Top 10 Movie Characters That Were Improvised

Top 10 Movie Characters That Were Almost Totally Improvised

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These characters were off the cuff. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movie Characters That Were Almost Totally Improvised. For this list, we’ll be going over the fictional big screen characters whose dialogue or characterizations were crafted largely or significantly by the actors that played them.

Although this adaptation of the popular book series underperformed at the box office, it does contain a memorable performance by Jim Carrey as the villainous Count Olaf. Being an adaptation, one wouldn’t expect there to be much room for improv, but Carrey’s natural comedic talents with spontaneous dialogue were allowed to breathe on-set by the director, leading to dozens of outtakes of the actor saying whatever came into his head. This can primarily be seen in the various personas that Count Olaf adopts, as the wily antagonist’s paper-thin disguises offer plenty of opportunities for Carrey to go nuts.

Despite being the title character, Betelgeuse doesn’t appear in most of the movie that bears his name. However, Michael Keaton’s energetic, manic performance is so great that even after seeing it a hundred and sixty-seven times, it gets FUNNIER EVERY TIME YOU SEE IT! Originally envisioned as completely different in the script, with a more demonic look, Keaton, who was only on-set for a few weeks, came up with the look of Betelgeuse himself and also improvised most of his lines while on-set. It’s safe to say that without Keaton, Betelgeuse wouldn’t be the memorable character he is today.

“Best in Show” (2000)

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Director/actor Christopher Guest is famous for films featuring mostly improvised dialogue, and while it was tempting to talk about “This Is Spinal Tap,” we elected to go with a more underrated movie of his. “Best in Show” follows a variety of eccentric characters who enter a dog show and their misadventures along the way. Although a rough plot was in place, virtually all the dialogue and a lot of the characters themselves were fleshed out by the actors, which really helps the movie’s mockumentary format feel all the more authentic. These dog owners are hilarious precisely because they feel like they could be real people.

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)

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This classic crime film follows a group of disparate criminals brought together by a mysterious mastermind to perform a job. One of these men is Fred Fenster. The character wasn’t anything special as he was originally written, but actor Benicio del Toro made Fenster his own. After reading the script and being dissatisfied with Fenster’s apparent lack of effect on the movie’s plot, del Toro came up with Fenster’s distinctive and borderline incomprehensible accent and mumbling demeanor. This not only made the character much more memorable, but it also ensured that Fenster would be del Toro’s breakout role.

“Dr. Strangelove” (1964)

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Actor Peter Sellers portrays multiple characters in this satirical war movie. Although legendary director Stanley Kubrick allowed Sellers to improvise a lot of his dialogue for all of them, we had to give the most props to the character that shares the movie’s title. The eponymous “Dr. Strangelove” is an eccentric, seemingly wheelchair-bound, scenery-chewing former Nazi scientist. Sellers delivers one of the most over-the-top Nazi characters ever put on screen, with Strangelove calling the president Mein Führer, possessing a wandering hand, and apparently forgetting that he can walk. All these bizarre behaviors were Sellers’ inventions and we can’t help but admire his comedic brilliance.

“Full Metal Jacket” (1987)

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Speaking of Kubrick, “Full Metal Jacket” is another movie of his in which the director gave an actor free rein. R. Lee Ermey plays Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, the tyrannical drill instructor whose harsh demeanor forges some recruits into soldiers and drives one over the edge. Ermey was a real former drill instructor during the Vietnam War, so he was able to draw on his experience for the role, which he won after breaking down real Marines serving as potential extras. Hartman’s characteristic insults became instantly iconic and almost all of them, and around half of his lines, were improvised by Ermey.

“Ghostbusters” (1984)

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This supernatural comedy movie, which follows the title ghost-catching scientists, actually features quite a bit of improv from its actors. However, easily the most noticeable are many of the iconic lines spoken by Peter Venkman. Venkman’s dry sarcastic wit is actor Bill Murray all-over. Murray is famous for improvising in movies and “Ghostbusters” is easily one of his most famous roles. And without Murray’s deadpan, on-the-spot delivery, we’d argue that the movie would be full of mass hysteria – dogs and cats living together! Or at least… only about half as funny.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003)

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It can be hard to imagine now, but Captain Jack Sparrow was not originally envisioned as he appears onscreen. While still a washed-up swashbuckler, actor Johnny Depp developed Sparrow into the addled rock star pirate that appears in the movie and its sequels. This included not only Captain Jack’s mannerisms and a few of his lines, but also his wardrobe, which he helped select. Executives were initially very leery of Depp’s choices, considering firing him, but it’s a good thing they didn’t, because Captain Jack Sparrow has become an iconic character, even earning Depp an Oscar nomination at the 76th Academy Awards.

“Aladdin” (1992)

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The movie may be called “Aladdin,” but the genie of the lamp that the young street rat acquires definitely steals the show. The wisecracking, shapeshifting blue man is one of the most memorable and influential animated characters in cinema history, and that’s in large part due to Robin Williams’ talents. The actor’s style of comedy usually involves rapid-fire pop culture references and impressions, and that became the Genie’s shtick too. Williams improvised heavily in the recording booth, going on for long tangents in his signature off-the-cuff manner. For as influential as the Genie is, we ain’t never had a character like him, and that’s thanks to Williams. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Seth “Superbad” (2007) Frank Costello “The Departed” (2006) Optimus Prime “Transformers” (2007) Olaf “Frozen” (2013) Agent K “Men in Black” franchise (1997-)

“Iron Man” (2008)

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Although it may have spawned the massive and massively successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first “Iron Man” film was actually more slapdash than most people know. The movie was shot with an incomplete script. As a result, a lot of the movie’s dialogue was improvised by the actors, including leading man Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. Thus, the hero who would lead the MCU for most of its first few Phases was partially developed by Downey himself. The actor even ad-libbed the movie’s famous final scene where Stark admits to being Iron Man at a press conference. Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man, in more ways than one.