Movies are the perfect way to escape our real-life problems for a few hours, but sometimes you might forget that the actors are real people, too. The cast and crew of these classic hit movies have some interesting facts to share about what shenanigans went down on set.
Armageddon
A screening of Armageddon is shown by NASA during their management training program. New managers are expected to try and point out as many errors as possible. In total, at least 168 mistakes have been spotted.
Django Unchained
When Leonardo DiCaprio the dinner table with his hand while playing Calvin Candie, he accidentally broke a stem glass and sliced his palm open. DiCaprio ignored the bleeding wound and stayed in character, carrying on with the scene. After the scene had ended, the whole room burst into a standing ovation. Director Quentin Tarantino was so impressed that he used the take in the final cut of the film.
Forrest Gump
Technically, Tom Hanks wasn’t paid for his role in Forrest Gump. Instead, Hanks contracted for a percent share of the film’s gross receipts, which earned him around forty million dollars.
Star Trek Into Darkness
In a hilarious turn of events, the sound of the automatic doors sliding open on the U.S.S. Enterprise is actually just a Russian train toilet flushing.
The Matrix
Initially, Kung Fu choreographer Wo-Ping Yuen refused to work on the film. He demanded an outrageous fee in hopes it would deter the Wachowskis, which it didn’t. He then proposed what he assumed would be an impossible request to fulfill: he would only agree to work on the film if he was able to train with the actors for four months prior to the shoots and had total control over the fight scenes. To his surprise, the Wachowskis complied.
The Revenant
Even though Leonardo DiCaprio is a vegetarian, he chowed down on a big ole’ slab of raw bison liver for The Revenant. DiCaprio also learned to shoot a musket, build a fire, and speak the Native languages Pawnee and Arikara. He also studied with a doctor who specialized in ancient healing techniques. DiCaprio said it was the most difficult performance of his career.
The Dark Knight
In preparation for playing The Joker, Heath Ledger isolated himself in a motel room for six weeks. During the secluded stay, Ledger tried to explore the psyche of the character, devoting himself to perfecting every tic, especially The Joker’s notorious bone-chilling laugh.
The Terminator
One afternoon, Arnold Schwarzenegger left set for lunch. By the time he wandered into a nearby restaurant in downtown L.A., he realized that he was still wearing Terminator makeup, complete with burned flesh, an exposed jawbone, and a missing eye.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Georgie Henley’s reaction to Mr. Tumnus at the lamppost wasn’t scripted. Henley had never seen James McAvoy in costume prior to filming, so her screams were genuine. Her wide-eyed, gleeful reaction to the winter wonderland of Narnia was also real; she had been carried to set blindfolded in order to make her first entrance as authentic as possible.
Schindler’s List
In order to acquire costuming for 20,000 extras, the costume designer for Schindler’s List took out advertisements looking for clothes. Many people had been affected by poor economic conditions in Poland, meaning they were eager to sell clothing they had owned from the 1930s and 1940s.
Dallas Buyers Club
The budget for Dallas Buyers Club was so low that the makeup budget was $250. However, the artists on set were so talented that the film won an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling.
The Theory of Everything
Stephen Hawking sent an email to director James Marsh regarding Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of his character. Hawking said there were parts of the movie where he felt like he was watching himself on screen. In addition to lending filmmakers his copyrighted voice, Hawking also offered his signed thesis and Companion of Honour medal to use as real props in the film.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
When Elizabeth arrives at St. Paul’s Cathedral in the film, construction is happening in the background. Director Shekhar Kapur had to improvise when St. Paul’s needed repair work during filming, fitting the construction workers period tools and costumes to cut real stone that was being installed in the cathedral.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
In order to shoot the film, the cast often had to fly to remote locations via helicopter. Sean Bean, who played Boromir, was terrified of flying, and only did it when he had no other choice. When shooting scenes of the Fellowship crossing the snowy mountains, Bean would spend two hours every morning climbing from the base of the mountain to reach the set at the top, already dressed in costume. The crew watched him from their helicopters.
Interstellar
Christopher Nolan knew it was possible to grow five-hundred acres of corn from producing Man of Steel (2013). For the cornfield scene in Interstellar, the corn was later sold and actually turning a profit.
Pretty Woman
The scene where Edward (Richard Gere) snapped the necklace case down on Vivian’s (Julia Roberts) fingers was improvised by Gere. Roberts’ laughter was completely natural. In the end, the filmmakers liked the organic interaction so much that they decided to keep it in.
John Wick: Chapter 2
In John Wick: Chapter 2, Keanu Reeves insisted upon performing about 95 of the fight scenes himself. In order to get ready for the action, Keanu spent three months training with a focus on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, driving, and marksmanship.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Pratt stole his Star-Lord costume from the set of Guardians of the Galaxy so he could wear it off the clock. Why? Pratt donned it so he could make visit sick kids at the hospital who wanted to meet Star-Lord himself.
