Edmund "Ed" Exley quotes from L. A. Confidential (1997) ... Movie Quotes Database

Played by Guy Pearce

L. A. Confidential (1997) · 19 quotes

2nd most-quoted character in L. A. Confidential (1997): in 6 of its 19 quotes
Most scenes with: Jack (2)

A line from Edmund "Ed" Exley (At the end of an interrogation session)

You know, I'm talking about the gas chamber, and you haven't even asked me what this is about. You've got a big "Guilty" sign around your neck.

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Scenes with Edmund "Ed" Exley

5 scenes

Jack

Why in the world do you want to go digging any deeper into the Nite Owl Killings, Lieutenant?

Rollo Tomasi.

Jack

Is there more to that, or am I supposed to guess?

Rollo… was a purse snatcher. My father ran into him off duty, and he shot my father six times and got away clean. No one even knew who he was. I just made the name up to give him some personality. Rollo Tomasi's the reason I became a cop. I wanted to catch the guys who thought they could get away with it. It was supposed to be about justice. Then somewhere along the way I lost sight of that. Why'd you become a cop?

Jack

[long pause]

I don't remember.

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Johnny

You want an autograph? Write to MGM.

Since when do two-bit hoods and hookers give out autographs?

Johnny

What'd you say to me?

LAPD. Sit down.

Woman

Who in the hell do you think you are?

Jack

Ed...

Take a walk, honey, before I haul your ass downtown.

Johnny

You are making a large mistake.

Woman

Get away from our table.

Shut up! [leans in] A hooker cut to look like Lana Turner is still a hooker.

Johnny

Hey!

She just looks like Lana Turner.

Jack

[grinning]

She is Lana Turner.

What?

Jack

She is Lana Turner.
[Lana throws a drink in Ed's face]

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Loew

[Exley and White question Ellis Loew, who refuses to cooperate and goes to the bathroom. Exley and White share a look, and White enters the bathroom where Loew is preparing for a press conference]

Unless you're here to wipe my ass, I believe we're through.

Loew

[White approaches Loew, who is freshening up in front of a mirror]

C'mon, don't pull that good-cop bad-cop crap. I practically invented it. So what if some homo actor is dead, huh? Boys, girls, ten of them get off the bus to L.A. every day-

Loew

[White smashes Loew's face into the mirror twice and then dunks his head into the toilet while Exley calmly watches. Bud briefly lifts Loew's head out of the toilet.]

Pull him off me, Exley!

Exley

[calmly]

I don't know how.

White

[White dunks Loew's head back into the toilet and then lifts it up]

Now I know you think you're D.A. number one hot-shot, but here's the juice: if I take you out, ten more lawyers will take your place tomorrow. They just won't come on the bus, that's all.

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All I ever wanted was to measure up to my father.