Some screenwriters have it in spades, others can spend a lifetime waiting for that magical one-liner to bring a script to life. But what about when a famous movie line is ad-libbed by an actor? Did you even know that some of your favorite quotes were borne of the actors who spouted them? If not, read on to unveil a few shockers. When a talented actor steps on set, magic happens.
“Here’s Johnny!”
The Shining is officially the scariest movie in the world, and this famous line has become a household quote. But it wasn’t the work of the legendary Stanley Kubrick: it was Jack Nicholson who gave us these famous two words.
“I’m King of the World”
Leonardo Dicaprio has become the muse of many award-winning directors. As if his acting talent isn’t enough, he also threw us this famous line in Titanic rehearsals and James Cameron decided it was a keeper.
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
This line is so famous that people who haven’t even seen the film are familiar with it. It started as a joke amongst the cast regarding the tiny boat they were using. Roy Schneider jokingly threw it in during a take and it made the final cut.
“He stole my line!”
It should come as little surprise that the great Robin Williams features in the list. He’s shown us time and time again that ad-lib is his baby, and Good Will Hunting was no exception. He gave a different line on each take and this one made the cut.
“I’m funny how? I mean, funny like I’m a clown?”
Think of Goodfellas and you’ll likely remember the famous scene where Joe Pesci spontaneously turned into a psychopath over dinner. Seemingly, he and Ray Liotta improvised the whole scene, not just this one-liner.
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
It’s one of the world’s most famous catchphrases, and that’s all thanks to movie icon, Humphrey Bogart. The line wasn’t in the original script but it certainly made it to the movie.
“Molly, you in danger, girl!”
Aside from the heartfelt tragedy of Ghost, we can’t forget the comedic twist that Whoopi Goldberg added to the movie. This well-known line was all her own work, and it was undeniably powerful.
“I am Iron Man.”
When Robert Downey Junior unexpectedly delivered this line during filming, Jon Favreau felt it was perfectly in keeping with Iron Man’s character and positively embraced the change.
“I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.”
Billy Crystal went to town during the making of When Harry Met Sally and his impossible impro talents were featured in the famous deli scene with Meg Ryan. Great line.
“She talks in her sleep.”
Famous Scotsman Sean Connery thought on his feet during a scene with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He was talking about a female Nazi and the cast found his one-liner hilarious. Steven Spielberg did too it would seem.
“I’m singing in the rain!”
When Malcolm McDowell burst into song during a take for A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick decided it was genius and kept it in the movie. It’s the second time Kubrick has featured in the list; he needs to pull his finger out.
“I’m hearing this, and I want to hear this.”
Emily Blunt heard this line muttered in real life during an exchange between mother and daughter in a store. She liked it so much that she decided to sneak it into The Devil Wears Prada.
“Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!”
Well known for his impro abilities, and one of only two actors that the stickler Stanley Kubrick allowed to do so, Peter Sellers spurted this line during filming for the war comedy Dr Strangelove.
“Fsfsfsfsfsfsfs!”
Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning Hannibal Lecter gave us a plethora of sinister moments in The Silence of the Lambs. Did you know that the terrifying snarl sound was his own creation? Worrying or genius, you decide.
“Kelly Clarkson!”
During the famous waxing scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Judd Apatow left the camera rolling. Steve Carell’s pain was real, and his utterances were his own. The whole scene was improvised. Brutal.
“Alright, Alright, Alright.”
In his alluring deep Southern accent, Matthew McConaughey first uttered these famous words in a Dazed and Confused scene that he wasn’t even supposed to be in. We haven’t let him forget it ever since.
“You talkin’ to me?”
Robert DeNiro’s genius is apparent in every role he plays, but who would have known that this world-renowned line from Taxi Driver was his own work? We shouldn’t be surprised, particularly as he’s a noted method actor.
“I know!”
When someone tells you they love you, it’s courteous to tell them you love them back. That was precisely the plan in the original script for Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back when Princess Leia confessed her love for Hans Solo. Harrison Ford’s spontaneous response added a comedic moment that George Lucas refused to discard from the final edit.
“I’m walking here!”
When a speeding taxi nearly ran into Dustin Hoffman during a scene in Midnight Cowboy, it elicited an angry response. The line stayed, and it’s since gone down as one of the most famous lines in the world.
