From oldies to modern-day films, one-liners from films have been ingrained in our memory. But, some of these lines were not exactly planned. A lot of the time, these lines have just been made up on the spot. Here are some of the best-unscripted lines from movie history that we know and love today.
The Wolf of Wall Street
The humming scene at lunch.
The scene: Jordan Belfort goes to lunch with his new boss on Wall Street
In the scene where Jordan Belfort, played by legendary Leonardo Dicaprio, and Mark Hana (Matthew McConaughey), go out to lunch at a fancy restaurant on Wall Street is iconic. As Hana explains the ropes of the world of stocks to his new employee Jordan, he starts humming lowly and beating his chest. The humming gets louder, and they're both doing this very loud sort of tribal ritual in the middle of the restaurant. Did you know that this scene was unplanned? It was a McConaughey ritual to psych himself up and ease the stress, and Leo suggested he include it in the background. And it was a brilliant idea.
Reservoir Dogs
"You hear that?" The scene: Mr. Blonde is dancing and cuts off the policeman's ear
Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 classic, and with so many iconic scenes, it's hard to pick a favorite. One of those is the scene where Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) starts dancing to "Stuck in the Middle with You," the famous Steelers song that became the flag song of the film.
During the scene, he suddenly cuts off the cop's ear, holds it up, and says, "You hear that?". In the original script, the scene described Madsen dancing and then setting the cop on fire after cutting the ear, but Madsen thought it would be much funnier to add that ironic little line in between, and Tarantino loved it.
Avengers: Infinity War
"I don't want to go."
The scene: Peter Parker is in the arms of Tony Stark and tells him he is afraid to stay on Earth
This movie boasts A-list actors, a solid script, and mind-blowing special effects, and it became one of MCU's most beloved Avengers films. That heartbreaking scene where Peter Parker (Tom Holland) says to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), "I don't want to go," is cinematic magic. But that wasn't in the script! Tom Holland was only told to act like he didn't want to stay on Earth, but he decided to throw in that line, and it couldn't have turned out better.
Die Hard
“Yippee-ki-yay, mother***!” The scene: John McClane talks to villain Hans Gruber on the radio
In this scene, Gruber asks if he's just an American that has seen too many cowboy movies, to which McClane replies, "Yippee-ki-yay, mother****!". As it turns out, that line was written differently in the script. The screenwriter had written "Yippee-ki-yay, a***hole," but Willis changed it during the scene to amuse the film crew. Neither thought the line would make it into the movie, considering this was 1988, and such open profanity in films wasn't easy to get past movie studios. Nevertheless, this scene became one of cinema history's most famous lines.
Clueless
"I'm totally buggin' myself." The scene: Josh is talking to Murray and Travis at a wedding while eating cake
At the end of the film, Josh, Murray, and Travis are all sitting together with their respective girlfriends at a wedding when suddenly Josh, as he's shoving a huge piece of cake in his mouth, says, "I’m buggin’ myself,” in response to his friends saying they were bugging out because their girls were already planning their weddings. The line was improvised entirely by Rudd and had the other guys laughing uncontrollably because of how he said it. It was all real!
The Princess Diaries
“Not you. I don’t even know you.”
The scene: Lilly is running down the street, trying to get Mia’s attention
In the scene where Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) is running down the street trying to get to her friend Mia (Anne Hathaway), she tries screaming out so Mia slows down, but instead, some other guy turns around. To this, Matarazzo ad-libbed the funny comeback, “Not you, I don’t even know you.” As the actress said in a later interview, this was apparently the producer's suggestion, which, like the rest of the crew, just felt like a very close group of friends working together.
The Princess Bride
“Have fun storming the castle!”
The scene: Westley and his friends run off to Humperdinck’s castle, and Miracle Max says goodbye
Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride is a classic fairytale with intelligent, dark humor, a brilliant script, and a fantastic cast. This includes the famous scene where Miracle Max and his wife, played by Carol Kane, are waving goodbye to Westley and his friends as they run off to Humperdinck’s castle. Crystal yells, “Have fun storming the castle!” which was just one of the hundreds of lines that would make the movie hilarious and super fun to watch.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
“You can’t watch Meg Ryan for two hours and not be thinking about another girl.”
The scene: Andie starts going off on Benjamin in the middle of a movie theater
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was incredibly hilarious, as Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) goes out of her way to get on Benjamin’s (Matthew McConaughey) nerves and get rid of him. At some point, a loud and enraged Hudson exclaims, “You can’t watch meg Ryan for two hours and not be thinking about another girl!”. This line was improvised! Hudson was usually encouraged by director Donald Petrie to ad-lib and catch Matt by surprise.
Julie and Julia
“And you are so good at it. Look at you!”
The scene: Julia Childs and her husband are eating at a restaurant
In this scene, Paul and Julia are sitting at a restaurant as they talk about their move to Paris since Paul is a diplomat and gets relocated often. When Julia (played by Meryl Streep) asks her husband what she’ll do in Paris, Tucci asks, “What is it that you like to do?” and Julia immediately says, “Eat.” However, the following line is completely off-script, as Tucci replies, “And you are so good at it. Look at you!”
