Pranking is an art form, especially when it comes to pulling one over on unsuspecting actors live on camera. From iconic and unexpected practical jokes to hilarious scare tactics, these actors were at the mercy of their prankster co-stars and hosts.
In this video titled “Top 20 Times Actors Were PRANKED Live on Camera,” we see moments such as Ellen DeGeneres scaring the life out of Melissa McCarthy and Emily Blunt, Game of Thrones stars breaking character for a dance, and Justin Timberlake falling victim to a tax scam ruse.
But one of the most memorable pranks comes from the set of Harry Potter, where Daniel Radcliffe’s co-stars orchestrated a practical joke involving a fart machine in his sleeping bag. The sheer brilliance of the prank and Radcliffe’s reaction make it a highlight of the list.
Whether it’s surprise guest appearances, fake PSA announcements, or even a yard sale at a co-star’s house, these pranks are a testament to the camaraderie and fun these actors share behind the scenes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the laughter as these actors get pranked live on camera.
Watch the video by WatchMojo.com
[Applause] oh my God there is a tunnel it’s it’s like sh Shake Redemption welcome to watch Mojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 20 times actors were pranked live on camera oh I have one other thing for you also one other little surprise for this list we’ll be looking
At times when actors were subject to some iconic and unexpected practical jokes on camera did any of these pranks make you cackle let us know in the comments number 20 Anne Hathaway Ellen degenerous guests always had a fairly good chance of being terrorized by the prank Happy host her favorite method
Seemed to be having performers hide in furniture on her set and burst out at an opportune moment let’s make this one as painful as possible all right all right on this episode with guest Anne Hathaway the two play a word game at an inconspicuous prop desk even when hathway noticed degenerous tapping the
Desk which was a signal to the performer hiding inside she still didn’t quite see it coming it just goes to show that not even the biggest aist stars were safe from the host Antics number 19 Riverdale casting crew most TV sets are serious places where serious people do serious things
At least that’s what we assume apparently that can’t be said for the Riverdale set in 2019 after KJ APPA posted an Instagram story of him going around the production tents with cups of hot coffee the gag is that it’s actually empty of course of course his co-stars
And crew don’t know this until he motions as if he’s about to spill it on them it just makes his casting as high schooler Archie Andrews make so much more sense as it’s exactly the kind of thing a teenage boy would do some of the best pranks are also the simplest number
18 Melissa McCarthy degenerous got another kick out of her favorite prank this time Melissa McCarthy was the target while McCarthy Tiffany hadish and Elizabeth Moss were on the Ellen degenerous show promoting the kitchen McCarthy’s fandom of Billy ish came up Melissa was uh a huge Billy eyh fan and
Uh wanted to be in a in a video so uh we kind of made that happen dream fill not that Billy knew she was yeah it wasn’t sanctioned by Billy no as she talked about her love of the pop Superstar she had no idea that Elish herself was
Hiding in a small table mere inches from her degenerous was mid-sentence when ish popped out and scared McCarthy half to death oh my God needless to say the entire Studio AR Ed into screams and cheers everyone is so delighted it’s impossible not to get a serotonin Boost
From the whole thing number 17 Jonah Hill The Wolf of Wall Street co-star seemed to have a fun relationship if this prank is any indication pretending to be a crazed phone wielding Super Fan Leonardo DiCaprio accosted Jonah Hill on the street Jonah was minding his own business on the sidewalk when Leo came
Running toward him like a craz fan and appeared to scare the Daylights out of the 32-year-old actor the look of absolute ter Terror on Hill’s face is priceless in the age of cell phones and social media getting mobbed by fans in public just seems to be part of the
Experience of Fame once Jonah realized the man was Leo pulling a prank the two laughed and hug it out few people would know this more than DiCaprio Hill that’s why it’s so hilarious to see them reenacting this kind of freaky invasive encounter with each other it was just
Funny I was totally taken off guard I was scared the best man number 16 Sophia vagata the panel of judges on America’s Got tell and see their fair share of comedy on the stage but they’re equally likely to play jokes on each other with the help of two notorious contestants
From a previous season reality TV icon Simon Cowell played a massive prank on fellow judge Sophia vagata because you don’t know what’s going to happen at what moment somebody’s going to fall somebody’s going to get burned somebody’s going to get shot somebody going to get something horrific is going
