It’s so easy to forget that movies aren’t made in a day. There are usually years of production and preparation just to begin the months of filming for one movie. In that time, a lot of crazy things can happen, and many actors have their fair share of hilarious and bizarre stories that remained secrets until months or years later. You’ll be shocked to hear some of the wild secrets from some of your favorite movies! Warning: Kate Winslet’s secret from Titanic is as raunchy as it is hilarious.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
The ever-lovable Chris Pratt literally stole his Star-Lord costume from the set after the filming was complete! He kept it handy for his hospital visits in case any children wanted to meet their favorite Guardian. He got in a little bit of trouble with the producers, but really, how could you get mad at that?
The Dark Knight (2008)
In order to truly get into character, Heath Ledger locked himself away in a motel room for six weeks. That led him to get more into his own mind as well as the mind of The Joker. This time spent in isolation is where he practiced getting every single voice, tic, and gesture down to a T for filming. He ended up creating the most iconic Joker character of all time.
Armageddon (1998)
In a hilarious twist of events, NASA actually shows this movie to their management trainees. It’s a part of the program for them to be able to spot out as many errors as possible, which is helpful in their management. At the most, 168 errors have been found by trainees and proctors. Whoops!
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
This low budget film (with high budget actors) was actually struggling to make ends meet. The makeup budget for the entirety of the film was only $250. Somehow, they made it work and ended up winning an Oscar in the Makeup and Hairstyling category.
The Godfather (1972)
Can you adlib an animal? Apparently so! Director Francis Ford Coppola ended up finding this cat on a Paramount lot and ended giving it a place on Marlon Brando’s lap. The cat was so happy in his spot that his purring ended up messing with some of Brando’s lines post-edit, so they had to be looped. This ended up creating one of the most iconic looks in all of movie history… Including being the inspiration for tons of Halloween costumes!
The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowskis wanted the infamous Kung-Fu choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen to be in charge of the combat scenes, but Yuen refused. They kept trying to get him, but he kept refusing until he offered an ‘exorbitant’ amount of money, hoping that would make them leave him alone. They accepted. He then said that he needed to have complete control of the fights and that he needed to train the actors for four months before they even started shooting. The directors agreed again. The Matrix is known for the incredible fight scenes and is still iconic to this day!
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
As we know in the film, the Cathedral is under construction. Since they were filming in the actual St. Paul’s Cathedral, that means that it really was under construction! The building really needed repairs and it cut into filming time. The director decided to go with it and gave the construction workers period clothing and tools to work so they could work but also film at the same time. Those workers were not actors, they were real stonemasons!
Django Unchained (2012)
In the scene where Calvin Candie smashes his hand on the dinner table, DiCaprio accidentally crushed and broke a small glass with his palm. He actually cut his palm open and began to bleed profusely, but stayed in character until the end of the scene. This scene was used in the final cut. After they called cut, the room erupted into a standing ovation for DiCaprio’s professionalism.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Per his contract, Tom Hanks was not paid upfront or after the filming was complete. Instead, he opted for a percentage of the film’s profits and ended up making himself $40 million. That’s how you negotiate!
Titanic (1997)
When Kate Winslet found out that she and Leonardo DiCaprio had to film a scene with her completely nude, she came up with an idea on how to break that ice. When the two first met, she flashed him.
Schindler’s List (1993)
The directors hired over 20,000 extras for this film. In order to meet the quota for the thousands of items of clothing that they needed. Since they were filming in Poland, many citizens offered to sell their old clothing from the 30’s and 40’s in order to make money. It was a win/win.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
In order to keep things genuine and real, the directors kept a lot of things a secret until they began filming for the younger kids. When George Henley first saw Mr. Tumnus (the goatman!), that was really her first reaction! She had not seen James McAvoy in his costume and was actually scared. Her reaction to Narnia was also real as she had not seen the set yet.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Stephen Hawking was obviously more than fine with this movie being created, and even had a huge helping hand in its success! He lent the producers the rights to his copyrighted computer voice and his Companion of Honor medal along with his signed thesis to use as real props! In an email to the director, Hawking said that he sometimes forgot that wasn’t him on stage! Kudos to Eddie Redmayne for being so convincing that the genius Stephen Hawking almost forgot who was really on that screen!
