Random Famous Movie Lines That Were Unscripted (21 items)

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  (#1) Jaws

  • Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, John Searle, Murray Hamilton, Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, Lorraine Gary, Jeffrey Kramer, Susan Backlinie, Beverly Powers, Ayn Ruymen, Denise Cheshire, Ted Grossman, Rex Trailer, Craig Kingsbury, Allison Caine, Dorothy Fielding, Chris Rebello, David Engelbach, Belle McDonald, Christopher Sands, Fritzi Jane Courtney, Cyprian R. Dube, Duncan Inches, Jonathan Filley, Jay Mello, Robert Nevin, Robert Carroll, Alfred Wilde, Lee Fierro, Jeffrey Voorhees, Wally Hooper Jr., Jean Canha, Peggy Scott, Robert Chambers, Edward Chalmers Jr., Julie Taylor, Paul F. Tremblay, Gilbert Brand, Wayne Iacono, Janice T. Hull, Beardsley Graham, John Bahr, Jerome S. Tartar, Joy Stuart, Stephanie Hull, Alston Goff, William Lymon, Paul G. Thibodeau, Dick Young, Edwin C. Carlson, Carla Hogendyk, Henry Carreiro, Henry E. Scott III, Brendan Gallagher, Hershel West, Joseph G. Kraetzer, Gregory S. Dole, Steven Potter, Paul Goulart, Phil Murray, Philip Norton, Donald Poole, Richard P. Hewitt, Robert Whelden Jr., William O'Gorman, Francis A. Frank, Mike Haydn, William Pfluger, Elizabeth K. Gifford, Stephen Earle, Willis B. Gifford, Eleanor L. Harvey, Chris Anastasio, Joe La Creta

  While luring the great white shark within range, Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) gets his first look at the shark and how impossibly large it is. Stunned, he stands and mutters the now famous line to Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) completely off-the-cuff, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.”
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  (#2) The Shining

  • Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Barry Dennen, Barry Nelson, Anne Jackson, Danny Lloyd, Joe Turkel, Tony Burton, Philip Stone, Robin Pappas, David Baxt, Louise Burns, Lisa Burns, Lia Beldam

  Wendy Torrance (Shelley Duval) and her son Danny (Danny Lloyd) hide from the unhinged Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in a hotel bathroom. Jack chops through the door with an ax. As he makes a hole big enough for his face, he yells a phrase previously made popular by Ed McMahon on The Tonight Show, "Here's Johnny!" The line was never part of the script, but was instantly iconic.
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  (#3) Good Will Hunting

  • Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, Casey Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård, Cole Hauser, George Plimpton, Harmony Korine, Vik Sahay, Richard Fitzpatrick, Christopher Britton, James Allodi, John Mighton, Philip Williams, Chas Lawther, David Eisner, Alison Folland, Kevin Rushton, Bruce Hunter, Scott William Winters, Steven Kozlowski, Jimmy Flynn, Kent Damon, Daniel Olsen, Francesco Clemente, Patrick O'Donnell, Riva Di Paola, Thomas Lundy, Frank Nakashima, Jessica Morton, Dan Washington, Barna Moricz, Bobby Curcoro, Rob Lyons, Matt Mercier, Shannon Egleson, Joe Cannon, Derrick Bridgeman, Ann Matacunas, Rachel Majorowski, Libby Geller, Colleen McCauley, Jennifer Deathe, Rob Lynds, Robert Talvano, Ralph St. George

  Robin Williams' character (Sean Maguire) is a therapist and decides to tell Will Hunting (Matt Damon) a bit about himself in order to get the kid to open up. He tells a story about his wife and her flatulent habits, which causes Damon to laugh hysterically. The best part: The entire story was made up by Williams mid-scene. Damon's laugh is actually genuine. If you look carefully, the camera shakes a tiny bit; the cameraman was laughing, too.
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  (#4) Taxi Driver

  • Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Martin Scorsese, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle, Victor Argo, Joe Spinell, Diahnne Abbott, Debbi Morgan, Harry Northup, Leonard Harris, Murray Moston, Norman Matlock, Bob Maroff, Victor Magnotta, Beau Kazer, Brenda Dickson, Mary-Pat Green, Bill Minkin, Trent Gough, Frank Adu, James J. Mapes, Nicholas Shields, Richard Higgs, Harry Cohn, Joseph Bergmann, Ralph S. Singleton, Peter Savage, Tommy Ardolino, Gino Ardito, Jean Elliot, Harlan Cary Poe, Nat Grant, Harry Fischler, William Donovan, Maria Turner, Annie Gagen, Billie Perkins, Gene Palma, Copper Cunningham, Robin Utt, Steven Prince, Garth Avery

  In this scene, there was no specific dialogue. The script merely said, Travis talks to himself in the mirror. Every single thing that Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) says during his insane conversation with himself in the mirror was improvised by De Niro.
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  (#5) The Silence of the Lambs

  • Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Chris Isaak, George A. Romero, Roger Corman, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Frankie Faison, Brooke Smith, Charles Napier, Obba Babatunde, Tracey Walter, Dan Butler, Kasi Lemmons, Diane Baker, Daniel von Bargen, Ron Vawter, Anthony Heald, Harry Northup, Adelle Lutz, George Michael, John W. Iwanonkiw, Don Brockett, Brent Hinkley, Kenneth Utt, Paul Lazar, David Early, Gene Borkan, Pat McNamara, Ted Monte, Stuart Rudin, Buzz Kilman, Bill Dalzell, Tommy Lafitte, Danny Darst, Chris McGinn, Chuck Aber, Cynthia Ettinger, Leib Lensky, Lamont Arnold, Andre B. Blake, Frank Seals Jr., George 'Red' Schwartz, Alex Coleman, Rebecca Saxon, Lauren Roselli, Darla, John Hall, Lynette Jenkins, Jim Dratfield, Mike Schaeffer, Miranda Dali, Maria Skorobogatov, Lawrence T. Wrentz, Jim Roche, James B. Howard, Bill Miller, Steve Wyatt, Jeffrie Lane, Josh Broder, Lawrence A. Bonney

  All of the dialogue between Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) was scripted, but many of the nuances and iconic subtleties were not. Most iconically, the hiss was something that Anthony Hopkins would do to make Jodie Foster uncomfortable between takes.
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  (#6) Midnight Cowboy

  • Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Bob Balaban, M. Emmet Walsh, Brenda Vaccaro, Sandy Duncan, Susan Bottomly, Barnard Hughes, Ruth White, John McGiver, Sylvia Miles, Jennifer Salt, Paul Morrissey, Viva, Isabelle Collin Dufresne, Gilman Rankin, Ron Lundy, Tina Scala, T. Tom Marlow, Al Scott

  After a New York City taxi completely ignored all of the road closure signs and filming notifications, Dustin Hoffman (Ratso) and Jon Voight (Joe Buck) were nearly hit by the speeding car. Staying completely in character and never missing a beat, Hoffman turned the moment into one of the best in the film, improvising and tying it into his character and the scene.
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  (#7) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

  • Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, John Ratzenberger, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Anthony Daniels, Denis Lawson, Clive Revill, Jeremy Bulloch, Jason Wingreen, Jack Purvis, John Hollis, Des Webb

  Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is moments away from being encased in carbonite. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) knows this might be her last chance to confess her love for him. The script called for a simple "I love you," to which Han would respond, "I love you, too." But it was Ford himself who responded with, "I know."
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  (#8) Casablanca

  • Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Monte Blue, Joy Page, Conrad Veidt, John Qualen, Marcel Dalio, George Meeker, Martin Garralaga, Henry Rowland, Creighton Hale, Frank Puglia, Dooley Wilson, Dan Seymour, S. Z. Sakall, George J. Lewis, Curt Bois, Gerald Oliver Smith, Gregory Gaye, Dewey Robinson, Norma Varden, Ludwig Stössel, Leo White, Olaf Hytten, Gino Corrado, Jean Del Val, Paul Panzer, Paul Porcasi, Leonid Kinskey, Torben Meyer, Michael Mark, Leon Belasco, Georges Renavent, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Alberto Morin, Dick Botiller, Helmut Dantine, Louis Mercier, Eugene Borden, Ilka Grüning, Jean De Briac, Barry Norton, Maurice Brierre, Oliver Blake, Alexander Pollard, Wolfgang Zilzer, Manuel París, Herbert Evans, Ellinor Vanderveer, Madeleine LeBeau, Winifred Harris, Spencer Chan, George Sorel, Enrique Costa, Jacques Vanaire, Adrienne D'Ambricourt, George M. Carleton, Fred Farrell, Lester Sharpe, Franco Corsaro, Trude Berliner, Richard Ryen, George Dee, Lou Marcelle, Leo Mostovoy, Louis V. Arco, Gregory Golubeff, Carl Deloro, Paul Irving, William Edmunds, Charles La Torre, Adolph Faylauer, Jack Wise, Ed Agresti, Dina Smirnova, Lal Chand Mehra, Mike Tellegen, Arthur Stuart Hull, Arthur Dulac, Geoffrey Steele, Lotte Palfi Andor, Jacques Lory, Jamiel Hasson, Nino Bellini, Anita Camargo, Corinna Mura, O.K. Ford, Manuel Lopez, Frank Arnold, Hercules Mendez, Melie Chang, Max Linder, Joseph DeVillard, Tony Martelli

  Sure, it's one of the best movie quotes of all time and yes, it's one of the most quoted lines ever, especially when referencing classic cinema. But it wasn't even in the script. It was actually just what Humphrey Bogart (playing Rick Blaine) said to Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund) while teaching her to play poker between takes. It became second nature, made its way into the film, and then into our pop culture lexicon.
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  (#9) Dumb and Dumber

  • Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Teri Garr, Lauren Holly, Cam Neely, Charles Rocket, Harland Williams, Karen Duffy, Lin Shaye, Victoria Rowell, Mike Starr, Anna Anka, Traci Adell, Fred Stoller, Zen Gesner, Felton Perry, Brad Norton, Rob Moran, Joe Baker, Charles Chun, Hillary Matthews, Brady Bluhm, Connie Sawyer, Sean Gildea, Marty Fresca, Brian Mone, Terry Mullany, Hank Brandt, Bill Beauchene, Kirsten Maryott, Brad Blank, Mark Levine, John Stroehman, Paul Pelletier, Tom Leasca, George Bedard, Kenny Griswold, Mark Miosky, Cecile Krevoy, Jesse Borja, Billy Smith, Clem Franek, Vene L. Arcoraci, Lisa Stothard, Ken Duvall, Jim Blake, Helen Mary Boll, Nancy Barker, Clint Allen, Bradley Lockerman, Elaine Wood, Mike Watkis, Chris Spain, Nancy Farrelly, Samantha Carpel, Gary Sivertsen, Mark Charpentier, Karen Ingram, Diane Kinerk, Kevin Constantine, Mike Cavallo, John Dale, Bruce Bowns, Lawrence Kopp, Mike Burke, Anita Rice, James Horrocks, Brad Louder, Josh Shipley, Kathryn Frick, Kevin Sheehan, Doug Caputo, Rolf Sigurd Brekke, Catalina Izasa, James 'Sporty' Ahern, Denise Vienne, Pam Nielson, Samatha Pearson

  This entire scene was apparently made up as they went along. In truth, Mike Starr, the actor getting his ears screamed into, can't tolerate loud noises in real life. So, not only are Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels's lines and obnoxiousness all improvised, but Starr's reactions to them are completely genuine as well.
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  (#10) Caddyshack

  • Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ted Knight, Cindy Morgan, Henry Wilcoxon, Albert Salmi, Michael O'Keefe, Douglas Kenney, Ann Ryerson, Scott Colomby, Brian McConnachie, Lois Kibbee, Thomas A. Carlin, Dan Resin, John Murray, Fred Buch, Elaine Aiken, Mel Pape, Sarah Holcomb, Scott Powell, Bruce McLaughlin, Ted Swanson, Frank Schuller, Hamilton Mitchell, Jackie Davis, Peter Berkrot, Cordis Heard, Violet Ramis, Kenneth Burritt, Rebecca Burritt, Anna Upstrom, Paige Coffman, Ron Frank, Debbie Howard, Patricia Wilcox, Scott Jackson, Donna M. Wiggin, Dr. Dow, Marge McKenna, Mark Chiriboga, Scott Sudden, James Hotchkiss, Marcus Breece, Dennis McCormack, Bobbie Kosstrin, Judy Arman, Ann Crilley, Tony Gulliver, John F. Barmon Jr., Debi Frank, Kim Bordeaux, Lori Lowe, Minerva Scelza

  In Caddyshack, Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) has a great monologue about being an unknown golfer winning the masters. This entire scene was developed by Murray on the spot. The entire ad libbbed line is: "What an incredible Cinderella story! This unknown, comes out of nowhere, to lead the pack at Augusta. He's at the final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think. Boy, he got all of that. The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta. The normally reserved crowd is going wild ... for this young Cinderella who's come out of nowhere. He's got about 350 yards left, he's going to hit about a 5-iron, it looks like, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing ... that's — oh, he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that! The crowd is just on its feet here. He's a Cinderella boy. Tears in his eyes, I guess, as he lines up this last shot. He's got about 195 yards left, and he's got a, looks like he's got about an 8-iron. This crowd has gone silent ... Cinderella story, out of nowhere, former greenskeeper, now about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac— it's in the hole! It's in the hole!"
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  (#11) Aliens

  • Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Daniel Kash, William Hope, Mark Rolston, Ricco Ross, Al Matthews, Carrie Henn, Colette Hiller, Tip Tipping, Cynthia Dale Scott

  You can probably still hear Bill Paxton as Private Hudson saying, "Game over, man, game over!" But when he said it in the film, it was off the cuff. One of the most iconic lines from one of the most iconic sci-fi films ever was improvised.
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  (#12) The Warriors

  • Mercedes Ruehl, Robert Townsend, James Remar, David Harris, David Patrick Kelly, Lynne Thigpen, Michael Beck, Steve James, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Irwin Keyes, Dorsey Wright, Sonny Landham, Thomas G. Waites, Paul Greco, J.W. Smith, Marcelino Sánchez, John Snyder, Craig R. Baxley, Frank Ferrara, Doran Clark, Steven Chambers, Tom McKitterick, Charles McCarthy, A. J. Bakunas, Brian Tyler, Victor Magnotta, Joel Weiss, Bill Anagnos, Harry Madsen, Tommy J. Huff, Antone Pagan, Terry Michos, Apache Ramos, Larry Silvestri, John Gibson, Jery Hewitt, Dennis Gregory, Charles Silvern, Harold Miller, Gerald G. Francis, Pamela Poitier, Gary Baxley, Mike James, Johnny Barnes, Richard Alleman, George Lee Miles, Roger Hill, Gene Bicknell, Charles Zucker, Lisa Maurer, Edward Sewer, Laura Delano, Andy Engel, Eddie Earl Hatch, Victoria Vanderkloot, Iris Klein, Jeffrey Scott, William F. Williams, Leon Delaney, Frazier Prince, Dan Bonnell, Wanda Velez, Gregory Cleghorne, Michael Garfield, T.J. McNamara, Konrad Sheehan, Rob Ryder, Richard Chiotti, Tony Michael Pann, Lane Ruoff, Mark Baltazar, Ron Ferrell, Michael Jeffrey, Hubert Edwards, Carl Brown, Benny Harding, Donna Ritchie, Neal Gold, Ian Cohen, Tony Latham, Gwynn Press, Chris Harley, Harold Jurkiewicz, Kate Klugman, Tom Jarus, Chuck Mason, Kevin Stockton, Brian Colbath, Marvin Foster, Jodi Price, Carrotte, Jordan Cae Harrell, Tony Clark, Pat Flannery, Ginny Ortiz, Fernando Castillo, Joseph Bergmann, Cal Saint John, Dee Dee Benrey, Albert Zavurov, Charles Serrano, Patty Brown, Leo Ciani, Eddie Prather, James Margolin, Ken Thret, Charles Doolan, Dan Battles, Steve Garfanti, Heidi Lynch, Joe Zimmardi, Larry Sears

