11 Actors That Changed the Script to Shape Their Characters

The project of making a film involves a great deal of teamwork. Although the director has the final word, many times, the actors have had a predominant role in making decisions about certain scenes or features of their characters. And some of them have been fundamental in the final result of the film.

Bright Side came up with a compilation of movies where actors made decisions that were far from what was indicated in the script.

1. Jason Isaacs requested a different look for Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter saga.

Jason Isaacs did a great job portraying the despicable Lucius Malfoy, a wizard who roundly denigrates wizards he considers inferior or not entirely clean-blooded.

Interestingly, the initial idea was to dress him in a pinstripe suit and short hair with black and white locks; Isaacs refused, as a character like Father Malfoy “wouldn’t dress like a Muggle.” Thus, he suggested wearing a long white wig and a visibly ostentatious wizarding outfit.

2. Crispin Glover preferred his villain to be a mute in Charlie’s Angels because he didn’t like his dialogue.

Crispin Glover played the villain in the sequel to the remake of Charlie’s Angels. He had initially turned down the role, claiming that his character’s dialogue was too bad. Later, he suggested that he should be a mute villain. Director McG agreed, and Glover was part of a movie without saying a single line.

3. Tom Cruise didn’t want to appear less time in The Mummy.

The Mummy was Universal’s first and only failed attempt to create its cinematic universe made up of classic monsters such as The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, and Dracula. In the case of the film starring Tom Cruise, the movie gradually changed its tone as the actor, not satisfied with the time he spent on screen, hired two screenwriters to give him more screen time.

Thus, the film went from being a popcorn horror story to an action vehicle for Cruise to show off his running skills, although it didn’t work out this time.

4. Chris Hemsworth asked to change Thor’s attitude a little bit.

Chris Hemsworth has played Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since its first installment in 2011. However, before taking on the Norse God’s third adventure in Thor: Ragnarok, the actor said, “I was pretty bored with myself as the character.... so we said, ’Let’s do something different’”. In this way, director Taika Waititi allowed him to play a more fun and spontaneous character.

5. Dacre Montogmery proposed ideas to make Billy more human in Stranger Things.

Dacre Montgomery played the despicable Billy in seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things. To round up his character, the actor proposed to the Duffer brothers to highlight his past and what the absence of his biological mother made him feel. The suggestion was accepted and was part of the narrative in the third season of the series.

6. Halle Berry asked to play a bigger role in X-Men III: The Final Battle.

Halle Berry played Storm during the three installments of the X-Men saga between 2000 and 2006. Before the making of the third part, the actress had stated that if the character did not have more importance in the plot, she would not appear in the film. Finally, the superheroine managed to get more screen time.

7. Mike Myers asked to change Shrek’s accent when the voices had already been recorded.

Mike Myers voiced Shrek in the four installments that make up the saga. A fun fact that few people know is that when the film was finished, Myers was not happy with the Canadian accent he gave to the main character, so he asked if he could record his voice again to have a Scottish accent.

The re-recording of Myers’ voice cost the production approximately 4 million dollars more, which they were able to get back thanks to the overwhelming success of the film.

8. Alan Rickman rewrote some of his script lines for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Alan Rickman played the evil Sheriff of Nottingham in the version of Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner. But he found the script was very bad, so the British actor decided to change some of his lines to make his character more dynamic and unpredictable.

It worked so well that even his co-stars, who were unaware of Rickman’s additions to the script, reacted genuinely to their colleague’s witticisms.

9. Samuel L. Jackson requested that they keep the original title of Snakes on a Plane.

Snakes on a Plane is a movie whose title instantly gives you an idea of the plot. Interestingly, it was going to be called something else; the producers were going to title it Pacific Flight 121. However, the lead actor, Samuel L. Jackson, asked them to keep the original title because of how simple and catchy it was.

10. Benicio del Toro asked to change the accent of his character in The Usual Suspects.

Benicio del Toro had a very minor role in the movie The Usual Suspects. When he read the script, he asked director Bryan Singer for a rare accent to distinguish the character and give him some more personality.

11. Denzel Washington refused to be Julia Roberts’ lover in The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief is an investigative thriller starring Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts at the height of the actor’s careers. As appealing as it was for audiences to see a romance between the two on-screen, Washington requested that the romantic scenes be removed, as he did not feel comfortable kissing a woman who was not of his ethnicity.

What would you change about any film if you had the opportunity to do so?

Amidst whispers of a budding romance, Tom Cruise and Shakira were spotted together at the 2023 Miami Formula One Grand Prix. While their relationship status remains unconfirmed, their camaraderie has ignited speculation. Cruise, known for his high-profile relationships with Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, has reportedly shown keen interest in the Colombian singer. Adding fuel to the rumors, Cruise sent Shakira flowers after their meeting. Meanwhile, Shakira, fresh from her split with Gerard Piqué, delivered an empowering speech about self-love and independence at the Latin Women in Music gala.