Sebastian Wilder That's L.A. They worship everything and they value nothing.
Played by Ryan Gosling 
La La Land (2016) · 20 quotes
La La Land (2016) · 20 quotes
Most-quoted character in La La Land (2016): in 16 of its 20 quotes
Most scenes with: Mia Dolan (9)
It's conflict and it's compromise, and it's just...it's new every time. It's brand new every night. It's very, very exciting! And it's dying. It's dying, Mia. It's dying on the vine. And the world says, "Let it die. It had its time." Well, not on my watch.
More lines from Sebastian Wilder
2 quotes Sebastian Wilder Sebastian Wilder [singing]
City of stars,Are you shining just for me?City of stars,There's so much that I can't see.Who knows,Is this the start of something wonderful and new?Or one more dreamThat I cannot make true?
Scenes with Sebastian Wilder
13 scenes Sebastian I want to let you know you're looking at a new man.
Bill Good.
Sebastian A man who's happy to be here.
Bill Excellent.
Sebastian Very easy to work with. Yeah.
Bill Right, and you'll play the set list.
Sebastian Happy to. Even though I don’t think anyone cares what I play, but yeah.
Bill Well, if by “anyone” you mean anyone other than me, that would be correct. I care and I don’t want to hear the free jazz.
Sebastian Right. Okay. Although I, I thought in this town it worked on a sort of “one for you, one for me” basis type system. How about two for you, one for me?
Sebastian [Bill doesn’t answer]
How about all for you and none for me?
Bill That’s perfect, yes.
Sebastian Great.
Bill Okay.
Sebastian Okay, a mutual decision then.
Bill Right, made by me.
Sebastian Right, and I sign off on it, so.
Bill Whatever. Tell yourself what you want to know.
Laura When are you gonna unpack these boxes?
Sebastian When I unpack them in my own club.
Laura Oh, Sebastian. It's like a girl broke up with you and you're stalking her. You're not still going by there, are you?
Sebastian That's... you won't believe that they turned it into a samba-tapas place.
Laura Oh, my god, Sebastian!
Sebastian Samba. Tapas. Pick one, you know? Do one right.
Sebastian I had a very serious plan for my future.
Laura I know.
Sebastian It's not my fault I got shanghaied.
Laura You didn't get shanghaied. You got ripped off.
Sebastian What's the difference?
Laura I don't know. It's not as romantic as that.
Sebastian Why do you say "romantic" like it's a dirty word?
Laura Unpaid bills are not romantic. Call her.
Sebastian I'm not gonna call her. And the thing is y-y-y-you're acting like life's got me on the ropes. I want to be on the ropes, okay? I'm just... I'm letting life hit me 'til it gets tired.
Laura Oh?
Sebastian Then I'm gonna hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope.
Laura Okay, Ali. I love you. Unpack the boxes.
Sebastian I'm gonna change the locks.
Laura You can't afford it.
Sebastian I'm a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Bill You're fired.
Sebastian It's Christmas.
Bill Yeah, I see the decorations. Good luck in the New Year.
Sebastian Alright, I remember you. And I'll admit I was a little curt that night.
"Curt?"
Sebastian Okay, I was an asshole. I can admit that. But requesting "I Ran" from a serious musician? It's just, it's too far.
My Lord, did you just say "a serious musician?"
Sebastian I don't think so.
Can I borrow what you're wearing?
Sebastian Why?
Because I have an audition next week. I'm playing a serious firefighter.
Sebastian So you're an actress? I thought you looked familiar. Have I seen you in anything?
Uhh, the coffee shop on the Warner Brothers lot, that's a classic.
Sebastian Oh I see.
Yeah.
Sebastian So you're a barista? And I can see how you could then look down on me from all the way up there.
Singer
Sebastian. Second set.
Sebastian He doesn't tell me what to do.
He just told you what to do.
Sebastian I let him. [pause] What's your name?
Mia.
Sebastian Mia. Guess I'll see you in the movies.
It's pretty strange that we keep running into each other.
Sebastian Maybe it means something.
I doubt it.
Sebastian Yeah, I didn't think so.