The Godfather
Most of Maron Brando’s lines had to be re-recorded in the opening scene of The Godfather because the cat’s purring muffled most of his dialogue. It turns out the kitty was actually a stray that Coppola found in the Paramount lot; it wasn’t originally part of the script.
Titanic
When Kate Winslet was told she had to be completely nude in front of Leonardo DiCaprio, Winslet chose to break the ice in the boldest way possible: the first time the two met, she flashed him.
Halloween
The Michael Myers face mask in Halloween is actually just a Captain Kirk facemask. They spray-painted William Shatner’s face white, teased the hair, and reshaped the eye holes to appear gaunter.
Iron Man
J.A.R.V.I.S. was the easiest job in the world for Paul Bettany, who had never seen the film and was reportedly unfamiliar with the plot. Bettany claimed the role was a “robbery,” since he only worked for two hours, earned a large sum of money, and then went on vacation with his wife Jennifer Connelly.
Man of Steel
Henry Cavill was so committed to the honest portrayal of what he thought Superman should look like that he refused to take steroids or allow any digital enhancement to his body in shirtless scenes. Cavill said it would have been deceptive if he had allowed his body to be touched up in post.
The Imitation Game
In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch admitted that while filming one of the final scenes of the movie, he broke down in hysterics. Cumberbatch said the incident was caused by “being an actor or a person that had grown incredibly fond of the character and thinking what he had suffered and how that had affected him.”
The Martian
The scene where Mark became emotional upon hearing Commander Lewis’ voice was genuine; Matt Damon was still on set after all the other actors had gone home, and their pre-recorded voices were being played to Damon through his helmet. When Damon dwelled on the realization that his character had been all alone on Mars for two years, he began to tear up. Director Ridley Scott was so impressed with the performance that he only did one take of the scene.
Slumdog Millionaire
Director Danny Boyle placed the salary for the three lead child actors in a trust that is set to be released to them upon completion of grade school at the age of 16. Until then, the production company arranged an auto-rickshaw driver to take the children to school each day until they reach 16 years old.
Jurassic Park
The noises the velociraptors make to communicate with one another in Jurassic Park are the same sounds tortoises make when mating.
I Am Legend
Will Smith became so enamored with his canine costar, Abbey, that he begged her trainer to let him adopt her once filming finished. However, the trainer couldn’t be persuaded to give her to Smith.
Wonder Woman
While participating in reshoots for the movie, including stunts, Gal Gadot was five months pregnant. Because her baby bump was clearly visible, the costume designers created a costume with a green screen around her belly. It was later removed during post-production.
Avatar
James Cameron didn’t want to make Avatar until he felt CGI effects had progressed to a certain point. The movie that convinced him technology had finally reached his standards was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins had to time his line, “Hey Jake, where’s Brooks?” perfectly so the crow was unable to squawk over him in the scene where Andy goes to the library to begin work as Brooks’ assistant. Director Frank Darabont praised Robbins for learning the crow’s squawking patterns just to deliver the line.
12 Years a Slave
In order to better embody the character of an alcoholic, Michael Fassbender had his makeup artist paint his mustache with alcohol so the cast would react naturally to the scent of alcohol on his breath.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Andrew Garfield admitted that the first time he donned the Spider-Man costume, he was moved to tears.
Into the Woods
After the premiere screening of the film, James Corden took part in a Q&A session wherein he revealed that Meryl Streep’s foot got caught in her costume as she jumped on a table. She began to fall toward the concrete floor head-first. Luckily, a pregnant Emily Blunt caught the star before her head hit the ground.
Saving Private Ryan
During the production of Saving Private Ryan, Tom Sizemore was in the midst of battling drug addiction. In an effort to help him stay clean, Steven Spielberg gave him an ultimatum: he would be blood tested every day, and if he failed even once, the role of Horvath would be recast and reshot, even if it was at the very end of production.
Prometheus
Marc Streitenfeld, the composer for Prometheus, had his orchestra play the compositions backward and then reversed them digitally in post. The music sounded deeply unsettling this way, which Streitenfeld thought was perfect for effect.
The Devil Wears Prada
On the first day of filming, Meryl Streep said to Anne Hathaway, “I think you’re perfect for the role. I’m so happy we’re going to be working together.” Then she added, “That’s the last nice thing I’ll say to you.” According to Hathaway, it was.
The Hunger Games
Jennifer Lawrence told her costar, Josh Hutcherson, that she could roundhouse kick all the way over his head. Instead, Hutcherson left the set with a concussion.
Fight Club
Funnily enough, both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton really learned how to make soap for the movie.
The Mummy
During a scene in which his character was hanged, Brendan Frasier almost died. “He stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated,” Rachel Weisz recalled.
The Wolf of Wall Street
The “cocaine” snorted in The Wolf of Wall Street was actually crushed B vitamins. Jonah Hill said he inhaled so many of them that he eventually contracted bronchitis and landed himself in the hospital.
