It’s often hard to tell where the performance ends and the real actor begins when viewing great movies, and the power of the material can occasionally mean that anactor breaks down for real. It may be that the performer was so emotionally invested in their role that they truly broke down and cried on camera, or these genuine reactions can also result from events that the actors were unaware of and unprepared for. These instances can lead to truly spellbinding performances, and it’s fascinating to hear the behind-the-scenes details that viewers may not have been previously privy to.
Some of cinema’s greatest moments wereimprovised scenesthat were not part of the original script, as actors brought their personal experiences into the scene. While other times, directors and co-stars crossed professional boundaries to get certain reactions from another actor, the fact that the performers didn’t call cut and allowed their experiences to be used in the film was a testament to their professionalism and commitment to their work. There have been somemovie scenes where the lines between fact and fiction started to blur, and actors gave themselves entirely to the scene.
Desperado
Cast
Desperado is a 1995 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez, featuring Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi, a musician seeking vengeance for the murder of his lover. The film follows El Mariachi’s quest to confront a drug lord responsible for the tragic event. Salma Hayek co-stars as Carolina, providing both romantic and practical support. Desperado balances intense action sequences with its deeply personal storyline, expanding upon the mythos established in Rodriguez’s earlier film, El Mariachi.
Salma Hayek’s breakout role came with the release ofDesperado, the second part of Robert Rodriguez’s Western-action series titled theMexico Trilogy. With Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi, a man seeking vengeance against a sinister drug lord, Hayek played the beautiful bookstore owner Carolina, who tended to El Marchi’s wounds. However,Hayek later revealed that the filming ofDesperadowas a traumatic experience for her(viaHollywood Reporter) and that she had difficulties with her love scene.
Hayek stressed that Rodriguez and Banderas “were amazing” and that they “never put pressure" on her.
Hayek said when she first landed the role, there was no mention of a love scene between her character and Banderas, and it was only brought to her attention after production began. While Hayek agreed to film the scene on a closed set, she began to cry and told Rodriguez, “I’m afraid.” While Hayek stressed that Rodriguez and Banderas “were amazing” and that they “never put pressure"on her, as an inexperienced actress, she had difficulty filming such an intimate scene and couldn’t stop thinking about her family having to watch the finished movie.
The Shininghas rightfully earned its reputation among the greatest horror movies ever made, but for actress Shelley Duvall, her experiences were far more terrifying than can be reasonably expected on set. While the most commonly retold story claimed that directorStanley Kubrick traumatized Duvallduring the filming ofThe Shining, the truth about her experiences was a lot more nuanced than that, although she did have a difficult time. Kubrick and Duvall clashed during the filming ofThe Shining,and she spoke in interviews in the years before her death (viaFar Out) that the role of Wendy Torrence was emotionally and physically exhausting.
Duvall said that she had to force her body into a constant state of panic to meet Kubrick’s expectations for her character and that the director’s refusal to use anything “until at least the 35th take” was debilitating.Wendy’s terrified reaction to her deranged husband Jack’s pursuit of her was genuine, as Kubrick’s filming style pushed Duvall to her absolute limits. While Kubrick’s need for perfectionism has been widely praised, the difficulties that Duvall faced onset brought up ethical questions around how far a filmmaker should be able to push actors out of their comfort zone.
Kramer vs. Kramer
Kramer vs. Kramer is a drama film directed by Robert Benton, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Released in 1979, the film follows the story of a man who must adapt to single parenthood after his wife leaves him, only to face a legal battle when she returns for custody of their child. The movie explores themes of family, responsibility, and the impact of divorce.
The legal dramaKramer vs. Kramerwas an intense look at a couple’s divorce and the difficult impact this has on their young son. With Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Street as the collapsing couple Ted and Joanna Kramer, the two actors powerful performances gained the film the Best Picture win at the Oscars and highlighted urgent social issues such as gender roles, fathers' rights, work-life balance, and single parents. However, one controversial aspect ofKramer vs. Kramercame with Streep’s revelation years later that one of her scenes was real and her reaction was genuine.
Hoffman slapped Streep without warning in a moment that crossed the line from acting to abuse.