Mean Girls
“I want my pink shirt back!”
The scene: Damian and Janis yell at Cady from the car
Mean Girls is the ultimate teenage comedy flick with a great script, which isn’t surprising since Tina Fey wrote it about it. But, of course, you wouldn’t e One of these improvisations was Damian’s yelling out, “I want my pink shirt back!” to Cady (Lindsay Lohan), as he’s driving around with Janis (Lizzy Caplan), angry about not getting invited to Cady’s party.
Damian, played by Daniel Franzese, said he was given free rein when improvising. So, he decided to scream out the shirt line twice!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
“Well, I must say I’d hoped for better.”
The scene: Voldemort’s speech announcing Harry Potter is dead
One of the most famous lines is when Voldemort announces Harry Potter’s death. That speech was rehearsed by Ralph Fiennes many times, but the actor never said it in the same way twice. The cast and crew were always waiting excitedly for the definitive line. Finally, as Voldemort declares that whoever doesn’t join him will die, the only person to step forward is Neville Longbottom, and so Voldemort cruelly says, “Well, I must say I’d hoped for better.” Of course, apart from the actual scene, everybody on set laughed.
His Girl Friday
“The last man who said that to me was Archie Leach.”
The scene: The Mayor tells Walter Burns that he’s through
When murderer Earl Williams (played by John Qualen) is found at the desk, the Mayor says to Walter Burns (played by Cary Grant) that “whistling in the dark isn’t going to help him this time. You’re through.” Walter replies, “Listen, the last man that said that to me was Archie Leach just a wee before he cut his throat.” Grant completely improvised this line, which was particularly funny since Archie Leach was Cary Grant’s birth name!
When Harry Met Sally
“I’ll have what she’s having.”
The scene: Sally screams out as if she were having a climax while eating with Harry at dinner
The movie produced many famous lines that are still quoted to this day. Everybody remembers that infamous scream that Sally busts out, making every single dinner turn their head in awe, with an old lady even saying to the waiter, “I’ll have what she’s having.” You’d think that was definitely in the script, but no! It was completely improvised at the suggestion of Billy Crystal, and it worked like a charm.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
“Welcome to prime time, b**ch!”
The scene: Freddy Krueger pops out a TV and kills a kid with it
Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) became a symbol of evil, and the fact that he’s such a terrific actor made it all that much scarier. In 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors , Freddy improvised one of the best lines in the movie, saying, “Welcome to prime time, b**ch!” while he rips out a TV set and kills one of the characters with it. You have to admit, apart from the whole being a terrifying horror film, that line is quite hilarious.
Broken Arrow
“Yeah. Ain’t it cool?”
The scene: Riley Hale tells Vic Deakins he’s out of his mind for stealing a nuclear warhead
In the movie, Travolta plays Major Vic Deakins, a renegade soldier that steals a nuclear warhead, and Captain Riley Hale (Christian Slater) has to find a way to stop him. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Hale tells Deakins, “you’re out of your mind,” and then Travolta, completely improvised, answers, “yeah. Ain’t it cool?”. Completely unhinged, absolutely perfect! Woo loved it so much that he used it in Face/Off.
Avengers: Infinity War
“I’ve noticed you’ve copied my beard.”
The scene: Thor and Captain America have a friendly conversation during the Wakanda fight scene
During the epic Wakanda fight scene in Avengers: Infinity War , there’s a moment when Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are having some funny banter, and Thor suddenly says, “I’ve noticed you’ve copied my beard.” This line was completely improvised and made audiences laugh, considering their beards were basically the same. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo commended Hemsworth for the ad-lib, saying it added a perfect element to that scene’s short conversation.
Mrs. Doubtfire
“Do you want some cream?”
The scene: Mrs. Doubtfire’s face is dripping with cream that falls into a social worker’s coffee
Mrs. Doubtfire will forever remain in our memories as one of the funniest, most original movies ever. It’s packed with hilarious scenes throughout. For example, when the cream starts dripping into the social worker’s cup of tea, Mrs. Doubtfire says, “Do you want some cream?”. This line was utterly improvised because the set lights caused the actual melting of the cream! This movie is accurate and will always be a household name across the United States.
Edward Scissorhands
“He didn’t wake up.”
The scene: Peg asks Edward where his father is
Tim Burton's classic was Edward Scissorhands being anyone but Johnny Depp. For example, in the scene where Peg (Diane Wiest) asks Ed where his father is, he innocently replies, “He didn’t wake up.” The original script read, “He died,” but Depp thought this made Edward look too guilty because people would assume he murdered his dad by mistake. Also, Depp took out almost 90% of Edward’s dialogue because he thought it made the character appear shyer and more innocent. Or maybe Depp just didn’t want to memorize that many lines.
Groundhog Day
“Ned Ryerson! I have missed you.”
The scene: Phil encounters Ned on the street and is so happy to see him that he hugs him indefinitely
In one of the movie scenes, completely unannounced, Murray decides to say, “Ned Ryerson! I have missed you,” and hugs him for a very long time. He continues to say, “I don’t know where you’re headed. Can you call in sick?” Tobolowsky was thrown entirely off and looked awkward; he got away as quickly as possible. When the scene was over and the director re-watched it, he decided to leave it since Murray had carried it out so well.