Honestly, I wish I loved something else. I've tried so hard to want other things. I left school after two years to come here, my fourth manager just dropped me, and my last audition was for a teen soap pitched as Dangerous Minds meets The O.C.. Should've been a lawyer.
Sebastian Cause the world needs more lawyers.
Well it doesn't need more actresses.
Sebastian You're not just an actress.
What do you mean, "just an actress"?
Sebastian You said it yourself, you're a child-prodigy playwright.
That is not what I said.
Sebastian You're too modest to say it but it's true. So you could write your own roles. Write something that's as interesting as you are.
Last thing I wrote was a stand-up routine for an open-mic night. It was horrible.
Sebastian All I'm saying is Louis Armstrong could have played the marching-band charts he was given. What did he do instead?
I don’t know. What did he do.
Sebastian Well, He made history, didn’t he?
OK, I'll stop auditioning and make history instead.
Sebastian [laughs]
My work here is done.
I should probably tell you something now, just to get it out of the way.
Sebastian Mm-hmm?
I hate jazz
Sebastian What do you mean you hate jazz?
It just means that when I listen to it, I don't like it.
Sebastian **** 'em!
Sebastian You should come.
To Boise?
Sebastian You can knock it off your bucket list.
Sebastian I thought you wanted me to do this, it just sounds like now you don't want me to do it.
What do you mean, I wanted you to do this?
Sebastian This is what you wanted for me.
To be in this band?
Sebastian To be in a band, to have a steady job, you know to be... you know.
Of course, I wanted you to have a steady job so that you could take care of yourself and your life and you could start your club.
Sebastian Yeah, so I'm doing that, so I don't understand like why aren't we celebrating?
Why aren't you starting your club?
Sebastian You said yourself no one wants to go that club. No one wants to go to a club called 'Chicken on a Stick.'
So change the name!
Sebastian Well, no one likes jazz, not even you!
I do like jazz now, because of you!
Sebastian What am I supposed to do? Go back to playing "Jingle Bells" so I can save money for some Shangri-La club no one wants to go to?
People will want to go to it because you're passionate about it and people love what other people are passionate about. You remind people of what they've forgotten.
Sebastian Not in my experience. [pause] Anyway, it's time to grow up. You know? This is what I'm doing. If you had a problem, I wish you would've said something earlier, before I signed on the dotted line.
You had a dream that you were sticking to, that...
Sebastian This is the dream!
This is not your dream.
Sebastian Guys like me go their whole lives and never do anything that's liked. I'm finally doing something that people enjoy. What is wrong with that?
Why do you care so much about being liked?
Sebastian You're an actress, what are we talking about? [pause] Maybe you liked me more when I was a failure because it made you feel better about yourself.
Sebastian No.
Why did you come here?
Sebastian Because I have good news.
What?
Sebastian Amy Brandt, the casting director? Yeah. She was at your play, and she loved it. And she loved it so much that she wants you to come in tomorrow and audition for this huge movie that she's got.
I'm not going to that. [pause] I'm not going to that.
Sebastian What?
That one's gonna be...No. That one's gonna be...
Sebastian I'm sorry?
That will kill me.
Sebastian [shouting]
What?! What? What?
Shh! Stop!
Sebastian No!
Shh! Shh! You have to be quiet. We're in a neighborhood.
Sebastian If you want me to be quiet, you have to make some goddamn sense! Tell me why you're not going.
They'll call the police. Because. Because...
Sebastian Why?
I've been to a million auditions, and the 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 like me, but prettier and better at the...Because maybe I'm not good enough!
Sebastian Yes, you are.
No...No, maybe I'm not.
Sebastian Yes, you are.
Maybe I'm not.
Sebastian You are.
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 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 I'm supposed to do. 'Cause I left to do that, and it's been six years, and I don't want to do it anymore.
Sebastian Why?
Why what?
Sebastian Why don't you want to do it anymore?
'Cause I think it hurts a little bit too much.
Sebastian You're a baby.
I'm not a baby. I'm trying to grow up.
Sebastian You are. You're crying like a baby.
Oh, my God.
Sebastian You have an audition tomorrow at 5:30. I'll be out front at 8:00 A.M. You'll be out front or not, I don't know.
I'm always gonna love you.
Sebastian I'm always gonna love you, too.
