New Amsterdam (TV Series)

Keep the Change (2008)

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: John Amsterdam

Quotes 

• [talking about an AA step where your share your story with someone] 

  John Amsterdam : Something happens when you do this. I... I would have given the moon to the person who heard mine.

• Eva Marquez : Big deal. Old guy had an old guitar.

  Omar : Old ain't bad with guitars or men. A Gibson L-double-oh. Early 1930's. Mr. Robert Johnson's axe of choice. Great shape. You'd get six, eight grand for it.

  Eva Marquez : That's why a homeless guy had it. Who's Robert Johnson?

  Omar : Who's Mozart? Who's Charlie Parker?

  Eva Marquez : Who's Chano Pozo?

  John Amsterdam : Oo, hoo, hoo.

  Omar : Cuban percussionist. Used to play Big Band bebop with Diz.

  John Amsterdam : Co-wrote "Manteca".

  Omar : Ouch.

  John Amsterdam : Robert Johnson invented the Blues.

  Omar : Sold his soul to the Devil to do it.

  Eva Marquez : For what? Immortality?

  John Amsterdam : Who'd want that?

  Omar : To play this thing like no one ever has before, or since. You dig Chano? My man RJ will melt your brain.

• Dr. Sara Dillane : Why aren't you in public databases?

  John Amsterdam : [lets out a weary breath] 

  Dr. Sara Dillane : It must be real bad.

  John Amsterdam : Something happened. I had to become someone else.

  Dr. Sara Dillane : What is it... undercover thing? What's your real name?

  John Amsterdam : John Amsterdam. I like it. I'd like to keep it. I'd like to keep you.

• [1964, The Dutchman Nightclub. The band passes by John] 

  John Amsterdam : Goodnight guys, goodnight Omar.

  Frank : Young white man with a colored child. No day at the beach. You struggle through God knows what growin' him up. Don't give up now. You want your son back? You start writing. Do the work.

  John Amsterdam : My whole life? That might take a while.

  Frank : You like it? Your son walking past you like you don't exist?

  John Amsterdam : What happens when I'm done?

  Frank : You read it. Out loud. To another human being. Like me, for example.

  [Slides a notebook over to John] 

  Frank : The past is the past. Everybody's got one. You're not going to tell me anything I haven't heard before.

  John Amsterdam : [lifts up the notebook]  Hey Frank, got more of these?

• John Amsterdam : [to Sara]  Want the truth? The truth is, I'm 400 years old. The truth is, Omar is my son. One of sixty-three children I've fathered.

  Dr. Sara Dillane : John.

  John Amsterdam : I've tried to be careful because I can't stay with them. I'm immortal. They're not. The truth is...

  Dr. Sara Dillane : [interrupts]  Stop. Just stop.

  [walks away]