27 Villain Monologues From Film and Stage
27 villain monologues from The Dark Knight, Inglourious Basterds, Misery, Othello and more, with context, playing age, length and audition tips.
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A villain monologue is a speech where the antagonist explains what they want and why they believe they are right. The best ones for auditions are the Joker in The Dark Knight, Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Annie Wilkes in Misery and Iago in Othello. Here are 27, from film and stage, with context, playing age and length.
Casting directors ask for villains because a good one shows control: the ability to be quiet, specific and frightening without pushing. Every speech below was chosen because the character believes their own logic, which is the thing that makes a villain playable rather than a cartoon.
Quick picks
- Short and sharp (about a minute): Hannibal Lecter, Syndrome and John Doe.
- Quiet menace: Hans Landa, Miranda Priestly and Patrick Bateman.
- Big build: Colonel Jessup, Daniel Plainview and Gordon Gekko.
- For women: Annie Wilkes, Amy Dunne and Lady Macbeth.
- Classical and theatre auditions: Iago, Edmund and Medea.
- Funny villains: Black Stache and Syndrome.
All 27 villain monologues at a glance
| Character | From | Gender | Playing age | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Joker | The Dark Knight (2008) | Men | 30s–40s | 1:15 |
| Colonel Hans Landa | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | Men | 40s–50s | 2:00 |
| Daniel Plainview | There Will Be Blood (2007) | Men | 40s–50s | 2:00 |
| John Fitzgerald | The Revenant (2015) | Men | 30s–40s | 1:15 |
| Blake | Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) | Men | 30s–40s | 1:30 cut |
| Colonel Kurtz | Apocalypse Now (1979) | Men | 40s–60s | 2:30 |
| Hannibal Lecter | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | Men | 40s–60s | 1:00 |
| John Milton | The Devil’s Advocate (1997) | Men | 50s–60s | 1:15 |
| Syndrome | The Incredibles (2004) | Men | 20s–30s | 0:45 |
| Bill | Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) | Men | 50s–60s | 2:00 |
| The Architect | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) | Men | 50s–60s | 1:30 cut |
| Colonel Jessup | A Few Good Men (1992) | Men | 40s–60s | 1:30 |
| Jules Winnfield | Pulp Fiction (1994) | Men | 30s–40s | 1:00 |
| Raoul Silva | Skyfall (2012) | Men | 40s–50s | 1:30 |
| John Doe | Se7en (1995) | Men | 30s–40s | 1:00 |
| Verbal Kint | The Usual Suspects (1995) | Men | 30s–40s | 2:15 |
| Patrick Bateman | American Psycho (2000) | Men | 20s–30s | 1:15 |
| Gordon Gekko | Wall Street (1987) | Men | 40s–50s | 2:00 |
| Annie Wilkes | Misery (1990) | Women | 40s–50s | 1:30 |
| Miranda Priestly | The Devil Wears Prada (2006) | Women | 40s–60s | 1:15 |
| Amy Dunne | Gone Girl (2014) | Women | 30s | 1:00 cut |
| Iago | Othello (c. 1603) | Men | 20s–40s | 1:30 |
| Richard, Duke of Gloucester | Richard III (c. 1593) | Men | 20s–50s | 2:00 |
| Edmund | King Lear (c. 1606) | Men | 20s–30s | 1:15 |
| Lady Macbeth | Macbeth (c. 1606) | Women | 30s–40s | 1:15 |
| Medea | Medea (431 BC) | Women | 30s–50s | 2:00 |
| Black Stache | Peter and the Starcatcher (2012) | Men | 30s–50s | 1:30 |
What makes a villain monologue work in an audition?
A villain monologue works in an audition when the character is trying to win something from the person in front of them, not announcing that they are evil. Landa wants a confession, the Joker wants Harvey Dent’s loyalty, Iago wants the audience’s approval. Give the speech a clear objective and the menace takes care of itself.
Length matters too. Most general auditions allow one to two minutes, so many of the film speeches below need cutting. Where a speech runs long, the card says so and suggests where to cut.
Movie villain monologues for men
Eighteen screen villains, from the Joker to Gordon Gekko. These are copyrighted films, so each card quotes one famous line and explains the scene; where we have the full speech in our database, the card links to it.
