Steve Buscemi Delivered One Of His Deepest Lines In A Kids' Movie

Steve Buscemi has been in some of the best and most acclaimed TV shows and movies released in modern times, ranging from "Broadwalk Empire" to "Fargo" (and also "The Boss Baby"). He even played a memorable role in "The Sopranos" that forever changed his career trajectory. He can handle serious and dramatic roles, infusing his characters with gravitas and nuance, but he can also tackle decidedly silly and comedic parts that nevertheless carry an emotional weight.

As such, it's funny to think that what might be Buscemi's best known movie quote, and one that has a surprisingly profound meaning, doesn't come from his work with Martin Scorsese or the Coen Brothers. Rather, it was written by notorious anime fan and "Alita: Battle Angel" director Robert Rodriguez. And not even one of his bloody, hard-R movies, but a kids' film.

Specifically, Buscemi delivered the single best line of his career in the second-best sequel of 2002: "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams."

Buscemi delivers his line after the titular spy kids, Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) and her brother Juni (Daryl Sabara), make their way to a mysterious island full of giant hybrid animals while looking for a special spy device. There, they meet Buscemi's Romero, a scientist who created miniature hybrid animals to sell as novelty pets. Unfortunately, he accidentally gave the animals a growth potion, causing them to become giant monsters. Now, he spends his days hiding in his lab, afraid of the very creatures he designed roaming the island.

While pondering the consequences of his actions and the entities he engineered, Romero wonders why his creations seem to hate him. He then drops this philosophical wonder: "Do you think God stays in Heaven because He, too, lives in fear of what He's created here on Earth?"

The "Spy Kids" movies saw Robert Rodriguez put his DIY style to new use while he was making the jump from indie darling to Hollywood mainstay. As a result, his original "Spy Kids" trilogy mixed James Bond-like espionage and wild gadgets with the colorful aesthetic of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

The trilogy followed the Cortez siblings as they discovered that they come from a long line of spies and are forced to go on spy missions to save both their family and the world. These movies also featured a rather impressive all-star cast, from Latino and Hispanic icons like Cheech Marin, Ricardo Montalbán, Salma Hayek, and Antonio Banderas to big name guest stars like Mike Judge, Bill Paxton, Sylvester Stallone, and even George Clooney. Most importantly, they told an endearing and sincere story about family with a big Latino flavor. Say what you will about the rather dated visuals of these "Spy Kids" films, but they did give us a rare and early blockbuster that was all about a U.S.-based Latino family. Not to mention, it was "Spy Kids" that gave us Machete (Danny Trejo), a true gift to the world.

"Island of Lost Dreams," in particular, might feature the franchise's weirdest and most fantastical creatures. Granted, 2001's original "Spy Kids" did include Tumb Thumbs, robot henchmen that have giant thumbs for limbs and heads, but its sequel doubled down on the absurdity with massive CGI mutants. It's a fun movie for kids, but it's not really something you'd expect to feature profound dialogue.

The original trilogy ended with "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," in which both Selena Gomez and Glen Powell made their acting debuts. It also featured the final on-screen appearance by the late, great Montalbán.