Riley Keough’s rock-star love letter in “Daisy Jones & The Six” and Connor Storrie’s gut-wrenching Russian-language confession on “Heated Rivalry” are proof that BookTok adaptations are a gold mine for actors. Movies and shows adapted from novels come with great writing already built in—so it should come as no surprise that they’re prime places to find strong speeches. From confessions of love to surprisingly grounded moments of vulnerability, here are seven monologues to consider adding to your repertoire.
1. “Daisy Jones & The Six” (2023): Daisy reflects on love onstage
Though on the surface this monologue seems like a generic lead-in to a love song (infused with a little 1970s flair), its impact is all in the subtext. On the finale of “Daisy Jones & The Six,” adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 book, Daisy (Keough) encourages her bandmate and on-again, off-again flame, Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), to return to his wife (Camila Morrone) before singing “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb).” It’s the song that made the titular band famous—and one Billy originally wrote for his wife. While the show’s onstage context can make this speech feel limiting, we think it could still be effective with a reimagined context: How does it play if it’s delivered to a friend going through a difficult breakup, or by a mentor to a younger mentee?
I’ve been in love. And it hurts, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to. Love doesn’t have to be bombs and tears and blood. Love can be peace. And it can be beautiful. And if you’re lucky enough to find somebody who lifts you up even when you don’t deserve it, that’s where the light is. So, my wish for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen, is: Find someone who helps you see the light. This is a love song.
2. “Heated Rivalry” (2025): Ilya opens up to Shane
“Heated Rivalry” is based on Rachel Reid’s 2019 novel of the same name, the second installment in her Game Changers series of hockey romances. While most people might have tuned in for the steamy romance (it probably wasn’t for the hockey, anyway), they stayed for the breakout performances and the spiciness. In one especially memorable scene from Episode 5, titled “I’ll Believe in Anything,” Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) encourages Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) to express himself in his native Russian after the death of Ilya’s father. Ilya does just that, venting his frustrations with his family and eventually admitting his deep feelings for Shane. This deeply vulnerable piece would suit any actor ready to handle its emotional demands.
It would be naive to say that none of this monologue’s allure comes from how good it sounds in Russian—a language Storrie didn’t speak before landing the role. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth investigating if it speaks to you. So, if you have a few Russian-language skills up your sleeve and want to give this one a whirl, go for it. But if you’d rather translate and perform it in English, we think that’s OK, too. Here are the subtitles as they appeared onscreen.
I never want to come back here again. I fucking hate it here. And they all fucking hate me. I pay for everything. I make sure everyone has clothes they like. I make sure the food is perfect, that Father is buried next to his parents, that the tomb is perfect. And the only fucking word I ever hear is: “I want more, Ilya, I need more, Ilya, more, more, more.” And I have nothing for these people. I give them everything…but I feel fucking empty. They don’t care. They look at me and they see a bank. Or an enemy. Or—I don’t even know what. My brother, he always hated me. And I know why, but…it kills me. And it kills me that he took care of my father and I didn’t. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t here. I still paid for all of it. And he will never forgive me. For any of it. For existing. And it means…I have no one now. Well, not no one. I have…Svetlana. She loves me. And I love her. But not like… Fuck me. But not like I love you. That’s the worst fucking part of all this is…that all I want is you. It’s always you. I’m so in love with you, and I don’t know what to do about it.
3. “It Ends With Us” (2024): Lily breaks the cycle
Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, “It Ends With Us” follows Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a woman who has spent her life surrounded by domestic violence. During the film’s climax, Lily realizes the cycle has to stop somewhere. Cradling her newborn daughter in the hospital, she tells her abusive husband, Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), that she wants a divorce. Despite her vulnerable state and the sky-high stakes, Lily keeps her composure, staying firm and decisive. This monologue is incredibly heavy, so we recommend it only if you feel the audition merits material with such difficult themes. Executed well, though, it gives you a powerful chance to show bravery and compassion in the face of a life-altering decision.
[Lily:]
I want a divorce.
[Ryle:]
Hey. Let’s not.
