# Worst fake British accent in cinematic history?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 15, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322 "2000-11-15T16:55:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/1 "2000-11-15T16:55:38Z")
Inspired, of course, by **spoke-**'s query about fake Southern accents in filmdom.
I nominate **Matthew Broderick** in _Ladyhawke_ His phony accent petered out in about fifteen minutes, and he reverted to his normal American voice.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/2 "2000-11-15T16:58:51Z")
I think we talked about this. Who was it? Harrison?
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### Author:  [@Falula\_Guinea\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falula_Guinea_Pig)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/3 "2000-11-15T17:21:22Z")
Dick Van Dykes god-awful cockney accent in Mary Poppins has to be one of the worst efforts I’ve ever heard!
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/4 "2000-11-15T17:29:49Z")
yes, it’s been covered. My nomination is, of course, Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood, oops, I forgot to say that with an accent”
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/5 "2000-11-15T17:43:53Z")
I nominate **Keanu Reeves** _and_ **Wynona Ryder** for **Bram Stoker’s Dracula**.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/6 "2000-11-15T17:49:36Z")
Yeah, this was done a month or two back—and Dick Van Dyke won hands-down. My British friends say there actually have been laughter-related deaths in England when that film is shown there.
“Oh, Rooooob!” [anguished Laura Petrie voice]
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### Author:  [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/7 "2000-11-15T17:57:59Z")
I second Kevin Costner in Robin Hood. First thing that popped into my head had already been posted.
MR
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### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/8 "2000-11-15T18:09:10Z")
Dvd won?? based on the Brit’s laughter. Ok. well, maybe there’s the issue. We 'mericans don’t really know what a Brit’s accent is supposed to sound like, so, DVD’s broad nasal sound ‘coudda’ been one, but as far as I could see, he actually KEPT the same accent throughout the movie, as opposed to MY candidate, who would drop it in the middle of a sentence.
Maybe we should canvas the folks in Florida to see what THEY think… (😃 )
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/9 "2000-11-15T18:43:00Z")
It _has_ to be Dick van Dyke, if not only on the basis that persisting with such a consistently bad accent is worse than lapsing in and out of an almost passable one.
Though if you’re including bad British accents by British actors, almost any attempt at a “regional” accent by any minor British character actor in any British film made before 1960. I have lost count of the number of British B-movies I have seen set in, say, Norfolk or Somerset in which all the working class characters have cockney accents.
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### Author:  [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/10 "2000-11-15T19:15:05Z")
I’ve heard from a few Brits that Higgins (John Hillerman I think) on Magnum PI had a horrible British accent. I never thought so, but what do you expect from a guy from the South.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/11 "2000-11-15T19:49:37Z")
Jouquin Phoenix(sp?) - **Gladiator** and **Quill** , at least from what I’ve seen from the promos.
Honorable mention - Carrie Fischer - **Star Wars**. Her first ten lines were in this upper-crust kind of British accent. After that it was like she was Princess Linda from Jersey.
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### Author:  [@caircair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caircair)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/12 "2000-11-16T00:17:28Z")
What about worst AMERICAN accent by a Britisher?
My nomination is for Mark Addy in The Flintstones go to Rock Vegas. Never managed to sit all the way through this one, it was pure drek, and his accent made it worse.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/13 "2000-11-16T00:34:33Z")
“Rocket Attack USA” from the files of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The “actors” used phrases like “Good show” in order to remind you that were supposed to be British.
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/14 "2000-11-16T01:58:19Z")
I love the TV comedy Frasier, but I can’t tell what accent Daphne is using. I know she’s originally from England (she used to be on the Benny Hill show), but that’s no accent I ever heard anywhere in the UK.
And apparently Marty Crane is played by an English actor - is his American accent acceptable to you guys?
P.S. I thought Alan Rickman stole Robin Hood from Costner - now Rickman’s definitely got an English accent!
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### Author:  [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/15 "2000-11-16T04:15:21Z")
Has anyone seen the movie with Richard Gere, based on the Graham Greene classic, _The Honorary Counsel?_ I believe it was called _Beyond the Limit_…shoulda been _Beyond Belief_…
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/16 "2000-11-16T04:30:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by spoke- \*
> \*\*I nominate **Keanu Reeves** _and_ **Wynona Ryder** for **Bram Stoker’s Dracula**. \*\*
Seconded!!
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### Author:  [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/17 "2000-11-16T06:19:57Z")
\*\*quote:
```
Originally posted by spoke-
I nominate Keanu Reeves and Wynona Ryder for Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Seconded!!**
```
Thirded.
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### Author:  [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/18 "2000-11-16T13:29:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I love the TV comedy Frasier, but I can’t tell what accent Daphne is using.
It’s clearly a Lancashire accent, quite possibly Manchester, and a pretty good one.
Her brother, on the other hand, is inexplicably played with a London accent and one of her other relatives in the wedding episode sounded like an Australian.
Also, that episode was the second time I’ve heard an “English” character say “last call”. The first was Sean Bean in Goldeneye (another ropey British accent by a British actor). I have never, _ever_ heard an Englishman say “last call”. It’s “last orders”, followed by “time”.
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### Author:  [@horowitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horowitz)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/19 "2000-11-16T14:05:47Z")
I would have to go with **John Wayne’s** portrayal of **Neville Chamberlain** in **Sudatenland the Musical**
Ok I just made that up.
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### Author:  [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-british-accent-in-cinematic-history/41322/20 "2000-11-16T14:34:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by glee \*
> \*\*I love the TV comedy Frasier, but I can’t tell what accent Daphne is using. I know she’s originally from England (she used to be on the Benny Hill show), but that’s no accent I ever heard anywhere in the UK.
> And apparently Marty Crane is played by an English actor - is his American accent acceptable to you guys?
> \*\*
John Mahoney is from Manchester, where Daphne is supposedly from. (Jane Leeves is from East Grinstead, BTW.)
I’ve read that Mahoney worked specifically to eliminate his accent. I’ve seen him in many productions, and would have never guessed he hadn’t been raised in the US.
John Hillerman, who played Higgins on “Magnum PI”, was born and raised in Texas! I gather here that his English accent was poor, but to untrained Americans it sounded OK.