10 Greatest Movie Extra Performances Ever
2. The Saluting Pilot - Independence Day
Few who have seen Independence Day will ever forget President Whitmore's (Bill Pullman) instantly iconic rallying cry for humanity to stand up and fight back against the aliens - it is a scene both immensely cheesy and genuinely awesome.
Pullman's stirring performance is a big part of the reason that the scene works, but it's impossible to ignore the efforts of one extra who really helps tie it all together.
After Whitmore says, "Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!," director Roland Emmerich cuts to various faces in the crowd cheering, before showing a pilot passionately saluting the President.
The pilot in question is allegedly played by Darin Mangan, and despite appearing in the film for barely a second, gives one of its most persuasive performances. 25 years later, that beautiful salute remains a popular GIF, and rightly so.