15 Best Quotes From The Other Guys

Summary The Other Guys' comedic take on buddy cop films features hilarious quotes that keep delivering laughs throughout the movie.

The star-studded cast, including Ferrell, Wahlberg, Jackson, and Johnson, adds to the humor and over-the-top nature of the film.

Memorable moments like the TLC song references and the unexpected character developments make The Other Guys a standout comedy.

Adam McKay and Will Ferrell took aim at the buddy cop genre and The Other Guys quotes from the 2010 comedy remain as funny now as they did when the movie hit theaters. The Other Guys stars Ferrell as a mild-mannered forensic accountant and Mark Wahlberg as a hot-headed cop who was benched after accidentally shooting New York Yankees' star Derek Jeter. However, after the department's top cops die, they find themselves in the middle of trying to take down a mercenary organization.

This is more of a comedy than a cop movie, as Ferrell and Wahlberg are on top form while seeing talented comic actors like Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Rob Riggle, and Damon Wayans Jr. along for the ride. From the moment that Wahlberg realizes what kind of person his partner is to the mishaps and frustration that creep up during their investigation, The Other Guys quotes kept delivering from the start to the finish and made this one of the funniest movies in the McKay-Ferrell era.

Related 20 Best Action Comedies That Blend The Genres Perfectly Hollywood loves a genre mashup, and action comedy movies are very popular. From Beverly Hills Cop to Hot Fuzz, here are the best action comedy movies.

15 "There's A Fine Line Between Law And Chaos."

Narrator (Ice-T)

Close

The Other Guys quotes start from the very opening of the movie with one of the most ironic voice-over narrations kicking off the narrative, made all the more memorable by the fact that it's rapper Ice-T setting up the story. As the film opens, a familiar voice introduces the movie's world, and he does it in a manner that plays off Law & Order.

It was strikingly similar to Law & Order, but what followed was anything but, as Danson and Highsmith were ridiculously over the top.

There's a hint of irony here too, as Ice T is one of the biggest stars in the Law & Order franchise as SVU's Odafin Tutuola, yet he doesn't appear at all in person in The Other Guys, and his role as narrator is uncredited. As the movie starts, Ice-T opens up by saying, “In New York City there's a fine line between law and chaos. On that line live Danson and Highsmith.” It was strikingly similar to Law & Order, but what followed was anything but, as Danson and Highsmith were ridiculously over the top.

14 “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls.”

Captain Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton)

There’s a running joke throughout The Other Guys involving Captain Gene, played by Michael Keaton, unintentionally quoting TLC songs. When he uses phrases like “I don’t want no scrubs,” and “Don’t go chasing waterfalls,” Allen and Terry assume he’s quoting TLC, but he has no idea what they’re talking about. According to McKay:

“We came up with a whole backstory that he drove his son to college and his son played a TLC greatest hits CD the whole time, but the captain was never aware what he was listening to” (via MTV).

While the backstory about Captain Mauch never made it into The Other Guys, the omission makes the moment funnier if anything. The fact that Captain Gene is Gamble and Hoitz's superior and yet is so unobservant he doesn't realize he's quoting song lyrics from a well-known pop group adds another layer of humor by suggesting that bombastic incompetence exists at every rung of the NYPD.

13 "You Learned To Dance Like That Sarcastically?"

Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell)

One of the running gags throughout The Other Guys saw Mark Wahlberg's angry cop dancing to release his tension. After shooting Derek Jeter by accident, he ends up seeing a police therapist and has to find an outlet to release his tension, so he won't keep hurting people. His outlet is dancing, and particularly ballet. This amazes Allen, who asks how he learned to dance like that.

Terry says he used to make fun of kids by dancing like them in high school, which causes Allen to realize Terry became a great dancer by doing it sarcastically. This The Other Guys quote is also one of several that proves that Allen may not be one of the most memorable Will Ferrell characters, he is certainly one of the most underrated, especially given the chemistry Wahlberg and Ferrell have on-screen.

12 "The Best Way To Tell A Story Is Starting At The End."

Sir David Ershon (Steve Coogan)

British actor Steve Coogan is considered a comedic powerhouse in the U.K., and while he's not as prominent in the U.S., he's starred in several roles in Hollywood and always manages to give any movie he's in a hilarious edge. In The Other Guys, Steve Coogan plays the villain Sir David Ershon. He is arrogant and annoyingly pompous — all traits Coogan's unique style helps bring to the fore in inimitable fashion.

He does this to "give it a bit of dynamism, otherwise, it's just sort of a linear story.”

When Terry asks what is going on, he explains how he likes to tell stories. Terry asks him to take it from the top, but David says it is better to start at the end, before going back to the beginning, and then flipping to the end from another character's perspective. He does this to "give it a bit of dynamism, otherwise, it's just sort of a linear story.” These The Other Guys meta-quotes even frustrate Allen, who told him to get on with it.

11 "At Age 11, I Audited My Parents."

Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell)

If there's one thing Will Ferrell excels at when it comes to comedy, it's delivering absolutely ridiculous lines completely deadpan, and this hilarious The Other Guys quote is one of the best examples. Allen explains how his life in accounting went back to his childhood. While Terry couldn't understand why anyone would want to work with finances in the police force instead of fighting bad guys, Terry talks about what he is best at. He explains he wanted to do this as a child — bureaucracy — and it got him in trouble in his younger years:

"At age 11, I audited my parents. Believe me, there were some discrepancies, and I was grounded.”

It shows he is so serious about doing the right thing, that he even investigated his parents. However, the reason this quote is so memorable isn't what it reveals about Allen, but because of how ridiculous it seems that an 11-year-old would even know what auditing is, let alone audit their own parents. When said by Ferrell though, it becomes completely believable.

Related I'm A Peacock!: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Other Guys The Other Guys is a hilarious movie starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Here are 10 behind-the-scenes facts about the movie.

10 “You Turned My Beautiful Prius Into A Nightmare!"

Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell)

Close

When Allen and Terry first try to arrest David Ershon, his goons stop them in the street and take their shoes, their perp, and Allen’s new Prius. Eventually, his Prius is discovered containing a note from a group called “Dirty Mike and the boys,” thanking the driver for providing a location for their orgy. Allen later bumps into Dirty Mike and complains that they turned his prized hybrid car into “a nightmare.”

For somebody as seemingly prudish and mild-mannered as Allen, these The Other Guys quotes show his worst-case scenario. This quote also highlights why the premise of The Other Guys works so well. Cop movies have had their share of notable cars in the past. Many cars are believable action-movie rides, especially muscle cars, Cadillacs, Mustangs and the like. A Prius, on the other hand, definitely isn't one, which is why it's so perfect for Allen and the movie as a whole.

9 “I’m A Peacock, You Gotta Let Me Fly!”

Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg)

While Will Ferrell is a comedic powerhouse, his The Other Guys co-star Mark Wahlberg has made more of his share of funny movies, but is also known for his work in the action genre. With this in mind, it's no surprise he's also responsible for many of the most memorable quotes in the buddy-cop spoof. Allen specifically chose a desk job to avoid danger. Terry, on the other hand, is stuck behind a desk because he’s been suspended, and it's from his frustration that one of Wahlberg's best lines in the movie comes.

After Terry has used the peacock metaphor a handful of times throughout the movie, Captain Gene finally delivers a gem, saying, “Terry, peacocks don’t fly!”

Terry’s desperate to get back out into the field and constantly tells his superiors, “I’m a peacock, you gotta let me fly!” After Terry has used the peacock metaphor a handful of times throughout the movie, Captain Gene finally delivers a gem, saying, “Terry, peacocks don’t fly!” Allen claims they might if they get a running start. For Terry, it was crushing, and even Allen was there to help support him.

8 “If I Wanna Hear You Talk, I’ll Shove My Arm Up Your A** And Work Your Mouth Like A Puppet!”

Detective P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson)

Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell may lead the cast of The Other Guys, but they're far from the only A-Listers in the cast. Two of the biggest names in the movie outside the leads are none other than action-movie powerhouses Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The opening scenes of The Other Guys introduce hot-shot detectives Danson and Highsmith, played by Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson, and their appearance is — as expected from such a duo — both memorable and hilarious.

Danson and Highsmith are the kind of high-octane renegades usually seen in action movies, a buddy-cop duo that feel like they're from an entirely different film altogether. Allen, Terry, and everybody else are just “the other guys.” When Highsmith thanks the other guys for their contributions, Allen kindly says, “And we’d do it again and again.” Highsmith suddenly snaps into signature Samuel L. Jackson rage in this funny The Other Guys scene, yelling, “Hey, you shut your face!”

7 “Christinith! You Idiot! You Come To Our House, You Get My Wife’s Name Right!”

Hal, Christinith's Husband (Brett Gelman)

Writer-director Adam McKay is just as much a force to be reckoned with in the world of comedy as the stars of The Other Guys, and thanks to his hilarious script, there are multiple memorable quotes from supporting characters and lesser-known cast members. This is the case with Hal, the husband of Christinith, played by Fleabag and Stranger Things star Brett Gelman.

There’s a running joke throughout The Other Guys that every woman Allen has ever dated is out of his league. During the investigation, Allen and Terry have to pay a visit to Allen’s ex-girlfriend Christinith, played by Justified’s Natalie Zea. Her husband, Hal, makes Allen and Terry very uncomfortable. He also takes Terry by surprise when he blows up on them. He wants Allen to sleep with his wife, and he erupts in a fit of rage when Terry mispronounces Christinith’s name.

6 “Pimps Don’t Cry.”

Dr. Sheila Ramos Gamble (Eva Mendes)

Close

Allen in The Other Guys is a ridiculous character with an incredibly murky past that seems completely contradictory to his Prius-driving desk-job-loving present. The absurdity of his character is highlighted even further by his wife, Dr. Sheila Ramos Gamble, played by Ghost Rider and 2 Fast 2 Furious star Eva Mendez.

This musical number has a great juxtaposition of lullaby-style singing and illicit subject matter.

Allen met his wife Sheila during his early life as a pimp who went by the pseudonym “Gator.” When his pimping days come back to haunt him, Sheila cradles Allen and softly sings a song called “Pimps Don’t Cry.” This musical number has a great juxtaposition of lullaby-style singing and illicit subject matter. Eva Mendes recorded a studio version of this song with CeeLo Green and shot a music video to promote the movie. It was ridiculous, yet touching, and showed how strange her life with Allen must be.

5 “You D***! I’m Derek Jeter, You Shot Me!”

Derek Jeter

The Other Guys cast includes several celebrity cameos who play fictionalized versions of themselves, such as Rosie Perez and Tracy Morgan. However, one of the funniest and most unexpected is from former baseball player and New York Yankees icon Derek Jetter. Throughout The Other Guys, Terry attends therapy sessions for officers who accidentally fire their guns on duty. He shot Derek Jeter while working security at a Yankees World Series game.

Everybody is annoyed with him because they lost money on the game and Jeter is a New York icon. In a flashback to the incident, Terry nervously pulls his weapon on a figure lurking around the stadium. When the person doesn’t respond, Terry fires. As it turns out, it’s just Derek Jeter listening to music. He bluntly says, “I’m Derek Jeter, you shot me!”

Related 10 Movies To Watch If You Like The Other Guys Adam McKay's buddy comedy The Other Guys (starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) is a classic, but what other movies will it's fans love?

4 "Whose Baby Is That? Who's The Man Who Did That To You?"

Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell)

While Allen is a mild-mannered police accountant, he has a secret past. The reason he wants to stay out of fights and danger is that he is scared that his past will creep back up. This shocks Terry, who has no idea there is a dangerous man under the business suit. However, Sheila knows her husband's history, and that the mild-mannered desk jockey isn't to be underestimated — but also that he's not as bright as may first appear.

Despite his love of auditing, Allen isn't the smartest man in the room, and when Sheila breaks the news that she is pregnant with their child, Allen snaps back into the pimp, Gator, and demands to know whose baby it is. This juxtaposition between the Allen of the present and his Gator persona is absolutely unforgettable, and definitely shows that there would be mileage in an The Other Guys prequel that casts Ferrell as a stereotypical pimp.

3 “Aim For The Bushes.”

Detective Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson)

The pairing of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson creates some incredibly laugh-out-loud moments in The Other Guys, despite them not being the focus of Adam McKay's buddy-cop satire movie. After the opening scenes of The Other Guys establish Danson and Highsmith are the best cops in New York, they chase some perps onto the roof of a skyscraper. The bad guys have a zip-line to get them down to the ground.

Adds to the biting nature of the satirical aspects of The Other Guys.

When they cut the zipline, Danson and Highsmith’s options are limited. Danson says, “Aim for the bushes,” and the two both jump to their deaths when they land on the sidewalk. Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson die because Danson and Highsmith avoided doom so many times that they thought they were invincible. It's a thoroughly anticlimactic moment for the pair, who could just as easily be the stars of their own totally-straight-faced crime film wherein such a jump would have been survived and the chase continued, which adds to the biting nature of the satirical aspects of The Other Guys.

2 “Bye, Sheila!”

Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg)

There are several running jokes throughout The Other Guys, and one of the funniest is Terry simply refusing to acknowledge that Allen could reall be married to a woman as attractive as Dr. Sheila Ramos Gamble. When Terry meets Sheila, he doesn’t believe she’s Allen’s wife. Even after they’ve told him countless times, he believes she’s too beautiful to be married to Allen, and he’s being pranked.

This is made even funnier because of the dynamic Terry has as a friend of the couple. Terry takes much more of a liking to Sheila than he does to Allen. When he leaves their house, he only says goodbye to Sheila. Allen keeps trying to say goodbye, but his partner just replies, “Bye, Sheila!” Allen thinks Terry can’t hear him, so he keeps saying goodbye even louder, but Terry just responds, “Bye, Sheila!”

1 “I Think We All Experienced Our Own Ballet Today. A Ballet Of Emotion.”

Detective Allen "Gator" Gamble (Will Ferrell)

Close

It's little surprise that the funniest quote in The Other Guys comes from Will Ferrell, as he's regarded as one of the most hilarious comedians working today by many audience-members and critics alike. When Terry goes down to Francine’s ballet studio to win her back, Allen tries to help. Terry thinks the ballet studio is a strip club and reveals he learned to be a master ballerina when he was a boy to make fun of another kid.

Every time Allen tries to help out his partner with The Other Guys quotes — like saying, “we all experienced our own ballet today” — he hurts Terry’s chances of getting back with Francine. She even points this out: “You’re kind of making things worse.” As usual, Ferrell nails the character’s cluelessness. It's dialogue that wouldn't be anywhere near as funny were it not for Ferrell's delivery, once again showcasing his unique ability to express the most absurd of sentiments with a completely straight face.

The Other Guys Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

rent

buy Not available Not available Not available From director Adam McKay comes The Other Guys. This action comedy movie stars Will Ferrell as forensic accountant Allen Gamble and Mark Wahlberg as detective Terry Hoitz, two NYPD employees sent to investigate a simple permit violation before they stumble upon a deep conspiracy and a flourishing crime ring. Without the former two best detectives on the force, these two unlikely partners will become central to bringing a criminal plot to its knees. Director Adam McKay Release Date August 5, 2010 Studio(s) Sony Cast Will Ferrell , Mark Wahlberg , Adam McKay , Eva Mendes , Samuel L. Jackson , Michael Keaton Runtime 107minutes