10 Actors Tricked Into Doing Famous Movie Scenes
3. The Birds - Tippi Hedren Wasn't Attacked By The Mechanical Birds She Was Expecting
Coming into the making of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Tippi Hedren had yet to appear in a feature film on the big screen. So, when she was informed that the now-infamous bedroom scene involving Melanie Daniels being viciously attacked by birds would see the actor sharing the screen with mechanical creatures, Hedren had no reason to doubt that to be the truth.
Yet, when it came time to shoot the aforementioned chaos, Hedren was suddenly told by the assistant director that the robo-birds were not working, meaning the real deal would have to be used instead.
Hedren was initially unnerved and understandably shaken by this reveal, but refused to let Hitchcock break her spirit on set, repeatedly telling herself "I won't let him break me" whilst enduring the wrath of a flock of real-life birds being hurled at her by their handlers.
This madness would go on for five days straight, with the legendary Cary Grant noting during a trip to the set that Hedren was the "bravest woman I’ve ever seen." In the end, Hedren would finally call it a day after being pecked dangerously close to her eye, stating "I'm done" and giving the ruthless director no choice but to call "cut."
But in all honesty, it's a miracle she lasted as long as she did in what must have been a truly traumatic situation.