11 Improvisations In Movies That Become Iconic And Deserve An Oscar

When it comes to making movies, it is crucial to have a well-thought-out plan in place to ensure everything goes smoothly. However, it should be noted that filmmaking is a creative process that will certainly create some surprises along the way. Therefore, actors not only need to act well according to the script, but also know how to respond flexibly to unplanned situations.
Throughout the years, we have seen several iconic moments in our favorite films. But did you know that many of the most famous movie scenes didn't actually happen in the original scripts? Instead, the actors used their creativity to add their own unique touches to their performances. Do you remember the scene where Don Corleone is holding a cat in "The Godfather"? It wasn’t in the script, just like the shawarma sequence in "The Avengers" or the amusing wife story in "Good Will Hunting".
Read on to find out more about fantastic unplanned-but-memorable movie moments.

#1 "The Avengers" — the Shawarma scene

Source: © The Avengers / Marvel Studios Inc.

After Robert Downey Jr.’s character -- Iron Man almost dies, he asks everyone, “You ever tried shawarma? There’s a shawarma joint about 2 blocks from here. I don’t know what it is, but I wanna try it.” This line was not in the script, but the writers liked the idea so much that they even added a sequence where they eat shawarma after the credits.

#2 "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" — Voldemort’s final speech

Source:© Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 / Warner Bros., © Allpix Press / East News

The actors that performed in this sequence said that Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed Voldemort, altered his speech in a different way in every take in to get real reactions. Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) admitted that Fiennes' actions helped him to truly feel angry at Voldemort and to act his part better.

#3 "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" — declaration of love

Source: © Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back / Lucasfilm Ltd.

Han was supposed to say “I love you, too” after Lea said this, but Harrison Ford thought this line was too simple and instead replied, "I know."

#4 "The Godfather" — the cat on Don Corleone’s lap

Source: © The Godfather / Paramount Pictures, © Everett Collection / East News

The cat was not scripted. The cat that unexpectedly showed up on the scene and leaped into Marlon Brando's lap. The actor was forced to act as Don Corleone, who was playing with a cat during a pretty unpleasant conversation.

#5 "Crazy, Stupid, Love" — the jump from Dirty Dancing

Source: © Crazy, Stupid, Love. / Warner Bros.

Ryan Gosling believed that the jump scene was appropriate even if it wasn't in the screenplay. He had this idea because he had done this many times with his friends in bars and clubs.

#6 "Good Will Hunting" — the wife story

Source: © Good Will Hunting / Miramax Films

Do you remember the psychotherapist's account of his late wife's minor flaws? “She had all sorts of idiosyncrasies. You know, she used to fart in her sleep. One night it was so loud, it woke the dog up.” It was Robin William’s improvisation. Because of this, Matt Daemon's laughter in this scenario is entirely genuine. And if you look closely, you can see that the camera is shaking because the cameraman couldn't help.

#7 "Zoolander" — the cemetery conversation

Source: © Zoolander / Paramount Pictures, © Shooting Star / Sipa USA / East News

When actors unexpectedly forget their lines, they created some improvisations. When Duchovny's character begins to explain, Ben Stiller forgets his line and asks the same question. David also improvised and asked, “Are you kidding me? I’ve just explained this to you.” This behavior is entirely consistent with Zoolander's persona.

#8 "Rain Man" — the phone booth scene

During the shooting of this episode, Dustin Hoffman found himself in an awkward situation. The actor unintentionally farted in the phone booth, but both Dustin and Tom Cruise pretended that it was scripted in the first place.

#9 "50/50" — a shaved head

The scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt cut his own hair was not even scripted. Seth Rogen’s surprised face says it all.

#10 "The Wolf of Wall Street" — the restaurant song

The scene where the characters of Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio hum a song beating themselves on the chests, was supposed to be different. But Matthew made the decision to improvise and began the relaxation regimen he does in his daily life. And DiCaprio simply followed suit, nearly laughing out loud.

#11 "Avengers: Infinity War" — the scene where Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange meet Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time

This movie has a lot of funny scenes, but not everyone knows that not all of them were planned. For example, in the scene where Peter Quill asks where Gamora is, Tony Stark had to say, “I have a better question: Who is Gamora?”. But suddenly, Drax actor Dave Bautista said, "I have a better question: Why Gamora?"