10 Actors Who Didn’t Follow The Script And Created Iconic Movie Moments Instead

Writers create characters, but actors are the ones who bring them to life. A great actor does more than just repeat their lines in front of the camera. Sometimes, the actors who didn’t follow the script created the best moments in iconic movies. Some added unexpected lines, some fought for the changes they thought were best for their characters.
So let’s see which actors have changed their whole characters as well as their Movies with their own improvements to the script. Do you think that their decisions are brilliant, or they shouldn’t have done that?

1. Iron Man

Source: Marvel Studios/ Courtesy Everett Collection

The iconic twist at the end of Iron Man wasn’t scripted. Robert Downey Jr. improvised the final line, and he created a whole legend with that one line. His change to the script seemed like something the real Tony Stark would do, therefore it was a good ad-lib.
Producer Kevin Feige admitted that line was brilliant, explaining "If you're changing something for no reason, that's one thing, but if you're changing something because you want to double-down on the spirit of who the character is? That's a change we'll make.”

2. The Avengers

Source: Marvel Studios/ Courtesy Everett Collection

Robert also refused to follow the script in the first Avengers movie. Turned out that in the original finale, when Iron Man snapped awake after falling to Earth through the portal, his line was “What’s next?”
Robert Downey Jr. felt that this is out of character for Tony Stark, so he changed it to “Please tell me nobody tried to kiss me” instead. Then he asked other characters to hit up a good shawarma restaurant, and the famous shawarma after-credit scene was born.

3. Thor: Ragnarok

Source: Marvel Studios/ Courtesy Everett Collection

Thor: The Dark World wasn’t a big hit, and many Marvel fans were displeased with the movie. Thor himself was also not a big fan of the dark and gloomy style in this part, so Chris Hemsworth went to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and suggested the next part to be "funnier" and "unpredictable."
So thanks to him, Thor: Ragnarok was much better and received many positive reviews. It’s a colorful movie with the right amount of comedic relief, and it’s a fun movie to watch.

4. House of Gucci

Source: Universal Pictures

Many people watch House of Gucci just because of the iconic "father, son, and the house of Gucci" of Patrizia Reggiani in the trailer. No doubt it's a very powerful line that is delivered perfectly. However, the truth was that line was never written in the script. Lady Gaga came up with the line all by herself.
The famous singer often said that line in her trailer when she took breaks from filming as a sort of prayer. She was so used to it that in one scene she just blurted it out. "Something about that scene when we were doing it felt right and we did it," Gaga explained, "It's a testament to Ridley Scott as a director. He uses the stuff. He uses creativity."

5. The Devil Wears Prada

Source: The Devil Wears Prada / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producers

Speaking of movies about the high-fashion world, we can all agree that Meryl Streep’s performance as Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada is spectacular. She is an ambitious successful woman who won’t let anything get in her way, a coldhearted boss, and overall, a very hard-to-pleased person. But Miranda is also more than that, and without Meryl Streep, she won’t be as interesting.
The actress wanted Andy to enter Miranda’s room and found her crying because her husband had asked for a divorce, instead of just being cool about the whole thing.“I wanted a scene where she is without her armor, the unpeeled scene in the hotel room — just to see that face without its protective glaze, to glimpse at the woman in the businesswoman,” Streep explained to Variety magazine.
Another iconic line that she changed was in the finale scene where Andy sat next to Miranda in the car. Miranda was supposed to say "Everyone wants to be me," but Streep changed it to "Everyone wants to be us."

6. The Witcher

Source: The Witcher / Netflix and co-producers

Geralt thought his beloved Yennefer was dead, so when the Witcher found out that she was still alive they had a heartwarming reunion with a passionate kiss. This almost didn’t happen, but Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra convinced the producers to re-write their reunion scene to focus only on emotions.

7. Stranger Things

Source: Stranger Things / Netflix and co-producers

Dacre Montgomery wanted to show the audience that no one becomes bad for no reason, so he asked the creators of the series to create more scenes that showed Billy’s humane side. The Duffer Brothers listened to him and added the angry confrontation Billy had with his father, along with memories about his mother.

8. The Office

Source: The Office / NBC and co-producers

In the original script for season 8 of The Office, Jim kissed Cathy while he was on a business trip. The actor who played Jim, John Krasinski, refused to act in this scene. He thought that this scene would make the audience angry as most of them are ardent fans of Jim and Pam as a couple.
“That’s the only time I remember putting my foot down. I remember saying things that I never thought I’d say before, like, I’m not going to shoot it,” Krasinski wrote.

9. Pulp Fiction

Source: Pulp Fiction / Miramax Films and co-producers

In the original version of the script, Jules was supposed to have a big afro. However, Quentin Tarantino’s assistant misunderstood and bought the wrong wig. The good news was Samuel L. Jackson liked this wig more than the original. The actor insisted on changing the look of his character until Tarantino gave in.

10. The Shawshank Redemption

Source: The Shawshank Redemption / Castle Rock Entertainment and co-producers

The Shawshank Redemption was supposed to end with Red blowing the harmonica that Andy gave him, but Morgan Freeman had another idea. Apparently, the famous actor thought that this scene was inappropriate and cliché, so he refused to act out the scene.
These actors who didn’t follow the script surely made bold decisions. Do you think it’s okay for them to add changes to their characters, or they should follow the scripts to the T? And if you want to know more about the “what-if” of iconic movies, then check out these 9 iconic roles that almost played by completely different actors.