15 Iconic Roles That Only Took a Few Days of Work
Some performances feel so baked into a movie that you assume the actor must have spent weeks building them on set. Not always. A killer monologue, perfectly timed cameo, or unforgettable opening scene can sometimes be finished before the rest of the cast has learned where craft services is. A few actors on this list worked for less than a day, while others managed to create Oscar-nominated villains, horror favorites, and characters people still quote decades later within a week or two. Screen time clearly has very little to do with staying power. Sometimes you just need the right scene and a very efficient call sheet. Here are 15 iconic roles that required surprisingly few days of work.
James Earl Jones Found Vader in Two and a Half Hours
James Earl Jones said recording Darth Vader for Star Wars took roughly two and a half hours, an astonishingly short session for a voice that became inseparable from the franchise.
Ned Beatty Needed One Day for Network
Ned Beatty worked a single day on Network, delivering Arthur Jensen’s thunderous corporate monologue and somehow turning less than six minutes onscreen into an Oscar nomination.
Alec Baldwin Closed the Deal in Three Days
Alec Baldwin spent three days working on Glengarry Glen Ross, including the ferocious sales speech written specifically for the film that became its most quoted sequence.
Christopher Walken Wrapped Pulp Fiction in a Day
Christopher Walken arrived near the end of Pulp Fiction production and spent one shooting day delivering Captain Koons’ wonderfully uncomfortable gold-watch monologue to young Butch.
Drew Barrymore Had Five Very Bad Days
Drew Barrymore filmed Casey Becker’s Scream opening during the production’s first five days, creating one of horror’s most memorable introductions without making it past the opening sequence.
Anthony Hopkins Barely Needed Two Weeks
Jodie Foster recalled Anthony Hopkins filming Hannibal Lecter for only about seven to ten days, which was apparently plenty of time to earn an Oscar and permanently ruin fava beans.
Marlon Brando Got Twelve Days on Krypton
Marlon Brando spent just 12 days filming Jor-El for Superman, yet his presence gave the movie’s Krypton opening enough weight to make Superman’s dad feel larger than the role.
Bill Murray Saved Zombieland in One Day
Bill Murray’s surprise Zombieland appearance came together at the last minute, with the production securing him for a one-day shoot that became one of the movie’s biggest laughs.
Emma Thompson Finished Before the First Week Was Over
Emma Thompson shot all of her scenes as headmistress Miss Walters in An Education in one day, according to Carey Mulligan, who was understandably slightly nervous about the arrangement.
Brittany Murphy Did Sin City in One Day
Robert Rodriguez said Brittany Murphy completed all of her work as Shellie in Sin City in a single day, despite the character popping up throughout Dwight’s story.
Sean Connery Became a King for One Day
Sean Connery’s surprise appearance as King Richard in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves required only one day of work, which was probably enough time to make audiences forget the movie was ending.
Alice Cooper Delayed His Tour by One Day
Alice Cooper postponed the European leg of his tour by one day to shoot Wayne’s World, then discovered the filmmakers also wanted him to deliver that wonderfully serious Milwaukee history lesson.
Sam Elliott Was the Stranger for Two Days
Sam Elliott was reportedly on The Big Lebowski set for only two days, spending part of that time doing numerous takes of the Stranger’s final speech to the Dude.
Tom Cruise Had a Few Hours to Become Austin Powers
The celebrity-packed opening of Austin Powers in Goldmember was filmed during one eight-hour day, with Tom Cruise and the other stars each showing up for roughly two or three hours.
Meat Loaf Showed Up for One Day
Meat Loaf’s Eddie does not last long in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and neither did the actor’s shoot: accounts from the production say he appeared for just one day.