Monologues from film, television & theatre

American Horror Story Television You know when I was a small child. I’d come home after school to an empty house. My father had flown the coop, my mother worked as a maid in a hotel. It was lonely. So I brought in a baby squirrel I’d found and kept him in a shoebox. And then one day, when I came home, he looked sickly. He was dead already but I didn’t know that. I’d forgotten to feed him for a couple days. So I took him out of the box and I laid him on the table and I prayed my heart out for several hours. And when my mother came home and found her, she screamed bloody murder; she picked him up and threw him in the garbage. She worked hard, my mother. She was exhausted and she couldn’t have known how cruel that was. But I cried and cried, saying, “God didn’t answer my prayers!” I remember my mother looked at me and laughed. “God always answers our prayers Judy, it’s just rarely the answer we’re looking for.” It’s over for me, Frank, My goose is cooked.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off Film Incredible! One of the worst performances of my career and they never doubted it for a second. How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this? This is my ninth sick day this semester. It’s getting pretty tough coming up with new illnesses. If I go for ten, I’m probably gonna have to barf up a lung, so I’d better make this one count. The key to faking out the parents is the clammy hands. It’s a good non-specific symptom. I’m a big believer in it. A lot of people will tell you that a good phony fever is a dead lock, but, uh, you get a nervous mother, you could wind up in a doctor’s office. That’s worse than school. You fake a stomach cramp, and when you’re bent over, moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. It’s a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.

Anne with an ‘E’ Television Anne I expect its perfectly normal to be nervous on your first day of school. I don’t have much experience with school but why wouldn’t it be fine? Better than fine, I have no doubt that it will be . None at all. I’m a few years behind but that’s no reason not to be optimistic. The only place I can go from here, academically, is up. If a person puts their best foot forward, things can go well. Oh I’m not so worried about my brain. I believe it to be in fairly good working order. And with any luck I’ll catch up with he rest of the class quite quickly. That’s not really my concern. Do you want to know what my big concern is? My overriding concern. Its these freckles. My awful awful freckles. The bane of my existence.

Boys by Ella Hickson Play Sophie Do you - have you ever actually felt any… guilt? Because it’s come as a bit of a surprise that, um - you, one- I don’t, can’t actually feel it. Like it’s not something I can generate somehow, like, I - I find myself having to actually summon it, trying to encourage myself and even then I can’t do it. I thought it might be shock at first, and then grief or - but all I can feel is total joy, total - peace. I look at you and I sometimes actually make myself think of him, I force him into my head and I don’t feel guilty. What kind of person does that make me? Sometimes I think it’s because - what we have is love, meant to be. That we love each other, yes, Mack, that is what I sometimes think. Is that ridiculous? I sat at his funeral looking at his parents and Benny but all I could think of, all I could feel - was you.

Tribes by Nina Raine Play You don’t know what it’s like going deaf. You don’t. I just keep thinking to myself, am I different? Am I different? Am I turning into somebody different? I’m becoming a miserable person. I feel like I’m losing my personality, I can’t even be ironic anymore and I love being ironic. I feel stupid when I lose something in the house, I have to put my hearing aid on to look for it. I have these dreams when I’m talking on the phone again and I can hear perfectly. It’s all so clear. I don’t know who I am anymore. I am going deaf.

La La Land Film “Because I’ve been to a million auditions and same thing happens every time. Where I get interrupted because someone wants to get a sandwich. Or, I’m crying and they start laughing. Or, there’s people sitting in the waiting room, and they’re, and they’re like me but prettier and better at the…because maybe I’m not good enough.” “No, maybe I’m not. Maybe I’m one of those people that has always wanted to do it, but it’s like a pipe dream for me. You know, and then you, you said it. You change your dreams and then you grow up. Maybe I’m one of those people and I’m not supposed to. And I can go back to school and I can find something else that I’m supposed to do. ‘Cause i left to do that. And its been six years and I dont want to do it anymore.”

All my sons, by Arthur Miller Play Dad...you did it? You did it to the others? You sent out a hundred and twenty cracked engine-heads and let those boys die! How could you do that? How? Dad...Dad, you killed twenty-one men! You killed them, you murdered them. Explain it to me. Explain to me how you do it? What did you do? (Pause) Explain it to me goddammit or I will tear you to pieces! I want to know what you did, now what did you do? You had a hundred and twenty cracked engine-heads, now what did you do? Why'd you ship them out in the first place? If you knew they were cracked, then why didn't you tell them?

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown by John Gordon Play I think lunchtime is about the worst time of day for me. Always having to sit here alone. Of course, sometimes, mornings aren’t so pleasant either. Waking up and wondering if anyone would really miss me if I never got out of bed. Then there’s the night, too. Lying there and thinking about all the stupid things I’ve done during the day. And all those hours in between when I do all those stupid things…. There’s that cute little red-headed girl eating her lunch over there. I wonder what she would do if I went over and asked her if I could sit and have lunch with her?…She’d probably laugh right in my face…it’s hard on a face when it gets laughed in. There’s an empty place next to her on the bench. There’s no reason why I couldn’t just go over and sit there. I could do that right now. All I have to do is stand up…I’m standing up!…I’m sitting down. I’m a coward. I’m so much of a coward, she wouldn’t even think of looking at me. She hardly ever does look at me. .SHE’S LOOKING AT ME!! SHE’S LOOKING AT ME!!

Little Women Film Jo March : Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition, and they've got talent, as well as just beauty. I'm so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'd rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe.