# What Actor is Responsible for Delivering the Most Iconic Lines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253 "2011-10-20T14:47:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/1 "2011-10-20T14:47:45Z")
Schwarzenegger is responsible for “I’ll be back,” yes, and it’s well known, but it’s only one. On the other hand, Marlon Brando has to his credit: “I coulda been a contender.” “Let me make you an offer you can’t refuse.” and “STELLA!” Clint Eastwood: “Go ahead - make my day…” “Do you feel lucky, punk?” (Two movies, but the same character!) Who’s got more, better iconic lines to their credit? Who is the King, or Queen, of iconic lines? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/2 "2011-10-20T14:52:06Z")
Al Pacino has to be a contender. I don’t want to kill everyone, Tom. Just my enemies. I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart. YOU’RE out of order! YOU’RE out of order! THE WHOLE TRIAL IS OUT OF ORDER! THEY’RE OUT OF ORDER! Okay! You wanna play rough? Okay! Come say hello to my little friend. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/3 "2011-10-20T15:09:23Z")
I’d go with Clint - he’s got so many more than you listed: “Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.” “It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he’s got, and all he’s ever gonna have.” “In this world, there’s two kinds of people. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” “With all due respect sir, you’re beginning to bore the hell out of me.” ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/4 "2011-10-20T15:19:04Z")
Aren’t \*\*Humphrey Bogart’s \*\*entire set of lines from \*\*Casablanca \*\*basically iconic? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/5 "2011-10-20T15:21:41Z")
Kenneth Branagh and Mel Gibson have both played Hamlet, and he’s got a buttload of iconic lines. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/6 "2011-10-20T15:25:58Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > On the other hand, Marlon Brando has to his credit: > > “I coulda been a contender.” > > “Let me make you an offer you can’t refuse.” > > and > > “STELLA!” Brando jumps to my mind first. “The horror, the horror.” “Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton.” “You can act like a man!” And those first two are from pretty minor roles. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/7 "2011-10-20T15:58:13Z")
Walken certainly has a number that are memorable if not iconic. There are enough to make [The Walken Dead](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giAQuLntqXY) somewhat amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/8 "2011-10-20T15:59:40Z")
Too many good ones to pick just one or two, but I’d go with Brando from memory. He had a field day in _One Eyed Jacks_ (since he was the director!) with jewels like: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MokwDAIH5fQ/hqdefault.jpg "One eyed Jacks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MokwDAIH5fQ) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FDoSly9yrAk/hqdefault.jpg "One eyed Jacks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDoSly9yrAk) However, Clint is a solid second! ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/9 "2011-10-20T16:00:39Z")
Bette Davis may be the Queen: “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” “What a dump.” “I’d love to kiss you, but I just washed my hair.” “Oh Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/10 "2011-10-20T16:04:29Z")
Humphrey Bogart is my first thought, too. Casablanca: > [@](#): > > Here’s looking at you, kid. > > Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. > > Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. > > We’ll always have Paris. > > If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life. I’m guessing there are famous lines from others, but these ones are pretty iconic. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/11 "2011-10-20T16:08:03Z")
“I’ll be back.” “It’s not a tumor!” “Hasta La Vista, baby.” "Yeah, but they were all _ **bad."** _ “Remember when I said I’d kill you last? I lied.” “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!” ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/12 "2011-10-20T16:49:02Z")
Samuel L Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/13 "2011-10-20T16:50:49Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Samuel L Jackson You’re absolutely right. Trumps Brando and Eastwood. I must have had a brain fart to overlook Sam and Walken. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/14 "2011-10-20T16:54:33Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > "Yeah, but they were all _ **bad."** _ This is my all-time favorite Ahnuld line. His earnestness as he speaks to Jamie Lee Curtis really sells it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/15 "2011-10-20T16:57:48Z")
Groucho Marx ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/16 "2011-10-20T16:58:52Z")
Gene Wilder. Thread over. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/17 "2011-10-20T17:00:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “I’ll be back.” > > “It’s not a tumor!” > > “Hasta La Vista, baby.” > > "Yeah, but they were all _ **bad."** _ > > “Remember when I said I’d kill you last? I lied.” > > “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!” “Ze goggles. Zey do nothing!” ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/18 "2011-10-20T17:05:51Z")
The Arnold quotes are great. The Gene Wilder quotes? I can’t believe I’m having to say this on the SDMB of all places, but cite? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/19 "2011-10-20T17:12:46Z")
Wilder has the unique quality of his quote being almost entirely in mime. Only the last word is spoken: “SEDAGIVE!?” ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253/20 "2011-10-20T17:36:30Z")
Harrison Ford, maybe? – Do Han Solo and Indiana Jones have any non-iconic lines? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-is-responsible-for-delivering-the-most-iconic-lines/600253.md?page=2)