# Worst fake southern accent in cinematic history? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013 "2000-11-13T15:41:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/21 "2000-11-13T22:47:56Z")
Hey, how about **George Kennedy** in **Cool Hand Luke**? I still can’t believe he got an Oscar for this painfully bad fake accent. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/22 "2000-11-13T22:50:49Z")
All of the secondary characters in _Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil_ ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/23 "2000-11-13T22:57:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saint Zero \* > **Opal, character on one of those Soaps. Supposed to be from the south, but I’ve never heard an accent that horrible all my life.** That would be _All My Children_. Opal was the mother of Jenny, played by Kim Delaney now of _NYPD Blue_ fame. Amazing how much useless knowledge you store up over the years huh? 🙂 I found Russell Crowe’s wife in _The Insider_ absolutely unbearable to listen to. Can’t really speak for whether or not her accent was authentic or not, though, since I’m not really familiar with upper-class versions of Southern accents. (And if her accent **was** authentic, then I don’t want to be familiar with them!) ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/24 "2000-11-13T23:18:31Z")
Julia Roberts in _Steel Magnolias_. There was a piece on this very topic on NPR’s “This American Life” on Friday evening, and the author’s contention was that Robert DeNiro in _Cape Fear_ was the absolute pits. ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/25 "2000-11-13T23:22:04Z")
Forgot to say: I _know_ Julia Roberts is from Georgia, but she went to a speech coach to pick up that awful accent in place of her own natural one, which apparently wasn’t drawling enough for Hollywood (according to the “This American Life” guy). ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/26 "2000-11-13T23:23:13Z")
How 'bout Jody Foster in [i} Maverick\*? The whole movie was pretty much a stinker, but that chicken-fried accent she put on was the worst!! ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/27 "2000-11-13T23:34:50Z")
**JosephFinn** : I’m pretty certain Christopher Guest isn’t British, though he does have a barony. As far as the OP goes, I suffered through _The legend of Bagger Vance_ this weekend, and while Charlize Theron’s Southern accent wasn’t the worst part of the movie\*, it sure as hell wasn’t very good. [sub]\*An honor which is shared jointly by the shallow narrative, the tepid script, and the nonexistent characterizations.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/28 "2000-11-13T23:38:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\ ***Dan Akroyd** in **Driving Miss Daisy**. Jessica Tandy’s accent, in contrast, was excellent. \*\* oh my God, yes!! Dan Akroyd stunk up that movie something fierce. ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/29 "2000-11-14T00:41:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andyman \* > \*\*The Cajun accents in “The Big Easy” were horrific. Also, anyone’s who has been to New Orleans, knows that the people there have a completely different sound. > > \*\* I’d have to agree. I saw this movie and I laughed my ass off at Dennis Quaid’s pathetic attempt to sound like a Louisiana dude. ---
**Author:** ![Jekeira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jekeira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jekeira)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/30 "2000-11-14T01:50:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by D Marie \* > \*\*Julia Roberts in _Steel Magnolias_. > \*\* That movie did feature a rather bizarre array of accents, but Olympia Dukakis’ was by far the worst. It was so bad it was just strange. It may have been the worst fake accent of any kind I have ever heard, ever. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/31 "2000-11-14T02:48:40Z")
puut the buuun-nee daown. (put the bunny down) ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/32 "2000-11-14T03:49:18Z")
[hijack] The accents in The Big Easy may have been awful, but that one sex scene–yikes! Whoo, baby![/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/33 "2000-11-14T04:12:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by D Marie \* > \*\*Julia Roberts in _Steel Magnolias_. > > There was a piece on this very topic on NPR’s “This American Life” on Friday evening, and the author’s contention was that Robert DeNiro in _Cape Fear_ was the absolute pits. \*\* Hey! When was this? The show I heard Sunday was on the Media Fringe. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/34 "2000-11-14T04:22:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brynda \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > > \*\ ***Dan Akroyd** in **Driving Miss Daisy**. Jessica Tandy’s accent, in contrast, was excellent. \*\* > > oh my God, yes!! Dan Akroyd stunk up that movie something fierce. \*\* He stunk it up enough to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor… ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/35 "2000-11-14T09:22:12Z")
The absolute worst southern accent I have ever heard was from Kim Bassinger in ‘Ready to Wear’.[sub]Ironically, I hear she is from Georgia![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/36 "2000-11-14T10:50:01Z")
Nastassia Kinsky in “Paris, Texas” Michael Caine in “Hurry Sundown” Laurence Olivier, as Big Daddy in a TV production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/37 "2000-11-14T11:36:52Z")
Christopher Guest was born in the U.S. to British parents. I believed he’s never lived in the U.K. I just watched _Spinal Tap_ again recently, and it was obvious that Harry Shearer was having trouble keeping his British accent consistent. The other actors did a pretty good job with the accents, it seemed to me. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/38 "2000-11-14T14:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > How 'bout Jody Foster in Maverick? I didn’t see Maverick, but I thought Jody did a pretty good southern accent in **Silence of the Lambs**. And about **Kim Basinger** : Her accent is as authentic as they come. She is from Athens, GA, and her accent comes through loud and clear in interviews. I didn’t see **Steel Magnolias** , so I can’t comment on the accents there, but as you noted, **Julia Roberts** is from Smyrna, GA, so I would be disappointed if she turned in a bad accent. **Dan Akroyd** got an _Oscar nomination_ for that abomination of a fake accent? Why do they keep rewarding these horrible accents? First **George Kennedy** and now this! Oh yeah, I forgot that **Vivian Leigh** reprised her horrible fake accent in **Streetcar Named Desire**. Yech! By the way, I have some respect for **Clark Gable**. He was asked to do a southern accent in GWTW, but refused, knowing it wouldn’t have been good. Thank you Mr. Gable. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/39 "2000-11-14T15:09:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by D Marie \* > **Julia Roberts in _Steel Magnolias_.** Speaking of Steel Magnolias, I hate it when directors lump all accents together as if “Southern” were a single type of speech. Kim Basinger does not sound like Dolly Parton any more than Joe Pesci sounds like Rodney Dangerfield, even though they’re both “New York.” ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013/40 "2000-11-14T15:20:50Z")
Y’all beat me to Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias. Ironic, no? Also, for male I have to also second Kevin Costner in JFK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-fake-southern-accent-in-cinematic-history/41013.md?page=3)