  All the script called for was Luther (David Patrick Kelly), leader of the vicious New York gang the Rogues to drive up and provoke the Warriors to a fight in the streets by clinking bottles together. Kelly then ad-libbed the most famous line in the film, "Warriors, come out to play!"
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  (#13) Knocked Up

  • Jessica Alba, Eva Mendes, Katherine Heigl, James Franco, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Ryan Seacrest, Andy Dick, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel, Bill Hader, Harold Ramis, Alan Tudyk, Stormy Daniels, Jay Baruchel, Ken Jeong, Craig Robinson, Dax Shepard, Nautica Thorn, Loudon Wainwright III, Joanna Kerns, Adam Scott, B. J. Novak, Brianna Brown, Mo Collins, Wayne Federman, Paul Feig, Steven Brill, Martin Starr, Catherine Reitman, Tim Bagley, Charlyne Yi, J. P. Manoux, Nick Thune, Greg Brown, Tami Sagher, Melinda Bennett, Julia Melim, Matthew McKane, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Shawn McDaniel, Ana Mercedes, Joseph T. Mastrolia, Roy C. Peterson, Ben Meyerson, Jerome Villaluz, Michelle Woods, Mary Brill, Emersen Riley, Kathy Gonzales, Aidan Gonzales, Andrew Gonzales, Natalie Lipka, Stephanie Mnookin, Lindsay Hamilton, Diane Schaller, Nadine Griffith, Lolita Mastrolia, Tracy Hartley, Rose Day Stuart, Jeffrey L. Wilson

  Much of the movie was improvised, but the most memorable line was Pete (Paul Rudd) and Ben's (Seth Rogen) "You know how I know you're gay?" sequence.
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  (#14) Blade Runner

  • Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Morgan Paull, Monty Pyke, Kevin Thompson, John Edward Allen

  Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) attempts to “retire” the replicant known as Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) and he starts to lose the fight. After the replicant saves him, he gives a moving monologue that ends with one of the most poignant lines ever. As he thinks on his past he says, "All of those moments will be lost in time,” but then Rutger Hauer added the philosophical, “Like tears in rain.”
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  (#15) Zoolander