This came in the scene when Ted and Joanna were arguing, andHoffman slapped Streep without warningin a moment that crossed the line from acting to abuse (viaCollider.) Streep and Hoffman often clashed on set, and further incidents like Hoffman breaking the wine glass in the famous “I want my son” scene were also unplanned. While Streep’s ability to deliver such an exceptional performance under such difficult circumstances was commendable, Hoffman’s behavior pushed well past the point of acceptability.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 concludes the epic saga with Harry, Ron, and Hermione embarking on a perilous mission to defeat Voldemort. As their journey grows increasingly dire, Harry encounters three magical items that provide him powers to confront the dark wizard’s formidable strength.
The finalHarry Pottermovie was a truly an emotional whirlwind as Harry sought to find and destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes and stop him once and for all. While this surely a highly intense filming experience for the lead stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, it was a different performer who broke down for real while filming. This was due to the heartbreaking nature of Fred Weasley’s death inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,as real-life twinsJames and Oliver Phelps had to imagine the difficulties of one of them dying for real.
Oliver, who played Fred’s grieving twin, George, toldCosmopolitan UKthat to get into the proper emotional state for the scene, he thought “about loved ones, I’ve lost over the years” and that when the make-up artist sprayed him with eucalyptus, he was “crying for real at that point.” While Oliver was forced to confront the very nature of death itself and work up the required emotions for the scene, for his brother James, it was a different story. “It was the easiest day of work for me, I just lay there," James joked in the same interview.
Alien
Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, is a science fiction horror film that follows the crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo. Upon investigating a distress signal on a distant moon, they discover a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and became a seminal work in both the sci-fi and horror genres, known for its atmospheric tension and groundbreaking visual effects.
Even 45 years after audiences first witnessed it,the chestburster scene fromAlienis still the stuff of nightmare fuel. As the legacy of Ridley Scott’s trailblazing sci-fi horror continues with the recent release ofAlien: Romulus, it’s stillthe iconic scene where an extraterrestrial burst out of the chest of John Hurt’s Kanestill has the power to shock and horrify viewers. Part of the power of this scene was not just the unexpected horror of this otherworldly creature, but the believaiblity of the cast’s reactions, which made sense because they were truly shocked for real as they did not know it was happening.
According toEmpire, the cast ofAlienwere just as surprised by Kane’s fate as audiences were, as Scott did not tell them because he wanted a “hardcore reaction.”Alienactor Yaphet Kotto admitted he wondered, “What the hell was going on?” when he noticed the rest of the crew wearing plastic sheets for the filming of the scene. While the clues were there, theAlienactors were none the wiser, and their shocked reactions to this iconic scene were genuine.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a horror film released in 1974, following five friends who encounter a deranged family in rural Texas. As they strive to survive, they face terrifying ordeals orchestrated by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, a central figure in this chilling narrative.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacrewas one of the most influential horror movies of all time and, to this day, remains a benchmark by which all other slashers are compared. As a terrifying independent horror by Tobe Hooper, this first entry in the long-running franchise introduced the terrifying, chainsaw-wielding, skin-wearing serial killer known as Leatherface. While audiences were quaking in their boots when he first appeared on screen, this was nothing compared to Allen Danziger’s genuine reaction as he had to experience Leatherface up close and personal.
Danziger, who played Jerry inThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre, revealed in an interview withGrasy Kid Stuff Magazinethatthe first time he saw Leatherface was actually a moment he caught on filmand that he let out a “bloodcurdling scream.” This moment was so frightening that filming had to be cut because Danziger started screaming before Leatherface had even entered the shot. Jerry was then killed with a sledgehammer, and Danziger joked that even though it’s been five decades since the movie was released, he’s “still getting headaches.”
Die Hard
Die Hard follows NYPD officer John McClane as he attempts to rescue hostages, including his estranged wife, from terrorists who have overtaken a Los Angeles skyscraper. Released in 1988, this action film is noted for its central character’s resourcefulness and determination in overcoming overwhelming odds with limited assistance.
AlthoughDie Hardwas the movie that turned Bruce Willis into a Hollywood star, it also delivered one of cinema’s best villains in the role of Hans Gruber. Alan Rickman played this East German criminal mastermind to perfection, and his popularity was so great that he was voted No. 4 onEmpire’slist of the Greatest Movie Villains of All Time, only beaten by Darth Vader, The Joker, and Loki. However, the only thing that can outdo Rickman’s characters' living actions is Hans Gruber’s death scene, which has aged incredibly well due to the genuine shock displayed by the actor.