Weird Science (1985)
“How about a nice greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?”
The scene: Chet finds out his little brother and his friend are drunk
In the 1985 John Hughes sci-fi film Weird Science, scientists use computers to create a stunning woman. But, unfortunately, the two high school geeks have a nemesis – Chet (Bill Paxton), Wyatt’s older brother. So, in one scene where Chet finds the kids trashed and one of them feeling queasy from the drinking, he says, “How about a nice greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ashtray?”. Paxton revealed that his father used to say this to him and his brother when they’d been drinking too much.
The Godfather
"Leave the gun, take the cannoli"
The scene: Two men have been sent to kill somebody after they attempt to overpower their boss. They leave once the deed is done.
Richard Castellano, who played Peter Clemenza in this film, is the guy who could not resist saying this unforgettable line. But, it’s a good thing he did, because it curated one of the most popular quotes from one of the most popular films of all time.
The Empire Strikes Back
"I know."
The scene: Darth Vader is about to split up Han and Leia. Before he does, they lean in for a meaningful kiss. After this, Leia says she loves Han.
This is one of the most well-regarded Star Wars movies in the entire series. Even with the success of the new movies, we will never forget the impact the classics had on film-lovers around the world. The love story between Han and Leia captured all of our hearts.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
*Fall, roll, flourish!*
The scene: This line is delivered when we first see Willy Wonka in the film. He is greeting the kids that won the golden tickets to his chocolate factory. When he makes his way to the gate, he falls forward and rolls on the red carpet.
Gene Wilder brilliantly performs this role and actually made up many defining moments on the spot while filming, including this iconic entrance. He immersed himself into his character, which ultimately made this film so well-received.
Ghost
"Molly, you in trouble, girl."
The scene: Oda Mae finds Molly, and repeats to Molly what Sam said word for word, per Sam’s request.
Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood - and for good reason! Her refined and talented acting skills shine through all of her work, including this popular film where she improvises a line that went on to be very quotable among viewers.
Tootsie
"I wish I had a theater that was only open when it rained."
The scene: The main character, Jeff Slater, goes on a rant while drunk at a party.
Again, we are bringing up comedy legend, Bill Murray. He is truly the king of improvised one-liners. Even though he is a side character in this film, he is no doubt the funniest character. In fact, Murray’s unscripted comedic phrases led this movie to win an Oscar!
Casablanca
"Here's looking at you. kid."
The scene: Rick and Ilsa say goodbye before she gets on a plane with Victor.
'Casablanca' has to be one of the most quoted and well-known films out there. But, did you know that some of the best lines in this movie were unscripted? There really was not much direction when filming this scene. The cast was told to do what they wanted, and they would go from there. And it’s a good thing this happened! This scene is a legendary scene because of its comedy between the actors and the off-camera chemistry.
The Devil Wears Prada
"Everybody wants to be us."
The scene: Miranda and Andy are conversing in a car in Paris.
The brilliant Meryl Streep, who plays a famous fashion magazine editor, only changes ‘me’ to ‘us’ in the scripted version of this line, and it changed the dynamic of the whole ending of the movie.
Pretty Woman
*SNAP!*
The scene: Wealthy businessman, Edward, presents a beautiful necklace to his love interest, Vivian, that completes her outfit for the opera.
In this classic movie, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere play an unlikely, but a fairytale-like couple. In this scene, when she reaches for the necklace, he jokingly and suddenly snaps the box closed, which led to one of the most recognizable laughs in film history. This unscripted moment was completely influenced by Julia and Richard’s off-screen chemistry.
Zoolander
"Why male models?"
The scene: JP Prewitt is explaining to Derek and Matilda the purpose of male models.
After David Duchovny’s lengthy explanation, Ben Stiller forgot his line. But, instead of asking for the line, he simply repeated the line from before when he first asked David the question that started the monologue. This was absolutely hilarious, and the directors decided to keep it in instead of the original line.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!"
The scene: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are on the trails of hobbits. They come to a point where they think they are dead. Aragorn yells in frustration and kicks a helmet.
In this scene, both the yelling and kicking of the helmet were improvised. In fact, Viggo Mortensen accidentally broke his toe when filming the scene. But hey, it made for one of the most popular scenes in cinema history, so perhaps it was worth it.
This Is Spinal Tap
Believe it or not, this film is actually mostly unscripted. This movie is about a fictional 80s hair band starring in their very own spoof film.
Director Rob Reiner aimed to make this film as a relatable and hilarious look at the rock’n’roll lifestyle, so most of the script was left up to actors. It is even shown in the credits, as all of the actors are listed in the writer’s section.
The Dark Knight
*Clap, clap, clap…*
The scene: Everyone claps for Gordon’s promotion. The joker joins in with a slow clap that carries on after everyone else stops applauding.
As one of the most iconic bad guys in cinema history, the Joker has been played by numerous actors. But, Heath Ledger arguably did it best because of how immersed he was in his character, which allowed him to improvise a lot of his lines and actions. His extended clapping in this scene was a definite show-stopper.
