11 Times Actors Refused to Follow the Script and Made the Movie So Much Better

When actors are just starting their careers, they follow the recommendations of script writers and directors without any hesitation, absorbing all the knowledge and experience they can get. But as soon as they become famous, they begin to contribute to their character development, insist on certain storylines, and refuse some ideas. And in most cases, the movie gets better thanks to this.

At Bright Side, we decided to find out what actors questioned the script and promoted their own ideas, enriching the storyline and changing the character.

The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep insisted that scenes with a focus on more than her character’s professional achievements and bad temper be added to the script. For example, one of these scenes was where Andy entered Miranda’s room and found her crying because her husband had asked for a divorce. “I wanted a scene where she is without her armor, the unpeeled scene in the hotel room — just to see that face without its protective glaze, to glimpse at the woman in the businesswoman,” Streep said during an interview with Variety magazine.

The Witcher

In the second season, Geralt learns that his beloved, whom he thought was dead, is still alive. Lead actor Henry Cavill said in an interview that he and Anya Chalotra, who played Yennefer, convinced the producers to revisit their characters’ reunion scene, focusing only on emotions. So the actors just kissed in the scene.

Fast & Furious

Michelle Rodriguez, the lead actress in the film series, almost left the project during the filming of the first movie due to the scene where her character had to cheat on her boyfriend with another man. The actress believed this move was completely implausible and inappropriate and refused to play this scene. According to Rodriguez, she even cried.

But her movie partner, Vin Diesel, supported her. “He took me aside while I was crying, looked me in the eye, and said, ’I’ll cover you. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with it,’” the actress shared. And this was exactly what happened.

Pulp Fiction

According to the original script, Jules was supposed to have an afro that would contrast with the sleek hair of his colleague, Vincent (John Travolta). But Quentin Tarantino’s assistant misunderstood the task and bought the wig that we eventually saw on-screen. The fact is, Samuel L. Jackson liked the wig’s style and insisted on changing the look of his character, even though Tarantino was initially against it.

The Office

In season 8 of the hit comedy series, there was supposed to be a scene where Jim kissed the new office administrator, Cathy, while on a business trip. However, John Krasinski who played this character thought that this plot twist would alienate the audience because most of them were ardent fans of Jim and Pam as a couple.

Therefore, the actor flatly refused to act in this scene. “That’s the only time I remember putting my foot down. I remember saying things that I never thought I’d say before, like, I’m not going to shoot it,” Krasinski wrote.

The Shawshank Redemption

Film director Frank Darabont’s idea was that Red had to blow the harmonica his friend Andy had given to him in the final scene. However, Morgan Freeman was not impressed with this. The actor believed this move was inappropriate and stupid, a sort of cliché, so he refused to act out the scene.

Charlie’s Angels

Crispin Glover, who played the Thin Man, originally had lines, but the actor found them a bit frilly, so he suggested the filmmakers cut them out. The film director liked the idea to make the character silent. As a result, the Thin Man didn’t utter a single word in the movie, but nevertheless was remembered by audiences.

Four Christmases

A comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn seemed like a great idea at first. However, despite the fact that the movie was commercially successful, many people noticed that there was no chemistry between the characters. The thing is, the actors have very different personalities, and they couldn’t find common ground on set.

According to rumors, Witherspoon even refused to act in an intimate scene with Vaughn. The filmmakers had no choice but to take her wishes into account, and eventually this scene was removed from the script.

Snakes on a Plane

This ironic action movie from 2006 was going to lose Samuel L. Jackson if his little whims weren’t fulfilled. The actor confessed that he agreed to star in the movie only because he found its name funny and intriguing. But then the studio decided to rename the film to Pacific Air 121, as not to reveal the details of the story, and Jackson gave them an ultimatum: either the creators keep the original name, or he leaves the project.

The Avengers

In the original movie finale, Iron Man, after fighting the Chitauri and falling to Earth, was supposed to awaken with a start and ask, “What’s next?” But Robert Downey Jr. felt that the line sounded somehow unconvincing, and offered to fine-tune the script a bit. According to Joss Whedon, 3 pages of different options appeared in the script instead of just one line.

As a result, Tony Stark said, “Please tell me nobody tried to kiss me.” And then he invited other characters to hit up a good shawarma restaurant he knew in the neighborhood. This was how the famous scene was created where the Avengers silently gobbled up that shawarma.

Stranger Things

Dacre Montgomery asked the creators of the series, the Duffer Brothers, to make his character more humane and add scenes that would reveal Billy’s other side. The actor wanted the audience to understand that no one becomes bad for no reason. The directors listened to Montgomery and added scenes where Billy had an angry confrontation with his father, in addition to ones where he has memories about his mother.

Do you think it’s okay for actors to change the script and their characters, or should the creators of movies and shows be the ones solely responsible for the script? Tell us in the comments below.