To happen and that’s what I love about this show C fixed it so that the blindfold of varara would be set up to think she accidentally shot him in the chest with a crossbow it was hard to tell when the Modern Family actor began to suspect it
Was a prank but the audience gests were pretty convincing oh my God no oh no oh no oh no host Terry Cruz’s over-the-top reaction probably gave it away but it’s all in good fun sopia I gotcha number 15 Angela Basset this one was way more shocking than it was funny
Angela Basset went viral for her emotional reaction to a prank played by her son Slater the video shows Basset and her husband after Courtney B Vance reacting with shocked disbelief at their son’s announcement that bassett’s black panther co-star Michael B Jordan had died wait mom dad did you did you hear
This Michael B Jordan dead at 35 uh uh5 uh-uh uh- it you except it was a lie the teenager who captured her live reaction on his phone was just participating in a viral Tik Tok Trend this prank proved to be pretty controversial but as Basset herself said
It’s okay to make mistakes as long as we own up to them we all make mistakes own up to them take responsibility and then hold your head up and move forward number 14 Eric Stone Street Eric Stone Street holds a very special place in the history of live actor pranks Ellen
Degenerous created the famous scare table because she had run out of ways to scare him when he appeared on the show we created this table for you this became the Eric Stone Street scare table because we ran out of ways to scare you so we created this table and we’re going
To now dedicate what this table fittingly at the official dedication of the Eric Stone Street scare table she pulled off yet another cunning and traumatic prank the amazing thing about this one is that the hollow table is shown to be empty at the start of the segment somehow a performer has tunneled
Into the table from off stage to give Stone Street yet another scare are [Applause] you you build a tunnel after 18 appearances on the show he still can’t catch a break number 13 Taran ederton celebrities probably get a lot of questionable gifts from fans when Johanna James interviewed Eddie the
Eagle co-stars Hugh Jackman and Taran ederton she surprised Jackman with a questionable bottle of homemade gin I made it myself you made it yourself yeah I make Jin on the side you just made straight in there could be anything could be a psychopath huh could be really good Jackman down
The entire bottle and almost immediately got sick ederton was so confused by it all he had no idea what to think of course what ederton didn’t know was that it was only water if anything the best thing about it is Jackson’s totally subtle truly convincing performance
Cannot believe that I feel like such an idiot you feel like you loved it he really sells it without going over the top with it it’s the most Charming polite and low-key prank ever number 12 Kevin Hart who doesn’t love a good prank war the ongoing light-hearted feud
Between Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart has had its fair share of great moments but this one Takes the Cake real funny real funny nick real funny Nick when Hart wrote up on the airplane hanger containing his waiting jet he was shocked to see it was plastered with a
Big advertisement for Nick Hannon and his new talk show the kicker was the phrase Kevin rides the cannon stencl on the plane side oh Nick Cannon strikes again he asked me for my information once Hart realized what was happening the curse words really started flying but it’s all just fun and games
Between friends we assume number 11 Justin Timberlake Punk is probably the gold standard for live pranking celebrities the first episode guest starring musician and actor Justin timberlink is easily the most memorable of the show’s original run when the former Instinct frontman rode up on his house he was informed that all his
Possessions were being repossessed from back taxes uh Len has been placed against a lot of your possessions we have some back taxes the tune of $900,000 things really got real when the supposed government agents took his dogs out of the house his tearful response to the prank went
Viral before going viral was even a thing we’ll be out of here in 20 minutes though we can laugh about it now Timberlake later said he was under the influence of cannabis during the prank and the experience actually made him stop using the substance for a while number 10 Elijah Wood apparently actor
Dominic Monahan shares a thing or two in common with the rascally Hobbit he plays today I will be interviewing Elijah Woods Elijah is a incredible actor from Los Angeles California during the Berlin leg of the press tour for the Lord of the Rings The Return of the King Monahan
