Despite their best efforts, most actors' unscripted moments don't make the final cut on either the big screen or the small screen. Still, once in a while, an improvised line, ad-libbed response, physical fumble, or surprising reaction can capture a character or story line's essence in a powerful way that written lines cannot.
It is in these slip-ups, brilliant recoveries, and wacky improvisations that many actors reveal the true depth of their talents and the unwavering commitments they have to their characters. These unscripted moments have also brought us some of pop culture's most enduring quotes, episodes, and scenes.
Here are 11 of the most memorable on-screen moments that were, apparently, totally off-the-cuff.
Chris Pratt's Internet skills on "Parks and Recreation."
Chris Pratt embraced his character Andy Dwyer so fully on "Parks and Recreation" that he ad-libbed one of the show's funniest lines. When Leslie has the flu in the episode "Flu Season," Andy shouts from his desk: "Leslie, I typed your symptoms into the thing up here and it says you could have network connectivity problems!"
"He has the best improvisation in a cast full of world-class improvisers," co-creator Michael Shur told AV Club of the quote. "He's so present and in the moment and fully fluent in his character that he can make up perfectly formulated jokes like that on the spot, and it's incredible. He's improved every episode he's ever been in."
Steve Carell's surprise kiss on "The Office."
Oscar's shocked response when Michael Scott kisses him on the lips during a meeting in "Gay Witch Hunt" is totally authentic.
"He wasn't supposed to kiss me, we were just supposed to hug," actor Oscar Nuñez told AV Club. "And that particular take he came in really close, and I'm like, ‘Where is he going with this?' And then I'm just thinking, ‘Oh God, nobody laugh so we can use it.'"
Thankfully, and perhaps miraculously, no one did.
The jewelry box joke in "Pretty Woman."
One of the most delightful scenes in "Pretty Woman" features Richard Gere snapping a jewelry box shut just as Julia Roberts reaches out to touch it. Roberts responds by throwing her head back and laughing — and, as it turns out, the genuine, delighted laugh was a response to Gere's improvisation.
"She laughed so honestly that we left it in the picture," director Garry Marshall said in a conversation with The American Film Institute.
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