Worst accents in film?

[Samuel_Scott]

Just watched Elephant White (2.5/5 IMO) which co-stars a favourite actor of mine, Kevin Bacon. If you watch The Woodsman, you'll see how fantastic Bacon can be, but in Elephant White he plays an English arms dealer and his English accent is truly disturbing. Really one of the worst I have ever heard and really took away from the rest of the movie.

So which performances do you hate for the bad accents?

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

Kevin is an american so british accent is simply impossible for him. Playing some dude from Texas is one thing. Trying to be from London or Liverpool is quite different.

The worst accent in movies is russian. When some american fella trying to sound like he's from Moscow, that's just killing me. "Comrads! For Motherland!" I especially love those WWII movies like Enemy At The Gates. The whole movie was ruined by those phony accents. And of course Red Heat...

[Paul_Lewis]

I saw Elephant White recently too, Sam, and thought exactly the same.

Lithuanian-born Laurence Harvey's wonky attempt at a West Yorkshire accent in Clayton's Room at the Top springs immediately to mind. The film's a classic, but Harvey's accent is all over the shop

I was always a fan (for all the wrong reasons) of Brando's Irish accent in the wacky The Missouri Breaks too.

This'll give you a chuckle or two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ycNdtiT3Q

[Samuel_Scott]

The worst accent in movies is russian. When some american fella trying to sound like he's from Moscow, that's just killing me. "Comrads! For Motherland!" I especially love those WWII movies like Enemy At The Gates. The whole movie was ruined by those phony accents. And of course Red Heat...

Yeah, so many Western actors try to play Russians. I have a Serbian friend and he always laughs at UK/US actors trying to do a Serbian accent. It sounds OK to me, probably because I am not used to the dialects etc but he hates it.

I saw Elephant White recently too, Sam, and thought exactly the same.

What did you think of the ending?

PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:

I didn't like the spirituality way it went with Mai.

That and Bacon's accent made it a 2.5/5 rather than a 3. Hounsou was OK, but the film generally felt like recent DTV efforts from Christian Slater and Cuba Gooding Jr. I really enjoy these dodgy DTV actioner's though.

This'll give you a chuckle or two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0ycNdtiT3Q

Brilliant.

I just remembered another horrible accent. I recently watched Hell Ride and Vinnie Jones' American accent was also embarassingly bad for anyone watching.

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

I recently watched Hell Ride and Vinnie Jones' American accent was also embarassingly bad for anyone watching.

The whole movie is over the top so his accent kinda fits perfectly to me.

I didn't like the spirituality way it went with Mai.

The scriptwriter was probably stoned at that point. The whole movie is garbage.

It sounds OK to me, probably because I am not used to the dialects etc but he hates it.

Exactly so.

[Tim_Rogerson]

Keanu Reeves in Dracula.

Don Cheadle in Oceans 11.

or Ralph Bates in I Don't Want to be Born.

No excuse for most of these as the characters could be any nationality.

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

Keanu Reeves in Dracula.

Don Cheadle in Oceans 11.

or Ralph Bates in I Don't Want to be Born.

No excuse for most of these as the characters could be any nationality.

Atleast Don Cheadle didn't pretend to be a russian.

[Stephen_Campbell]

I think the worst accents I've ever heard were Keanu Reeves in Dracula, Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman in Far and Away and Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away ("Did ya see d'explooosion Liam?")

Russell Crowe playing Robin Hood as if he was from Drogheda was also interesting, and Antony Hopkins' attempts to do accents are usually ridiculous as well - in Legend of the Falls, he goes through about six!

I personally think when actors are doing a role with a strong accent, if they can't master it, they should take the Sean Connery Hunt for Red October route - just keep their own accent. He played a Russian sub captin and spoke with a thick Scottish brogue, but that's far far less distracting that, say, Mr. Reeves "I know where the baaaaastaaaaard sleeps, I brought him deaaaar, to Carrrfax Abbaaaay." Mickey Rourke did a good Irish accent in A Prayer for the Dying, and that's fine, that's great, if you can pull it off. But then take Leonardo DiCaptrio's South African accent in Blood Diamond, laughable, and totally takes you out of the movie. Connery in October though? For like, 60 seconds, it's "Oh look, there's a Russian with a Scottish accent", and then you forget about it and get on with the movie. Sadly, most actors don't take this route though. I mean, I personally found Crowe's weird Dublin-esque accent in Robin Hood far more distracting than Costner's American twang in Prince of Thieves.

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

I think the worst accents I've ever heard were Keanu Reeves in Dracula, Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman in Far and Away and Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away ("Did ya see d'explooosion Liam?")

Russell Crowe playing Robin Hood as if he was from Drogheda was also interesting, and Antony Hopkins' attempts to do accents are usually ridiculous as well - in Legend of the Falls, he goes through about six!

I personally think when actors are doing a role with a strong accent, if they can't master it, they should take the Sean Connery Hunt for Red October route - just keep their own accent. He played a Russian sub captin and spoke with a thick Scottish brogue, but that's far far less distracting that, say, Mr. Reeves "I know where the baaaaastaaaaard sleeps, I brought him deaaaar, to Carrrfax Abbaaaay." Mickey Rourke did a good Irish accent in A Prayer for the Dying, and that's fine, that's great, if you can pull it off. But then take Leonardo DiCaptrio's South African accent in Blood Diamond, laughable, and totally takes you out of the movie. Connery in October though? For like, 60 seconds, it's "Oh look, there's a Russian with a Scottish accent", and then you forget about it and get on with the movie. Sadly, most actors don't take this route though. I mean, I personally found Crowe's weird Dublin-esque accent in Robin Hood far more distracting than Costner's American twang in Prince of Thieves.

I totally agree with you. Irish/scottish accents are the most difficult to produce. I never could.
I also find Nicolas Cage's accent in Con Air to be over the top ridicules. The worst and the most hilarious southern accent I've ever heard! Some folks don't have that gift, that's all.
And, of course, when Anthony Hopkins was playing Hitler in The Bunker... I couldn't stop laughing the whole movie! The most silly WWII movie as I recall. It's just the whole idea of a brit playing Hitler is truly amazing. Simply watch Downfall/Der Untergang and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

So, it's very very simple. If you're american/brit/aussie, for f(u)cks sake don't play russians/germans/serbians/the rest of the world! You gonna do everyone a huge favor.

[James_Morton]

One of the worst accents has got to be Richard Gere's 'Irish' accent in THE JACKAL
Absolutely terrible but funny

[Samuel_Scott]

Welcome to the forums James!

[Jim_Mcdonaugh]

One of the worst accents has got to be Richard Gere's 'Irish' accent in THE JACKAL
Absolutely terrible but funny

I bet you haven't heard William Forsyth's irish accent in Hack! It's a freaking blast.

[Tim_Rogerson]

What I don't really understand is that in a lot of these cases there is no reason for the accent at all. Don Cheadle didn't have to be British in Oceans 11 for example.

Nobody has yet mentioned Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Presumably he is on a pedestal so high not even Keanu reeves could reach it.

[Leigh_Riding]

Has nobody realised how rough Mel Gibson's accent is in Lethal Weapon, or is it just me?

[James_Morton]

Has nobody realised how rough Mel Gibson's accent is in Lethal Weapon, or is it just me?

maybe his ott drinking had something to do with it....

[Alister_Manson]

Any attempt by Sam Worthington to sound like anything other than Australian tends to lead to disastrous results, Texas Killing Fields and Terminator Salvation being two of the worst examples.