- 2 years ago
Sometimes the background is more intriguing than the foreground! For this list, we’ll be looking at scenes where background actors or characters with no dialogue were so memorable that they outshone the stars.
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00:00 "Arise! Arise, riders of Théoden!"
00:03 Welcome to Ms Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Extras Stole the Show in Movies.
00:10 "He has a wife, you know."
00:12 For this list, we'll be looking at scenes where background actors or characters with no dialogue were so memorable that they outshone the stars.
00:20 Which movie extras do you think deserved a bigger role in their films? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
00:27 10. The 7-Eleven Customers - Dumb and Dumber
00:31 This movie is full of incredibly quotable lines, but one of the most beloved was completely ad-libbed by Jim Carrey.
00:37 As Lloyd comes out of a 7-Eleven, he sees two men holding big gulps, and can't help but comment on their drink choice.
00:44 "Hey guys!"
00:45 "Oh, big gulps, huh?"
00:47 "Alright."
00:48 "Well, see you later."
00:50 According to director Peter Farrelly, this scene was so spontaneous that the two guys in it weren't even real extras.
00:58 They were just innocent bystanders watching the production, and Farrelly roped them in to being on screen.
01:03 "So you're telling me there's a chance."
01:06 Although it's Carrey's line that makes the scene memorable, the guy's ability to keep a straight face deserves serious recognition.
01:14 "Got room for one more if you still wanna go to Aspen."
01:17 9. Ghostbusters Alright
01:20 Ghostbusters. If any movie extra succeeded at standing out in a crowd, it was this guy.
01:25 "They love you. They love you here."
01:28 As the Ghostbusters arrive to take on Gozer the Gozerian, they're greeted by a cheering mass of people.
01:33 And no one is more enthusiastic than the red-haired man in the purple tie.
01:38 "That's your friend!"
01:39 "Ghostbusters! Alright!"
01:41 Believe it or not, that's Eldo Ray Estes, who would go on to win multiple Daytime Emmys for his work as a makeup artist.
01:49 Estes was pursuing acting at the time, and was hired to be an extra on Ghostbusters for four days.
01:54 "I was in no way prepared for that!"
01:56 Considering how little of his career has happened in front of the camera, he certainly made an impression on generations of fans.
02:03 8. Margaritaman - Jurassic World
02:07 Many fans of the massive dinosaur franchise noticed this extra, who clearly has his priorities in order,
02:12 protecting his margaritas during the pterosaur attack.
02:17 [Sounds of fighting]
02:22 But they might not have realised that it's actually a man known for his love of margaritas, Jimmy Buffett.
02:29 [Jimmy Buffett singing]
02:36 The late singer's Margaritaville restaurant sponsored the film, and a location is featured on the park's promenade.
02:42 Buffett, who was friends with producer Frank Marshall, got a chance to hang out on set and make this short but hilarious cameo.
02:49 Sadly, the Margaritaville gets destroyed during the final dino showdown.
02:54 [Dinosaur roar]
03:04 We're glad Margaritaman wasn't around to see that.
03:07 7. The Surprised Fisherman - Caddyshack
03:10 This poor guy just wants to have a relaxing day of fishing on his boat.
03:14 "Hey, my buddy, Swanson, who's steam ahead? Over there! I wanna go over there!"
03:20 But when wealthy country club member Al Chervik takes over steering his own huge yacht,
03:25 he immediately begins wreaking havoc, crashing through other boats, jet skis, and almost hitting a plane.
03:31 This fisherman's amazing bug-eyed reaction to the out-of-control vessel instantly won him a place in viewers' hearts.
03:38 The actor in the scene is Matthew Birch, who only made one other film appearance in 1979's Hot Stuff,
03:44 where he also got to show off this unique facial expression.
03:48 "Hey! Don't know which way is backward!"
03:52 6. Woman Running - The Avengers
03:55 This extra clearly understood the assignment.
03:58 As Loki and the alien Chitauri descend on New York, the Avengers swoop in to save the day.
04:04 "Sir, we have more in common." "Fine, let's keep them occupied."
04:07 Of course, Loki immediately shoots their plane out of the sky, which crashes onto the street.
04:12 If you were a pedestrian in the middle of all of this, wouldn't you be running for your life?
04:17 "We gotta get back up there!"
04:19 While most of the extras casually trot out of the way,
04:22 the woman in the striped shirt actually runs like her life depends on it.
04:26 It's safe to say she more than earned her day rate.
04:30 "How do we do this?" "As a team."
04:32 5. The Charge of the Rohirrim - The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
04:36 During filming in New Zealand, the production team sent out press releases
04:40 calling for as many horse riders as possible for this scene.
