If there's one thing comedic actors and filmmakers hate being asked about, it's their opinion on the Bill Cosby thing. If there's one other thing they hate being asked about, it's how much improvisation goes into making their movies. The Judd Apatow school of comedy films involves a lot of unscripted riffing, the finished film coming together in the editing room. Still, most comedies that don't involve Seth Rogen and a wallpaper-infusing amount of pot smoke in the production still work from endlessly redrafted screenplays. Just like how the majority of films are made, in fact. You see, most film productions will involve a degree of on-set script rewrites and the like, but they're mostly working from what's on the paper. Whilst improvisation isn't the norm, it's still a good skill to have as an actor. Dustin Hoffman almost getting hit by a cab (for real) whilst filming Midnight Cowboy ended up in the finished movie, and is counted amongst the most famous and influential unscripted scenes in film. Improvisation doesn't just provide some off-the-cuff jokes and character colour, though. Sometimes a quick-thinking actor has provided some truly iconic moments, or changed entire genres for the better. Or ruined popular songs. Here are ten unscripted movie moments that changed everything.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
