Top 10 Unscripted Moments That Were Kept in Animated Movies

Tim Allen, who famously voices the space ranger known as Buzz Lightyear, was no stranger to ad-libbing during “Toy Story’s” early days. Indeed, some of his most memorable lines weren’t even in the original script. For example, “Sad Strange Little Man” was entirely Allen’s invention. But one of his funniest bits of improv happens during the scene where Buzz finally comes to terms with what he really is and, let’s just say, he’s not taking it well. Of course, Allen wasn’t the only one flexing his ad-libbing chops. Remember that scene where Woody puts on a covert puppet show for his friends to convince them that Buzz’s alright? Well, credit goes to Mr. Tom Hanks for that one.

In this futuristic Disney flick, our protagonist Lewis meets Wilbur Robinson, a kid who claims to be from the future. Later on, he also meets the rest of the Robinson family, except Wilbur’s dad Cornelius. So he enquires after the mysterious figure. While it was scripted, Wilbur’s response was originally just meant to be a placeholder that they expected to change. We can totally believe this, considering that Cornelius looks nothing like Tom Selleck. However, they ultimately decided to stick with the name drop and even hired the actor as a result, making this entry a bit different from the rest on this list. There’s no denying Selleck’s distinct voice is a welcome addition to the film though! It just goes to show that sometimes the most unexpected moments can have the best payoff.

One of Disney’s more underappreciated films, “Brother Bear,” features Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai, a young man turned into a bear as punishment for killing one in a fit of rage. He meets an orphaned bear cub called Koda, who he eventually takes under his paw. It’s a rocky journey at first since the two mammals struggle to find common ground. During one scene, Phoenix flubbed his lines, calling a character named Bucky Binky instead. Jeremy Suarez, who voiced the bear cub, didn’t miss a beat in correcting his co-star and riffing off the mistake. His quick wit was so brilliant and funny that it was left in the movie’s final cut.

Another animated flick that doesn’t get nearly enough love, “Treasure Planet” took the classic “Treasure Island” story and blasted off into space. It had a great premise, a phenomenal cast, and plenty of humor, but it ultimately fell under the radar. Perhaps if audiences were aware of just how talented the voice cast is, things might have turned out differently. For instance, did you know that the scene where Silver and Jim try to convince Morph to bring them the map was totally made up by Brian Murray and Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Talk about some real talent! Also, apparently, David Hyde Pierce, who voiced Doctor Doppler, came up with the line, “Go, Delbert, Go Delbert.”

When you think of “Aladdin’s” greatest ad-lib machine, we imagine Robin Williams probably springs to mind. But he wasn’t the animation’s only Genie-us improviser! Renowned comedian and voice actor Gilbert Gottfried created the instantly recognizable sound of Jafar’s hilariously hot-tempered sidekick, Iago. According to an interview with the comedian, he was given plenty of free reign to improvise. An extra on the “Aladdin” DVD highlights one instance where Iago’s contemplating whether to pack a photo of himself and Jafar as they prepare to leave the palace. The commentary explains that they decided to keep it in because it made Williams laugh. We can’t think of a bigger compliment than that!

One of DreamWorks’ most beloved franchises, “Shrek” put a unique spin on the traditional fairytale romance. With a talented cast that includes Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, there was plenty of room for ad-libbing, and indeed, some of the most memorable lines were thought up on the spot. For instance, apparently, Myers used this quote to chastise a director who was getting on his nerves. Incidentally, he used it again while playing Austin Powers the following year. But perhaps the most impressive is the fact that Fiona’s burp was a total happy accident. Diaz had been drinking a soda while recording her lines, and we guess the fizz got to her. Still, she didn’t break character, prompting Murphy to improvise his reaction too.

This underrated flick broke Disney’s mold for elaborately planned films and became a breeding ground for improvisation instead. For example, Patrick Warburton made up Kronk’s “Mission Impossible” style theme song. Also, the entire squirrel running gag actually started as an inside joke among the creative team but eventually made its way into the movie. Supposedly, David Spade ran amok with this creative freedom and often had to be reeled back in by the directors. Perhaps most amusingly, though, was Eartha Kitt being genuinely taken aback by Yzma’s kitty voice. She was supposedly so surprised that she stopped mid-line to ask if that was really her. Clearly, the directors liked it, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks to its largely comedic cast, the directors were sure to leave plenty of room for improvisation here. While there are a plethora of examples to choose from, we’ve decided to go with this one. Yep, a bit of on-the-spot comedy from Hiccup voice actor Jay Baruchel became one of the most iconic and quotable moments from the film, if not the entire franchise. It was even included for promotional purposes, so clearly, they knew they’d struck gold. The sequel also has its fair share of memorable lines, such as during this strained encounter between Stoick and Valka. Craig Ferguson as Gobber ad-libbed this entertaining moment that no doubt left the adults in the audience in stitches.

In the lead-up to this animated feature’s big climax, Simba and the gang find their path to Pride Rock blocked by a pack of hyenas. Simba tells his friends that they’ll need to create a diversion, which doesn’t go down too well with Timon. However, it does lead to one of the flick’s funniest and most memorable moments. Without Nathan Lane’s quick wit, we may have never enjoyed the sights of a meerkat performing a Lūʻau with backing vocals from a warthog. That’s right: Lane ad-libbed the line that led to this moment of pure comedy gold. It became such an iconic scene that it was even called back to in “The Lion King 1 ½.”

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

Rat Telenovela, “Encanto” (2021)
John Leguizamo Ad-Libbed One of “Encanto”’s Funniest Moments

Broken Promises, “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)
Cogsworth Actor David Ogden Stiers Improvised This Perfectly Timed Wisecrack

What’s Your Name Again?, “Osmosis Jones” (2001)
Quick-Thinking from Chris Rock Turned a Gaffe into a Funny Addition to the Dialogue

Someone’s Hungry, “Billy & Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure” (2007)
We Guess Some Actors Do Their Best Improvisation on an Empty Stomach

“Achilles, Heel!”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
Kevin Kline Came up with His Horse’s Name All for This Brilliant Punchline

Traditionally in animation, actors record their lines separately, and the dialogue’s edited together later. However, in this case, Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh shared a ‘voice box’ so that they could easily riff off of one another and improv many of their lines together. Incidentally, this was an idea that was previously used by Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise in “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” who were also permitted to ad-lib. But back to “El Dorado,” we think we can all agree that the chemistry between Kline and Branagh is off the walls, and they make an incredibly compelling duo. Also, thanks to their impromptu dialogue, many of us probably tried to drop the word “loquacious” into as many conversations as possible. It’s moments like this that make this movie as precious as El Dorado’s gold.