04:44 "I want to fight!"
04:46 The result was a massive group of around 220 extras, including some women in beards,
04:52 that was digitally enhanced to look like an army of thousands.
04:56 "It was like this Woodstockian trick, you know, horse riders from all over the country were coming down,
05:00 congregating on this one field outside of Twizel."
05:03 Despite the danger of having so many horses galloping at full speed in such close proximity,
05:07 everyone came out unscathed, including an incredibly lucky man
05:11 who fell off of his horse right in the middle of the charge.
05:14 After Bernard Hill's rousing speech as King Theoden,
05:18 the extras had no trouble charging forth as if they were heading into a real battle.
05:23 "Spears shall be shaken!
05:25 Shields shall be splintered!
05:28 A sword day!
05:30 A red day!
05:32 Where the sun rises!"
05:36 Their intensity in this scene gives new meaning to the word "epic."
05:40 4. The Laughing Roman Guards - Monty Python's Life of Brian
05:45 Pontius Pilate can't understand why everyone finds his friend's unfortunate name so funny.
05:51 "Wait, your biggest dicker's here for this.
05:54 Wait! Take him away!"
05:56 After seeing their comrade get hauled away to be turned into a gladiator as punishment for laughing,
06:01 the other soldiers do their best to keep a straight face.
06:04 "Anybody else feel like a little... giggle?"
06:09 Of course, between the name and Pilate's absurd speech impediment, that's no easy task.
06:15 It becomes completely impossible when Pilate reveals the name of his friend's wife.
06:19 "She's called... Incontinentia.
06:23 Incontinentia buttocks."
06:27 "Shut up!"
06:28 We don't know how much of this scene was improvised by Michael Palin,
06:32 but this extra in particular deserves a medal for his valiant efforts to stifle his laughter.
06:38 3. The Clumsy Stormtrooper - Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope
06:43 This unusually tall extra had no idea he'd have such an impact on cinema history.
06:49 "Everything's perfectly alright now. We're fine. We're all fine here.
06:52 Now, thank you. How are you?"
06:55 In a scene on the Death Star, a group of stormtroopers enter a room through a vertical door,
07:00 and one of them accidentally hits his head.
07:03 "Takeover. Scene ahead."
07:06 It's clearly a goof, but the take made it into the final cut of the movie anyway.
07:10 In the 2004 DVD release, a sound effect was even added to the scene.
07:15 "Takeover."
07:17 And while these stormtroopers aren't clones, it's still interesting to note that in Attack of the Clones,
07:22 Jango Fett, whose DNA was used to create the clone soldiers, hits his head on the door of his own ship.
07:29 2. Man Throwing Dog - Mr. Nanny
07:35 This Hulk Hogan-starring family comedy is eminently forgettable,
07:39 but one background moment is completely unforgettable.
07:43 Hogan's character has agreed to take a job providing security for a rich man's young kids.
07:47 "Oh, come on. Alright, alright. I'll take the job."
07:52 He then sets out on his motorcycle to ride from his rural lakeside home into the big city.
07:58 Along the way, he passes a beach, and for just a split second,
08:02 we see a man in the background cavalierly tossing a large brown dog into the water.
08:08 "This world will beat you down. Beat you with a stick if you want it."
08:13 This moment raises so many questions. Why is this man throwing his dog?
08:18 Why did the editor leave it in the movie? Perhaps most importantly, was the dog okay?
08:24 Sadly, we'll probably never know.
08:26 "Terrible mistake, sir. I'll get rid of him immediately."
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08:45 Number 1. The Beer Can Thrower - Being John Malkovich
08:50 If you've never seen this movie, well, strap in.
08:53 When a file clerk discovers a portal to the inside of John Malkovich's head,
08:57 he decides to exploit the experience for cash.
08:59 But Malkovich soon catches on and enters the portal himself.
09:03 The experience is unnerving.
09:06 "Malkovich, Malkovich. Malkovich, Malkovich. Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich."
09:14 After the portal spits him out, on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike,
09:18 he and the clerk argue over closing it, culminating in this hilarious moment.
09:23 "It's my head, Schwartz! It's my head! I will see you in court!"
09:31 The real Malkovich has dispelled the rumor that a drunk extra ad-libbed the line.
09:36 In reality, Spike Jonze almost skipped filming the scene
09:39 because he didn't think anyone could nail the throw.
09:42 But he gave one of the writers a chance, and the man landed the shot on his first try.
09:47 "Hey, Malkovich, think fast!"
09:51 Do you agree with our picks?
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10:00 [music]
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