21 Behind-the-Scenes Facts That Will Change How You View These Iconic Pieces of Media

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Get ready for a backstage pass to some of the most beloved films. Today, we are deep-diving into the most interesting hidden details of popular entertainment programs. From big-budget epics to delightful indies, every media piece contains a secret story waiting to be told.

Do you think you know everything there is to know about these iconic entries? Think again. We have scoured the internet and revealed only the juiciest bits of information we could find. So, grab a snack. It’s time to learn how these fascinating tales came to life.

1. Scrubs (2001-2010)

This iconic series features a slew of beloved, if not problematic, characters. One of which is the irate janitor who exists mainly to annoy J.D., the show’s protagonist. However, many of these interactions were improvised.

Bill Lawrence wasn’t a fan of reading his script and would wing most of his performances in Scrubs. This became so normalized that his script often said, “Whatever Neil says,” instead of his lines.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Possibly the goofiest Marvel franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy follows Star-Lord and a group of misfits who try to protect the galaxy from evil. The films are filled with spectacular special effects and full-bore action sequences.

However, Chris Pratt had a habit of making these scenes more expensive than they already were. Unable to control his whimsey, Pratt would make a “pew pew” sound whenever he fired his ray gun, requiring the entire scene to be reshot.

3. Life of Brian (1979)

Sometimes, you have to do something bold to get a pay increase. The iconic line “I’m not” following “We’re all individuals” was improvised by an extra cast member. This bold move increased his pay since he now had a speaking role in the film.

4. Lord of the Rings (2001)

Christopher Lee doesn’t receive the respect he deserves. While shooting The Lord of the Rings, Lee took Peter Jackson aside to correct him on the sound a person makes when they are stabbed in the back. The DVD commentary offers this fun bit of information.

“When I was shooting the stabbing shot with Christopher, as a director, I was explaining to him what he should do”… “And he says, ‘Peter, have you ever heard the sound a man makes when he’s stabbed in the back?’ And I said, ‘Um, no.’ And he says, ‘Well, I have, and I know what to do.’”

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5. Leon: The Professional (1994)

Fleeing the scene of his most recent robbery, a criminal turns the nearest corner to find an army of police officers in his path. What the thief doesn’t know at the time is that the police officers are all actors. The man accidentally stumbles upon the finale of Leon the Professional, where police surround Leon’s building.

6. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Brooks is one of the most tragic characters in The Shawshank Redemption. His relationship with his beloved crow, Jake, is heartwarming in an otherwise cruel situation. There is a scene in the film in which Brooks feeds Jake a maggot.

The interesting part about this scene is that the crew had to find a maggot that had died of natural causes. This is the only way the American Humane Association would give the film its “no animals were harmed in the making of this film” status.

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

As Aragon, Gimli, and Legolas look for Pippin and Mary, Vigo Mortensen kicks a helmet lying in a pile of bodies. The loss of his friends is revealed in a rage-filled scream that dominates the scene. The scream that audiences hear has nothing to do with the lost Hobbits. Mortensen broke two of his toes while kicking the helmet. The scream was a natural reaction to his pain.

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8. Fight Club (1999)

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt went to incredible lengths to keep the continuity of Fight Club intact. Throughout the film, Norton’s character slowly loses control of his life to his alter ego, Tyler Durden.

To achieve this effect, Norton went on a near-starvation diet and avoided the sun. Meanwhile, Pitt would spend his time working out and tanning. This approach gave the effect that Tyler Durden became more powerful as Norton’s character withered away.

9. The Avengers (2012)

Robert Downey Jr. is a national treasure. During The Avengers’ filming, Downey hid food across the set. Because of his taxing workload, the actor didn’t have time to eat regular meals, so Downey began sneaking food into his roles. This made his on-screen persona more relatable to audiences.

10. The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick has received considerable attention for how he treats his celebrities over the years. His treatment of Shelley Duvall in The Shining is often cited as cruel and borderline abusive. However, Kubrick took special care of Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance, on the set of The Shining.

