27 The Recruit Quotes (2026)

The Recruit

Walter Burke: There's this parish priest, goes up to the Pope, drops down on his knees, starts weeping... asking forgiveness. "Holy father, holy father, what am I to do? What am I to do? I do not believe in God anymore. What am i to do?" And you know what the pope said... "Fake it."

The Recruit

Walter Burke: Nothing... is... what it seems.

The Recruit

Walter Burke: You gotta give me one thing. I'm a scary judge of talent.

The Recruit

Dennis Slayne: [shouting at Burke] Walter!
Walter Burke: [stops in his tracks, blinded by the lights] Well, will you look at this? Twenty seven years, I'm finally in the spotlight, huh? What do you know. What do we do now? Come get my gun? Or do you just want to hang me? Hang the traitor!
[shouts at Slayne]
Walter Burke: You

ready for that, Slayne? I hear you. "Why'd you sell us out, Burke?" I sold you out? No way!
Dennis Slayne: [realizes what is happening] Jesus Christ.
Walter Burke: [raving] Twenty seven years, neck deep in shit! Sell you out? Did I do my job? I ask you: you do your job? I hand you the target, I tell you who and where. All you got to do is act. What

do you do? Do you do your job? No!
[screams]
Walter Burke: I'm obsolete! I'm irrelevant! Me! Shame on you! You yank me home, you shove me out in the woods! Some Ivy League prick who's afraid of having dinner in DC because of street crime is judging my worth!
Dennis Slayne: The target is Burke, I repeat, the target is Burke!

Walter Burke: [breaks off as he sees the laser sights on his chest] ... shoving me in the fucking woods...
Dennis Slayne: Put it down, Walter.
Walter Burke: [stunned, to James] They came for you.
James Clayton: [distraught] Yeah.
Walter Burke: The line to the CIA was a fake. You never

told them.
James Clayton: [upset] No, you did. Nothing is what it seems.
Dennis Slayne: God dammit, Walter.
Walter Burke: [smiles ruefully] You got me, hand in the cookie jar.
[grins]
Walter Burke: You got to give me one thing. I'm a scary judge of talent. Here goes nothing.
[cocks empty

pistol]
James Clayton: No!
Walter Burke: Bye bye.
James Clayton: [screams at CIA] No bullets!
[Burke is shot dead in front of him]

#Some

The Recruit

James Clayton: Everything is a test!

The Recruit

Psychiatrist #1: Would you consider yourself subjectively firm or objectively flexible?
James Clayton: Metaphysically wrinkle-free?

The Recruit

Physiatrist: How do upsetting problems generally make you feel?
James Clayton: Upset.

The Recruit

Walter Burke: My dick's on fire!

The Recruit

Husky Guy: What are the names of your instructors?
James Clayton: Ok, ok. John's the wise guy. Paul's the cute one. George is pretty quiet, and this new kid... I can't remember his name.

The Recruit

Walter Burke: Rule number one:
[pause]
Walter Burke: do not get caught.

The Recruit

Husky Guy: Did you know that no country with a McDonald's has ever attacked the US?

The Recruit

Walter Burke: All right, your objective - reach the parking lot with an asset who intends to have sex with you.
James Clayton: You want us to pick up a girl?
Walter Burke: Well, uh, five, actually - one each.

The Recruit

Walter Burke: Very dramatic, James.
James Clayton: I want to talk, can we talk?
Walter Burke: Yeah.
James Clayton: Where are you?
Walter Burke: Well, you know the phone booth you're calling from?
James Clayton: Yeah.
Walter Burke: Turn

around.

The Recruit

James Clayton: You said you wanted to go home and have comfort sex. Did you?

The Recruit

Cab Driver: What are you here for?
James Clayton: An interview.
Cab Driver: You look nervous.
James Clayton: Yeah, a bit.
Cab Driver: [turning around in his seat] Just grab your balls.
James Clayton: [surprised] Grab my balls?
Cab Driver:

Yeah, just grab your balls, squeeze them hard. Takes your mind right off the fear.
James Clayton: [smiling] Yeah, sure.
Cab Driver: Well, it works for me.

The Recruit

James Clayton: Would I have to kill anyone?
Walter Burke: Would you like to?

The Recruit

James Clayton: The Iwo Jima Memorial... this where you tell me about duty and sacrafice?
Walter Burke: No. This is where I have my breakfast burrito.

The Recruit

James Clayton: [apologetic] Sorry it's so early, but..
Walter Burke: [tired] I don't sleep. I piss like a racehorse every two hours. Impossible. What you got?