01
The Joker
The Dark Knight · Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan (2008)
“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 1:15
In a hospital room, the Joker sits beside a burned and grieving Harvey Dent and talks him into blaming the people with plans rather than the man who acted. The speech works because he is not ranting: he is calm, almost kind, and every line is a sales pitch. Play the seduction, not the madness, and let the stillness do the frightening.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
02
Colonel Hans Landa
Inglourious Basterds · Quentin Tarantino (2009)
“I love rumors! Facts can be so misleading, where rumors, true or false, are often revealing.”
Men 40s–50s Dark Movie About 2:00
At a French dairy farmer’s kitchen table, Landa explains why he is so good at finding people who are hiding, comparing them to rats and squirrels. He knows the family is under the floor the whole time. The actor’s job is politeness as a weapon: every courtesy is a turn of the screw, and the menace lives in what he never says out loud.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
03
Daniel Plainview
There Will Be Blood · Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)
“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!”
Men 40s–50s Dark Movie About 2:00
In his private bowling alley, an older, drunk Plainview humiliates the preacher Eli Sunday, explaining that he has already drained the oil from under the Bandy tract that Eli is trying to sell him. The speech swings from mock patience to open contempt, and the milkshake image needs to land as a joke he is enjoying. Build it in stages so the rage at the end has somewhere to go.
04
John Fitzgerald
The Revenant · Mark L. Smith & Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015)
“And it turns out that God… is a squirrel.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 1:15
Around a campfire, Fitzgerald tells young Bridger the story of how his father “found God” while starving in Texas, a story that ends with the father shooting and eating the squirrel. It is a frontier tall tale with a nihilist punchline. Tell it with relish and a trapper’s timing, and let the audience decide how much he believes it.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
05
Blake
Glengarry Glen Ross · David Mamet (1992)
“Coffee’s for closers only.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 1:30 cut
Sent from downtown, Blake tears into a room of struggling real estate salesmen and announces the new sales contest: first prize a Cadillac, second prize steak knives, third prize you’re fired. Mamet wrote the scene for the film, and the rhythm is the whole performance. The full speech runs well over three minutes with interruptions, so cut it to the “Always be closing” section for auditions.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
06
Colonel Kurtz
Apocalypse Now · John Milius & Francis Ford Coppola (1979)
“Horror has a face, and you must make a friend of horror.”
Men 40s–60s Dark Movie About 2:30
Near the end of the film, Kurtz tells Willard about the day he understood what kind of will it takes to win a war. It is a confession that turns into a philosophy, delivered by a man who has gone past the point of return. Keep it quiet and personal, and treat the central story as a memory he is living through again.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
07
Hannibal Lecter
The Silence of the Lambs · Ted Tally (1991)
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
Men 40s–60s Dark Movie About 1:00
In their first meeting, Lecter turns Clarice Starling’s questionnaire back on her and reads her background from her shoes and accent. It is less a speech than a dissection, and the power comes from precision and stillness. Work it as a scene with a reader if you can, or adapt Lecter’s lines into a single piece.
08
John Milton
The Devil’s Advocate · Jonathan Lemkin & Tony Gilroy (1997)
“God likes to watch. He’s a prankster.”
Men 50s–60s Dark Movie About 1:15
Revealed as the devil, the law firm head John Milton explains to his son why God set human appetites against human rules. It is the most theatrical speech on this list and invites a big performance, but the best versions stay playful: Milton genuinely thinks he is the reasonable one. Find the jokes before you find the volume.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
09
Syndrome
The Incredibles · Brad Bird (2004)
“You can’t count on anyone, especially your heroes.”
Men 20s–30s Comedic · Dark Movie About 0:45
Syndrome reveals himself to Mr. Incredible as Buddy, the fan who was told to fly home years ago. Under the gloating is a hurt kid, which is what makes it actable. It is short, energetic and one of the few villain monologues that suits a comedic or animation-voice audition as well as a dramatic one.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
10
Bill
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 · Quentin Tarantino (2004)
“Superman didn’t become Superman. Superman was born Superman.”
Men 50s–60s Dark Movie About 2:00
At his hacienda, Bill explains why Superman is unique among superheroes and uses it to tell Beatrix who she really is: a born killer pretending to be ordinary. It is a long, conversational piece with no shouting. The challenge is keeping a lecture about comic books tense, so play every line toward the moment you land the point on her.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
11
The Architect
The Matrix Reloaded · The Wachowskis (2003)
“Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion.”
Men 50s–60s Dark Movie About 1:30 cut
The creator of the Matrix explains to Neo that he is the sixth One and that Zion has been destroyed five times before. The language is deliberately cold and overbuilt. It is useful for actors who are strong with dense text, but cut it hard: the full scene runs more than four minutes and leans on Neo’s replies.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
12
Colonel Jessup
A Few Good Men · Aaron Sorkin (1992)
“You can’t handle the truth!”
