Thu Feb 21, 2013, 12:48 AM

Bad Movie Accents: 10 Unconvincing Performances

Sometimes an accent is needed to play a character from a different nationality or time period.

Though some Hollywood stars smoothly transform, others have struggled to give convincing performances. From Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond" to Angelina Jolie in "Alexander," some actors have gone painfully wrong. Even classic films like "Mary Poppins" aren't immune to the dialect failure -- Dick Van Dyke's weak cockney accent made viewers want to stick their heads in a chimney.

What other actors have been deemed accent destroyers? Take a look through the slideshow below for 10 of the worst movie accents.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/movie-accents_n_2720283.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009#slide=2116049

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57 replies	Author	Time	Post
Bad Movie Accents: 10 Unconvincing Performances (Original post)	HarveyDarkey	Feb 21	OP
As much as I love the guy... and some people would probably hang me for this...	Xyzse	Feb 21	#1
Terri Garr, Young Frankenstein.	Grantuspeace	Feb 21	#2
Since the movie was parody-farce	Baitball Blogger	Feb 21	#8
Good point! n/t	Grantuspeace	Feb 22	#41
Was that a speaking part?	Bucky	Feb 21	#13
Terri Garr Was David Letterman's main crush object n/t	Yavin4	Feb 21	#27
The Cliff Clavin character in Cheers.	merrily	Feb 21	#3
Definitely Keanu Reeves in Dracula	Byronic	Feb 21	#4
Oh yeah	aint_no_life_nowhere	Feb 21	#22
Whoa! n/t	backscatter712	Feb 22	#45
That's one that made the list	HarveyDarkey	Feb 21	#24
shout out for the best, brad Pitt in the movie snatch	loli phabay	Feb 21	#5
anyone trying to fake a Southern accent	NightWatcher	Feb 21	#6
Agreed, we don't all sound like Gone with the Wind. n/t	bamacrat	Feb 21	#12
"Put... the bunny... back... in the box."	dawg	Feb 21	#34
I dunno, Tim Olyphant and Jacob Pitts pull 'em off pretty well on 'Justified'	Rob H.	Feb 22	#54
Only ten?	Baitball Blogger	Feb 21	#7
It says "10 of the worst"	HarveyDarkey	Feb 21	#32
My vote is Jodie Foster	Helen Reddy	Feb 21	#9
She's not on their list,	kentauros	Feb 21	#28
Good Point!	Helen Reddy	Feb 21	#30
I often entertain myself just by saying "Doctor Lector" in that voice she uses	Tom Ripley	Feb 21	#38
Anna Torv in Fringe	sharp_stick	Feb 21	#10
Lawless	bamacrat	Feb 21	#11
Couldn't see Huffpo because of idiotic flashing ad next to slide show	NV Whino	Feb 21	#14
Mel Gibson, Braveheart	sadbear	Feb 21	#15
And the woman who played his wife	LNM	Feb 21	#29
This one.	SwissTony	Feb 22	#48
Worst gaffe in Braveheart:	backscatter712	Feb 22	#51
Tony Curtis in ANY of the Blblican/historical movies they put him in	SoCalDem	Feb 21	#16
"Yondah lies da castle of my faddah, da King."	Ikonoklast	Feb 21	#20
Slide show won't load, but I hope they included...	Orsino	Feb 21	#17
Here's there list, for those who can't get it to work	HarveyDarkey	Feb 21	#18
Its not just the accent, it's also the dialogue...	Ron Obvious	Feb 21	#19
Tom Cruise in "Far and Away"	Wolf Frankula	Feb 21	#21
Lawrence Harvey as an American war hero in 'Manchurian Candidate';	LeftinOH	Feb 21	#23
Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own	mokawanis	Feb 21	#25
Absolute worst has to be Tom Cruise in "Far & Away". I am not Irish .. but many of my friends are	srican69	Feb 21	#26
I can't believe no one mentioned this:	DFW	Feb 21	#31
You mean you don't think a high tech future society run by robots and computers	aint_no_life_nowhere	Feb 21	#39
Vell, it depends on whesser or not ve need to haff vays to make you talk. n/t	DFW	Feb 22	#47
Nicholas Cage in Con Air, nt	Broken_Hero	Feb 21	#33
Patrick Stewart playing a Frenchman.	Neoma	Feb 21	#35
How about John Wayne playing a Mongol?	aint_no_life_nowhere	Feb 22	#40
the Duke did intensive research in Mongolia for that role	Enrique	Feb 22	#49
ANY role by Kevin Costner, ANY	benld74	Feb 21	#36
His Robin Hood got lampooned in Men In Tights.	backscatter712	Feb 22	#43
I actually like Kevin Costner as an actor otherwise, but his accents do suck.	Tommy_Carcetti	Feb 22	#50
Another DiCaprio stinker: J. Edgar	Graybeard	Feb 21	#37
Natalie Portman's attempt at an English accent in V for Vendetta didn't quite work.	backscatter712	Feb 22	#42
Also, in the Indiana Jones movies, the Nazis all spoke with British accents.	backscatter712	Feb 22	#44
Almost everyone in The Shipping News	u4ic	Feb 22	#46
Mickey Rooney as I.Y. Yunioshi in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - end of discussion	mikeytherat	Feb 22	#52
Costner in "13 Days" and Nicholson in "The Departed"	WilliamPitt	Feb 22	#53
Rosie O'donnell "Riding the Bus with My Sister"	Trascoli	Feb 22	#55
Brad Pitt in anything, especially IB	graham4anything	Feb 22	#56
Bogart as an Irishman in "Dark Victory"	First Speaker	Feb 22	#57