Good Will Hunting
"Son of a gun. He stole my line."
The scene: Will’s therapist is reading a letter written to him by Will.
Robin Williams has delivered some amazing performances in his career, but this is one of his best - and it was completely unscripted! Also, this wasn’t the only line that he made up for this film. He showed off his impressive improvisation abilities several times throughout this iconic movie.
Saving Private Ryan
"Picture a girl who took a nosedive from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down." The scene: Captain Miller and Private Ryan reminisce about their lives.
As if the script wasn’t enough, Damon takes it a step further and adds a new layer of depth. He tells a made-up story about when he saw his brother kissing a girl. Luckily, it added a lot to his character, and it remains one of the most remembered scenes in this film.
The Silence Of The Lambs
"f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-v-v-v-s-s-s!"
The scene: Clarice Starling and frightening Hannibal Lecter are talking through the wall of the prison cell. He is describing in detail how he ate a human liver with "fava beans and a nice Chianti."
Anthony Hopkins plays a brilliant psychiatrist who also happens to be a complete psychopath who eats human flesh. In this eerie scene, as well as in the rest of the film, his goal was to be as spine-chilling as possible, which he definitely succeeded in doing. When filming this scene, he decided to include the sucking of flesh, which resembled eating the human liver, by making noises with his teeth and lips that is iconic to this film.
Deliverance
"Squeal like a pig."
The scene: A group of hillbillies is attacking Bobby.
This gory, disturbing scene was reconfigured to fit both cinema and television showings. The dialogue was changed, so they would not have to film two versions of the same scene for the film. Whoever came up with the new line is unknown, but regardless of who did it, it made for an incredible scene.
Full Metal Jacket
The director added a whole new character to the film after watching an impressive improvisation home video of him insulting marines.
R. Lee Ermey got cast in this film because of his impressive performance. The director, Stanley Kubrick, liked his rendition so much that he only wrote about 50% of the lines for this character. He wanted Ermey to improv the rest as the movie was being filmed, which worked in this film’s favor.
Star Trek
"All I've got left is my bones."
The scene: Kirk and Bones meet for the first time when they sit by one another on a spaceship. Bones is telling Kirk how much he despises outer space.
After ranting about how dangerous and terrifying outer space truly is, Karl Urban delivers this final line that sold the scene. It is one of the most well-regarded films of all time, and this scene specifically was carried by Bones’ character.
Midnight Cowboy
"I'm walking here!”
The scene: As Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are walking through the street, a cab accidentally drives through the scene that they are filming.
They filmed this part of the movie outdoors in the street. This area was closed off for filming during the day, but the taxi driver was unaware of this and drove in the area anyway. Hoffman took this unpredictable event as an opportunity to deliver one of the best one-liners in cinema history.
Caddyshack
"What an incredible Cinderella story!"
The scene: The main character Carl Speckler is ‘lopping the heads off bedded tulips’ when he practices his golf swing.
One of the best comedy actors in film history, Bill Murray, is known for his one-liners. In this scene, he was so focused on beheading the flowers that it made for one of the funniest moments in cinema history. The Cinderella reference he makes has basically become a popular saying until this day, thanks to Murray's brilliant improvisation.
Blade Runner
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."
The scene: Roy Batty saved Rick Deckard’s life, but then ultimately caused his own death. He gives his last words in the rain about to die.
Rutger Hauer improvised lines about his short life that were incredibly meaningful and downright poetic. It is almost difficult to believe he came up with it on the spot, but he did. He didn’t believe the original script correlated to his character, so he made the lines up, surprising everyone on set.
Being John Malkovich
"Hey, Malkovich! Think fast!"
The scene: John has just had an angry confrontation with Craig Schwartz on the side of the road.
When filming, a drunk cast member throws a can at Malkovich’s head, which inspired this unscripted line. This was an extra that had no lines. But, instead of being kicked off, the directors thought it was so funny that they kept it in the final cut and gave them a pay raise.
Shaun Of The Dead
"Cockocidal maniac."
The scene: Ed and Shaun are having a drink. Ed is trying to get Shaun to forget about his troubles.
Nick Frost made up his whole backstory for this scene, and it paid off! No one can ignore how hilarious his lines were, and that is why they are still remembered to this day.
Jaws
"You're gonna need a bigger boat."
The scene: Martin Brody and Quint are standing on the boat, trying to catch a large shark. They notice that the shark is way larger than they imagined.
This line was actually an inside joke within the cast and production crew, so when Roy uttered this line in the scene (which was completely unscripted), the directors thought it was way too funny not to include. It just fit the scene so perfectly.
The Usual Suspects
"In English, please."
The scene: The suspects line up at the police department. They all have a line they are instructed to say.
There really was not much direction when filming this scene. The cast was told to do what they wanted, and they would go from there. And it’s a good thing it happened! This scene is so legendary because of its comedy between the suspects and the off-camera cop.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
"Anyone? Anyone?"
The scene: A boring economics teacher is calling students' names and no one is responding.
