#51
Posted: 8/17/09 at 12:24pm
Weez, it's the same for us. With a few notable exceptions, most Brits seems to play Americans as a combination of cowboy and Chicago gangster.
Best And Worst Fake Accents — Page 3
#52
Posted: 8/17/09 at 12:57pm
I also have to agree, Hugh Laurie is incredible. It's amazing that he is able to do an American accent so on point.
"It's about the Benjamins, not the Bernsteins."-CapnHook
#53
Posted: 8/17/09 at 12:58pm
Why do people gush over international actors who do a very good American accent but razz most American actors who attempt any accent?
Because unless it's really obviously bad/inconsistent or you're an expert in the accent, it's very difficult to tell when someone's doing a perfect accent that's not from your country. When I went to London and saw about twenty shows, I learned that British actors are just as hit-and-miss with American accents as they say Americans are with them. Lots of British accents Americans put on are close enough for Americans that we can't hear a problem, but the British can. Hearing Brits put on imperfect American accents was just WEIRD, because I couldn't necessarily pinpoint the problem, it was just a consistent feeling of being off.
For this reason, I generally only comment on non-American actors doing American accents, because that's the only thing I can safely comment on. David Suchet does a perfect American accent: I thought he WAS American in Complicit before I recognized him afterwards as being Poirot.
Because unless it's really obviously bad/inconsistent or you're an expert in the accent, it's very difficult to tell when someone's doing a perfect accent that's not from your country. When I went to London and saw about twenty shows, I learned that British actors are just as hit-and-miss with American accents as they say Americans are with them. Lots of British accents Americans put on are close enough for Americans that we can't hear a problem, but the British can. Hearing Brits put on imperfect American accents was just WEIRD, because I couldn't necessarily pinpoint the problem, it was just a consistent feeling of being off.
For this reason, I generally only comment on non-American actors doing American accents, because that's the only thing I can safely comment on. David Suchet does a perfect American accent: I thought he WAS American in Complicit before I recognized him afterwards as being Poirot.
#54
Posted: 8/17/09 at 2:38pm
Bob Gunton's accent in EVITA always drives me insane. Not that it's bad, but WHY does he have one when no one else does?
#55
Posted: 8/17/09 at 2:41pm
Daniel Evans's American Accent on the SITPWG cd is pretty terrible. Great performance, bad accent.
Not theatre, but Isla Fisher's American accent is pretty bad- lots of holes.
Not theatre, but Isla Fisher's American accent is pretty bad- lots of holes.
#56
Posted: 8/17/09 at 2:48pm
In addition to those already mentioned (there does need to be a Hall of Fame for folks like Azaria, Laurie, Streep, etc), I thought David Hyde Pierce had a terrific Boston accent in Curtains.
Agree with LuPone doing a British accent is painful.
Agree with LuPone doing a British accent is painful.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#57
Posted: 8/17/09 at 3:03pm
I don't think it registered with me that Toni Collette was Australian until I just read it up there ^
Bob Gunton's accent has a special place in my heart. like K8eeyore said, why does he have that accent when his Eva is CLEARLY from Long Island?
Bob Gunton's accent has a special place in my heart. like K8eeyore said, why does he have that accent when his Eva is CLEARLY from Long Island?
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
#58
Posted: 8/17/09 at 4:24pm
Best - Toni Colette - in anything - fabulous.
Renee Zellwegger - in Bridget Jones' Diary - brilliant.
Worst - Nathan Lane - English accent in Butley, was awful. it sounded like he didn't even attempt it
Ewan McGregor - English accent in Moulin Rouge; considering he is Scottish, it was terrible.
Gavin Creel - his Manchester accent in Hair, is dreadful - he forgets about it, quite a bit.
Renee Zellwegger - in Bridget Jones' Diary - brilliant.
Worst - Nathan Lane - English accent in Butley, was awful. it sounded like he didn't even attempt it
Ewan McGregor - English accent in Moulin Rouge; considering he is Scottish, it was terrible.
Gavin Creel - his Manchester accent in Hair, is dreadful - he forgets about it, quite a bit.
#59
Posted: 8/17/09 at 4:29pm
Peter Sarsgaard's British accent in The Seagull was probably the worst attempt I've ever seen in a professional production. I've heard ninth-graders in drama classes with no training do better.
Best recent ones: Chandler Williams in Mary Stuart and the entire cast of Ruined.
Best recent ones: Chandler Williams in Mary Stuart and the entire cast of Ruined.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#60
Posted: 8/17/09 at 5:15pm
Bob Gunton's accent in EVITA always drives me insane. Not that it's bad, but WHY does he have one when no one else does?