The famed director went out of his way to never scare Lloyd during filmmaking. By the time the film was released, Lloyd was unaware that he had appeared in a horror film. Kubrick had convinced the young star that the film was a drama about a family struggling to live in a hotel.

11. The Life of Brian (1979)

Monty Python has always been a controversial group. However, their famed film, The Life of Brian, ruffled enough feathers that the production company EMC pulled funding just as it started shooting.

Hearing the terrible news, George Harrison of The Beatles reached out and offered to pay for the production using his own money. Harrisons reason for this giant expenditure? He just really wanted to see the movie.

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12. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

This brutal war film expected realism from its performers. To ensure this, Saving Private Ryan placed all its key actors in a military basic training camp—all of the actors besides Matt Damon. This was done so that the other actors would resent Damon and would convey that feeling in their performances.

13. The Hangover (2009)

Having great teeth is vital in the world of entertainment. However, Ed Helms learned that having a missing tooth can be a blessing in disguise. In The Hangover, Stu loses a tooth after an eventful night out.

This would typically require the actor to use a prop or prosthetic to simulate the missing tooth. However, Ed Helms never grew an adult incisor and could simply remove his false tooth for the scene.

14. Predator (1987)

During the production of Predator, Jesse Ventura was delighted to learn that his arms were one inch wider than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. After receiving the news from the wardrobe department, he suggested to Schwarzenegger that they compare arms. The winner of this contest would receive a bottle of champagne.

It turns out that Schwarzenegger instructed the wardrobe department to tell Ventura about the size difference. This joke worked in Schwarzenegger’s favor, and he walked away with the bottle of champagne.

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15. The Dark Knight (2008)

Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as the Joker is one of the best moments in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. He brought an unprecedented amount of chaos to the film, elevating the role in new and exciting ways.

One of the most iconic scenes in the film, the exploding hospital, was partially improved by Ledger. As the Joker walks away from the soon-to-be-destroyed hospital, he pauses and fiddles with the remote control. This wasn’t part of the script, but Nolan trusted Ledger and continued to shoot the scene.

16. Goodfellas (1990)

Mafia films always feature a banquet of pasta dishes for some reason. Goodfellas is no exception to this rule. However, the iconic scene where the gangsters all sit down to a late-night dinner of spaghetti and meatballs has one notable difference.

The old Italian woman in the scene is Catherine Scorsese, Martin Scorsese’s mother. She played a bit in the film and routinely cooked for the cast and crew during the production.

17. Die Hard (1988)

Action movies frequently showcase death-defying stunts. However, the actors are always secure in the knowledge that they are part of a highly orchestrated team of professionals and are in no real danger.

That said, if an actor doesn’t feel fear, it can sometimes be felt in the shot. To remedy this problem in Die Hard, the crew dropped Alan Rickman from a window one second early. The resulting look of panic on his face is authentic.

18. The Sopranos (1999)

It is essential to be as accurate as possible when making a genre piece. An unnamed organized crime member ensured James Gandolfini remembered this when he played the mob boss Tony Soprano.

Gandolfini received a call in the middle of the night from an unknown number. When he answered the call, a suspected mafia member explained that they loved the show, but “a boss never wears shorts.” The individual then hung up, terrifying Gandolfini and ensuring that The Sopranos would never place him in shorts again.

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19. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Sitting in a chair for hours receiving prosthetic makeup is tantamount to torture. At least that’s how Jim Carrey felt during his time in the Grinch movie. The makeup process was so grueling that Carrey sought out the help of a Navy Seal to learn torture resistance techniques.

20. The Machinist (2004)

Christian Bale is an outstanding method actor but has been known to take things too far. During filming for The Machinist, Bale restricted himself to eating only an apple and a can of tuna daily, which allowed him to drop to 100 pounds. Eventually, he was stopped due to health concerns.

21. Star Trek (2009)

Sometimes, actors are tasked with doing the impossible. Zachary Quinto learned this when he could not pull off the Vulcan salute on the set of Star Trek. After several failed attempts, JJ Abrams defaulted to gluing Quinto’s fingers together to get the shot.

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