Maleficent
Angelina Jolie revealed that all the little kids were terrified of her on the set of Maleficent. One kid even said, “Mommy please get the mean witch to stop talking to me.” She added that her daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, who played young Aurora, was the only child who didn’t seem outwardly terrified.
Get Out
Jordan Peele gave Daniel Kaluuya the lead role on the spot after he aced his audition. Peele said Kaluuya did about five takes of a key scene in which his character had to cry. Each take was perfect; Kaluuya managed to make a single tear roll down his cheek at the exact same time.
Logan
In order to play the part of Charles Xavier as an elderly, sick man, Sir Patrick Stewart had to lose 21 pounds. According to Stewart, he had maintained the same weight since he was a teen. It was the first time he had worked to lose weight.
Titanic
All the scenes set in 1912 (excluding present-day scenes and the opening and ending credits) run approximately two hours and forty minutes, which is the exact length of time it took the Titanic to sink. Reportedly, the iceberg collision last 37 seconds, which is how long the collision scene lasts in the movie.
It
Before the Duffer Brothers rose to fame, they wanted to direct It, but they hadn’t gained enough traction in Hollywood to secure the film. Instead, they went on to create Stranger Things (2016), which paid homage to Stephen King in its own way.
Napoleon Dynamite
John Heder was paid $1,000 to star as Napoleon Dynamite. The movie ended up grossing over $40,000,000 n the U.S. alone.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The cast of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were forced to attend a wand boot camp where they were instructed on how to use and move a wand properly.
Briget Jones’s Diary
Renée Zellwegger prepared for this role by gaining 25 pounds. She also worked at a British publishing company for a month under an alias. Zellwegger kept a framed photo of Jim Carrey, her then-boyfriend, which her coworkers found peculiar, but nobody ever mentioned it so as not to embarrass her.
The Theory of Everything
To play the role of Stephen Hawking, Eddie Redmayne adopted a strict regimen, part of which remained completely hunched and motionless between takes. An osteopath revealed he had altered the alignment of his spine.
Rocky IV
Sylvester Stallone was so determined to make the boxing scenes look real in Rocky IV that he instructed Dolph Lundgren to actually hit him. After a punch to the chest, Stalone was admitted to the ICU for four days.
The Pianist
In order to try and experience the same feelings of desolation and despair as his character, Adrien Brody moved out of his apartment, sold his car, and didn’t allow himself to watch television. Although this wasn’t exactly on par with living in Nazi Germany, Brody’s performance was renowned as one of his best.
Cast Away
Tom Hanks intentionally let himself go in order to appear more like an average, out-of-shape, middle-aged man. Production was then halted for a full year so Hanks could lose 50 pounds and grow his hair out for the time he spent on the deserted island.
I Am Legend
While doing press in Japan for the film’s release, Will Smith mistakenly revealed the ending to a group of entertainment reporters. Warner Bros. asked anyone present not to spoil the ending. Surprisingly, the reporters obliged without a payoff.
2001: A Space Odyssey
After the completion of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick destroyed nearly all his props and sets from the film because he didn’t want them being used in “lesser” sci-fi projects.
Casino Royale
While filming the movie’s first action scene in Prague, Daniel Craig lost his two front teeth. Craig’s dentist had to fly all the way out from London to replace them.
Blade Runner 2020
A visual effects company spent a full year working on the single scene where Rachael (Sean Young) appears the same as she did 35 years ago in Blade Runner (1982). Loren Peta acted out the scene as her stand-in, and her appearance was digitally altered to resemble Young.
Black Swan
Natalie Portman trained for an entire year as a dancer to prepare for the role. Not only that, but she paid for the training out of her own pocket until the film secured investors. Darren Aronofsky attributed the film’s success to Portman’s unbridled enthusiasm for the project.
The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger spent a month working with guns every day to prepare for the role. In the first two weeks, Schwarzenegger practiced stripping weapons and reassembling them blindfolded until the motions became automatic. He became ambidextrous in the process.
Candyman
Candyman had bees specifically bred for the film. The bees had to be only twelve hours old so that they appeared to be mature without their stingers doing any real damage to the actors.
The Hangover
Ed Helms is missing a tooth in real life. One of his adult incisors never grew in, and the fake one was removed when filming the scenes where Stu’s tooth had been knocked out.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
In the scene where the new Kingsman recruits’ dorm is flooded with water, filming on set went terribly wrong. Matthew Vaughn recalled the incident: “I shouted, ‘Action!’ The computer got it wrong and whoosh, everyone was twenty feet down underwater. Cameras, sound guys… Guys were in waders full of water, panic, everyone diving in and pulling people out.” The meticulously-calculated set was washed away in a biblical flood when the computers went rogue. “Those actors weren’t acting,” Vaugh continued. “They were absolutely terrified.”