31 Years Ago, This Accidental Shot Became an Iconic Scene in Luc Besson’s Best Action Film!

Released in 1994, Luc Besson’s action thriller features Jean Reno as the titular Léon, a hitman who becomes the unlikely guardian of 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) following the brutal murder of her family. Gary Oldman portrays the film’s primary antagonist, Stansfield, a corrupt and violent DEA agent. One of the actor’s most iconic lines is when he demands a subordinate to bring him “everyone,” which he bellows out in an exaggerated scream in the original version.

However, during the filming of that particular scene, Oldman wasn’t serious and didn’t expect it to make the final cut of the movie!

In a March interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (via ScreenRant), the “Harry Potter” actor revealed that his loud delivery of the word “Everyone” was actually a joke aimed at Luc Besson. He recalled wanting to make the director laugh with that particular take, but that moment ended up in the final edit of the film. “I did a few takes like: ‘Bring me everyone. Everyone.’” he explained calmly. “And just to make Luc Besson laugh, as a joke, I told the sound engineers, ‘I’m going to be really loud.’ That’s what I did, and he kept the take and put it in the movie. It was just a throwaway take. It was just me having fun.”

Revisit the scene in the following clip:

Oldman’s portrayal of Stansfield remains one of the most emblematic of his long and successful career, largely due to how this line became iconic. The scene has even become an online meme, which has extended the film’s reach years after its release. Stansfield is also widely regarded as one of the greatest film villains of all time.

Over time, Léon has become a classic and was a triumph upon its 90s release. With a 4.3 out of 5 rating from viewers on AlloCiné and a 95% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes from over 250,000 users, the film was praised by critics for its stylish direction and the surprisingly touching relationship between Léon and Mathilda. Its initial success at the box office, where it grossed $45 million worldwide on a $16 million budget, has been bolstered by strong online streaming performances over the decades following its release.

Thus, while bold casting choices can sometimes fall flat or not mesh well with the rest of a film, this is not the case with Gary Oldman’s performance in Léon. Clearly, entertaining Luc Besson can have its perks and in this instance, led to the creation of a legendary moment.

Léon is available on VOD.

Hear the actor share his anecdote in the video below: