20 actors who improvised iconic scenes

12) ⁠The Shining (1980)

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Jack Nicholson's adlibbed "Here's Johnny! " caught audiences but the crew as well as a surprise. Nicholson played off the famous intro given by Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show and gave off a chilling mix of a humorous and horror feel. Stanley Kubrick, not knowing what the adlib was referencing, took a liking to its outrageous energy and left it for the final cut. The scene epitomized Nicholson's descent into madness and cemented The Shining to horror icon status. To this day, decades later, it remains one of cinema's most recognizable and parodied scenes.

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