Response to HarveyDarkey (Original post)

Thu Feb 21, 2013, 12:58 AM

Xyzse (2,086 posts)

1. As much as I love the guy... and some people would probably hang me for this...

Sean Connery - In just about every movie he has made that he doesn't play a Scotsman.
Not that he has to do any other accent. His usual Bond on everything is A-OK to me.
So what if he is trying to play:
A Russian - Hunt for Red October
A Spaniard - Highlander
A Middle Eastern - The Next Man

It is still all good.

Bad Movie Accents: 10 Unconvincing Performances

1. As much as I love the guy... and some people would probably hang me for this...

2. Terri Garr, Young Frankenstein.

8. Since the movie was parody-farce

41. Good point! n/t

13. Was that a speaking part?

27. Terri Garr Was David Letterman's main crush object n/t

3. The Cliff Clavin character in Cheers.

4. Definitely Keanu Reeves in Dracula

22. Oh yeah

45. Whoa! n/t

24. That's one that made the list

5. shout out for the best, brad Pitt in the movie snatch

6. anyone trying to fake a Southern accent

12. Agreed, we don't all sound like Gone with the Wind. n/t

34. "Put... the bunny... back... in the box."

54. I dunno, Tim Olyphant and Jacob Pitts pull 'em off pretty well on 'Justified'

7. Only ten?

32. It says "10 of the worst"

9. My vote is Jodie Foster

28. She's not on their list,

30. Good Point!

38. I often entertain myself just by saying "Doctor Lector" in that voice she uses

10. Anna Torv in Fringe

11. Lawless

14. Couldn't see Huffpo because of idiotic flashing ad next to slide show

15. Mel Gibson, Braveheart

29. And the woman who played his wife

48. This one.

51. Worst gaffe in Braveheart:

16. Tony Curtis in ANY of the Blblican/historical movies they put him in

20. "Yondah lies da castle of my faddah, da King."

17. Slide show won't load, but I hope they included...

18. Here's there list, for those who can't get it to work

19. Its not just the accent, it's also the dialogue...

21. Tom Cruise in "Far and Away"

23. Lawrence Harvey as an American war hero in 'Manchurian Candidate';

25. Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own

26. Absolute worst has to be Tom Cruise in "Far & Away". I am not Irish .. but many of my friends are

31. I can't believe no one mentioned this:

39. You mean you don't think a high tech future society run by robots and computers

47. Vell, it depends on whesser or not ve need to haff vays to make you talk. n/t

33. Nicholas Cage in Con Air, nt

35. Patrick Stewart playing a Frenchman.

40. How about John Wayne playing a Mongol?

49. the Duke did intensive research in Mongolia for that role

36. ANY role by Kevin Costner, ANY

43. His Robin Hood got lampooned in Men In Tights.

50. I actually like Kevin Costner as an actor otherwise, but his accents do suck.

37. Another DiCaprio stinker: J. Edgar

42. Natalie Portman's attempt at an English accent in V for Vendetta didn't quite work.

44. Also, in the Indiana Jones movies, the Nazis all spoke with British accents.

46. Almost everyone in The Shipping News

52. Mickey Rooney as I.Y. Yunioshi in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - end of discussion

53. Costner in "13 Days" and Nicholson in "The Departed"

55. Rosie O'donnell "Riding the Bus with My Sister"

56. Brad Pitt in anything, especially IB

57. Bogart as an Irishman in "Dark Victory"