Some cult series are full of mythical scenes which, however, were not foreseen in the scenario. We come back to these sequences which marked us and which were, in reality, total improvisation.
We love them, we know them by heart and it keeps us warm when we are depressed: this are the cult scenes from our favorite series. On closer examination, if they have been appreciated so much, it is often thanks to their spontaneity. It is therefore not so surprising that some of them are total improvisation … A look back at these must-see scenes which revealed the creativity of our darling actors.
"Friends": Ross and Rachel … Uh, Emily!
Unforgettable, that huge mistake Ross made in season 4 of Friends, when he is about to marry Emily. Instead of saying his future wife's first name during the ceremony, Ross speaks the first name of his ex-girlfriend, Rachel, in front of the whole crowd. If this scene is cult today, it was not planned by the writers. Truth be told, when the comedians rehearsed, the producers and writers didn't yet know how this episode would unfold. But reading the script David Scwhimmer, who plays Ross, kept reading his text wrong: he used Rachel's first name instead of Emily's. The brilliant idea of blundering Ross therefore came to the minds of writers, according to the book. Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz. With the success we know.
To see also: Why Ross is the worst character in the Friends series
"The Brothers Scott": the sincere emotion of Sophia Bush
In the final scene of the cult series The Scott brothersBrooke looks back on her high school days. A moment of emotion for this iconic character, but also for his interpreter Sophia Bush. So much so that the actress totally improvised this sequence. In 2018, on Twitter, Sophia Bush shared that she let herself be totally carried away by the emotion, fully identifying with what Brooke was going through: "It is true, she explained at the time. I spent 35,000 hours filming The Scott brothers. Our very last scene in this hallway was very emotional for me, so I took a deep breath and imagined how Brooke Davis was feeling at the time. These words are mine. And his… Together. Glad the producers left me this one! ". An actress who lives her role.
To see also: The Brothers Scott: two stars reunited in a new series
"The office": the improvised cult kiss
It is a kiss that is both cult and very embarrassing. In season 3 of The office, Michael, the most deranged boss in series history, learns that one of his employees, Oscar, is gay. He announces it by mistake to everyone and to be forgiven for having outraged Oscar, he's hosting a meeting on homosexuality with the whole team. At this point, to show that he is "open-minded", Michael kisses Oscar squarely… And that was not planned at all. Basically, Steve Carrel just had to kiss Oscar Nunez on the cheek and hug him. The American actor got carried away in a total improvisation that stunned everyone.
"Community": Abed becomes Nicolas Cage
In season 5 of Community, the character of Abed, a hardcore pop culture fan, tries his best to define whether or not actor Nicolas Cage is talented. A hilarious episode which has, over the years, become very famous. Unmissable, this scene where Abed is about to give his presentation on Nicolas Cage and completely freaks out in front of his classmates. Abed seems possessed by the spirit of Nicolas Cage and his impersonation of the actor is unforgettable. Imagine that this scene is totally improvised by Abed's performer Danny Pudi. The talent !
To see also: 3 series to watch this weekend if you are a fan of super heroes (and heroines!)
"Breaking Bad": Walter White and his baby Holly
Not easy to play with a baby! But actor Bryan Cranston is resourceful. In breaking Bad, Walter decides to run away with Holly, his youngest daughter. When he tries to change her in the public restroom, she starts calling her mom who was on the set at the time. If what is happening was not planned on the script, but Bryan Cranston decided to continue the scene and give her a hug to reassure her. A moment of tenderness that finally fits perfectly with the dramatic tone of the scene.