Top 20 Actor Mistakes That Were Kept in the Movie
#20: Spit Take
“Fast & Furious 6” (2013) Spit takes are usually reserved for wacky sitcoms, so it’s always great to see a genuine spit take in the wild. A fantastic one can be seen in “Fast & Furious 6.” When Hobbs arrives at the barbecue, Roman makes a jab about hiding Mia’s baby oil. Dwayne Johnson wasn’t supposed to respond to this, but he improvised a line about Roman’s “big ass forehead” instead. This caused Ludacris to crack up, resulting in a genuine spit take that was captured on camera. Luckily, the take could be used in the movie as Tyrese Gibson stayed in character and dejectedly responded to Johnson’s jab.
#19: “Ask Me Again”
Top 10 Actor Mistakes That Were Kept in the Movie
“Almost Famous” (2000) Sometimes mistakes result in great character moments. Such is the case in this scene between Patrick Fugit’s William and Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane. Penny asks William if he’d like to go to Morocco with her, and he responds in a somewhat awkward manner. He then says “ask me again,” and this time, he responds with a far more enthusiastic “yes!” According to director Cameron Crowe, this interaction was a blooper, as Fugit asked Hudson to repeat her line so he could give a better take. Crowe loved the interaction so much that he decided to leave both takes in the movie, resulting in a wonderful bit of character work. A great director knows when they have magic on their hands.
#18: Star Lord Drops the Infinity Stone
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“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.
#17: Al Pacino Trips Over a Garbage Can
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“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.
#16: “Uh Oh. Fart.”
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“Rain Man” (1988) “Rain Man” is one of the most memorable films of the late ‘80s thanks in large part to the electric chemistry between Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. It seems like they got along well behind the camera as well, as Hoffman was comfortable enough to let loose in an enclosed phone booth with Cruise. Hoffman stayed in character while farting, and Cruise (ever the professional) decided to run with it, remaining in character and performing some banter with Hoffman. Hoffman looks back proudly on the scene, saying, “It’s just my favourite moment of [anything] I’ve ever done. That includes Shakespeare.” So that settles it. Farting is better than Shakespeare.
#15; Jim Carrey Asks for a Line
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“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.
#14: Kip Breaks the Tupperware
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“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.
#13: George C. Scott Trips & Falls
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“Dr. Strangelove” (1964) Stanley Kubrick has a legendary filmography, so it’s hard to pick his “best” movie. But if arms were twisted, the answer, for many, would be “Dr. Strangelove.” Even if it’s not his “best,” it’s certainly his funniest, as the movie is jam-packed with biting satire and old fashioned slapstick from start to finish. One of the funnier visuals sees General Turgidson tripping, falling to the ground, and continuing his conversation while still on the floor. Actor George C. Scott really tripped while performing the scene but decided to stay in character, resulting in an unintentionally brilliant bit of slapstick comedy. Perhaps this professionalism was a remnant of Scott’s Broadway and Shakespeare career, as there’s no cutting or breaking character on the stage.
#12: The Bed
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“Titanic” (1997) There are many classic scenes in “Titanic”, but perhaps the most iconic of them all is Jack painting Rose on the couch. Or is it a bed? After Rose undresses, Jack grows visibly and audibly flustered. So much so that he flubs his instructions, telling Rose to lie “on the bed” before quickly correcting himself. This was a real mistake from Leonardo DiCaprio, but director James Cameron loved the take so much that he decided to keep it in. It was a great creative decision, as it wonderfully depicts Jack’s intense feelings. Plus, it makes the scene that much more realistic and meaningful (and yes, steamy).
#11: “I Didn’t Know You Could Read.”
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“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.
#10: Dallas and Cherry
“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.
#9: Table Cloth Trick
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) If you’re looking to impress people at a party, you can never go wrong with this classic. That is… unless you do it wrong. Ripping a tablecloth off of a table without disrupting any of the place settings is an artform; people work very hard at mastering this trick. And here’s Jim Carrey doing it flawlessly without even meaning to! The script reportedly called for the Grinch to simply yank the cloth off the table, but Carrey accidentally performed a flawless tablecloth trick in the process. Rather than just leaving it at that, Carrey ran back and cleared the table the old fashioned way . This is one of those unscripted moments that proved infinitely more entertaining than what the screenwriters called for.
#8: Male Models
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“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.
#7: Bart’s Laugh
“Blazing Saddles” (1974) When you put Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder on the screen together, you get pure movie magic. “Blazing Saddles” is widely regarded as one of the funniest movies ever made, even though it is unapologetically vulgar and provocative. One of the funnier scenes involves Wilder’s character, The Waco Kid, talking about “morons.” It’s very obvious that Little is desperately trying to contain a smile throughout the entire scene, but Wilder’s “morons” line proves too much, and he breaks character with a genuine laugh. It’s weirdly warming to see such a genuine reaction from an actor. Comedy directors should leave characters breaks such as this one in the film more often.
#6: Bonk!
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971) Speaking of Gene Wilder, (xref) he intentionally messed with Paris Themmen while filming the Pure Imagination sequence of “Willy Wonka.” The children had been instructed not to pass Gene Wilder on the steps, and so Mike Teavee’s look of regret and hesitation is very real. But the movie’s best mistake doesn’t come from Wilder, but rather Aubrey Woods, who plays Bill the Candy Man. During The Candy Man song, Woods absolutely pegs a little girl in the chin while raising the counter. The young actress visibly recoils from the brutal uppercut she has just received, but she carries on and continues the scene as rehearsed. What a pro.
#5: Farting
“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.
#4: Martin Sheen Breaks Down
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“Apocalypse Now” (1979) Martin Sheen had a hell of a time filming “Apocalypse Now,” what with suffering a heart attack, cutting his hand on a shard of glass, and battling alcoholism. The latter two can be seen during the famous sequence in which Willard breaks down in his hotel room. Legend has it that Sheen got really drunk, told the camera operators to roll, and completely improvised the sequence himself. He essentially had a nervous breakdown on screen and ended up punching a real mirror, slicing his hand and bleeding all over the set in the process. His behavior was allegedly so disturbing that everyone wanted to stop filming, but Sheen was adamant that he continue unopposed.
#3: Aragorn’s Pain
“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002) Early in the“The Two Towers,” Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli search the plains of Middle-earth for Merry and Pippin. After meeting the Rohirrim, they are led to believe that the hobbits were killed in the Rohirrim’s massacre of the Uruk-hai. Aragorn kicks a helmet in frustration and falls to his knees, screaming in fury and emotional agony. Aragorn’s emotional agony was actually Viggo Mortensen’s physical agony, as he broke two toes kicking the prop helmet. Ever the pro, Mortensen decided to remain in character and didn’t even tell anyone that he had injured himself until it became obvious. Peter Jackson loved Mortensen’s scream so much that he used the take in the movie.
#2: Stormtrooper Bonks His Head
“Star Wars” (1977) When you wear a stormtrooper helmet, you run the risk of low visibility and, for one trooper at least, bonking your head. 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. Terry Crashes the Moped, “American Graffiti” (1973) Charles Martin Smith Doesn’t Know What He’s Doing and Crashes the Moped Anne Hathaway Slips, “The Princess Diaries” (2001) Anne Hathaway Slips on the Bleachers and Falls Straight on Her Butt PC Load Letter, “Office Space” (1999) David Herman Breaks the Printer and Looks Around in Genuine Concern
#1: Leonardo DiCaprio Cuts His Hand
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“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.
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