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Keanu Reeves, as we know, does his own stunts. This was no different. In fact, 95% of the fight scenes were done completely on his own, minus the extra-extra dangerous things. He enrolled himself in Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, marksmanship, and driving courses in order to prepare himself.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (2001)
This movie, as well as the others in the franchise, required the actors and production teams to go to tons of different and beautiful locations to film. Sometimes, that meant traveling by helicopter. Sean Bean, who played Boromir, was terrified of flying and would only do it if he absolutely had to. Ultimately, Bean ended up climbing the base of a mountain every single morning to the set at the top already in his costume. It took two hours.
Pretty Woman (1990)
The most infamous scene in this movie is when Edward snaps closed the case holding the most immaculate and beautiful necklace Vivian has ever seen. That scene is still talked about to this day, even! As it turns out, the scene was completely improvised by Richard Gere, and Julia Roberts’ reaction is real and genuine.
Interstellar (2014)
For the cornfield scenes/shots, Christopher Nolan had to grow his own five hundred acres of corn. After filming, the corn was harvested and sold for a huge profit. Now that’s a side hustle!
The Terminator (1982)
After a long day of filming, the cast and crew broke for lunch. Arnold Schwarzenegger quietly left to a nearby restaurant to grab a solo lunch. He got there and ordered – and then realized that he was still in full Terminator gear… No eye, exposed jawbone and everything.
Star Trek (2017)
We all know about sound sampling for films and music. Sometimes, the sound of a particular object is not what you’d think it is. The sound of the automatic doors opening on the U.S.S. Enterprise is actually a toilet flushing on a Russian train. Who would have thought? We can answer that: Literally nobody. It’s very innovative, to say the least!
The Revenant (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio went full outdoorsman for this role. A known vegetarian, he willingly chose to munch on a raw slab of a bison’s liver for the role. A bizarre choice to break vegetarian, but ok! DiCaprio also learned how to shoot a musket, build a fire, speak Pawnee and Arikara, and ancient healing techniques. His dedication to this film is what made it so popular!
Jurassic Park (1993)
Here’s a little known and fun fact: The sounds the Velociraptors make when communicating with one another was sampled from tortoises mating. So, have fun with that information.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch got extremely invested in the role of Alan Turing. So much so that once they were done with filming, Cumberbatch reported that he had a breakdown over the character. He says it happened because “being an actor or a person that had grown incredibly fond of the character and thinking of what he had suffered and how that had affected him.”
I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith was so in love with his dog co-star that he wanted to adopt her. When filming was complete, he tried to persuade her trainer into letting him have her but the trainer could not be so easily swindled.
Man of Steel (2013)
Henry Cavill was advised to take steroids to prepare for his Superman role. He refused. Instead, he worked hard to create that body type for the role. He also refused to be photoshopped or have any digital touch-ups because that would be harmful to himself and his fans.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
In order to make sure the young actors kept their money, director Danny Boyle put the money that they earned into a trust that would not be released to them until they were 16 and finished grade school. This was so that they would finish school and not drop out early for any reason whatsoever. The production company even hired a driver to take the three kids to school every single day until they were 16.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The crow in this film worked on his own schedule! Tim Robbins had to end up timing his line, “Hey, Jake. Where’s Brooks?” perfectly so that the crow wouldn’t squawk over him and mess it up. Robbins ended up learning the birds squawking patterns perfectly and could maneuver around them. You can see when he approaches the bird and watches him, waiting for him to squawk.
The Martian (2015)
The scene where Mark gets emotional over hearing his colleagues voice is actually genuine and was done in one take. Matt Damon was really in the character as he head during the scene. He was the last actor left as everyone had wrapped their parts, so he did feel that loneliness. Damon teared up thinking about how alone Mark would be on Mars. Ridley Scott loved it so much he wrapped it after that one take.