In perhaps what is one of the greatest comedy films of all time, Ben Stein was able to take a boring character into a completely hilarious role that created an incredibly famous scene. He improvised the scene to make it more interesting, and he received a round of applause by the crew on set after the performance.
Blazing Saddles
"You know... morons."
The scene: The Waco Kid is comforting Bart after the townspeople told him how much they hate him.
Gene Wilder is back again on this list with another famous unscripted one-liner. After saying this, he adds, “you’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West.”
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
"She talks in her sleep."
The scene: Elsa has just betrayed Indie. Indie and his father are being held captive by the Nazis.
This line was completely made up on the spot, and the directors loved it so much that it made it to the final cut. Sean Connery’s brilliant improvisation caused them to cut the scene because everyone broke out in laughter.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
*BANG!*
The scene: Indie confronts a man in black with a sword. After the man shows Indie his sword, he pulls out his gun and shoots him once.
In this scene, Ford was only able to work for a few minutes at a time, so they had to film the scene in one single cut. Ford revealed, “The poor guy was a wonderful British stuntman who had practiced his sword skills for months in order to do this job, and was quite surprised by the idea that we would dispatch him in 5 minutes!”
The Warriors
"Warriors, come out to plaaa-aaaay!"
The scene: Luther taunts and mocks the players from the comfort of his car.
Even though this movie did not do as well in the box office as they hoped, nobody will ever forget about David Patrick Kelly’s iconic performance in the car! And the lines were completely unscripted!
Ghostbusters
"OK, who brought the dog?"
The scene: Louis hosts a party at his apartment when he invites a couple to talk to them about their financial affairs. Then, he accidentally throws his coat on a monster dog in his bedroom.
In this classic film, Rick Moranis played little Louis, the nerdy accountant. The director said there was a whole script for this film, but they just let Rick improvise the entire thing because of how funny his lines were.
The Fugitive
"I don't care."
The scene: Dr. Richard Kimble, who has escaped from prison, is cornered by US Deputy Samuel Gerard.
Tommy Lee Jones gives an amazing unscripted performance that led this film to receive an Oscar. This thriller is full of improvised lines, but this one is the most iconic. His original line was “that isn’t my problem,” but he thought “I don’t care” fit the character and situation much better. He trusted his gut, and he succeeded in doing so.
Dumb and Dumber
"Mock... Yeah! Ing... Yeah! Bird... Yeah!"
The scene: Harry and Lloyd are on a road trip to Aspen. They pick up a hitchhiker who instantly regrets getting a ride from these fools.
These hilarious actors, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, brilliantly play two dumb guys in this iconic comedy film. They actually improvised 15% of the script for the film, including this popular scene where Lloyd is being quite annoying.
Aliens
"Game over, man! Game over."
The scene: After their ship crashes, Hudson is sobbing and going off about the doom of the situation.
Even though Bill Paxton claims he is not good at improvising on the spot, he clearly is mistaken. A good portion of his lines throughout the film were improvised and ad-libbed, and it led to incredibly iconic moments throughout the film.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"What, exactly, is the function of a rubber duck?"
The scene: Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley meet for the first time. Weasley asks Harry all about the mysteries of muggles.
Chris Rankin performs the role of Arthur Weasley amazingly because he completely immersed himself into the character. For this reason, he was able to come up with the best one-liners (that only a Weasley would say) on the spot. He leans over to Harry with an expressionless face, seriously asking about the rubber duck’s function.
A Clockwork Orange
"I'm siiiiinging in the rain..."
The scene: Alex and the rest of the crew break into a couple’s home and attack them. During the attack, Alex is singing and performing while kicking to the beat for emphasis.
Another film by Kubrick, this film is filled with improvised lines and actions. They could not seem to get this scene right, so they just told the cast to improvise. One of the characters performed the song “Singing in the Rain” while using one of the victims as a percussion instrument, hoping to bring some comedy to the scene. Thankfully, it worked! And it made for a very unforgettable scene filled with darkness and madness at the same time.
Young Frankenstein
"What hump?"
The scene: Dr. Frankenstein arrives at the Transylvania Station where he meets Igor for the first time. Frankenstein says “I don’t mean to embarrass you, but I’m a rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I could help you with that hump.”
Marty Feldman very obviously has a hump that Dr. Frankenstein offers to fix. His straight-faced response referring to not having any hump on him led to one of the best satirical (and unscripted) lines in the film.
Taxi Driver
"You talkin' to me? "
The scene: The main character, Travis Bickle, is talking to himself in the mirror.
This is one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history, and it is all thanks to Robert De Niro. To this day, people utter this phrase in all different types of scenarios. The director’s instructions for this scene were loose and minimal, so they let De Niro take the reigns on this one, and he definitely succeeded!
Knocked Up
“If any of us get laid tonight, it’s because of Eric Bana and ‘Munich.’”
The scene: The characters are chatting and mingling at the bar.
This film was written with the knowledge that most of the lines would be improvised anyway. Harold Ramis said, “the script is what we have if we can’t think of anything better.” And this comedy gem definitely didn’t need the script too much. In fact, most of this movie comes from the actors improvising.
The Shining
"Here's Johnny!"
