Monologues That Could Transform Your Next Audition

Across the decades, there has been countless monologues that have gone down in cinematic history. They have become so iconic due to the emotion the performer elicits emotion that influences an audience. By studying these monologues closely, you can pick up on subtle facial expressions, changes in tone and overall improve your acting abilities. Keep reading for these influential monologues!

Hidden Figures (2016) – Bathroom Monologue
Hidden Figures (based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book) follows the true story of three black women in American (Katherine C. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson) who were mathematicians for NASA during the Cold War. The women battle gender and race discrimination in segregated America.
When Katherine (played by Taraji P. Henson) joins the Space Task Group, she quickly encounters discrimination from the all white, all male group. She is spoken down to, she is forced to drink from a separate coffee pot and she has to walk to the other campus to use the bathroom. All these barriers caused by segregation are going unnoticed by her peers and they grow increasingly exasperated by her absence. After a while, Katherine grows more and more angry about how she is being treated and she explodes into her iconic, powerful monologue.

 ‘’There’s no bathroom for me here. (What do you mean there’s no bathroom?). There is no bathroom. There are no coloured bathrooms in this building. Or any building outside the West Campus, which is half a mile away. Did you know that? I have to walk to Timbuktu just to relieve myself. And I can’t use one of the handy bikes. Picture that, Mr. Harrison. My uniform. Skirt below my knees, my heels, and a simple string of pearls. Well, I don’t own pearls. Lord knows you don’t pay coloured enough to afford pearls! And I work like a dog, day and night, living off of coffee from a pot none of you wanna touch. So, excuse me if I have to go to the restroom a few times a day.’’ 

Kathrines speech is short but so impactful. She stands before the whole team, soaking wet from running between campuses which provides a visual representation of her mental state- tired, defeated, beaten down. Henson starts the monologue somewhat quieter and more level as she tries to control herself, biting down on her lips physically trying to stop herself from talking. But she can’t she needs to speak out on the injustices. As the scene continues, the tension thickens as Henson raises her voice more and her tone becomes more stern and powerful as she gets angrier. She turns to address the room but they all look away from her, not wanting to face their compliance in a sexist and racist environment. But she looks to them regardless, pointing a finger to their ignorance. Henson then pauses, breathes heavily to calm herself and blinks rapidly almost as if she is trying to blink away tears. This acting tool depicts Katherine as an individual and almost grounder her back to his headspace- composed and professional. Katherine then picks up her belongings and walks out calmly. This in many way is more impactful. She has made her point and leaves, not continuing to shout and point fingers, everyone in the room knows she is right.
By looking at Henson’s acting in this scene can benefit you as a performer. Noticing the subtleties in her facial expression and the rising tension in her voice allows for an emotionally rich performance.

Barbie (2023) – Being a Woman
The film follows Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) as she discovers what the ‘real world’ is like. She encounters the patriarchal system the western world falls under. When Ken (Ryan Gosling) brings this idea to Barbie Land, all the Barbies get brainwashed into caring for Kens and not thinking for themselves. Barbie and her friends have to restore Barbie Land to what it once was, saving the other Barbies in the process.
When everything seems lost, Gloria (American Ferrera) talks about the contradictory reality of what being a women is under the patriarchy which inspires the others to keep pushing through.

"It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.
You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas.
You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behaviour, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.
You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful.
You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.
I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know."

A more recent but incredibly strong monologue about feminism and the double standards women are held to. The journey of emotions Ferrera takes in this scene is noteworthy. Her facial expression moves from confusion in the beginning, reflecting the subject matter. Through acting she add to the concept; she is a visual aid for the perplexity of how the patriarchy manifest into expectations. Her tone then becomes more passionate as her voice raises. She stands, starts to pace and her hand movements change from flowing in the space to a more stabbing motion. Her overall demeanour becomes more aggressive as she reaches the second emotion, anger. Her face is tighter and her tone is more exaggerated. The last emotion Ferrera portrays is exhaustion, she sighs deeply, she shuts her eyes, relaxes her arms and her tone seems heavier as if the words are weighted. This shows some form of morbid acceptance the character Gloria takes on, the acceptance that nothing will change. This journey of emotion could portray how her character experienced this injustice- confusion, anger and being exhausted by the inconsistency. Ferrera also put more emphasis on words (for example when she says ‘’I ’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us’’) to further show how over exerted and irked she is.
By looking at Ferrera’s acting in this scene we can learn how body language and movements put emotion into the scene.

