Top 20 Times Bloopers Made It Into the Movie

#20: The Fly

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

The first Indiana Jones movie is a classic piece of cinema. It’s focused on the heroic archaeologist going on a quest to recover the Ark of the Covenant. Throughout the movie, he’s competing with rival archaeologist René Belloq, played by Paul Freeman. At one point, a fly wanders onto Belloq’s face. It ends up finding its way into his mouth, making it look like he ate the insect. Turns out, while the fly was unscripted, he never ate it. In post-production, editors cut out a couple of frames of the fly buzzing off, and they added extra buzzing as well.

#19: Rich Falls

“The Martian” (2015)

Hey, even astrodynamicists lose their balance sometimes. Donald Glover – also known as Childish Gambino – plays a scientist named Rich Purnell in Ridley Scott’s “The Martian.” In one of Rich’s first scenes, a coworker wakes him up to have a conversation. After a few moments, Rich appears to have a revelation about something. He proclaims that he needs more coffee, swiftly stands up – and falls straight down, out of sight of the camera. Apparently, this fall was not planned – the other actor running over to ask Glover if he’s okay is really reacting to the accident. Scott liked the moment a lot, believing that it humanized Rich, so he decided to keep it in the final cut.

#18: Nick the Greek

“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998)

Guy Ritchie is a respected director who achieved mainstream fame after “Snatch” in 2000. Two years earlier, he made his debut movie, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Like “Snatch,” it’s a heist movie set in London. One character named Nick “the Greek” is played by Stephen Marcus, who was responsible for smashing a glass table in one scene. After the table smashes, Nick’s reaction is priceless. This would’ve earned the actor a great deal of praise if it hadn’t been a genuine response. It was completely unscripted, but Ritchie thought it was so iconic that he left it in the final product.

#17: Have a Nice Trip

“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)

The acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick’s filmography is filled with classics. Among his most loved is “Dr. Strangelove,” a black comedy satirizing Cold War attitudes toward nuclear weapons. One of the primary characters is General Buck Turgidson, who is played by George C. Scott. He was a highly acclaimed actor, known for being talented at improvisation. One example comes from this film, where he accidentally falls over. It wasn’t in the script, but Kubrick apparently believed he was simply acting in character, so he left it in. Turns out it wasn’t at all planned, Scott genuinely stumbled. The fact that Kubrick believed this goes to show how talented an actor Scott was.

#16: Kick to the Jaw

“Mission: Impossible 2” (2000)

Tom Cruise has made a name for himself as a guy who wants to do all of his own stunts. Unfortunately, in “Mission: Impossible 2,” he accidentally took things a bit too far. In a famous fight sequence that includes a knife centimeters away from Cruise’s eye, the famous actor actually kicked his fight partner in the face. Cruise placed a roundhouse kick squarely on Dougray Scott’s jaw, knocking the Scottish actor back for real. If you pay close attention, you can see Cruise react in horror to his mistake. Apparently, however, no one was horrified enough to leave it outside of the final cut.

#15: Breaking the Glass

“Blade Runner” (1982)

If you thought Daryl Hannah wasn’t a consummate professional, think again! But also, we think it’s probably okay to ask to pause a scene if you literally injure yourself while filming it. While making the 1982 science fiction classic “Blade Runner,” Hannah accidentally smacked her elbow through a window. The moment happens when her character, named Pris, is running away from William Sanderson’s character. While on the run, Hannah tripped over one of the many pieces of debris on set and crashed through a nearby car window. Hannah kept going, but she ended up cutting her elbow in multiple places. Director Ridley Scott kept the take, which really underscores the anxiety of the chase.

#14: Accidental Sex Symbol

“Casino Royale” (2006)

Daniel Craig’s first appearance as James Bond came in the 2006 movie, “Casino Royale.” While Craig was already considered attractive, one scene in the movie turned him into an international sex symbol. This was the moment he was taking a dip in the ocean, then sauntered out shirtless towards the camera. Originally, Craig was meant to swim off into the ocean. Instead, he stumbled upon a sand shelf, forcing him to stand up. Craig then coolly walked toward the camera, and it became one of the most famous shots of the franchise. It was used for advertisements back in 2006, and is still remembered today.

