. He’s actually quite sadistic, and this is coming from the other criminals of the movie! Blonde’s mean streak is best exemplified in the infamous dance sequence, which sees him tormenting a police officer. According to actor Michael Madsen, the only real direction given in the script was “Mr. Blonde maniacally dances around.” It was up to him to decide what that looked like. Madsen had also reportedly never rehearsed the dance with Quentin Tarantino, so he simply made it up on the day of shooting. The rest is history.

#23: “You Can’t Handle the Truth!”

“A Few Good Men” (1992)

“You can’t handle the truth” did for courtrooms what “I’m king of the world” did for boats - it’s basically impossible not to say it while inside one. It’s an absolute zinger, and in 2005 it was rated the 29th best American movie line of all time by the American Film Institute. Not too shabby for Jack Nicholson. Yep, the movie was penned by legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, but it was apparently Nicholson who came up with this particular quote. It’s believed that the line in the script read, “You already have the truth,” but that doesn’t sound as sharp. Enter Nicholson, who seemingly made a couple, shall we say, unforgettable alterations.

#22: “I Know”

“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

It was the moment everyone was waiting for. Princess Leia, devastated that Han is about to be frozen, finally tells him that she loves him. And his response? Not “I love you too,” not a reassuring smile, but a cold and unflinching “I know.” In the script, Han actually does respond with the banal “I love you too.” But Harrison Ford recognized that it doesn’t really fit with the character’s snarky and unemotional personality. They reportedly shot the scene with Ford sticking to the script, “for protection.” Ford himself came up with the “I know” that ultimately gave us movie magic.

#21: Don’t Forget the Dessert

“The Godfather” (1972)

Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece isn’t exactly a humorous affair, but it’s not without some laughs. One of the funniest moments comes after Paulie is killed, with Clemenza telling Rocco to: [“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”] It’s a fantastic line that not only introduces a macabre sense of normalcy to the violence, but it plays into a previous line about Clemenza being told to pick up cannoli. It’s also delivered in a dry, comic fashion by actor Richard Castellano, which helps get across just how mundane these activities are. The line in both the script and novel is simply “Leave the gun.” A talk Castellano had with his wife, Ardell Sheridan, led to the idea of adding the cannoli bit and bringing Clemenza’s day full circle.

#20: Show Tune

“The Warriors” (1979)

For the Coney Island confrontation between this film’s rival gangs, Director Walter Hill wanted David Patrick Kelly’s character Luther to taunt The Warriors from his ’55 Cadillac, and he gave him free reign to do it any way he wanted. Kelly clinked three bottles together in one hand and delivered the legendary singsong taunt that we’ve come to know. According to Kelly, it was a childhood tormentor that inspired the chant. It also helps that he’s a musician blessed with the singing chops for the line.

#19: Just Kickin’ It

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002)

Showbiz is dangerous. During a particularly emotional scene in the adaptation of Tolkien’s trilogy, Viggo Mortensen’s character Aragorn breaks down when he comes to the realization that two of his hobbit friends might be dead – and he expresses himself by kicking a nearby helmet. Turns out his breakdown was not only emotional, but also physical, because after too many takes of kicking solid metal he broke two toes. The shot chosen for the final cut of the film was the toe-breaker, because you can’t fake the intensity of the actor’s excruciating pain.

#18: The Barn Story

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)

Matt Damon only shows up towards the end of this epic war film, and he’s so preoccupied with survival, we barely get to know his character – except in this scene, which was improvised by the actor. As Ryan and Captain Miller quietly await more fighting, Private Ryan reminisces about his lost brothers in a spontaneous tale. Damon obviously thinks the story is as funny as we do, but once he realizes it’s the last time his family was together, the scene takes on a bittersweet feel, made more impressive when you remember it was ad-libbed.

#17: The Zit

“National Lampoon's Animal House” (1978)

When a director gives a comedian like John Belushi a little wiggle room, anything can happen. But, it’s almost guaranteed to be funny. John Landis knew that when Bluto began dumping food onto his tray, something magical might occur, so he let the cameraman follow him for the rest of the scene. Everything Belushi did in the cafeteria was unscripted, and since the cast and crew weren’t in on his joke or its disgusting punchline, the reactions captured on camera were real. It’s classic Belushi, and possibly the flick’s most famous scene.

