The 20 most iconic monologues in movie history

Plenty of audience members can remember exactly where they were the first time Liam Neeson delivered his iconic Taken monologue. Neeson himself has said he found it a bit cheesy upon first read, but his delivery turned it into a phenomenon. 

Celie had plenty of rage and frustration over her circumstances in The Color Purple. That was clear when reading the book. And Whoopi Goldberg brought those emotions and more to life so powerfully in her performance in the screen adaptation. 

America Ferrera emboldened women everywhere with her monologue in Barbie. Her character’s rousing speech summed up what life is like for every modern woman, and she earned her first Oscar nomination in the process. 

Name a more iconic speech about the color cerulean than Meryl Streep’s in The Devil Wears Prada . Streep as Miranda Priestly fundamentally dismantled Anne Hathaway’s character’s perspective and gave all audiences an important glimpse into the fashion industry in the process. 

No amount of credit Sally Field gets will ever be enough. Her monologue after her character buries her daughter in Steel Magnolias is chilling, beautifully and tragically describing the pain of unimaginable grief.  

Everybody needs someone in their life like Sean Astin’s Sam from The Lord of the Rings. In The Two Towers, Astin masterfully delivers a speech about getting through difficult times. It’s worth a listen anytime you’re struggling. 

William Shakespeare has a writing credit on 10 Things I Hate About You, but not even the expert playwright could’ve penned the poem Julia Stiles recites at the end of the movie. Stiles still gets asked to recite the poem. 

Ke Huy Quan is such a good actor, and his monologue as Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once is beautiful and poignant. He reminds all listeners about the importance of kindness, “especially when we don’t know what’s going on.”

Florence Pugh as Amy March in Little Women delivered a monologue not unlike America Ferrera in Barbie (which isn’t too surprising considering the scripts were both written by the talented Greta Gerwig). Amy’s particular issues, thankfully, aren’t quite as relevant for women today as they were when Louisa May Alcott was alive, but the sentiment remains. 

Jeff Bridges would’ve been iconic in The Big Lebowski even if he hadn’t uttered a word. He’s just got great screen presence. Thankfully, though, he did speak, and one of the film’s most memorable scenes is Bridges’ monologue about why he prefers to be called "The Dude."

Women have plenty to be mad about, and a lot of that rage seems to come out through movie monologues. Rosamund Pike delivered one for the ages: “Cool Girl” in Gone Girl.

It’s objectively crazy that Good Will Hunting was the first movie that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon ever wrote. Those two absolutely nailed it, and they gave Robin Williams a compelling monologue that he expertly delivered on a charming park bench. 

Taraji P. Henson might not ever deliver a better performance than she did when she gave her iconic monologue in Hidden Figures. It’s possible that no person will ever be able to top that. 

It’s not often that we see a stirring monologue at the beginning of a movie, but it’s not often that Christoph Waltz and Quentin Tarantino team up for a film like Inglourious Basterds. Everything Waltz’s character said was disgusting, perfectly introducing the villain. 

Kristen Wiig gave a few iconic monologues in Bridesmaids, a movie that she co-wrote, but her best came when her character delivered an absolutely hilarious speech to her friend at her engagement party. Others tried to interrupt, but nothing could stop Annie. 

Morgan Freeman’s performance in The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best movie performances of all time. His monologue about whether he feels rehabilitated is moving and convicting, and Freeman’s equally iconic voice makes it even better. 

Samuel L. Jackson should recite biblical passages in more movies. His Ezekiel 25:17 monologue is epic and memorable, just like his performance in Pulp Fiction and his career as a whole. 

If only Julia Roberts as Erin Brokovich were able to represent clients in real life. Her monologue in the eponymous film is evidence enough that she’d be successful in the courtroom. 

Part of the reason Timothée Chalamet is such a good actor is that, from a very young age, he’s worked with some of the best actors in the business. One such actor was Michael Stuhlbarg, who delivered a spectacular monologue in Call Me By Your Name. 

Actors have been delivering great monologues for decades. Gregory Peck gave an unforgettable monologue in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch’s closing argument was perfectly done. Even more impressive was that he memorized all those lines.