Hey, I'm British and I'm tired of everybody (particularly in the UK) always using Dick Van Dyke as a default setting when bad accents come up. That isn't even the worst English accent on screen (ever seen the Tom & Jerry cartoon "Robin Hoodwinked"?)...
Michael Caine's excruciating tones in The Cider House Rules have to make the list.
The most malligned accent has to be the Dutch. Most accents are bad because the actors are too lazy or they're too distracted by their acting job to stay focussed on the pronounciation. When the Dutch accents is required absolutely NO one has any idea what to do; not even if they ARE focussed. Most of the attempts have the Dutch viewers go: "Who's the German?". "Foreign correspondent" is a prime example. The moment they are between the SPANISH model wimdmills, it turns into full blown comedy with the absolutely ridiculous mumblings going on. The one who so far comes closest to it is Paul Whithouse:
but even he's of, and I mean way of. Where, especially English, actors get the idea from that the Dutch pronounce an "s" as they were Sean Connery, is anybody's guess. If you want to see what I mean, see Phill Jupitus on QI trying to give it a go (or Bill Bailey respond in his German version).
We in the UK laugh at Americans attempting English accents, but we're worse. We think we can do great American accents as we've been brought up on American films & TV, but I don't think we're that good at it. Unless you're really good at accents, it's best to do a Sean Connery & not bother.
I think Toni Collette does, not only an excellent American, but an even harder Philadelphia accent, in The Sixth Sense. Most people who attempt a Philadelphia accent, end up sounding like New York.
Gary Oldman does a very good "american" accent in the batman films, imo. mostly because it does not sound forced.
The worse brit I can think right now is Bob Hoskins, who does the, "Gee ma, cat on a hot tin roof, I'll have a burger with that" kind of accent. I thought Hugh Laurie in House sounded a bit odd, but it sounds OK now, maybe I've got used to it. One of the best brit accents from an American actor was Spike from Buffy (James Masters), when I hear him speak in his own American accent, it sounds wrong!
Generally people from the country for which a foreigner is trying to do their accents are the best judges of how good a job they have done. Americans are best suited to judge how an actor from the UK does when attempting an American accent and vice-a-versa. The Hugh Laurie, HOUSE, issue comes to mind. Many Brits think he does a bad American accent which (after a not quite perfect first year) sounds perfectly American to most American's ears. I guess it doesn't sound real to many people from the UK because they've heard him speaking with a British accent of some sort or another for so many years now that it just sounds wrong/bad hearing an American accent coming out of his mouth.
One thing I've noticed is how well most Aussies and Kiwis do American accents. There have been a number of Australian and New Zealand actors that for years I thought were Americans because I first heard them speaking with an American accent and they had it down so perfectly and doing so in subsequent roles. Guy Pearce, Toni Collette and Naomi Watts readily come to mind.
The worst most recent movie/TV accent that comes to mind off hand, Rosamund Pike in DOOM. It akmes me cringe at times. She's gotten better since. Sophia Myles is pretty much spot on though in the TV series MOONLIGHT. Not comparing them for any reason other than they are both cute British blonde actresses!
Has anybody on here ever witnessed a film called A SHOT AT GLORY, directed by and starring the great American actor Robert Duvall? In it he plays the manager of a lower-division football (or, soccer if you're in the U.S.) club who fight their way through to the final of the Scottish F.A. Cup.
His put-on accent for this film has to be heard to be believed!
Brad Pitt - Inglorious Bastards - Probably the worst American Southern accent (Cajun?) ever recorded....
I agree. Terrible. Might I add his Benjamin Button to the list. I liked how he performed Button, but hated how he chose to talk the part. Cajuns, or New Orleanians do not talk that way.
Gary Oldman does a very good "american" accent in the batman films, imo. mostly because it does not sound forced.
The worse brit I can think right now is Bob Hoskins, who does the, "Gee ma, cat on a hot tin roof, I'll have a burger with that" kind of accent. I thought Hugh Laurie in House sounded a bit odd, but it sounds OK now, maybe I've got used to it. One of the best brit accents from an American actor was Spike from Buffy (James Masters), when I hear him speak in his own American accent, it sounds wrong!
Masters fooled me until I saw him being interviewed.
One thing I've noticed is how well most Aussies and Kiwis do American accents. There have been a number of Australian and New Zealand actors that for years I thought were Americans because I first heard them speaking with an American accent and they had it down so perfectly, doing so in subsequent roles. Guy Pearce, Toni Collette and Naomi Watts readily come to mind.
Not to mention Portia di Rossi, Nicole Kidman, Simon Baker (he recently did a promo for Five's UK run of the new season of The Mentalist in his own voice)...
As well as James Marsters, special mentions for Eric Stonestreet (who did a really good English accent in one of Sky One's promos for Modern Family) and, of course, John Hillerman as Magnum's thorn-in-the-side Higgins.
One thing I've noticed is how well most Aussies and Kiwis do American accents. There have been a number of Australian and New Zealand actors that for years I thought were Americans because I first heard them speaking with an American accent and they had it down so perfectly, doing so in subsequent roles. Guy Pearce, Toni Collette and Naomi Watts readily come to mind.
Not to mention Portia di Rossi, Nicole Kidman, Simon Baker (he recently did a promo for Five's UK run of the new season of The Mentalist in his own voice)...
As well as James Marsters, special mentions for Eric Stonestreet (who did a really good English accent in one of Sky One's promos for Modern Family) and, of course, John Hillerman as Magnum's thorn-in-the-side Higgins.
Until reading this thread, I'd assumed London-born actor Gary Oldman was American.