Titanic (1997)
The scenes that were set in 1912 take up a whole two hours and forty minutes of the movie, which is how long it took the ship to sink. The collision with the iceberg lasted 37 seconds in real life, and so the directors had that scene only take 37 seconds in the film as well.
I Am Legend (2007)
During a press conference in Japan, Will Smith accidentally revealed the ending of the film to entertainment reporters. Warner Bros. asked the reporters to not report the ending, and they all compiled without even getting a pay-off. That’s true journalistic ethics.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Tom Sizemore was battling a harsh drug addiction during the production of the movie. Steven Spielberg sternly told him that he would be blood tested every single day during filming, and if he failed even once, he would be off the film. It would recast and re-shoot with a different actor playing his part… Even if it was the last day of shooting.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Gal Gadot truly is Wonder Woman! She had to partake in re-shoots of the movie, including a stunt scene, while she was five months pregnant. Her bump was visible at this point, so the crew had to get creative. They made a costume for her which had a green screen around her belly. It was then photoshopped in the final cuts of the film.
Into the Woods (2014)
James Corden spoke about a very scary incident that happening during rehearsals at a Q&A after a screening of the film. Meryl Streep had jumped on a table and got her foot caught in her costume, making her lose her balance. She began to fall backward, and Corden recalls that he and director Rob Marshall froze in complete terror. That is when pregnant Emily Blunt stepped in and caught Streep, saving her life.
Maleficent (2014)
Angelina Jolie says that she unintentionally scared the little children in the movie because of her costume. She even recalls when one child actually said, “Mommy, please get the mean witch to stop talking to me.” Her daughter who played young Aurora, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, was the only child not afraid of her. Makes sense!
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Eddie Redmayne, who played Hawking, said he met with the genius only once and talked for three hours. He said that Hawking might have said a total of eight sentences the entire time. “I just didn’t feel like I could ask him intimate things.” He found other ways to prepare for the role. He said he lost 15 pounds and trained for months with a dancer on learning mannerisms and to have more control over his body. Redmayne also met with 40 ALS patients, kept a chart handy in the way Hawking’s muscles declined, and stood in front of a mirror for hours just contorting his face. He also claims to have stayed completely in character during takes that he stayed hunched over and motionless. He ended up ruining his back and altered the alignment of his spine.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
“I think you’re perfect for the role. I’m so happy we’re going to be working together,” Meryl Streep had told Anne Hathaway on the first day of filming. “That’s the last nice thing I’ll say to you.” She was true to her word! Also, many fashion designers allowed their products to be used in the film, making it the most expensively-costumed film ever.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (2016)
The actors in the film had to go to a wand school in order to start filming. They were instructed and critiqued on how to hold and used a wand correctly in order to create the most natural feeling possible. We would say it worked!
Rocky IV (1985)
Sylvester Stallone, a true glutton for punishment, wanted the fight scenes to be as real as possible. He told Dolph Lundgren to actually hit him during these scenes. Well, he got what he asked for! Stallone ended up in the ICU for four days due to a harsh punch to the chest.
Black Swan (2010)
Natalie Portman prepared for over a year in intensive dance classes to prepare for her role. She paid for the training out of her own pocket until the film was able to find investors.
Fight Club (1999)
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton ended up actually learning how to make soap. That’s a nice plus!
Cast Away (2000)
For the first part of the film, Tom Hanks let himself gain weight and didn’t exercise to fit the ‘middle-aged man’ trope. They then had to stop production for a year so that he could lose fifty pounds and grow out his real hair for the deserted island parts.
The Mummy (2017)
It got very real for the crew on The Mummy set. Brendan Fraser almost died during the scene where his character was hanged. Rachel Weisz recalled that he, “stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated.”
The Terminator (1984)
In order to prepare for this role, Arnold Schwarzenegger worked with guns every single day for a month. He practiced weapons stripping and reassembly blindfolded until it was natural to him. He also spent hours at a shooting range with different weapons and practiced firing them without blinking or looking at them when reloading or cocking.