The scene: Jack Torrance has gone insane, so he attempts to break into the bathroom while Wendy is in the shower. He presses his face between the crack of the door while yelling at Wendy.
This became one of the most famous lines in a horror film, and in cinema history, for that matter. In another film directed by Kubrick, he instructs his actors to improvise so they can come up with the most genuine lines, and it definitely worked this time.
Forrest Gump
“My name is Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump.”
The scene: Forrest Gump and Bubba meet for the first time.
Tom Hanks carried this film with so many one-liners people use to this day. He plays this character perfectly and improvises his lines to support his role. When he introduces himself to Bubba, he delivers this unscripted line that perfectly matches the attributes of Forrest Gump.
Dr. Strangelove
*Uncontrollable Nazi salute*
The scene: Dr. Strangelove addressed the president, and when he did, he did it with a Nazi salute.
The saluting and Nazi behaviors he incorporated into the role of his character really made him stand out in this film. At first, the film started out as a vague concept, but it quickly began to gain more identity because of characters like his.
The Third Man
“In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed. They produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy, and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”
The scene: Main character Harry Lime is trying to convince an old friend of his to join his life of crime.
Orson Welles, who plays Harry Lime, is an acting legend. He is able to come up with full monologues off the top of his head, and this is his most famous line throughout his acting career. It is a quote that many people still talk about today.
Apocalypse Now
The character: Colonel Kurtz only appears within the last 20 minutes of the film.
Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola collaborated to make this an epic war film. Coppola turned his script into a paper hat instead of actually reading the lines. So, Brando was forced to come up with a new dialogue.
A Few Good Men
"You can't handle the truth!"
The scene: Kaffee is questioning Jessup in a courtroom about the orders given to the Marine defendants.
This statement is constantly repeating in everyday arguments all the time. Can you believe that this was completely unscripted? Jack Nicholson made this line up on the spot, and ultimately created one of the most popular one-liners in history.
Animal House
"I'm a zit. Get it?"
The scene: John Blutarsky sits down at a table in the cafeteria. As a joke, he fills his mouth with whipped cream and punches his cheeks, making the whipped cream appear to be a zit spraying everywhere.
You cannot have a movie about a Frat house if you don’t include young guys doing stupid stuff. Luckily, John Belushi was able to pull off an unscripted action of something a frat dude would definitely do. His work paid off, given this became a famous cult film.
When Harry Met Sally
"I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie."
The scene: Harry and Sally are on a seemingly platonic date when Harry throws flirtatious comments her way.
Rob Reiner instructed Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan to make up their own lines in hopes of more authentic and real dialogue. Billy Crystal tells Meg Ryan that they will be speaking in goofy voices for the rest of the day, so he starts speaking nonsense. This exchange resulted in the iconic line that made Meg Ryan laugh so hard she almost broke character.
They Live!
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I’m all out of bubblegum.”
The scene: Armed Nada attempts to avoid the police by going into a bank.
Roddy Piper states that his direction that day was, “Roddy, you’ve got bullets on you, you’ve got a shotgun, you’ve got sunglasses, you go into a bank, you’re not gonna rob it, say something…action!” And chewing bubblegum is what he came up with!
RoboCop
"Give me my f***ing phone call!"
The scene: Clarence Boddicker is at the police station after being attacked by Robocop.
This line was kind of planned, but it was not officially written in the script. The director’s goal was to get the cast’s genuine reaction from blood being spat on the desk, and it worked!
Titanic
"I'm the king of the world." The scene: Jack experiences being on a ship for the first time in his life.
There were countless iconic moments in Titanic, from "draw me like one of you French girls" to the heartbreaking 'floating piece of wood scene' (which we all know was terribly unjust). But of the many memorable moments, none can quite compare to Jack screaming "I'm the king of the world!" The director James Cameron loved Leo's little input that he decided to leave it in.
Dazed and Confused
"Alright, alright, alright."
This scene: Wooderson casually cruises around looking for a joint.
This embodied the Matthew McConaughey persona we all know and love today. The reason it seemed so authentic is that it because it truly was and came completely from the actor himself. That line was never written in the original script but the actor just threw in his magical southern dust.
Anchorman
"I'm in a glass case of emotion."
The scene: Ron Burgandy has a breakdown over his lost dog.
Leave it up to funnyman Will Ferrel to improvise. He has been a comedian for decades and of course made his make on the mother of all improv shows, Saturday Night Live. That line was just funny and completely off the cuff, it just flew out of Ferrel and everyone ended up loving it. It's nice one the most quoted lines in the movie.
Goodfellas
"I'm funny how I mean funny like I'm a clown?"
The scene: The hyper-aggressive Tommy tells a story over dinner and drinks in a restaurant with his associates. The story makes Henry laugh and Tommy gets offended.
The now-famous Joe Pesci rant from Goodfellas struck a chord with many. Probably because it was so true. Pesci channeled some real-life feelings in that line and they made its way all into that iconic scene. In the scene was improvising with his co-star Ray Liotta. The actors didn't know what to expect.
Devil Wears Prada
"I'm hearing this, and I want to hear this."
The scene: Emily wants a quiet moment tries to shut Andy up.
