History Main / ActorInspiredHeroism

* ''Film/KramerVsKramer'': Creator/MerylStreep found Joanna to be almost unrealistically evil in the initial script. She pushed for the more sympathetic take used in the eventual film.

Translating a character from page to screen is a tricky deal. Scripts and stories go through so many changes during their development - due to ExecutiveMeddling, WagTheDirector or writers changing their minds. But a lot of the time, the script won't change. Rather, an actor's interpretation of a character causes a change.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Frozen]]'' had an interesting variant of Music Inspired Heroism, where it was not the main actress who inspired the change, but the performer who sung (and co-wrote) the demo version of a key song. Originally, Elsa was going to be a villain, and the writers [[https://geekmom.com/2014/03/frozen-directors-interview/ "were struggling with how villainous she should be."]] Then the demo of [[AwardBaitSong "Let It Go"]] was performed by lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, whose vulnerable yet powerful interpretation of the lyrics inspired them to rewrite her as a more sympathetic character.

* Creator/AlanLadd's wife and long-time agent, Sue Carol, had script approval of ''The Black Knight'' and objected to a scene where her husband's character stole a horse. During a script conference she repeated "Alan Ladd does not steal a horse, period. I'm telling you. He steals a horse, we lose the Boy Scouts Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution, to say nothing of his fan club." Creator/IrvingAllen was equal to the occasion and replied "He's not stealing a horse, Sue, he's borrowing a horse. You know like a Hertz car." "So, show me the difference" said Mrs Ladd, "You keep the stolen horse in and you start looking for another star because we're gonna be on the next plane home." "How would it be" I said, "if we kept all the action up to the point where Mr Ladd disposes single-handedly of the attacking Vikings, then he runs to a sentry and says "Is that the horse I ordered?" The sentry nods in agreement and Mr Ladd jumps on the horse and rides over the drawbridge?" "Yeah, I'll buy that" said Mrs Ladd and that is what was shot. She also instructed Forbes when writing dialogue for Ladd to "keep him monosyllabic".

** In the ''T. rex'' attack, Ian Malcolm would, like the lawyer, get scared and run away. Creator/JeffGoldblum suggested to have him instead come out with a flare to distract the dinosaur, feeling an heroic action would be better than going by the script.

* ''Film/{{The Maze Runner|2014}}'': While the film still presents Gally as an antagonist, Creator/WillPoulter's performance clearly indicates that his actions are committed out of [[WellIntentionedExtremist genuine concern for the others' safety]]. As his result, [[spoiler: his death scene is treated in [[AlasPoorVillain a more tragic and sympathetic light]] and he later turns up alive with a HeelFaceTurn in the third film]].

* ''Series/InspectorMorse'': Despite having previously said he didn't want to play cops again after ''Series/TheSweeney'', Creator/JohnThaw agreed to take the title role in this series on condition that Morse's ChivalrousPervert tendencies in the books were dropped for the TV series. As a result they were also considerably played down in the subsequent novels.

* ''Series/PennyDreadful'': [[GentlemanAdventurer Sir]] [[GreatWhiteHunter Malcolm]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Murray]] was initially created with the intention of being the darkest of the cast (who are all anti-heroes), thus whilst still complicated and even at times sympathetic, season one clearly presents him as a selfish, hypocritical, ruthless and at times flat-out abusive man with a long dark past of bloodshed. It was intended he would mostly carry on this role throughout the entire series run; however, series creator John Logan found Creator/TimothyDalton to be such a friendly and charming person to work with, he decided to incorporate some of this into the character. This led to Sir Malcolm spending a large portion of season two under a spell that made him kinder and more optimistic, and Season three to involve him genuinely developing into a much softer and more heroic individual.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Castiel was supposed to remain a morally ambiguous angel guide for only a few episodes and then killed off in favor of a more sympathetic angel. However, a positive fan response to Creator/MishaCollins's performance led to Castiel having a gradual HeelFaceTurn and becoming one of the show's main heroes.

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': Eponine is seen as sympathetic by a modern audience, and some performances of the musical can file off a couple of her more unlikeable qualities (bullying Cosette as a child for instance – the script calls for her push Cosette out of the room, but in many performances this stage business is cut).

** Zelena too was one villain presented as irredeemably evil. But Creator/RebeccaMader and her geeky adorkable nature - and sheer love of being on the show - led to Zelena eventually getting redeemed too.