[Lily:]
Hey, yes. Yeah. Yeah. It’s not for you or me. It’s for her. Yeah, you know. Look at her. What if, one day, she came to you and said, “My boyfriend hit me”? What would you… What would you say to her? Or if she said, “Daddy, my husband pushed me down the stairs, but he said it was an accident, so it’s fine.” Or if she said her husband held her down and she begged him to stop, but he swore he’d never do it again? What would you tell her? If the person she loved…was…was hurting her, what would you say to her?
4. “The Love Hypothesis” (2026): Anh gives Olive a pep talk
“The Love Hypothesis” adapts Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 literary debut, a STEM-set romance that began as “Star Wars” fan fiction. In the film, PhD student Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) has hit a new low: After pretending to date professor Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), she has (surprise, surprise) caught real feelings, and now he’s not speaking to her. To make matters worse, she’s been offered a spot at a prestigious research lab by Dr. Tom Benton (Arty Froushan), who shows his true colors when he reveals he’ll only let her work with him if she also sleeps with him. Olive comes clean about all of this to her best friend, Anh Pham (Rachel Marsh); the fake-dating scheme was ultimately for Anh’s sake. Anh reassures Olive and reveals she’s known about the ruse the whole time.
So many scenes from rom-coms, especially for young women, are obviously romantic in tone. But what we love about this one is that it focuses on the platonic love between two friends. You could easily split it into two separate pieces: the lighthearted “apology accepted” first half and the rallying “go get ’em” second half. If you want to perform the whole scene as a single monologue, we recommend jumping from Anh’s “I’m here for it” to “Hey, hey, hey. OK, look at me,” but we’ve included the transitional lines in between for context.
[Anh:]
I know. I’ve known the whole time.
[Olive:]
How?
[Anh:]
I am a scientist, OK? It’s literally my job to observe. And we spend all of our time together. I know every single thing about you. Our cycles are synced. You don’t think I’m gonna notice you secretly dating someone? Come on.
[Olive:]
Why didn’t you say anything?
[Anh:]
Well, for one, it was freaking hilarious watching you two idiots try to pull it off. But also, you were really cute together. In a weird, awkward kind of way. So I just thought, Hey, if I just went along with your stupid game and forced you two to hang out, maybe you’d actually fall for each other. And guess what, uh, I was right.
[Olive:]
So you’re not mad at me?
[Anh:]
Mad? No, you fake-dated someone for me. To try to make me happy. It’s the weirdest, most insane, and best thing anyone’s ever done for me. You’re nuts. And I’m here for it.
[Olive:]
I would do anything for you. But you were wrong about one thing.
[Anh:]
I’m never wrong.
[Olive:]
Adam did not fall for me.
[Anh:]
Oh, give me a break. The dude is in love. You don’t need a PhD to see that.
[Olive:]
No, well, it’s all fucked up now. And Adam can barely look at me. And Malcolm hates me. And Dr. Benton is gonna completely destroy my career.
[Anh:]
Hey, hey, hey. OK, look at me. Screw those guys. It’s not about them. It’s about you and me. And getting through this god-awful, soul-sucking, mind-crushing, hellish grind for the past two years to get to where we want to be. Where we deserve to be. So it really doesn’t even matter what Adam’s gonna do or what that asshat Dr. Benton is going to do. The only thing that matters: What’s Olive Smith going to do?
The 10 Best Monologues From Rom-Coms5. “People We Meet on Vacation” (2026): Poppy meets Alex for the first time
Based on Emily Henry’s 2021 book, “People We Meet on Vacation” opens with total opposites Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) meeting for the first time, just before they carpool home from Boston College to Ohio. Poppy comes at the straitlaced Alex like a whirling dervish, talking a mile a minute without letting him get a word in edgewise. The scene gives viewers a vivid introduction to both characters, and it also makes for terrific monologue material. You won’t need to cut any interspersed dialogue or imagine what your scene partner would be saying, because for most of this exchange, Alex is too stunned to speak. This is a strong audition piece for anyone looking to target the manic pixie dream girl archetype, and it’s the perfect showcase for comedic timing and chaotic energy.