Pulp Fiction (1994) – Ezekiel 25:17
Within Pulp Fiction’s non-linear narrative structure follows four main stories (Vincent and Jules, Vincent and Mia, Butch and Marcellus, Pumpkin and Honey) that all interconnects. The film contains gang crime, dark comedic elements and natural, real dialogue commended by fans and critics alike.

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

In this scene Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travbolta) visit some men who owe their boss something that the audience never sees. This whole scene is iconic in itself and Jackson’s ability to switch from casual conversations about burgers turns into a sinister and malicious encounter. Jules acts almost like the good and the bad cop in this scene where he interrogates Brett. His calmness and ability to draw out the dialogue lulls both Brett and the audience into a certain sense of security before breaking down those walls. The scene grows in intensity but not necessarily due to Jackson shouting because he doesn’t really shout. Instead of sounding like a yell, it sounds like a warning sign due to a flatness in his voice. This heightens the stakes and the feel of the scene without needing Jackson to holler out. When the peak of the monologue reaches the end, Jackson’s voice raises but remains deep and unsettling, serving as the final blow to the speech. Jacksons face remains stony and for the most part the same but his eyes widen. This makes the scene feel more uncomfortable and tense.
Jackson’s slow movements and sudden switch to intensity allows the scene to build, creating an suspenseful scene.

The Dark Knight (2008) – The Scar Story
The Dark Knight follows Batman (Christian Bale) hunting down the infamous Joker (Heath Ledger) after he wreaks havoc on the city of Gotham.
The Joker tells the story of how he got his scars multiple times in the duration of the film but we will look at when he crashes Bruce Wayne’s fundraiser and meets Batman for the first time.

‘’ Well, you look nervous. Is it the scars? You wanna know how I got 'em? Come here. Hey! Look at me. So I had a wife, beautiful, like you, who tells me I worry too much. Who tells me I oughta smile more. Who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks... Look at me! One day, they carve her face. And we have no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again, hmm? I just want her to know that I don't care about the scars. So, I stick a razor in my mouth and do this to myself. And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me! She leaves. Now I see the funny side. Now I'm always smiling!’’

Heath Ledger portrays an incredible, fresh and terrifying depiction of the Joker. The first more menacing aspect of the character is his physical appearance. The blackness around his eyes, his pale face and not to mention the scars on his mouth making him permanently smile, not seen in other films with the Joker. The mannerisms he uses, notably in this scene, add to the disturbed nature of the character. Ledger flicks his tongue out as well as flipping his hair back. These repetitive ticks become a trademark of the character, establishing him as crazy. The voice of the Joker is also telling of his character. In this scene the pitch and volume of his voice fluctuates as often as in the same sentence, creating an air of unease around the character that reflects his phycological state, ups and downs. The Joker also moves repeatedly, he never seems still. He is always shaking his head, nodding, raising his shoulders up and down quickly, touching his hair or his face. All these movements establish the character as not normal and in the Joker’s case insane.
Ledger was known for his role as the joker as he was big on method acting. He write a character journal, writing what he thought that character would. He was said to have the Joker’s scowl on his face through out filming even if they weren’t recording. Ledger threw himself fully into his roles, committing fully. He won an Oscar for the role of the Joker, unfortunately posthumously as he passed away in 2008.
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These four monologues have some truly brilliant character acting and bring emotion onto screen that every actor should take note of. The summary of this deep dive is to really think about the journey your character will take in this scene. Does the tension build continuously? Does dose it drop? If so, will it rise again? Also think about the movements your character makes. Is it natural or forced? Does it need to be less is more or more is more? And tone! Tone is huge in a scene. Are they happy, sad, unsure, confused, angry? It’s up to you, but make the character your own.

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Author

Olivia Green