Writers hardly get the credit they deserve, particularly when it comes to television and movies. The characters we love were first put on paper by writers with imagination, motivation, and a great amount of struggle. But, particularly when it comes to long-running television shows, actors have the opportunity to fully embody their characters in a way that’s not as likely in a single film.
Actors can get inside and understand their characters over multiple seasons, and, sometimes, they really do know just how to speak like them. While improvisation is not always encouraged on set, when you get it right you get it right. Here are ten of the best examples of actors embodying their characters and speaking for them on the fly.
Breaking Bad
In season five, episode fourteen of the hit AMC television show, Breaking Bad, a perfect (and unscripted) line made its way on to the screen, breaking hearts, and landing on improv lists from now until eternity. The difference with this line versus those to come is that it wasn’t veteran star Bryan Cranston who let it slip.
Instead, it was the baby sharing the scene with him. Nearing the end of its series run, a desperate Walter kidnaps his baby daughter, Holly. While staring down at his child Walter here’s her utter, “Mama, mama”. This one line pulled the scene together—and the best out of Cranston—but was in no way planned or written down.
Bob’s Burgers
Back in 2012, in the third season of the much-loved, Bob’s Burgers cartoon, a classic and catchy adlib made its way into popular culture and was stuck in heads forevermore. The “Thanksgiving Song,” as it is known, sung by mom, Linda Belcher, was completely made up on the spot by actor, John Roberts. You wouldn’t immediately think of cartoons, or an entire song, as being the most likely example of an improvised television classic, but this surprise is one any television audience can accept and adore.
Parks and Recreation
While we are discussing long and extensive improvisations, let us look at Parks and Recreation Season 5’s episode, “Article Two.” Patton Oswalt guest stars as a citizen hoping to keep Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope from changing some long-standing (if outdated) laws in Pawnee.
In part of Oswalt’s attempt, he is forced to stage a filibuster. Oswalt was given nine minutes and no dialogue and told to go for it. He took the opportunity and ran with it, delivering the now-classic speech on a Star Wars and Marvel crossover.
Friends
In season 6 of the celebrate sitcom, Friends, Jennifer Aniston got to show off her funny bone when throwing out a line of her own making in the episode, “The One After Vegas.” Finally having been informed of the impromptu wedding she shared with Ross in Los Vegas she retorts, “This isn’t a marriage, this is the world’s worst hangover.” By season six, it’s no surprise that Aniston was so in tune with her character and could speak as Rachel Green with little help required.
The Walking Dead
Shoutout again to the AMC network as a second of their programs, The Walking Dead, makes it onto our list. In season five of the comic book-based program, some improvisation offers fans a little bit of a laugh in the usually high stakes and high adrenaline show.
As the group tries to assimilate back into a suburban life Norman Reedus, as Daryl Dixon, isn’t ready to jump on the bandwagon. Upon spotting Carol wearing a sweater and blouse, instead of her war-ready road gear, Reedus took it upon himself to tell her, “You look ridiculous.” That’s a Dixon reaction for sure.
Battlestar Galactica
In season four of the epic Syfy reboot, Battlestar Galactica proved that, like The Walking Dead above, they could throw a little humor into their high stakes stress shows when they needed to. Again, it was up to a talented and well-seasoned cast to set up the one-liner for a win. Lieutenant Felix Gaeta has once again been arguing with hot-headed pilot Starbuck.
While the expectation is usually on Starbuck to have the last word here, it is Gaeta, and actor Alessandro Juliani, who succeeds, saying as Starbuck walks away, “so, I guess a pity frak is out of the question, then?” The line got to stay and end the scene.
Sherlock
In the BBC’s third season of Sherlock Watson and Sherlock get a little bit inebriated celebrating Watson’s stag party. This leaves them a little more than hungover the next morning as they continue their work as consulting detectives. In a wonderful moment of actor and character melding Sherlock (and Benedict Cumberbatch’s), memory fails. Instead of reciting a scripted line to explain away Dr. Watson snoozing beside him Sherlock instead stumbles and says, “Apologies on behalf of my… thing.” Apology accepted.
Game of Thrones
Perhaps less quotable than all the other lines on our list, credit where credit is due to perhaps the most difficult of the improvised lines we are ranking. In the finale of season two of the HBO smash hit Game of Thrones, Danaerys, the Mother of Dragons, finds herself ready to travel once again and encourages her followers to take everything they can carry from the grand residence where they’ve been staying. To communicate to most of her followers the Mother of Dragons, and her knight, Ser Jorah, are forced to speak in the Dothraki language.
Not only is Dothraki foreign, but it is also completely made up, and David J. Peterson, the language creator and consultant was not on set when a line was needed. It was up to actor Iain Glen, Ser Jorah, to make up an approximation of a Dothraki line. He did it. “Mas ovary movekkhi moskay.” Can you tell the difference?
Agents of Shield
In a line fitting of both Iron Man himself, Tony Stark, or even Bruce Banner, Marvel’s Agents of Shield keeps the best for its own Agent Fitz. Improvised in the moment in the second season finale of the show, Fitz (who could very well have been a part of the science bros) is able to inhibit another character’s teleportation powers. When asked how he had managed the feat, Fitz (though really actor Iain De Caestecker) replies, “Science, bi-atch!”
Parks and Recreation (Again)
It’s no surprise that the only show that appears twice on our list would also claim the top spot. Parks and Recreation always knew how to be funny, and always knew how to cast funny people. Chris Pratt as Dwyer outshines his hysterical castmates with his adlib from episode two, season three, “Flu Season.”
As Leslie is being led out of the office due to her very obvious illness, Andy looks up from the computer he’s working at and says, “I typed your symptoms into the thing up here, and it says you could have network connectivity problems.” Funny, in character, and absolutely in the moment.
