Harry Wormwood: 23 Movie Quotes with Audio

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Movie quotes spoken by Harry Wormwood, ranked by user ratings. Listen online or download free MP3 and WAV clips.

1 I say appearance is nine-tenths of the law. People don't buy a car, they buy me. Which is why I personally take such pride in my appearance: well-oiled hair, clean shaved, snappy suit.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

2 A book? What do you want a book for? -To read. -To read? Why would you wanna read when you got the TV set sitting right in front of you? There's nothing you can get from a book that you can't get from a television faster.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

3 College! I didn't go to college. I don't know anybody who did. Bunch of hippies and cesspool salesmen.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

4 Listen, you little wiseacre. I'm smart, you're dumb. I'm big, you're little. I'm right, you're wrong. And there's nothing you can do about it.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

5 I'm fed up with all this reading! You're a Wormwood, you start acting like one! Sit up and look at the TV.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

6 Shut up! I can't think with all these sirens.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

7 From now on, this family does exactly what I say when, exactly when, I say it!

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

8 What is this trash you're reading? -It's not trash, Daddy, it's lovely. It's called Moby _, by Herman Melville. -Moby what?

Danny DeVito as Harry Wormwood; Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood in Matilda (1996)

9 No, there is no problem. -Then beat it. We're watching TV.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)

10 Chew your food. You're an animal.

Danny DeVito in Matilda (1996)