[Poppy:]
Alex? Hi! Hey, hey! Hi! I’m Poppy. And you’re Alex, duh. Whoa, do you go to Boston College? I’m just messing with you. I love the school spirit. Go… Eagles? Is it the Eagles? I swear to God, I go here, too. Thank you so much again for the ride, by the way. You’re much better than the bus. Also, I cannot believe there’s another person here from Linfield, Ohio, and we have never met before. I know you went to West Linfield and I went to East Linfield, but still, crazy. I mean, two ships passing in the night, right? Thank God Bonnie suggested we carpool.
[Alex:]
You’re an hour late.
[Poppy:]
Didn’t you say 8ish?
[Alex:]
Well, it’s 9:00. And I wouldn’t say “ish.”]
[Poppy:]
Sorry, that’s my bad. I had to get breakfast. I get really weird if I don’t eat.
6. “People We Meet on Vacation”: Poppy tells Alex her feelings
Though this monologue might read fairly simply on paper, the cost of saying the words is dire: Poppy thinks she’s lost Alex for the second time, and she doesn’t want to go back to life without him. While we wouldn’t recommend sprinting down the street before delivering this speech in an audition room, the fact that Poppy does so in the film and still manages to get her thoughts out should give you an idea of its stakes. It’s an ideal choice for anyone looking for a vulnerable piece fit for the climax of a movie.
I always felt like if I stayed in one place too long everyone would see that I’m too much. Even you. So one week a year with you… It was safe. It’s all that I thought that I could have. But I love you. I’m always gonna love you. So there’s not one thing in my whole life that I wouldn’t give up…to build something new with you. Because…when I’m sad or sick…you’re all I want. And when I’m happy, you make me so much happier. And I know I have a lot of things I gotta figure out, but if there’s one thing that I know, it’s that wherever you are in the world, that’s where I belong. You’re not a vacation to me, Alex. You’re home. And I think that I’m that for you, too.
7. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018): Dr. Covey offers some fatherly advice
Sometimes great dad monologues show up where you least expect them. In this case, one arrives in the 11th hour of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Netflix’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s 2014 YA novel. After things turn sour between Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and her old crush turned fake boyfriend turned real love interest Peter (Noah Centineo), her dad (John Corbett) takes her to the local diner to reminisce about her late mother and share some wisdom. What works so well about this monologue is that it follows a recognizable “man tells heartfelt story about his dead wife” pattern (which can be perfect for the right audition!). Then it transforms into something more active as he encourages his daughter to open up to other people.
[Dr. Covey:]
You know, your mother and I used to come here all the time when we were dating.
[Lara Jean:]
Really? I didn’t know that.
[Dr. Covey:]
She always… She’d play this song, then as soon as it was over she’d play it again. Know what else she’d do? Get up and start dancing in the aisles, right where everybody’s eating. I was so embarrassed, but...you know what, I was also in awe of her, too. I think back and I think, “Man, I should’ve been up there dancing with her.” Look at this.
[Lara Jean:]
Wow, this place has not changed at all.
[Dr. Covey:]
There’s so much about her that I should have told you girls, but I haven’t because just talking about her makes me sad.
[Lara Jean:]
It’s OK.
[Dr. Covey:]
It’s not OK. I’ve relied on you and Margot too much, I know I have. You’re 16. You don’t have to be an adult yet. That’s why I was so happy when I saw you and Peter.
[Lara Jean:]
I don’t want to talk about Peter right now.
[Dr. Covey:]
Peter who?
[Lara Jean:]
Really?
[Dr. Covey:]
I don’t know what happened with you two, but I know how you opened up when he was around. I mean, not with us, ’cause you’ve always been like that with us, but to the world. Seeing you come alive like that, you remind me of her. Just don’t hide that part of yourself, OK, honey?
If you want to be the next page-to-screen star, check out our guide to BookTok casting and apply for roles using Backstage’s casting call database today.