Get Out (2017)
Daniel Kaluuya was given the role on the spot after his audition. Jordan Peele was convinced after Kaluuya nailed every single take of when his character had to cry. Each take was ‘so perfect’ with a single tear coming down his face at the exact same time.
12 Years A Slave (2013)
Michael Fassbender instructed his makeup artist to paint on alcohol on his mustache so that the other actors would react naturally to that smell. He needed to portray an alcoholic and did so perfectly.
Candyman (1992)
This is a bizarre and little-known fact about the cult classic film Candyman. The bee’s in the photo above are actually real (terrifying, I know) and were bred specifically for this scene. The directors needed them to look old enough to be mature bees but young enough that their stingers wouldn’t hurt. They needed to be exactly 12 hours old.
Iron Man (2008)
Paul Bettany, who played the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. has actually never seen the film. In fact, he said it was the easiest job ever. He worked for two hours, recorded his voice, and made bank. Then he went on vacation with his wife, and that was that! He claims it was a ‘robbery’.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The scene where the water beings to fill up their dorm was a real-life horrific accident. Director Matthew Vaughn recalls the scary scene, “I shouted ‘action!’, the computer got it wrong and [water sound], 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 set was completely ruined, including expensive equipment.
Logan (2017)
Patrick Stewart lost 21 pounds just to play Charles Xavier as an elderly and sick man. Stewart claims it was extremely difficult as he always had a steady weight as a teenager and never lost or gained weight before.
The Godfather (1972)
During the initial shots of this scene, it’s told that Marlon Brando put weights under his body to make it harder for the men to bring him upstairs. It was a funny prank until they kept having to reshoot!
Prometheus (2012)
In order to keep the creepy and unsettling mood, composer Marc Streitenfeld decided to have the orchestra play his composition backward. Then, they reversed the compositions for the final film to have it play ‘forwards’ but it made it even creepier somehow. It was perfect!
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The scene with Captain America emerging from the pod actually caught Hayley Atwell by surprise. Remember, this is where she touches his chest and examines him in a less-than-scientific way. Atwell admits that she was actually taken aback by Chris Evans’ physique and almost ‘ruined’ the shot by breaking character!
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
It is common knowledge that Renee Zellweger gained 25 pounds for her role… But, many don’t know that she actually went and worked at a British publishing company ‘undercover’ to prepare for the role. She went under a different name and accent in order to not be recognized. And it worked! Although, she did keep a photo of then-boyfriend Jim Carrey on her desk, which her co-workers found weird but didn’t ask questions. They didn’t want to embarrass her!
The Hangover (2009)
Luckily for the directors of The Hangover, Ed Helms is actually missing a tooth, which made this iconic look so good! They took out his fake incisor for the role.
It (2017)
The Duffer Brothers originally wanted to direct this movie (it seems right up their alley!) but were overlooked as amateurs. After that bummer, they went on to create Stranger Things which became a quick hit. They kept up with Finn Wolfhard and cast him. They also continuously pay homage to Stephen King in small doses.
The Maze Runner (2014)
This is another side of the acting world you don’t always get to hear about. The production team had to hire snake wranglers to make sure that the area’s in the fields and forests they were shooting at did not have any of the slithery creatures. Before filming even began, they found 25 venomous snakes, including a five-foot rattlesnake. No, thanks!
2001: Space Odyssey (1968)
After the film was complete, Stanley Kubrick intentionally destroyed most of the props and sets because he didn’t want them to get reused in any ‘lesser’ sci-fi films. Talk about petty!
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Eli Roth gave a hilarious explanation of how he got into character for his infamous, violent “The Bear Jew” character. He claims that his historically accurate and painful costume that included wool underwear attributed to his anger. “Being in wool underwear will make you want to kill anything.” He also said that his girlfriend secretly added Hannah Montana songs to his iPod so that when he listened to it, it made him angry.
What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
The man who plays the hilarious, ancient, and creepy vampire that only lives in his coffin in the basement, Stu, is actually played by a regular guy named Stu Rutherford. He was a part-time business analyst for a company that was hired to work on the computers. The directors said he could play a small part. As it turns out, his role was a crowd favorite!