Men 40s–60s Dark Movie About 1:30
On the witness stand, Jessup finally loses patience with Lieutenant Kaffee and defends the brutal order that got a Marine killed. Sorkin wrote it first for his stage play, and it reads like an argument he believes he is winning. Do not start at full volume; the speech is famous because of how far it climbs.
13
Jules Winnfield
Pulp Fiction · Quentin Tarantino (1994)
“Say ‘what’ again. I dare you.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 1:00
Jules interrogates Brett about Marsellus Wallace, then recites his version of Ezekiel 25:17 before he shoots. He is an antihero more than a villain, which gives you more colors to play. Treat the scripture as a ritual he performs, not something he has thought about yet; that changes later in the film.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
14
Raoul Silva
Skyfall · Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & John Logan (2012)
“The two survivors. This is what she made us.”
Men 40s–50s Dark Movie About 1:30
Introducing himself to a captured James Bond, Silva tells a story about trapping rats on his grandmother’s island until only two survivors are left, eating each other. The story is a long, slow walk toward Bond. It rewards an actor who can be charming, unsettling and funny within the same breath.
15
John Doe
Se7en · Andrew Kevin Walker (1995)
“What I’ve done is going to be puzzled over and studied and followed… forever.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 1:00
In the back of the police car, the killer explains why none of his victims were innocent and why he was chosen to make an example of them. He is calm, articulate and certain. The piece only works if you fully believe his logic, so play it as a sermon to two people who are too slow to understand it.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
16
Verbal Kint
The Usual Suspects · Christopher McQuarrie (1995)
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Men 30s–40s Dark Movie About 2:15
In a police interview, Verbal tells the legend of Keyser Söze, the crime lord who killed his own family rather than give in. On the surface it is a nervous small-timer repeating a ghost story; underneath, it is the villain describing himself. Play the fear honestly and let the audience catch up later.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
17
Patrick Bateman
American Psycho · Mary Harron & Guinevere Turner (2000)
“I guess I’m a pretty sick guy.”
Men 20s–30s Dark · Comedic Movie About 1:15
Leaving a voicemail for his lawyer, Bateman confesses to a long list of murders in the flat tone of a man reading a to-do list. The dark comedy is in the mismatch between the content and the delivery. Keep it under control; the moment he tries to sound like a monster, the piece loses what makes it unsettling.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
18
Gordon Gekko
Wall Street · Stanley Weiser & Oliver Stone (1987)
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
Men 40s–50s Dark Movie About 2:00
At the Teldar Paper shareholders’ meeting, Gekko turns a hostile takeover into a speech about American decline and the virtue of greed. It is a public address, not a private threat, so play the room and let him win the audience over. The line everyone knows comes near the end; earn it.
Where to find it: the published screenplay or the film. The speech is copyrighted, so we quote only its best-known line here.
Movie villain monologues for women
Screen villains for women are rarer, which makes these three speeches popular at auditions. All three are in our monologue database with the full text.
19
Annie Wilkes
Misery · William Goldman (1990)
“I’m your number one fan.”
Women 40s–50s Dark Movie About 1:30
Annie has two strong speeches: the Rocketman rant about being cheated by a movie serial, and the quiet story of hobbling before she breaks Paul Sheldon’s ankles. The rant suits a comedic-dark audition, the hobbling speech a dramatic one. Both need her to be completely sincere; she never thinks she is the villain.
20
Miranda Priestly
The Devil Wears Prada · Aline Brosh McKenna (2006)
“That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.”
Women 40s–60s Dramatic Movie About 1:15
When her new assistant smirks at a choice between two belts, Miranda explains how the “cerulean” sweater Andy is wearing was chosen for her by the people in that room. She never raises her voice. It is a boss-from-hell speech rather than true villainy, which makes it one of the most castable pieces here.
21
Amy Dunne
Gone Girl · Gillian Flynn (2014)
“Men always use that as their defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl.”
Women 30s Dark Movie About 1:00 cut
Driving away from the life she has staged, Amy explains the “Cool Girl” and why she stopped pretending to be her. Gillian Flynn adapted her own novel, and the speech is the moment the audience realizes who the film is really about. It is written as voiceover, so on stage you need to find who she is talking to.
Villain monologues from plays
Theatre auditions usually ask for a speech from a published play. These six cover Shakespeare’s great schemers, the most famous villain of Greek tragedy and one comic pirate.
