10 Things You Didn't Know About Starship Troopers
4. Jake Busey Couldn't Play The Violin
Halfway through the movie, when our heroes get a chance for some downtime between bug hunts, a party breaks out and Jake Busey's character, Ace Levy, whips out a neon green violin to entertain the rest of the Marines, even serenading Rico and Dizzy as they dance the night away.
There's no movie magic involved here, Jake Busey does actually play the violin in this scene but prior to joining the cast of Starship Troopers, he had no previous training with the instrument.
Rather than just pretend to play the violin, and have the sound added in post-production, Busey was keen to actually play the music himself, so director Paul Verhoeven enlisted the help of his wife Martine who, in just a few months, was able to teach Busey to play the violin well enough to shoot the scene.
It's a testament to the actor's dedication to his craft and although Busey had some prior musical ability, having played the drums since he was a child, it's still an impressive feat.