20 Scenes From Famous Flicks That You Didn’t Know Were Improvised, According to the Actors

Improv is an impressive talent. To make up funny lines and entire scenes at the top of your head is incredible. It's even more amazing when those scenes and lines make it to the final cut of the movie.

Some actors are better known for this talent, including Robin Williams, Johnny Depp, and Robert Downey Jr. So, which improvised scenes of theirs made it to the final version? Better yet, what are some of the best movie scenes that were improvised? Follow along to find out.

For this article, 24/7 Tempo consulted online entertainment sources, focusing on interviews and discussions with actors and directors on specific scenes. Let's get our improv on!

Movie: "A Few Good Men" (1992)

Even those who have never seen this movie know the line. It's one of the most cutting moments in the film. Jack Nicholson, during his impactful speech, yells out, "You can't handle the truth!" The original line didn't cut as deep: "You already have the truth."

Movie: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004)

Anchorman has some of the most ridiculous lines, many of which were made up on the spot. Will Ferrell especially ad-libbed, almost causing his costars to break character. According to Paul Rudd, he had to stop himself from bursting into laughter when Ferrell said, "I'm proud of you, fellas. You all kept your head on a swivel, and that's what you gotta do when you find yourself in a vicious cockfight."

Movie: "Titanic" (1997)

"Titanic" fans will remember this well. Leonardo DiCaprio, with pure joy and excitement, spreads his arms wide and yells, "I'm the king of the world!" Did you know this line, though, was never in the script? Instead, the director, James Cameron, was inspired by DiCaprio's energy and made it up on the spot. Funny enough, DiCaprio wasn't sure if the line would work, but obviously it did.

Movie: "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

Some of the most romantic lines don't reference love directly. This includes "I know," as a response to Leia's confession in "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back."

Movie: "The Breakfast Club" (1985)

While the storyline was written into the script, the iconic scene where the teens start discussing why they are in the detention center is mainly improvised. The actors went off on their own, improvising why they were in detention in the first place. Actually, many of "The Breakfast Club's" scenes were improvised, including the last moment of the film, Bender's iconic fist in the air.

Movie: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004)

We are using yet another scene from "Anchorman." Will Ferrell wasn't the only hilarious actor using his improv skills. Steve Carell had some of the funniest lines, including when he confidently (and with a straight face) said, “I love lamp." How many times do you think all the characters in this ridiculous satire film broke character? If only we could see all the bloopers.

Movie: "Aladdin" (1992)

Did you think you'd see a voice acting role mentioned? Well, Robin Williams' portrayal of Genie in "Aladdin" was mainly improvised. He did countless celebrity impressions and even made a distinct sound to reference another Disney movie, Pinocchio, when Aladdin was lying. The animators added this to the film all because of Williams' incredible voice work.

Movie: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)

Another legendary improv actor is Jim Carrey, known for his fast quips. He needs just a few words to crack up audiences. In the film, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Carrey improvised a few scenes, including one where he lists his long schedule, finding an excuse to deny an invite from Cindy Lou. One of those excuses is that he needs to have dinner with himself, which he responds to with, "Dinner with me. I can't cancel that again."

Movie: "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017)

Actors are brilliant. How do they not all laugh immediately after coming up with the funniest and most bizarre lines? In "Thor: Ragnarok," the actor behind Thor, Chris Hemsworth, ad-libbed the entire childhood story where Loki supposedly turned into a snake and scared Thor, and then stabbed him.

Movie: "The Shining" (1980)

"The Shining" is one of the most well-known horror movies in the world. But did you know the memorable "Here's Johnny!" line almost didn't make it! Jack Nicholson ad-libbed it in reference to Johnny Carson, the host of the "Tonight Show." Super random, but it worked.

Movie: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Robin Williams was incredibly good at improvising lines and scenes. One of his most iconic improvisations was in "Mrs. Doubtfire" after he threw a fruit while dressed up. He then says, "It was a run-by fruiting."

Movie: "Jaws" (1975)

What do you remember most about "Jaws" other than the massive shark? Well, most people remember the line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." Interestingly enough, this line was not just ad-libbed but also thrown around as a joke on set because of how often things would break down.

Movie: "Taxi Driver" (1976)

Sometimes, the weirdest things work in a film. For instance, the iconic scene where Robert De Niro utters "You talking to me?" was originally silent. Now, it's a household line, repeated all over the world. It actually almost didn't make it into the movie as the film was running low on time, so De Niro was nearly rushed to the next scene.

Movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006)

No one else could have played Captain Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp was perfect for this role, ad-libbing many of the scenes. One of the most shocking improv moments was when he made up the entire 'I've got a jar of dirt' song! Next time you watch that scene, look at the other actor's faces. Their reactions are genuine.

Movie: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022)

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" had some of the weirdest scenes ever. Although Evelyn and Deirdre's hot dog breakup was written in the film, none of the actions were. The two actresses got to be creative together in their motions.

Movie: "Midnight Cowboy" (1969)

How often do you quote "Hey, I'm walkin' here!"? Probably not enough. This hilarious line was not in the script, which makes the moment even better. Rico Rizzo yells out, "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" after almost getting hit by a taxi cab in "Midnight Cowboy."

Movie: "Casablanca" (1942)

"Casablanca" is another quotable movie with quite a few ad-libbed lines, including the ending, "Here's looking at you, kid." Apparently, the script for this legendary 1942 film wasn't complete at the time. This simple line was perfect, romantic, and so in character.

Movie: "The Avengers" (2012)

Robert Downey Jr. is another great actor with strong improv skills. He's best known for his improv work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). One of the funniest, but lowkey improv moments is when he offers his team a "Blueberry?" Not only was this not in the script, but it was 100% an excuse for Downey Jr. to eat on camera, sneaking some snacks in.

Movie: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021)

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is one of the best movies to come out of the 2020s so far. It was a box office hit where we got not one, not two, but three Spider-Men! Well, do you remember the scene where Zendaya throws a loaf of bread at Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man when he exits the portal? That was unscripted and all her idea!

Movie: "Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade" (1989)

Again, how did the actors not break character? Sean Connery dropped the funniest and most random line, “She talks in her sleep,” while filming "Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade." The line was in response to the question, "How did you know she's a Nazi?" According to interviews and stories with cast and crew, everyone nearly burst out laughing.