It seems only fitting that the creators would name this Devil Wears Prada character after the actress herself. And it make sense that Emily would throw herself into the role. That snarky moment was so her that anything the script could just never compare.
Wonder Woman
"Where I come from, I'm not considered average"
The scene: Steve and Diana team up to end World War I together. On the boat, Diana asks Steve (since she has never seen one) if he is an average man.
Surprisingly, for a big-stakes film, there was quite a bit of improvising in the film Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine sure did have some fun shooting, especially on the boat scene, at least that's according to director Patty Jenkins. Who wouldn't have fun filming with Gal Gadot, she is not only stunning but funny too!
Bridesmaids
"Uh-oh. Somebody found a souvenir."
The Scene: Megan accosts an air marshall and tries to find out if he is carrying a weapon on the plane. The man insists he is not an air marshall.
It's always fun to act with someone you love. And that's exactly how it must have felt when Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone acted together in this scene. These lines were all hilarious and improvised There were, of course, a few slightly more risque comments that couldn't make the cut, but we're sure glad this one did.
Frozen
"I've been impaled."
The scene: Olaf walks right into a pointy ice crystal.
Comedian Josh Gad who voiced the character Olaf had a lot of fun doing this part. It's a talking snowman in an animated film, so how can you resist. He never thought the line would make it in the final film. Guess he was wrong, it adds just the right amount of dark humor to this fantastical kids film.
Lost in Translation
The Whisper.
The scene: The two Toyko wanderers part ways.
In Sofia Coppola's original script of the film, the scene called for Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murry to just hold hands. The actors decided to switch things up a bit and go in for the kiss. Johanson whispers a little something in Murray's ear. The whisper got everyone on set very curious but the actors decided to never tell what was said. To this day nobody knows. Interesting!
Clueless
"I'm keeping it real."
The scene: Murray gets his head shaved at the house party.
Actor Donald Faison portrayed the character Murray, just another rich kid from Beverly Hills. This is why this line held so much comic weight. According to the actor, in order to add some authenticity to that moment, he had taken some inspiration from kids in his neighborhood.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
"Kelly Clarkson!"
The scene: Andy gets his chest waxed before his date.
Can you believe that this entire scene was actually improvised? Yup, director Judd Apatow actually set up the whole situation and put Steve Carrell through a real-life wax session, and just let the cameras roll. Carrel just yelled whatever came to his mind in that what might have been the most painful moment of his life. The actors were in hysterics when he blurted out 'Kelly Clarkson'!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"I didn't know you could read"
The scene: Draco Malfoy bullies Goyle
Tom Felton was perfect as Draco Malfoy, the little Slytherin meanie. The character had quite a few zingers, and not all of them were scripted. The actor would throw out a few stings of his own throughout filming and he nailed it with that nasty insult to poor Goyle. In the Chamber of Secrets, the kid's improvisational prowess really shines.
Fast & Furious 6
"Better hide that big a** forehead."
The scene: Hobbs arrives at the barbecue and tells Mia she"better hide the baby oil.
Looks like the Rock can do just about anything. The strongman tough-guy action hero has some comedy chops too. When shooting the barbecue scene in Fast & Furious 6, The Rock AKA Dwayne Johnson's zinger causes Tej (Ludacris) to genuinely spit out his drink. If you can make tough rappers do an accidental spit take, you've made it in comedy.
Ghostbusters (1984)
"Does anybody wanna play Parcheesi?
" The scene: Louis walks into the party and accidentally upsets the monster dog.
It's kind of sad that we don't get to see Rick Moranis anymore. His funny, and on-the-spot quips always got laughs. That's why when director Ivan Reitman got him on board, he gave him free rein on many of the character's lines. According to an article in Rolling Stone, Reitman said that Rick Moranis contributed many of the ideas. "Rick just made all of it up as he was doing it."
Bridesmaids
The poop scene.
The scene: After eating some sketchy meat at a Portuguese restaurant, the girls begin to suffer from a bad case of the runs. Lillian runs out into the street in her dress and loses control.
Comedienne Maya Rudolph truly shines in this dress-fitting scene. Running out to the street was not in the original script but Rudolph thought that this might make for a great comedic moment. She couldn't have been more spot on. In an interview with the "Huffington Post," cinematographer Robert Yeoman said that the scene was totally improvised.
In Spider-Man: Homecoming
The "hug" scene.
This little tender moment in Spider-Man: Homecoming turned into a nice comedic bit. When actor Tom Holland (spiderman of course) tries to hug Robert Downey Junior, Robert's instincts to turn it into something else just took over.
When he said 'Oh, I'm not trying to hug you. I'm just trying to get the door,' the producers all cracked up on set. It was clear that would stay in the final cut.
Clue
"Flames on the side of my face"
The scene: Mrs. White, admits to killing all of her annoying husbands.
Possibly the most iconic line in the whole film. This classic comedy film starring the late Madeline Kahn was a black comedy that gave us some serious laughs. While the script was great, Kahn's ad-libbed moment was the cherry on top. According to Michael McKean who played Mr. Green, there was only one line, but Khan went on a hilarious rant that she repeated about 3 or 4 times, "each time funnier than the last."
