The Famous Line From The Shining You Didn't Know Was Improvised

Near the end of the film, patriarch Jack Torrance succumbs to the uncanny pull of the Overlook Hotel, eventually experiencing a psychotic break. One afternoon, his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), takes a look at his typewriter — only to discover that he has spent weeks writing the same phrase over and over again. Terrified, she runs to find refuge while Jack chases her, threatening violence. After locking herself in the bathroom, she cowers in fear as Jack swings an ax through the door, madly proclaiming, "Here's Johnny!"

According to Digital Spy, the iconic line was inspired by a well-known bit from "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." At the time, television host Ed MacMahon often introduced Carson by announcing, "Here's Johnny!" As a result, Jack Nicholson's tongue-in-cheek improvisation was likely a familiar pop culture reference to most American viewers in 1980.

As a director, Kubrick was known for his exacting, rigid presence while filming, as well as his penchant for shooting numerous takes of the same scene (via The Guardian). Considering the fact that Nicholson's ad-lib stayed in the movie, it appears that the director approved of the unexpected divergence from the script. Reportedly, English audiences weren't familiar with the show reference, as Carson was a popular host in the United States (via Digital Spy). Of course, the line has arguably proven its staying power, popping up repeatedly in the universe of cinema — and ranking high on the American Film Institute's best-of list of movie quotes.