John Swartzwelder, a writer for the Simpsons, used to write episodes while sitting in a booth at a coffee shop "drinking copious amounts of coffee and smoking endless cigarettes". When California passed an anti-smoking law, he bought the diner booth and installed it in his house.
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Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings because he didn't understand the script.
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While filming a guest appearance on Star Trek TNG, Stephen Hawking was taken on a tour of the USS Enterprise set. When he saw the Warp Core, he paused, and said “I’m working on that.”
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Jon Heder was paid only $1,000 for his role in Napoleon Dynamite.
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In 2012, 146 babies in the US were named Khaleesi.
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Rather than use CGI, Tim Burton had 40 squirrels trained to crack nuts for Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
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