YES! That always bothered me so much!
Ewan McGregor - English accent in Moulin Rouge; considering he is Scottish, it was terrible.
His accent never irritated me, because the movie's set in France and all of the characters are French... so I just assumed he was modifying his natural accent to make it easier to understand for English/American viewers.
Christian Bale does some pretty good accents, too. And actually, I'm not much of a Johnny Depp fan, but I'm rather impressed by his Captain Jack Sparrow accent. Obviously, it's a bit cartoonish, but so's Captain Jack. Jennifer Ehle in Pride and Prejudice was pretty good, too-- there were only a few brief moments where she didn't sound English.
YES! That always bothered me so much!
Ewan McGregor - English accent in Moulin Rouge; considering he is Scottish, it was terrible.
His accent never irritated me, because the movie's set in France and all of the characters are French... so I just assumed he was modifying his natural accent to make it easier to understand for English/American viewers.
Christian Bale does some pretty good accents, too. And actually, I'm not much of a Johnny Depp fan, but I'm rather impressed by his Captain Jack Sparrow accent. Obviously, it's a bit cartoonish, but so's Captain Jack. Jennifer Ehle in Pride and Prejudice was pretty good, too-- there were only a few brief moments where she didn't sound English.
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
#61
Posted: 8/17/09 at 5:26pm
Christian Bale is great at accents.
If we're going outside of theatre (or has he done theatre? I dunno), definitely Damian Lewis. I had no idea that he wasn't American when I saw Band of Brothers.
If we're going outside of theatre (or has he done theatre? I dunno), definitely Damian Lewis. I had no idea that he wasn't American when I saw Band of Brothers.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#62
Posted: 8/17/09 at 5:53pm
How about Michael Crawford in Dance of the Vampires. That was painful.
And I Am Always So Vitriolic
#63
Posted: 8/17/09 at 6:17pm
Matt Rawle in "Evita" in London had the weirdest accent -- I realize that part of it is that he's from Manchester, but there was something strange going on beyond that.
Philip Quast, bless him, had a pretty dodgy French accent in "South Pacific."
Unfortunately, I have heard a lot of pretty poor American accents in London productions... I think in some ways it's easier to go broad and do southern or New York or some other accent that is easier to mimic, but this sometimes leads to some crazy southern "Gone with the Wind"/bad movie gangster blend.
On a positive note, Will Chase sounded freakishly like John Lennon in "Lennon." A few of the other actors portraying Lennon didn't nail it, but oh well.
Philip Quast, bless him, had a pretty dodgy French accent in "South Pacific."
Unfortunately, I have heard a lot of pretty poor American accents in London productions... I think in some ways it's easier to go broad and do southern or New York or some other accent that is easier to mimic, but this sometimes leads to some crazy southern "Gone with the Wind"/bad movie gangster blend.
On a positive note, Will Chase sounded freakishly like John Lennon in "Lennon." A few of the other actors portraying Lennon didn't nail it, but oh well.
'"Contrairiwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."'
~Lewis Carroll
Updated On: 8/17/09 at 06:17 PM
#64
Posted: 8/17/09 at 6:31pm
Oh, God, I forgot about Matt Rawle. "You let down your people Eviter."
And the way he said Casa Rosada, I mean, couldn't he at least try to pronounce it correctly?
And the way he said Casa Rosada, I mean, couldn't he at least try to pronounce it correctly?
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#65
Posted: 8/17/09 at 6:41pm
I'd like to add Bryan McElroy in Jersey Boys to the worst. HE could not talk without spitting, which was unfourunate for me as I sat in the front row the majority of times I saw him.
He'd been watching way too much Goodfellas, I think.
Ryan Molloy's accent(s) in London's Jersey Boys was pretty awful, although most of his co-stars did fairly well, if not perfect. Mark Isherwood's was impressively consistent when I saw him go on as Nick.
He'd been watching way too much Goodfellas, I think.
Ryan Molloy's accent(s) in London's Jersey Boys was pretty awful, although most of his co-stars did fairly well, if not perfect. Mark Isherwood's was impressively consistent when I saw him go on as Nick.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#66
Posted: 8/18/09 at 1:33am
Let's not forget Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna for worst accents.
I don't WANT to live in what they call "a certain way." In the first place I'd be no good at it and besides that I don't want to be identified with any one class of people. I want to live every whichway, among all kinds---and know them---and understand them---and love them---THAT's what I want! - Philip Barry (Holiday)
#67
Posted: 8/18/09 at 10:57am
Kevin Costner in Robin Hood
Kevin Costner in 13 Days
Ah shoot- Costner in just about anythin w or w/out an accent.
