How much improvisation takes place with movie scripts?

Depends on the director.

The problem in most movies with improvisation is BOTH actors in any particular scene have to be good at it to make it work.

Dustin Hoffman's "I'm walking here" line in Midnight Cowboy was improvised, but directed at the car driver with no interaction from the driver, so it worked and was left in the film.

Same for Roy Scheider's line in "Jaws" when he first saw the shark and says, "We're gonna need a bigger boat". It was directed at Quint, but no line came back from Quint.


Can you imagine trying to improvise dialogue with a guy like Robin Wiliams???? He is said to have done that a lot on the TV show "Mork & Mindy" and it was hard on the cast to attempt to keep up because they never knew what was coming out his mouth next.

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From what I understand, if the script has been through revisions/polish and the screenwriter(s) is well-respected, the director and actors usually give it a solid go at delivering what is written. They deviate only if the starting point is not working.

However, there are always exceptions, especially if a director has an open approach to dialogue and/or actors are hired specifically for their improvisation skills.

More improv in comedies. Less in action and drama

Many times directors will have the actors do it as written in the script and then do a couple of off the cuff takes

I’ve heard the Coen Brothers do not allow improvisation. And their scripts are mostly perfect, so it makes sense. I imagine a lot of writer-directors don’t take too kindly to fricking with their scripts.

Stephen Graham on The Irishman

Made me think of this interview.

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Robin Williams

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Good Morning Vietnam

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Robin Williams ad-libbed all of Adrian Cronauer's broadcasts.

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Aladidn

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During the course of recording the voices, the late Robin Williams improvised so much they had almost sixteen hours of material. Because Robin Williams ad-libbed so many of his lines, the script was rejected for a Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award nomination.

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Williams was the master of this in many of his movies

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Good Morning Vietnam

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It works in that film because it's just him on a studio microphone talking to a listening audience, not ongoing dialogue with another actor.


"Aladdin" voiceover work that can be cut/edited/recorded again. Easy to get away with adlibbing in that situation when not face to face with another actor having to be equally quick of wit to respond and make it all make sense.

Nevermind

But what made him the best at it is no matter the situation he could do it.

In Good Will Hunting in the middle of a scene/dialog with Damon he created the story about his wife farting.

Did the same thing in films like Mrs. Doubtfire and others.

He could do it by himself or with other actors.