PHOTOS10 Crazy Secrets Behind Classic Films: From Jennifer Lopez's Lip-Sync in 'Selena' to Drew Barrymore's Real 911 Call in 'Scream'
June 26 2024, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Hours of applying makeup and prosthetics actually transformed Jim Carrey into the Grinch … on and off the set. Film critics say the genuinely annoyed and cranky star made the movie even better!
Selena
There’s a reason why songbird Jennifer Lopez was able to duplicate the sweet voice of the late Selena Quintanilla — she was lip-syncing to the songs actually sung by the sensational Selena herself.
The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar playing Joker, but all that lip licking wasn’t on purpose. His prosthetic lips kept loosening as he talked and he was keeping them from falling off!
Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro didn’t have to fake his disgust during outside scenes filmed in New York City — 1975 was the year of the sanitation workers’ strike — and the unsightly mess was totally real and very stinky!
Pulp Fiction
Samuel L. Jackson’s terrifying burger scene was inspired by his hitman audition when a staffer told him, “I love your work, Mr. Fishburne.”
Samuel saw red. He’d entered the room with a burger in his hand and left with an angry glare that got him the job!
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Scream
A prop master forgot to unplug the phone, causing Drew Barrymore to actually dial 911 and scream bloody murder before hanging up, making the operator think a crime was going on. Cops dialed right back during the scene, shocking the poor star!
Rocky IV
Those brutal punches Dolph Lundgren threw as Ivan Drago were real … he got Sly Stallone with a vicious uppercut, putting him in the hospital for nine days. But the two actors are buddies now and got along great in the Expendables film series.
Wizard Of Oz
When special effects gurus botched a fire stunt, Wicked Witch of the West Margaret Hamilton suffered painful burns to her face and hands and needed six weeks to recover. After that, she had to wear green gloves on the set to hide scars.
Interstellar
To create breathtaking shots of cornfields, director Christopher Nolan planted 500 acres of real stalks — and then turned a profit by selling the tasty ears of corn they didn’t destroy during filming!
The Godfather
Marlon Brando was a great actor, but his faraway looks and downward glances in the title role served another purpose — to read perfectly placed cue cards of his lines during the scene.