* In an early version of ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', Po was intended to be something of a ParodySue, expecting the Furious Five to love him and adore him as much as he liked them. Apparently, Creator/JackBlack intervened because he realized how unlikable this made the character, and urged the writers to change Po to being insecure and well aware of his own flaws.

[[folder:Films -- Western Animation]]

* ''Film/AStreetcarNamedDesire'': An accidental example in the film version. Stanley is meant to be a rotten abusive {{Jerkass}}, but Creator/MarlonBrando (who had played the role on the stage) imbued him with a lot of sincere emotion (particularly how he bursts into tears when Stella runs out after he hits her). As a result, fans ignored some of his worse qualities and gave him the DracoInLeatherPants treatment.

* Creator/AlanLadd's wife and long-time agent, Sue Carol, had script approval of ''The Black Knight'' and objected to a scene where her husband's character stole a horse. During a script conference she repeated "Alan Ladd does not steal a horse, period. I'm telling you. He steals a horse, we lose the Boy Scouts Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution, to say nothing of his fan club." Creator/IrvingAllen was equal to the occasion and replied "He's not stealing a horse, Sue, he's borrowing a horse. You know like a Hertz car." "So, show me the difference" said Mrs Ladd, "You keep the stolen horse in and you start looking for another star because we're gonna be on the next plane home." "How would it be" I said, "if we kept all the action up to the point where Mr Ladd disposes single-handedly of the attacking Vikings, then he runs to a sentry and says "Is that the horse I ordered?" The sentry nods in agreement and Mr Ladd jumps on the horse and rides over the drawbridge?" "Yeah, I'll buy that" said Mrs Ladd and that is what was shot. She also instructed Forbes when writing dialogue for Ladd to "keep him monosyllabic".

* ''Film/JurassicPark1993'': In the source material, John Hammond was a ManipulativeBastard who wanted to keep the park open and making money without any concern for the blatant risks. When Creator/RichardAttenborough was cast as Hammond for the film, Creator/StevenSpielberg decided to rewrite the character into a more sincere and grandfatherly AuthorAvatar.

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': Eponine is seen as sympathetic by a modern audience, and some performances of the musical can file off a couple of her more unlikeable qualities (bullying Cosette as a child for instance).

* ''Theatre/LesMiserables'': Eponine is seen as sympathetic by a modern audience, and some performances of the musical can file off a couple of her more unlikeable qualities (bullying Cosette as a child for instance). Depending on the actress, her hiding Marius's letter to Cosette can either be a scheming bit of RelationshipSabotage or a heat-of-the-moment act of despair.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': The writers initially wanted Vixen/Mari [=McCabe=] to be a very temporary RomanticFalseLead for Franchise/GreenLantern/John Stewart. She was supposed to reveal herself as a big enough jerk that John could break up with her guilt-free and get back with his first love interest, Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol. But Mari's VA, Creator/GinaTorres, played her with enough humanity that the writers couldn't bring themselves to make her a jerk. As a result, the writers couldn't come up with another in-character reason for John to break up with her -- so their relationship lasted through the end of the series (with some ambiguous clues that John might get back together with Shayera sometime in the future).

* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'': Varo was meant to be a MauveShirt who died early on. Creator/JaiCourtney's friendship with Creator/AndyWhitfield led to him being expanded into Spartacus's closest friend [[spoiler: and his eventual death became an even bigger TearJerker]].

** Zelena too was one villain presented as irredeemably evil. But Creator/RebeccaMader and her geeky {{Adorkable}} nature - and sheer love of being on the show - led to Zelena eventually getting redeemed too.

* ''Film/JurassicPark1993'': Shaped more by the [[Creator/StevenSpielberg director]] than the actor, but John Hammond went from being a ManipulativeBastard who wants his park open and making money no matter what problems there may be to a kindly, grandfatherly AuthorAvatar as played by Creator/RichardAttenborough.

* ''Film/{{The Maze Runner|2014}}'': Whilst the film still presents Gally as an antagonist. But Creator/WillPoulter makes it clear that he does what he does because he genuinely worries for the safety of the rest of the boys. Thus [[spoiler: his death scene is very much AlasPoorVillain and he turns up alive with a HeelFaceTurn in the third film]].