  • Natalie Portman, Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum, David Bowie, Milla Jovovich, Donald Trump, Gwen Stefani, Lil' Kim, Victoria Beckham, Winona Ryder, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Lenny Kravitz, David Duchovny, Alexander Skarsgård, Claudia Schiffer, Andy Dick, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jon Voight, Christian Slater, Jennifer Coolidge, Patton Oswalt, Christine Taylor, Emma Bunton, James Marsden, Tommy Hilfiger, Fred Durst, Sandra Bernhard, Gavin Rossdale, Justin Theroux, Jerry Stiller, Billy Zane, Lance Bass, Tom Ford, Tyson Beckford, Karl Lagerfeld, Garry Shandling, Stephen Dorff, Nora Dunn, Anne Meara, Mark Ronson, Fabio Lanzoni, Veronica Webb, Frankie Rayder, Lukas Haas, Irina Pantaeva, Godfrey, Carmen Kass, Tony Ashwin Kanal, Melania Trump, Dave Brockie, Jennifer Dorogi, Judah Friedlander, Theo Kogan, Kevyn Aucoin, Shavo Odadjian, Ève Salvail, Steve Kmetko, Tina Casciani, Jerry Stahl, Vikram Chatwal, Alexa Nikolas, Amy Stiller, Andrew Wilson, David Pressman, Endre Hules, Johann Urb, Ric Pipino, Richie Rich, John Vargas, Frédéric Fekkai, Dechen Thurman, Mauricio Sanchez, Chris Kerson, Nathan Lee Graham, Matt Levin, "Tubb" Tucker, Randall Slavin, Shabazz Ray, Cheryl Cosenza, Eric Winzenried, Michael Derks, Alexandria Morrow, Jennifer McComb, Guy Perry, Lisa Ann Phillips, Rohan Quine, Woodrow W. Asai, Flattus Maximus, Luther Creek, Jonah Luber, Jeff Van Atta, Shawna Bermender, Taj Crown, Gregory J. Lucas, Eliot Johnson, Angel 11:11, Richard Stanley, Scott Strasbaugh, Rudy Segura, Colin McNish, Mason Webb, Mitch Winston, Luc Commeret, Alexandre Manning, Michael McAlpin, Darren Copeland, Svetlana, Kenny Max, Kashana, Zoya, Richard Gladys, Boris Kachscovsky, Charles L. Brame, Asio Highsmith, King, Ming Ho Kum, Herb Lieberz, Pauly J, K-Roc, Stan Chu, Lam Bor, Taylor Hart, Paulo Pascoal, Klara Landrat, Akiko Ashley, Jennifer R. Blake, Kristen Fick, Autumn Leigh Brown, Amanda Pham, Slymenstra Hymen, Eric Floyd, Kevin Squires, Ethan Higbee

  Out of context, the line itself isn't nearly as funny as the situation that led to its existence. In Zoolander, Derek Zoolander, a male model played by Ben Stiller, asks why male models are chosen as hitmen. After hearing Duchovny's long explanation as to why they are the perfect hitmen, Stiller forgot his line and asked again, "But why male models?" Thus, prompting the now classic, "Are you serious? I just told you that a moment ago." This flub was actually great, revealing more about both characters.
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  (#16) A Clockwork Orange

  • Malcolm McDowell, Warren Clarke, Steven Berkoff, David Prowse, Adrienne Corri, Aubrey Morris, George Coulouris, Patrick Magee, Pat Roach, Michael Bates, Gaye Brown, John Clive, Margaret Tyzack, Philip Stone, Carol Drinkwater, Miriam Karlin, Anthony Sharp, John Savident, Godfrey Quigley, Peter Burton, Clive Francis, Gillian Hills, Sheila Raynor, Madge Ryan, James Marcus, Virginia Wetherell, Michael Gover, Carl Duering, John J. Carney, Vivienne Chandler, Katya Wyeth, Neil Wilson, Billy Russell, Michael Tarn, Paul Farrell, Robert Bruce, Norman Gay, Katharina Kubrick, Andros Epaminondas, Prudence Drage, Fred Hugh, Helen Ford, Maurice Bush, Alec Wallis, Shirley Jaffe, Barrie Cookson, Olive Mercer, Frankie Abbott, Leslie Nye, Tom Sye, Margaret Heald, Nat Pearn, Sister Watkins, Jeremy Curry, Steadman Clark, Winifred Sabine, Rex Rashley, Craig Hunter, Dr. Gundry, Barbara Scott, Jan Adair, Lee Fox, Richard Connaught, Cheryl Grunwald, Shane Shelton, Lindsay Campbell, Henry Robert, Arthur Tatler, Peter Hannon, Roy Beck, Pauline Taylor, Nicholas Hill, Fred Real, George O'Gorman, David Dawkins

  Alex (Malcolm McDowell) breaks into song as he and his droogs perform a bit of the ol' “ultra-violence." Kubrick apparently couldn't get a take he liked, so after a few tries at the scene he told McDowell to just “do anything he wanted." McDowell began belting out Singin' in the Rain during the scene, and the rest is history.
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  (#17) Reservoir Dogs