Mars Attacks!
Remember that high-pitched bark throughout the whole film? The Martians have an extremely bizarre way of communicating with each other.
The truth is that it was actually voice actor Frank Welker who thought of this high-pitched barking sound. Even though they have no dialogue in the actual script, the language comes to life in this terribly chilling voice that makes everything completely clear. Who would have thought such an iconic part of the film was improvised?
Philadelphia Story
The hiccup.
The scene: The ex-husband C. K. and Macaulay have a drink before the wedding.
James Stewart almost made Cary Grant break in this scene when he improvised a little hiccup after drinking too much. Of course, in the original script, there was no hiccup at all! Who knew that improvising was also a part of classic Hollywood films? We didn't!
Fight Club
"You hit me in the ear! Ow. Christ. Why the ear?”
The scene: Brad Pitt is Tyler, a soap maker who is ditching a debilitating dose of boredom for something real in the world. He runs into Edward Norton outside a convenience store and talks him into hitting him.
Norton told Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon the director said to hit Pitt, so he did. Who knows what Pitt’s line was supposed to be, but he belted out, “Ow! Why the ear?” It stuck.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
“If I can’t find a reindeer, I’ll make one instead.”
The scene: Jim Carrey is notorious for making it up as he goes along, and many directors give him full rein. In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the green and hairy Grinch is trying to talk Max into playing Rudolph.
Max bats the red nose of his own. “Brilliant! You reject your own nose because it represents the glitter of commercialism. Why didn’t I think of that?! Cut, cut, cut, the tape, moving on.” Carrey didn’t expect it to make the cut, but Howard loved it.
Iron Man
“The truth is, I am Iron Man.”
The scene: At the end of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. improvises one of his most iconic lines. He is standing in front of a packed press conference and proceeds to disclose his superhero identity. At first, denying it, he reads a note handed to him, and states, “I am Iron Man.”
At the time of the first Iron Man, it wasn’t customary for actors to ad-lib in superhero comic movies. Downey got that ball rolling.
The Breakfast Club
Allison: “Do you want to know what I did to get in? Nothing. I didn’t have anything better to do.”
The scene: This is one of the most famous scenes of all John Hughes’ repertoire of epic pop culture flicks. And, yes, Hughes allowed his young adult cast to improvise the classic group chat in the library.
The movie was filmed in sequence, so by the time they got to the emotionally-demanding scene, they’d inhabited the characters enough to bring a lot of authenticity to the film. A lot of great lines came out of it.
The Jazz Singer
“Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothing yet.”
"The Jazz Singer" (1927) marks the transition from silent films to talkies and it happened with an improvised line. When sound first came to cinema, Warner Bros. thought it was all about the music. But between numbers, star performer Al Jolson decided to add in a few lines.
In a chatty interlude, like many musical performances, he tells the audience, “Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothing yet,” and strikes up the next tune. Movie audiences were floored and wanted more talking in movies.
The Godfather
“But let’s be frank here, you never wanted my friendship.”
The scene: The unforgettable opening act of "The Godfather" with Marlon Brando stroking a cat in his lap seems like a work of cinematic genius, but, in fact, the cat was never part of the movie.
The stray feline happened to be wandering around the set, so Francis Ford Coppola handed it to Brando. After having to edit out the cat’s zealous purring, the rest, as they say, is movie history.
The Terminator 2
“I need a vacation.”
The scene: Arnold Schwarzenegger has made himself super prosperous throwing out character-defining lines like, “I’ll be back.” In this scene, the indestructible T-800 Terminator is about to glitch out.
Wires dangling, the cyborg announces, “I need a vacation.” While the line was improvised, it was so iconic it was kept in the film, and with good reason!
Django Unchained
*DiCaprio smears actual blood across Kerry Washington’s face*
The scene: Evil slaveholder Mr. Candie played by Leonardo DiCaprio slams his fist on the table unwittingly slicing it on a broken wine glass. Without pausing, DiCaprio continues with his lines, even after noticing his right hand is dripping.
The other actors have the perfect expression of shock and terror, especially when he uses Kerry Washington's face to wipe the blood from his hand, effectively demonstrating his status as a master.
Wayne’s World
“I think we’ll go with a little Bohemian Rhapsody, gentlemen?”
The scene: The script called for a Guns N’ Roses song but Mike Meyers was not having it. He absolutely refused to do the scene unless it was his own chosen Queen song. Good call! We nearly missed out on the most epic scene in "Wayne’s World."
With four rocking dudes crammed into Garth’s old model Pacer, he slips in the cassette and the rocking out commences. Apparently, both Meyers and Dana Carvey injured their necks in that bit.
This is Spinal Tap
“These go to 11.”
The scene: We all know Spinal Tap was practically made without a script, simply following the British rockers around, documentary style! It’s a mockumentary. So, when they get to the amp scene, it’s all ad-lib and it is one very memorable exchange.
Nigel’s selling a new amp and tells Marty, “The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven. . .” Finally, Marty interrupts and asks, “Why don’t you just make 10 louder?” Wait for it, deadpan: “These go to eleven.”