#16: Chest Waxing

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)

Some say a comic is only as good as his ability to improvise. By that logic, this film features some stellar comedians, as it has many unscripted moments, including Steve Carell’s genuine pain-induced curses at having his very hairy chest waxed. On top of that, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen’s jokes were completely off-the-cuff. And if you’re a fan of their back-and-forth banter, you should check out the extended DVD scenes, where the two try to outdo each other for several minutes – all ad-libbed, of course.

#15: Roy Batty’s Monologue

“Blade Runner” (1982)

It’s completely natural for actors to tweak their lines for a monologue, but rarely do they go beyond grammar or sentence structure to resonate this much with the character and audience. Though there were previous scripted versions of this soliloquy, Rutger Hauer mainly improv’d the depth and philosophical musings of Roy Batty’s last words – and gave us even more reason to ask the question “what is human?” It might sound a little cheesy on paper, but it isn’t when it’s delivered as a replicant leader’s dramatic final epiphany.

#14: Sword to a Gunfight

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

Actors aren’t immune to travel troubles, and even a tough-guy like Harrison Ford submitted to dysentery while filming “Raiders” in Tunisia. That’s a big reason this scene was altered. Originally, Indy was supposed to engage the showoff-y swordsman in a choreographed swordfight where the adventurous archaeologist would disarm him with his whip. But Ford was sick and just wanted to shoot the guy. Though it wasn’t improvised while cameras rolled, that move impacted the franchise in a big way, and the scene is one of the series’ most iconic and hilarious moments.

#13: The Most Annoying Sound in the World

“Dumb and Dumber” (1994)

As dumb-dumbs Harry and Lloyd head on their cross-country road trip, they meet all sorts of people – including a hit man who’s trying to kill them. Well, sucks to be that guy, cause car rides with these two mean sing-alongs, anti-quitsies and the most annoying sound in the world. That last one was injected into the film by Jim Carrey on the fly, and you can see in Jeff Daniels’ reaction that he was not expecting it. Even the hit man’s outburst was unscripted; proving that sometimes unplanned is best.

#12: Look Out, Bellow

“Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932)

This jungle-living ape-man originated in a series of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novels, where his signature sound was described as “the victory cry of the bull ape.” When it came to bringing that noise to the screen, Olympic swimmer and once competitive yodeler Johnny Weissmuller was the first actor to succeed where others had failed. Tasked with inventing a call to summon his jungle crew, Weissmuller – and apparently some Hollywood sound editing trickery – combined to create one of the most celebrated, imitated, re-used and easily recognized soundbites in film history.

#11: “I Got a Jar of Dirt”

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006)

When Jack Sparrow was given the jar of dirt, he was unsure of its power, but when he comes face to face with Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman, he can’t help but flaunt it a little. The script simply had Jack Sparrow calling Davy Jones names with some schoolyard level taunting, but that didn’t sit well with Johnny Depp. The reactions of the rest of the actors are genuine confusion and surprise, as Depp falls down the stairs, only to get up and sing the infectious little ditty to further taunt Jones.

#10: Singin’ in the Rain

“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)

Always a perfectionist, Stanley Kubrick shot and reshot the scene where the main group of droogs engages in their brand of ultra-violence. But the scene still felt empty, so Kubrick instructed actor Malcolm McDowell to inject a little spontaneity – which he did, to the tune of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Taking this classic old song and twisting it into such a creepy scene turns out to be a terrifying blend of happiness and evil. One that will be seared into our brains forever.

#9: “Hey, I’m Walkin’ Here!”

“Midnight Cowboy” (1969)

Though there’s some debate about whether this scene was actually unscripted, it’s still a memorable movie moment that Dustin Hoffman claims to have improvised. He and Jon Voight are walking NYC streets discussing the ins-and-outs of the gigolo business when bam! A taxi works its way into the shot, almost running Hoffman down and prompting him to deliver the endlessly quotable line “I’m walkin’ here!” Hoffman has said that while he uttered those iconic words, what he really wanted to say was “Hey, we’re makin’ a movie here!”, but method acting’s his game, so he stayed in character the entire time.