  • Quentin Tarantino, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steven Wright, Edward Bunker, Lawrence Tierney, Kirk Baltz, Randy Brooks, Michael Sottile

  The entire scene following the ear removal in Reservoir Dogs was improvised by Michael Madsen, playing Mr. Blonde. The dancing, the witty retorts, the talking into the ear — it was all Madsen, all in the moment.
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  (#18) American Beauty

  • Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Mena Suvari, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Thora Birch, Amber Smith, Wes Bentley, Scott Bakula, John Cho, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Peter Gallagher, Bruce Cohen, Sam Robards, Barry Del Sherman, Matthew Kimbrough, Nancy Anderson, Ara Celi, Joel McCrary, Sue Casey, David C. Fisher, Kent Faulcon, Alison Faulk, Chelsea Hertford, Reshma Gajjar, Tom Miller, Brenda Wehle, Dennis Anderson, Chekesha Van Putten, Elaine Corral Kendall, Carolina Lancaster, Heather Joy Sher, Lisa Cloud, Ramona Leah, Krista Goodsitt, Erin Cathryn Strubbe, Lily Houtkin, Stephanie Rizzo, Emily Zachary, Fort Atkinson

  Much of the dinner scene in American Beauty was unscripted. The actors were given a rough framework of notes and beats to hit and the rest they improvised, including letting a plate fly (the looks of surprise are genuine).
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  (#19) Being John Malkovich

  • Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn, Winona Ryder, Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Andy Dick, Gary Sinise, Octavia Spencer, Catherine Keener, David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Mary Kay Place, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson, Isaac Hanson, Orson Bean, Willie Garson, Jester Hairston, Neil Ross, Richard Fancy, James Murray, W. Earl Brown, Ned Bellamy, Gregory Sporleder, Mariah O'Brien, Yetta Ginsburg, Lance Bangs, Byrne Piven, Kacee DeMasi, Carlos Jacott, Bill M. Ryusaki, Pamela Hayden, Reggie Hayes, K. K. Dodds, Kevin Carroll, Gerald Emerick, Eric Weinstein, Victor Isaac, Kristin D'Andrea, Bill Wittman, Michelle Madden, Daniel Hansen, Jayne Hess, Madison Lanc, Sylvester Jenkins, William Buck, Eddie L. Fauria, Christine Coleman, Patricia Tippo, Erica Long, Yvonne Montelius, Kevin Lee, Audrey Gelfund, Jeanne Diehl, Trevor Lawrence Young, Christine Krejer, Flori Wyler, Kelly Teacher, Jennifer Canzoneri, Jessica Neuberger, Elizabeth Rivera, Roy C. Johnson, Judith Wetzell, Charlene Grimsley, Greg O'Neill, David Wyler, Marlowe Bassett, Jacqueline Benoît, Denise Dabrowski, Eddie J. Low, Chelsa Sjostrom, Sara Rifkin, Ralph W. Spaulding, Kristie Cordle

  There's a scene in Being John Malkovich where John Malkovich is beyond the point of frustration, in this moment he's hit in the head with a can from a car driving by with it's passenger yelling "Hey, Malkovich! Think fast!" This great moment brought a genuine moment of surprise and was a perfect tipping point for the character, and it was all unscripted. The man in the car was an extra, and the car was merely supposed to drive by.
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  (#20) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

  • James Earl Jones, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Sterling Hayden, Shane Rimmer, Peter Bull, Glenn Beck, Tracy Reed, Jack Creley, Gordon Tanner, Hal Galili, Laurence Herder, Roy Stephens, Paul Tamarin, Robert O'Neil, Frank Berry, John McCarthy

  Nuclear scientist Dr. Merkwürdigliebe or Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers) was in a wheelchair for the entirety of the film. Sellers, of his own accord (not in the least bit scripted), then stood at the very end of the film, took a couple of steps and proclaimed, “Mein Führer! I can walk!” Kubrick then went back and changed much of the script ("retro-scripting") to incorporate a lot of Sellers’s improvised dialogue, including this now famously unscripted scene from the end.

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