20 Things You Didn’t Know About Whiplash

Since the 2014 feature is largely similar to the 2013 short that inspired it, one would assume that there was no room for improvisation in the final product. This is not the case, however, as J.K. Simmons made up one line on the fly during filming, and its inclusion in the final cut was the best call.

During the infamous scene where Fletcher berates a tearful Neiman, the former calls his student a “self-righteous little prick”. On the surface, this line might be yet another of Fletcher’s harsh barbs, but this takes on new meaning when you remember that Andrew told his instructor his backstory and that Fletcher saw it as a means to further belittle the young drummer’s dreams.

In addition to the above searing line, the moment where Fletcher slapped Andrew was very much real after Simmons and Teller agreed to not mime the action.