# Worst British / Irish Accents by American Actors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881 "2000-07-17T20:18:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/61 "2000-07-19T17:42:49Z")
**OMG** – How soon we forget……… ``` **The Dingo ate my bai-beiy”** -Meryl Streep in goodness knows what, set in the Australian bush. ``` Streep accomplishes the impossible of circumnavigating most of the world in 5 excruciating words. Seems to start in England before heading somewhere Australasian between 3rd and 4th symbol and then reverts to her infamous (South) African lilt for the Grand Finale. All spoken with Shakespearian reverence. One of life’s golden moments. ---
**Author:** ![Marvel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marvel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/62 "2000-07-19T17:44:38Z")
To hijack just for a moment… BEST Yankee dialects by Aussies: Men’s catagory - Russle Crow in “The Insider.” The guy who plays Wolverine in the new “X-Men” movie comes pretty close. Women’s catagory - The lady who played the mom in “The Sixth Sence” (sorry, can’t remember her either). She also had small roles in “Shaft” and “Me, Myself and Irene.” Best Yank dialects by a Brit: Men’s catagory - Ken in “Dead Again.” His wife was another story… Women’s catagory - Oh, SHOOT! What is her name? Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a British student in “Good Will Hunting?” Anyway, she did a bitching Yank accent in “Grose Point Blank.” Worst dialect of any sort by any human on the planet - Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins.” That sucker was just downright horrible. As for whether its better for someone NOT to assume an accent than to do a bad one…I’d say the former is far less PAINFUL! 😉 In a way, directors and actors take a lot of liberties with the _language_ anyway. How many movies have we seen set in France or Germany or whatever and all of the “natives” are speaking perfect English? That’s a major suspension of disbelief right there! Patty ---
**Author:** ![Marvel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marvel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/63 "2000-07-19T17:46:48Z")
Sentence in above post should have read, “I can’t remember her NAME.” Sorry. I’m sleep-deprived. Patty ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/64 "2000-07-19T17:49:10Z")
Hey Marvel - don’t forget Errol Flynn was an Aussie. Sounded OK to me ? ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/65 "2000-07-19T17:56:25Z")
Oh God yes, “The dingo ate my baby!” I had (thankfully) forgotten that one. What’s with Meryl anyway? That movie, Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa… I almost think she won’t take a movie unless she can butcher an accent… Marvel- good choices. FYI- the actress in Sixth Sense was Toni Collette. If you want to be a lifelong fan, check her out in “Muriel’s Wedding”. Minnie Driver is who you’re thinking of in “Good Will Hunting” and “Grosse Point Blank”, very good also. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/66 "2000-07-19T17:57:43Z")
But wait, Minnie Driver isn’t Australian! I believe she is Irish- did you see her in “Circle of Friends?” ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/67 "2000-07-19T17:58:52Z")
Sorry, I meant British, where the hell is my coffee… ---
**Author:** ![Marvel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marvel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/68 "2000-07-19T20:20:11Z")
Hey Marvel - don’t forget Errol Flynn was an Aussie. Sounded OK to me ? Come to think of it…I don’t know if I’ve ever heard him speak! Shame on me! 🙂 Patty ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/69 "2000-07-19T20:26:26Z")
Errol Flynn was Tasmanian—I understand they get really pissed-off if you call them Aussies. Mmmm [Homer Simpson voice] . . . Errol Flynn . . . ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/70 "2000-07-19T23:26:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Mmmm [Homer Simpson voice] . . . Errol Flynn . . . \*\* Forgive the painful observation: Capital of Tasmania is Ho **bart**. Weals within wheels. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/71 "2000-07-20T05:02:28Z")
> [@](#): > > But wait, Minnie Driver isn’t Australian! I believe she is Irish- did you see her in “Circle of Friends?” You’re all wrong. She’s English. ---
**Author:** ![Marvel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marvel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/72 "2000-07-20T18:27:26Z")
I sent some of our posts to a friend of mine in Brighton, East Sussex. Here are John’s observations (I think he’s being sarcastic RE: Dick van Dyke)… * * * The bloke in Magnum was supposed to be British ? I thought it was supposed to be an East Coast patrician accent ‘a la’ Katherine Hepburn. Sean Connery never does bother to do accents eg arab chieftan (the Wind and the Lion). Kev doesn’t either. Agree Hugh Grant’s and Liz “that dress” Hurley have terrible accents, sound completely false. I’m never sure if these are their real accents or just some RADA affectations. [Don’t know what “RADA” means. - Patty] Dick Van Dyke very cleverly by much scholarly linguistic historical managed to recreate Victorian cockney and should be apluaded for such dedication for detail in preparing for his role rather than pilloried. Keaneau Reeves in Dracular what the hell’s IMHO ? Cary Grant Yes Spinal Tap - excellent, not just the accents whole behaviour/observation etc. I was shocked when I found out they weren’t British Taras Bulba & Tony C - Taras Bulba was a movie about Ukranian Cossacks why should they have British accents? And wasn’t that quote from some Hollywood Medieval nonsense (the one with the bloke in the black cape and eye patch) in which no one else attempted anything other than Californian. Rod Taylor didn’t bother in his sword and sandals stuff either. That woman in Fraiser - terrible. Was greatly shocked to find she wasn’t American - no excuse even if she’s some southern-bastard from Sussex horse-shaggers country. Most films in which Americans try Irish accents. They always come out sounding like they’re from County Leprcaun. Jean Luc Picard’s french accent Audrey Hepburn - My Fair Lady. But she love lovely so who cares? working class people in prewar Hollywood movies - always “cor-blimey guv-a-nors” All of Val Kilmer’s accents in “The Saint” James Bond No. 2 what’s his face, "G’day. My names Bond, Jim Bond " George Lazenbury. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/73 "2000-07-20T19:31:33Z")
**Marvel** : > [@](#): > > accents, sound completely false. I’m never sure if these are their real accents or just some RADA affectations. [Don’t know what “RADA” means. - Patty] RADA = **R** oyal **A** cademy of the **D** ramatic **A** rts, a famous English acting school. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/74 "2000-07-21T09:58:22Z")
The part of the Bass Player (cant remember the character name) is Harry Shearer, one of the best Voice talents in the world. He does a load of voices on the Simpsons, and many other shows. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/75 "2000-07-21T19:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Women’s catagory - Oh, SHOOT! What is her name? Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a British student in “Good Will Hunting?” Anyway, she did a bitching Yank accent in “Grose Point Blank.” Ooh! Ooh! Minnie Driver! YES! That wasn’t just a “Yank” accent she did for “Grosse Pointe Blank”, that was actually a _Michigan_ accent. (For those of you not in the know, Grosse Pointe is a city in Michigan.) As a native Michigander I was thoroughly impressed. She nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881/76 "2000-07-21T19:24:57Z")
Another member of Spinal Tap was Christopher Guest, all of his accents are good, even the made up ones [a la Princess Bride, he was the six fingered count.] I thought Robin Wright did a tolerable job in that same movie. Loved Ken’s American in Dead Again, and Elwes in Glory. On the flip side I agree with the nominations thus far for Van Dyke, Reeves, Roberts. [For graphic novel readers, there’s a whole discourse on Bert’s accent by Death when her character is first introduced to the Sandman novels] But I have to respect Connery’s unswerving devotion to his own accent, others be damned. Can you imagine the Highlander pitch - Okay Sean, this’ll be set in the highlands of Scotlands. Everyone is a clansman - except you… Actually I do the best accents of anyone I know. I can even do regional variations - some better than others true, but still, usually acceptable to those who actually speak them. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-british-irish-accents-by-american-actors/25881.md?page=3)