#13: Forgotten Line

“Zoolander” (2001)

Ben Stiller did an excellent job as the lead role in “Zoolander,” a satire of male fashion models. His character was hilariously dimwitted but would’ve looked slightly smarter if it weren’t for Stiller’s improvisation. One iconic moment happens when Stiller asks David Duchovny’s character, “Why male models?” After answering the question, Stiller forgot his line, so he asked the question again. Duchovny was uncertain whether he was in character or not, so he gave a pretty confused reply. This wasn’t how the interaction was meant to go down, but the director found it far funnier than the original plan, and kept it in.

#12: Stormtrooper Bonk

“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977)

Stormtroopers – the frightening, minion-like army of The Empire. In the “Star Wars” franchise, they are evil personified, which makes this clumsy misstep all the funnier. In “A New Hope,” there’s a scene where a group of stormtroopers enters a control room. One of them isn’t quite as smooth as the others and audibly hits his head onto the doorway with a loud bonk. The incident has been confirmed to be an accident, with many actors claiming fault for the head bang over the years. We don’t know if a bunch of people lied about their role as the trooper, or if there were a bunch of scenes of stormtroopers hitting their heads left on the cutting room floor. We’re hoping it’s the latter.

#11: Line?

“Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004)

Few actors have nailed as many iconic characters as Jim Carrey. He puts loads of effort into all his roles, including Count Olaf in the 2004 “Lemony Snicket” movie. One iconic moment comes early in the film, when Olaf is learning about the passing of the Baudelaire children’s parents. Carrey seemed to think he could’ve gotten a better take, so he decided to ask to do it again. It’s notable because he didn’t break character the whole time. The director loved it so much that they kept it in the final movie. It adds an extra degree of surrealism to Count Olaf, making us appreciate Carrey’s talents even more.

#10: Viggo Breaks His Toe

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002)

Viggo Mortensen did a remarkable job at playing Aragorn, a performance that will be remembered for decades to come. Mortensen got so into the character that he would hike between sets, in order to get a feeling for Aragorn that was as authentic as possible. In one scene, he was scripted to kick an orc helmet and scream in anger. After about 4 takes, Mortensen did a phenomenally realistic performance, which blew the director away. The reason it was so realistic was that he kicked the helmet so hard that he broke two of his toes. This shot ended up being used in the final movie because of how convincing it was.

#9: Spit Take

“Fast & Furious 6” (2013)

Sometimes, good improv leads to another actor making a mistake. But sometimes you end up keeping both in the final cut. Towards the end of “Fast & Furious 6,” the crew gathers together for a little family cookout. Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, arrives at the cookout where he improvises a funny line. In a quick comeback that no other actor knew was coming, The Rock makes fun of Tyrese Gibson’s character's forehead. Ludacris reacts to this line by spitting out his drink. Luda was reacting in real-time to The Rock’s sick burn, and the take was so funny it made the final cut.

#8: Bonk

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)

While filming Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Ian McKellen often had the difficult task of playing the very tall Gandalf opposite a bunch of very small hobbits. While filming inside Bilbo Baggins’ home, McKellen accidentally knocks his head against the top of an archway. Reportedly, Jackson found the moment so compelling and well-acted that he decided to keep it in the movie. But McKellen has a slightly different recollection. According to McKellen, the moment wasn’t an accident at all – he just decided to do it without telling Jackson. Whatever the case, it’s one of the moments that give us such a warm, fuzzy feeling about Gandalf.

#7: Bleacher Fail

“The Princess Diaries” (2001)

In 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” Princess Mia Thermopolis isn’t the most graceful of teenagers. If you asked her, she would probably say she’s the last person in the world who could easily portray a sense of royalty. And that’s what makes this little accident such a perfect character moment. In a scene where Mia and her friend Lilly are talking on the bleachers, Mia suddenly slips and falls through the steps. Apparently, this was a total accident, causing actress Anne Hathaway to burst out laughing at her mistake. Director Garry Marshall found the moment so charming, he decided to keep it in the film.