Kevin Costner in 13 Days
Ah shoot- Costner in just about anythin w or w/out an accent.
#68
Posted: 8/18/09 at 11:00am
As long as we're going into movies, I'll add one for which expect to receive a lot of grief. I think a young Lindsay Lohan did a terrific job with the accents in the remake of The Parent Trap.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#69
Posted: 8/18/09 at 11:06am
Victoria Clark's accent in The Light in the Piazza is wonderful. However, although it's not bad, Kelli O'Hara's is a bit jarring to my ears for some reason.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
#70
Posted: 8/18/09 at 11:10am
Maybe because Kelli's from Oklahoma, and her character's from North Carolina? Victoria Clark's does bother me a little when she's singing, though. The 'o's sound forced when she's singing. ("River oaverfloawing," etc.)
In my pants, she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun! --Marius Pantsmercy
#71
Posted: 8/18/09 at 11:11am
Since we are delving into TV/Movie area.... James Marsters in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I had no idea he was from the U.S. until I saw him on "Politically Incorrect". Good. Job.
On the other hand, David Boreanez's Irish accent? Not so much.
On the other hand, David Boreanez's Irish accent? Not so much.
"And I'm a grown up....I don't go on vacations....I go to Broadway." - dramamama611
"Even I think that's hot, and I'm a straight guy. If I ever become gay he is the reason." - Drunk Chita Rivera on Gavin Creel
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"Even I think that's hot, and I'm a straight guy. If I ever become gay he is the reason." - Drunk Chita Rivera on Gavin Creel
"Leia947 is my theatre mamma, and I love her for it." - AndAllThatJazz22
#72
Posted: 8/18/09 at 1:23pm
Sutton Foster gave an awful, inconsistent Swedish accent in Young Frankenstein...
Isn't that kind of the point? That's like saying that Kerry Butler's Australian accent in XANADU was silly.
As for awful accents, try watching the video of Hugh Jackman in OKLAHOMA! Oh, god, the accents. The London cast recording of SATURDAY NIGHT is pretty bad at points, too.
Recently, Pablo Schreiber in DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS was embarrassingly bad. He used a Southern accent when the word was written that way, but the rest of the time he used this educated, high-class, almost British tone that made the Southern bits sound absolutely ridiculous.
I have to second (third? fourth?) Hugh Laurie as the master.
Isn't that kind of the point? That's like saying that Kerry Butler's Australian accent in XANADU was silly.
As for awful accents, try watching the video of Hugh Jackman in OKLAHOMA! Oh, god, the accents. The London cast recording of SATURDAY NIGHT is pretty bad at points, too.
Recently, Pablo Schreiber in DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS was embarrassingly bad. He used a Southern accent when the word was written that way, but the rest of the time he used this educated, high-class, almost British tone that made the Southern bits sound absolutely ridiculous.
I have to second (third? fourth?) Hugh Laurie as the master.
Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
"He's a tramp, but I love him."
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
#73
Posted: 8/18/09 at 8:50pm
I actually think Victoria's accent was just...not good, but then again...I know that accent pretty darn well and I'm WAY WAY WAY picky with it.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
#74
Posted: 8/18/09 at 10:23pm
I'm glad other people put Toni Collette in here. I read this thread before leaving for work this morning and thought I should have put it in here.
I'd seen her in Connie & Carla, The 6th Sense, and Little Miss Sunshine without ever seeing her in an interview, and when that Aussie accent came out...I was so shocked!
Also, Natalie Portman's accent in "Where the Heart Is" is...painful. Maybe I'm only used to Kentucky-southern accents (because I live here) and she's supposed to be from Tennessee.
I'd seen her in Connie & Carla, The 6th Sense, and Little Miss Sunshine without ever seeing her in an interview, and when that Aussie accent came out...I was so shocked!
Also, Natalie Portman's accent in "Where the Heart Is" is...painful. Maybe I'm only used to Kentucky-southern accents (because I live here) and she's supposed to be from Tennessee.
"Who says you can't bend over backwards and eat bugs if you want to? I guess the bugs would probably say you can't do that that, but assuming that they are willing and consenting bugs, then there's no problem. Let's wig out eating bugs."
-RuPaul
#75
Posted: 8/19/09 at 8:52am
It would seem that no one (American or English) can do a decent Australian accent. It even defeated Meryl Streep.
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