#8: Boat Envy

“Jaws” (1975)

This ain’t just any shark – Chief Brody knows it and so did the actor playing him. In fact, Roy Scheider was the one who came up with the film’s most famous line off-the-cuff. The first time we actually get a look at the giant great white, Scheider decided to cut the tension with a one-liner that earned its spot in the annals of film history. He didn’t come up with the phrase on the spot though, it was actually a common saying on the set! As the story goes, the film’s producers didn’t spring for a big enough barge to hold all the equipment needed, so saying “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” became a running joke among crew members.

#7: Mirror Image

“Taxi Driver” (1976)

Martin Scorsese encourages actors to contribute to his films, and this is one case where he hit pay dirt. The script read: “Travis speaks to himself in the mirror.” Robert De Niro turned those instructions into one of the most famous and oft-quoted sequences in cinema history. Perfectly capturing Travis Bickle’s loneliness and alienation, this scene has been cited as the one that says the most about his flawed personality. It has gone on to be referenced time and time again in movies and tv shows alike.

#6: “Funny How?”

“GoodFellas” (1990)

Even if you’ve never seen this flick, there’s one scene you surely know. Scorsese again allowed actors to invent dialogue, which he would retroactively add into the script. And Joe Pesci nabbed an Oscar by showing he could turn on a dime. Not only does his improvised diatribe explain his character; it also stops his buddies dead in their tracks, and has audiences holding their breath. He manages to keep the tension going just long enough to really emphasize the humour when he finally lets up and admits he’s joking.

#5: Hopkins is Hiss-terical

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)

Sir Anthony Hopkins is still haunting our dreams with his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and the scene where he’s introduced is arguably his creepiest – and yes, we’re counting the muzzle. The mounting tension and quiet hostility between Hannibal and Clarice is palpable, and one sound sums it up best. Call it a hiss, a slurp – whatever, Hopkins invented it on the spot to spook Clarice, creeping us all out at the same time. We’ll never be able to get this eerie moment out of our heads and for that he more than deserves his Oscar.

#4: Major Malfunction

“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)

What’s the best way to portray how brutal drill instructors are? Hire a real one, obviously. Stanley Kubrick originally enlisted ex-Marine R. Lee Ermey as a consultant for his war flick, thinking he wasn’t vicious enough for the drill sergeant role. But Ermey proved him wrong, and wound up chewing out recruits for almost 40-minutes-straight as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Oh, and he invented about half of his own dialogue, spouting one-of-a-kind insults and unique nicknames left and right. One thing is for sure: we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of his rants.

#3: Blood, Sweat & Smears

“Django Unchained” (2012)

When injured on the job, most people would take a 30-second breather before continuing with their day. Not Leonardo DiCaprio. He got so into character for “Django Unchained” that when he slammed his hand down onto a table during a tense scene, smashing a glass and cutting his hand so badly he required stitches; he just kept right on with his racist rant. Apparently, the room erupted in a standing ovation after the take. DiCaprio even worked the blood into the scene by smearing it across an obviously horrified Kerry Washington’s face.

#2: “Here’s Johnny!”

“The Shining” (1980)

Mirroring the plot of this Stephen King adaptation, Stanley Kubrick caused the downward mental spiral of some of his actors – mainly Shelley Duvall. Helping him along was Jack Nicholson, who improv’d the film’s shining moment. After chasing his family into a bathroom, Jack borrows a popular late-night catchphrase to add comedy and creepiness to the scene. Channelling Ed McMahon in horrifying fashion, he riled Duvall up so much her screams started to become real. Here’s a tip: never play hide-and-seek with Jack Nicholson.

#1: We Kid You Not

“Casablanca” (1942)

This Hollywood classic is full of quotable lines (though some aren’t exactly what we think but that’s another story). But only one was unscripted. Representing the couple’s bond, the famous words are said by Humphrey Bogart multiple times through the film. Turns out Bogey borrowed the phrase from real life: between takes, he taught Ingrid Bergman to play poker and would often utter the iconic line to her. Who knew you could ad-lib one of the most famous phrases in film history?

Did you know these scenes were improvised? Let us know in the comments below!