#6: Farting Line-Up

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)

Sometimes, a little mistake can help loosen up a set. Such is the case with “The Usual Suspects,” in which some bathroom humor helped unlock the key to an iconic scene. One of the most iconic moments from “The Usual Suspects” is the infamous line-up scene, which has been the subject of behind-the-scenes gossip for some time. According to writer Christopher McQuarrie, actor Benicio del Toro could not stop farting, causing the other actors to break out in laughter. Reportedly, del Toro farted about 12 takes in a row, and no one could keep it together. In retrospect, McQuarrie says he thinks the mistake actually improved the scene, making it into the amazing moment it is today.

#5: Table Cloth

“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)

Jim Carrey makes it onto our list yet again, with his hilarious portrayal of the Grinch from 2000. Carry improvised his heart out when filming this movie, getting impressively into character. For instance, one of the most subtly iconic moments was improvised. We’re talking about the part where he aggressively pulls a cloth off a table. The intention was for him to pull all the dishes off with it, but Carrey accidentally performed a magic trick. After his accidental miracle, Carrey returns to the table and decimates it. It’s a hilarious piece of filmmaking trivia, which makes you appreciate a Christmas favorite even more.

#4: Candie Cuts His Hand

“Django Unchained” (2012)

One of the marks of a good actor is to keep things moving, even if something unexpected happens. But in this case, if we were Kerry Washington, we might have a few words for one Leonardo DiCaprio! During a scene in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” DiCaprio’s deranged slave owner Calvin Candie slams his hand on a table and cuts it on a glass. Apparently, DiCaprio really did cut his hand, but kept the scene moving. It was a good choice – the blood all over Candie’s hand only serves to underscore how crazed the man actually is. However, there’s some debate that the blood he wipes all over Kerry Washington’s face is real; as the story goes, Tarantino was inspired when Leo cut his hand and used fake blood for the rest of the scene. Here’s hoping for Kerry’s sake that story is true!

#3: Melting Icing

“Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993)

Robin Williams had a lengthy career as one of America’s most beloved comedy actors, with his performance in 1993’s “Mrs. Doubtfire” a particular favorite. As in a lot of his movies, there were countless improvisations. Williams got so into character that he went into an adult store dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, and no one recognized him. This wasn’t caught on camera, but another improvisation with his face covered in icing was. The icing wasn’t supposed to melt, but the set lights had other plans. This resulted in a blob of icing falling off his face and grossly into a cup of tea. We have to take our hats off to commend Williams for the remarkable talent he had.

#2: Body Waxing

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)

It’s quite a challenge to fake waxing someone’s body in a movie. You can probably cover someone in fake hair, then fake it completely. It’s far cheaper to simply wax someone, though, but not all actors will enjoy that. One actor who definitely didn’t was Steve Carell in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Not only were Carell’s reactions real, but so were his co-stars’. You can see Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd struggling to contain their laughter throughout the ordeal. It’s hard to feel sorry for Carell, though, since he co-wrote the script and it was his idea.

#1: “I'm Walkin' Here!”

“Midnight Cowboy” (1969)

There has been some discussion over the years about the truth behind this particular anecdote. We think it’s probably true, but we’ll leave you to do your own research. While filming “Midnight Cowboy,’ stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are both in a famous scene where a taxi almost runs them down on the street. Hoffman smacks the hood of the cab and famously yells, [“I’m walkin’ here!”] According to Hoffman, this taxi’s entrance was not planned. The set was not closed, and the cab really almost ran down the two actors. When Hoffman said, “I’m walkin’ here,” he meant something along the lines of – “Hey! We’re filming a movie!” Luckily for Hoffman, it turned into one of the most famous movie moments ever.

Were there any especially notable bloopers we forgot to include in our list? Let us know in the comments below!