22
Iago
Othello · William Shakespeare (c. 1603)
“And what’s he then that says I play the villain?”
Men 20s–40s Dark Play About 1:30
In Act 2, Scene 3, Iago steps out to the audience and defends the advice he has just given Cassio as honest, while explaining how he will turn it into a trap. It is the purest villain soliloquy in Shakespeare because he wants the audience on his side. Talk to them as allies.
23
Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Richard III · William Shakespeare (c. 1593)
“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York.”
Men 20s–50s Dark Play About 2:00
The opening speech of the play: peace has come, Richard has no use for it, and he lays out his plot against his brother Clarence. It is famous, which is the risk for auditions, but it is also the clearest example of a villain who charms the audience. Find a fresh reason for every image.
24
Edmund
King Lear · William Shakespeare (c. 1606)
“Thou, Nature, art my goddess.”
Men 20s–30s Dark Play About 1:15
Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, asks why he should accept being called base and decides to take his brother’s inheritance. It is a short, propulsive argument with a strong build, and a favorite for younger men who want a classical villain that is not Iago or Richard.
25
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth · William Shakespeare (c. 1606)
“The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements.”
Women 30s–40s Dark Play About 1:15
After reading her husband’s letter and hearing that King Duncan will stay the night, Lady Macbeth calls on dark spirits to strip away everything soft in her. It is the classical villain monologue for women. Play it as a decision being made, not a woman who is already evil.
26
Medea
Medea · Euripides (431 BC)
A mother torn between love for her children and the revenge she has planned.
Women 30s–50s Dark Play About 2:00
Abandoned by Jason, Medea argues herself toward the unthinkable act that will destroy him. The play is public domain, and our database has the speech in a modern translation. It is a heavyweight drama piece for conservatory and graduate auditions; read our Euripides monologues guide for more context.
27
Black Stache
Peter and the Starcatcher · Rick Elice (2012)
A pirate captain in search of a worthy hero to hate.
Men 30s–50s Comedic Play About 1:30
Black Stache, the pirate who becomes Captain Hook, is the comedic villain on this list. The speeches are full of mangled vocabulary and grand self-pity, which makes them a strong choice when a casting notice asks for a funny villain or a musical theatre actor needs a comic monologue.
How to perform a villain monologue
- Play the objective, not the label. Decide what your villain wants from the listener in this moment, and pursue it.
- Start lower than you think. The famous explosions, like Jessup’s, only work because of the control that comes before them.
- Find the humor. Most great villains enjoy themselves. Silva, Milton and the Joker are all funny, and the laughs make the threat land harder.
- Know who you are talking to. In a self-tape, place the listener just beside the lens. On stage, Shakespeare’s villains talk to the audience as co-conspirators.
- Do not copy the film. Casting directors have seen Heath Ledger’s Joker and Jack Nicholson’s Jessup. Your version needs your reasons.
For a deeper approach to building the character behind the speech, see our guide to building a character and our list of active verbs for actors.
Questions about villain monologues
What is a villain monologue?
A villain monologue is a speech in which the antagonist of a film or play explains their plan, motive or view of the world, usually to the hero or directly to the audience. Well-known examples include the Joker’s hospital speech in The Dark Knight and Iago’s soliloquies in Othello.
What is the best villain monologue for an audition?
For film and TV auditions, Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds), Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs) and Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada) are strong because they are controlled and specific. For theatre, Edmund in King Lear and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth are reliable classical choices.
Are there good villain monologues for women?
Yes. Annie Wilkes in Misery, Amy Dunne in Gone Girl and Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada are strong screen choices, and Lady Macbeth and Medea are the classic stage villains for women.
How long should a villain monologue be for an audition?
Most auditions ask for a monologue of one to two minutes. Several famous villain speeches, including Blake’s in Glengarry Glen Ross and the Architect’s in The Matrix Reloaded, run much longer and need to be cut before you use them.
Can I use a movie villain monologue for a theatre audition?
Only if the audition notice allows it. Most theatre auditions want a speech from a published play, so pair a film villain with a stage villain such as Iago, Richard III or Edmund.
Find your next monologue
Keep a contrasting piece ready next to your villain. Browse our dramatic monologues, monologues from movies and Shakespeare monologues, or search all 362 speeches in our monologue database by age, gender and length.
Running times are estimates for the speech read aloud at about 150 words a minute. Copyrighted screen monologues appear as single quoted lines for study; the full texts belong to their writers and studios.
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