Preposterous accents in films

[Mini]

Unfortunately there are no Irish actors.

This means we're stuck with Scottish and American actors having to have a go at the accent. Luckily, most of the American audience think the the Lucky Charms leprechaun is what all real-life Irish people sound like.

Michael Fassbender is the only Irish actor, but he just plays American people. That happen to sound Irish.

[colacentral]

Tim from The Office can't do American accents to save his life. Terrible in both Fargo and Captain America 3.

Christian Bale does a bad English accent because he's not English, he's Welsh.

[Shit Good Nose]

Christian Bale does a bad English accent because he's not English, he's Welsh.

He's also developed one of those odd transatlantic accents as his "natural" one now - also cf. Jon Anderson and John McLaughlin, who doesn't even sound like he's from this planet any more.

[Sambob]

Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker's Dracula https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=113XaZpybqs

If we're including TV then Helen Baxendale's accent in Friends, I don't know what the PC term is these days but she sounds like one.

[mothman]

Unless I've missed it, has nobody mentioned Brando in The Missouri Breaks?

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Unless I've missed it, has nobody mentioned Brando in The Missouri Breaks?

A great example, as he offers up multiple preposterous accents over the course of a single film. Is Brando the best or worst thing about that film? I feel differently every time I watch it.

[Phil_A]

If we're including TV then Helen Baxendale's accent in Friends, I don't know what the PC term is these days but she sounds like one.

Surely it was her normal accent, as her character was supposed to be English like Helen Baxendale is.

[greenman]

Not that it lessens my enjoyment of it but Highlander is surely ground zero for out of place accents, a Frenchman playing a Scotsman, a Scotsman playing a Spanish Egyptian and an American playing a Russian.

[Sambob]

Surely it was her normal accent, as her character was supposed to be English like Helen Baxendale is.

That's what made it even more infuriating, she could have just spoken normally but instead she seemed to pronounce every word like Dick Van Dyke having a stroke: "Bloimay Oi cant boolieve you walk aloine her at noiyeet"

[Shit Good Nose]

Last Temptation of Christ is chock full of 'em - "ehhhhh, meet my disciples from duh Bronx".  Victor Argo as Peter.  Classic.

On the other hand, they're all just speaking in their normal voices, so maybe it's just that the entire cast is anachronistic to the story they are telling. 

Which is why I can NEVER take the film the least bit seriously.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Because, of course, everyone in ancient times spoke with an RP accent.

[Shit Good Nose]

All it's missing is big Russ doing his amazing gruff accent.

[Dex Sawash]

Daniel Craig's hillbilly accent in Logan Lucky
https://youtu.be/aPzvKH8AVf0

[Shit Good Nose]

Daniel Craig's hillbilly accent in Logan Lucky
https://youtu.be/aPzvKH8AVf0

But that's such a preposterous accent to begin with, I think you can get away with it.  No doubt Americans now think he's actually an American and a hillbilly.

[mothman]

Hard to tell whether that's going to be good, or awful. Plus, it seems he's now decided to do comedy.

[Jack Shaftoe]

I've seen some people argue that, since he's no longer in Kings Landing, Littlefinger doesn't need to put on airs and has reverted to his real accent.

Ohhhhhh that makes sense actually, I'll go with that.

There's a brilliant deleted scene from GoT with yer doddery old man Pycelle, revealing he's not quite as... well, watch it yourselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMXJlUIQP94

[AsparagusTrevor]

I've seen some people argue that, since he's no longer in Kings Landing, Littlefinger doesn't need to put on airs and has reverted to his real accent. I think that Gillen has only just realised that his character is a baddie and has decided he should have a baddie voice.

Ohhhhhh that makes sense actually, I'll go with that.

It's a nice theory but unfortunately it falls down if you binge the series and release he isn't doing that.

[Gulftastic]

There's a brilliant deleted scene from GoT with yer doddery old man Pycelle, revealing he's not quite as... well, watch it yourselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMXJlUIQP94

I preferred the other scene revealing his masquerade cos it had a naked lady in it.

[Replies From View]

Good. I hate it when they labour on with a actor failing miserably to do the accent.

They could have said "try a little harder or we'll replace you".

Y'know, like with real jobs.

[Carpool Dragon]

I thought Hardy in Locke was supposed to be a Welsh guy that lived in England for 10+ years so had a weird mish-mash accent. Sounded great to me but then I'm not Welsh (or English) so what do I know.

[mothman]

Thinking about that Daniel Craig accent.

Now - indulge me here. Speak out loud in an "American" accent. No, go on, really.

Haha, loser!

No, just kidding sorry. That wasn't actually very good, was it? And you know what else? You did it in probably a much higher tone than your normal speaking voice, didn't you? As we all do. Because we have an idealised accent in our heads and it's loud and drawly and - above all - nasal. And that's the accent Craig is doing there.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Can I say the little guy in game of thrones? Not a movie though.

No one on that show comes close to Aiden Gillen for preposterosity.

The guy who plays Euron Greyjoy has managed to set a new record for "highest number of accents used in a single sentence'.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Good point. I'd forgotten about him - or possibly suppressed the memory of his awfulness.

[ollyboro]

Richard Burton seems to have a touch of the Van Dykes in Villain.