The sight of Gruber falling to his death became one ofDie Hard’smost iconic momentsas he was dangling from the top of the tower and dramatically fell to his death in slow motion. While Rickman was nervous about the stunt, he agreed to do the fall himself, andDie Hardstunt coordinator Charlie Picerni told him he would be dropped on the count of three. However, to catch Rickman off guard, he was dropped at “one,” and the terrified look on Gruber’s face was, in fact, Rickman’s perplexed shock at the last-minute change.
I, Tonya
Based on the life of figure skater Tonya Harding, I, Tonya chronicles Harding’s personal life, rise to fame, and subsequent downfall after her involvement in the infamous attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Framed in a mockumentary style that routinely breaks the fourth wall, I, Tonya is directed by Craig Gillespie and stars Margot Robbie and Harding, with Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney as Harding’s ex-husband and overbearing mother respectively.
This biopic about the controversial American figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 assault on her rival was an astounding showcase of Margot Robbie’s incredible talent.Robbie’s portrayal inI, Tonyaearned her an Academy Award nominationas she embodied the tragic complexities of the real-life sports star. While this film was packed with intense and humorous scenes, there was one scene in particular that secured Robbie’s Oscar nomination.
This was the moment just before Tonya was about to go on the ice and secure her Olympic dream as she applied makeup while looking in the mirror and attempted to fake a smile. As genuine tears poured down Tonya’s face, this scene was packed with heartbreaking emotion that Robbie wasn’t in the script and wasn’t planned. Robbie toldVarietythat the powerful scene was improvised and the crying was a result of an overwhelming day on set.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit combines live-action and animation to create a world where humans and cartoon characters coexist. Set in 1940s Hollywood, the film follows a private investigator who is contracted to work on the case of a cartoon framed for murder, despite his dislike of cartoons. Bob Hoskins, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, and Kathleen Turner all star.
While there’s plenty ofWho Framed Roger Rabbittrivia, one piece of information that showcased how intense the shoot was relates to its lead actor, Bob Hoskins. As Eddie Valiant, a private investigator with a grudge against cartoons, Hoskins played his role in this part live-action, part animated classic to perfection. However, Hoskins also broke down for real and went a little looney throughout the shoot. Although viewers got to see him interacting with cartoons on the big screen, he spent months filming scenes where he pretended they were there.
Hoskins later said, “Roger Rabbit drove me mad” (viaExpress) and admitted that he spent months suffering hallucinations of cartoon characters as he had to train himself to truly believe the animated characters were there while the cameras rolled. Once filming had wrapped,Hoskins found it hard to turn this off after eight months of playing pretend. The problem became so bad that Hoskins said his daughter told him to “slow down” and that he was “going barmy.”
The Revenant
Inspired by the true events in the life of Hugh Glass, The Revenant is an action-drama movie that sees Leonardo DiCaprio in the starring role. Betrayed and left for dead by one of the members of his hunting group, Glass finds himself contending with some of the harshest elements imaginable while tending to his deadly wounds, as his will to carry on and need for revenge push him to carry on in this gripping tale of survival.
Until he finally took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role inThe Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio was Hollywood’s most notable Oscar-less star. This changed as a result of his performance as Hugh Glass in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s thrilling story of survival in the blistering cold of an 1820s Rocky Mountain fur trading expedition. After being mauled by a bear, Glass struggled to survive as he relentlessly trudged back to society. WhileDiCaprio earned Hollywood’s most coveted award for his portrayal, he did so only after putting himself through a production shoot that nearly broke him.
Despite being a vegan and an animal rights activist, DiCaprio slept in animal carcasses and ate raw vision for his role as Glass (viaVanity Fair.) Iñárritu himself described the shooting ofThe Revenantas “a living hell” as the entire cast and crew were forced to endure freezing temperatures, and they traversed the globe searching for the appropriate snowing conditions needed to film. DiCaprio’s willingness to embrace a method acting style worked out, and although it pushed him to his absolute limit, he gained widespread acclaim and accolades for his role.