Conducted an interview with co-star Elijah Wood via satellite only wood didn’t know it was his co-star what time is it in Australia oh I’m I’m not in Australia in New Zealand no I’m I’m in New York New York New New Amsterdam that’s right yeah okay we
Begin now Maham put on a German accent to protray Hans Jensen an interviewer who doesn’t seem to do much research and ask some fairly inappropriate questions you have very big eyes very big blue eyes do you think this is the reason why you are successful and famous the
Interview which was filmed as a DVD extra is a hilarious look at the camaraderie the actress built on set awesome we filmed it on the DVD so you’re going to be yeah yes I love you brother I’ll see you soon hey I’ll see you in New York oh I
Love you I thank you so much for doing that that made my day all right brother big kisses bye number nine Emily Blunt sometimes it seems like Ellen degenerous was more interested in scaring the hell out of her guests than talking with them you have to learn a whole lot of things
To become a citizen I know more about the Constitution and government than most Americans yeah I know during Emily Blunt’s 2015 appearance Ellen decided to celebrate the fact that the British actress had become an American citizen with some patriotic songs wow Ellen that’s so nice surely there’s no
Ulterior motive here this is your outfit yep yep all right so they gave me two choices it was this one or one that didn’t like have a flame I love the flame it’s fantastic okay so you stand right there and then your first song is Yankee Doodle Dandy after making blunt
Dress up as the Statue of Liberty and sing Yankee Doodle Dandy for her studio audience Ellen watches with Wicked as a man in an Uncle Sam costume comes out and scares the actress Y even in a state of panic and Terror though Emily Blunt is eminently dignified number eight Game of Thrones extras it’s got to be hard enough to be an extra on a show as elaborately designed and dramatic as Game of Thrones really father’s orders well we mustn’t disappoint father one wrong move or
Distracting facial expression and you probably ruin the shot while filming this very serious trial scene during the show’s fourth season Peter Dinklage and Nikolai Coster wow surprised the actas and crew by doing a jaunty little dance their fellow actors loved it we guess when they’re making a show
This solemn the actors have to let off some steam somehow actress Amilia Clark also got in on the fun pranking actor Joe Nao as he slept number seven Rose Leslie this one is yet another prank between Game of Thrones actors this time between Jon Snow actor kit Harrington and now wife
Rose Leslie who played yd on the show you know nothing don’t snow I do know something things on April Fool’s Day Harrington hit a cast of his own severed head in the fridge to scare his intended her Priceless reaction is one of genuine Terror apparently it scared her so badly
She warned Harrington that if he ever did something like that again he could consider himself single my family does April fools her family doesn’t do April she had no date it was and after that she was in tears and I was there going April fools it didn’t go down well frankly
That’d be the least of our worries we’ve seen what she can do with a bow and arrow number six Shamar Moore even after a decade playing FBI agent Derk Morgan Shamar Moore still couldn’t sus out that he was the victim of an onset prank when Moore mistakenly shaved his goatee
Before filming for the current episode was over it created continuity problems between scenes so he shaved his goatee thinking that we were starting episode that’s a problem because clean face Shamar doesn’t match all the other footage that we’ve shot of Shamar with the goatee the crew decided to get him
Back by telling him he would have to wear green dots on his jaw and cheeks so they could digitally add the goatee back in and one of the crew members goes oh I did a movie with Tom Hanks and we had to do that for his beard now this is where
I become dumb Dum because I’m like oh Tom Hanks Oscar winter well if he had a beard and they had to do it if Tom Hanks will do it then I should do it that was a lie the crew upped the ante by adding big green lines on his face later in the
Day it wasn’t until his co-star broke down laughing that he realized he’d been had his seriousness and professionalism is what makes it even funnier that was a joke that was a joke on him I didn’t know that the man was a total good sport
About it and I know he’s going to get me back number five Annie Murphy when shit’s creek star Annie Murphy had her first talk show appearance co-stars Dan and Eugene Levy pranked her backstage because we’re all at this point we couldn’t have it go smoothly so we had
To play a prank M and annoy the heck out of her enjoy a writer for the Ellen degenerous show went into her dressing room and pretended to be her personal assistant for the day while the levies fed her awkward lines through an earpiece they’re just so handsome Dan’s
My brother we they’re both so handsome they’re both so and Eugene is getting like more handsome as he gets older which I and like d like he’s just a Dapper dude the unsuspec Murphy manages not to squirm too much while the writer repeats her co-star’s increasingly unusual requests but when the levies reveal
Themselves it’s basically a Love Fest I’ve annoyed you a little bit it feels like I may have annoyed you a little bit and you haven’t you haven’t you haven’t I’m sorry it’s just so how when did you find out okay I want to know I want to know first of all
This is what a great J bless you for that there’s something so satisfying in knowing that they’re as charismatic in real life as they are on screen number four Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch and fellow co-stars of Star Trek Into Darkness were the victims of a classic onset prank by Simon Peg and
Chris Pine with help from the crew we told certain actors that you have to wear special cream inside the laser room because of neutron damage while shooting at a laboratory the cast was told to apply something called Neutron cream that was set to protect their neutrons from radiation damage it went so far
That Carl Urban and John Cho were tricked into filming a fake PSA here at n the neutron ignition facility we’re trying to find the means to create nuclear fusion goodbye and have some fun now and in the future I’m John Cho and I’m kyl Urban and we’ve been still it was Benedict cumberbatch’s
Reaction that may have been the funniest Cumberbatch signed a release form that gave away the joke and didn’t realize it until he actually read the form on camera hey they’re acting not rocket scientists recognize that the topically applied emole known as Neutron cream does not exist what number three John krinski the
Ongoing holiday prank war between Jimmy Kimmel and John krinski who used to be neighbors left chaos and destruction in its wake like you said we used to be neighbors you’re off yes we did we live not just neighbors but we literally lived right across the street from each
Other Kimmel found a reindeer in his office bathroom and at his car gift wrapped while krinski had his entire house gift wrapped yes I gift wrapped your house completely but nothing quite as dastardly as Kimmel’s 2015 prank the longtime late night host printed up handmade flyers for a yard sale at
Kosinski’s actual home posting the Flyers all over Los Angeles Kimmel invited the entire city to show up and we posted them all over town today oh so though are out there now as a final flourish he soaked his guest with eggnog All is fair and L and Prank Wars number
Two Jennifer Aniston no one told her this take was going to be this way Jennifer Aniston’s co-stars decided to have a little fun on the set of We’re the Millers woo we did it nicely done Millers give it up very good job here you go Rose yeah David there you go in
This blooper Aniston Jason sudakis Emma Roberts and will polter were supposed to listened to TLC’s Waterfalls but the track was switched out for the theme from Friends how about a little Victory music shall we yes please I love this song Inon surprise when the song begins to play is priceless and touching it
Must be nice knowing that after all these years there’s still a loyal following for the show that made her a star even if your co-stars use its theme song to prank you that was really good before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the
Bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you’re on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one Daniel Radcliffe it must be hard growing up on
The sets of a popular fantasy series all those awkward moments of adolescence are happening in front of cameras there was this one there was one time where in this room actually Michael gamban and Alan Rickman and I think Alonso was kind of coordinating it um took the
Opportunity to uh play a um a practical Lo on me Daniel ratliffe found that out during the filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of acaban while shooting a scene on the Hogwarts set Radcliffe had asked that director Alfonso coron place his sleeping bag near a girly light and
And then has as to have his sleeping bag next to this particular girl that he fancied well Dumbledore actor Michael Gamin had a fart machine placed in Radcliff sleeping bag and activated it during the scene gamban even started stumbling over his lines as if he didn’t know it was coming our own
World you know it’s completely our own world and we like to we like to swim in the deepest Waters now that’s acting did you enjoy this video check out these other clips from watch Mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos
Video “Top 20 Times Actors Were PRANKED Live on Camera” was uploaded on 04/01/2024 to Youtube Channel WatchMojo.com