10 Unconvincing American Accents In Otherwise Great Movies

Summary

• A bad accent won’t always ruin a movie – sometimes it adds to the charm.
• Some foreign actors nail American accents convincingly, like Hugh Laurie in House and Andrew Garfield in The Social Network.
• Despite varying success, accents may not make or break a performance.

A bad accent can easily ruin a movie, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, a movie can still go down as a classic, even if a non-American actor fails to nail the accent. British, Irish and Australian actors often get picked for important roles in Hollywood, and their success is partly measured by their ability to fit in with the locals. However, this detail won’t necessarily make or break their performance.

In some cases, a bad accent can even add to a movie’s charm, especially in a comedy. This is how Dick Van Dyke’s Cockney accent in Mary Poppins hasn’t spoiled the Disney musical. The same is true with some American accents in movies. While the best examples of foreign actors doing American accents can convince audiences that they’re from the U.S., like Hugh Laurie in House or Andrew Garfield in The Social Network, bad accents aren’t always disasters.

10 Benedict Cumberbatch

Doctor Strange (2016)

Overall, the MCU features plenty of convincing American accents from non-American actors. Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Holland as Spider-Man are two notable examples, but there are still some weaker attempts. Benedict Cumberbatch’s American accent has improved over the years, but it’s fair to say that he doesn’t quite nail it at the first attempt in 2016’s Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange has been in several Marvel movies, allowing Cumberbatch to work on his accent and build confidence.

Before joining the MCU, Cumberbatch’s most famous role was one of the most iconic British characters ever created, Sherlock Holmes. Doctor Strange has been in several Marvel movies, allowing Cumberbatch to work on his accent and build confidence. In Netflix’s 2024 psychological thriller Eric, Cumberbatch’s American accent shows signs of massive improvement compared to Doctor Strange.

9 Jared Harris

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. features Henry Cavill playing an American and Armie Hammer playing a Russian, but neither of their accents are too distracting. Jared Harris, on the other hand, falters a little playing Cavill’s American superior. Harris has a textbook Received Pronunciation accent. It’s one of his most discernible features as a performer, so casting him as an American was an odd choice.

Harris has a textbook Received Pronunciation accent. It’s one of his most discernible features as a performer, so casting him as an American was an odd choice.

Jared Harris’ shaky accent is easy to ignore in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He doesn’t feature very prominently, and when he does, his job is limited to exposition and setting the stakes. As he recedes into the background, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. develops into a brilliant Cold War action thriller. Guy Ritchie’s stylish action movie had clear franchise potential, but poor box office returns put an end to any talk of a sequel.

8 Daniel Craig

Logan Lucky (2017)

Logan Lucky follows two brothers in West Virginia who decide to pull a heist on a motor speedway. To do so, they enlist the help of Joe Bang, an incarcerated explosives expert played by Daniel Craig. It’s not that Craig’s American accent here lacks confidence. Conversely, Craig goes for broke with a strange accent that doesn’t scan as natural but still fits in perfectly with the tone of a crime caper.

Craig goes for broke with a strange accent that doesn’t scan as natural but still fits in perfectly with the tone of a crime caper.

Steven Soderbergh doesn’t seem to mind one or two bad accents in his movies.Ocean’s 11 has Don Cheadle’s legendarily bad cockney accent, and Logan Lucky features Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane doing a similarly poor British accent, seemingly having just watched This Is Spinal Tap. Daniel Craig will have another chance to put on his divisive Southern accent in Knives Out 3.

7 Orlando Bloom

Black Hawk Down (2001)

The cast of Black Hawk Down is stacked with so many big-name actors that some of them fly under the radar. Tom Hardy makes his film debut after his breakout role in Band of Brothers, and Orlando Bloom plays Private First Class Todd Blackburn. Blackburn is a rookie soldier who falls from the helicopter during his first mission. This sets the events of Black Hawk Down in motion.

Bloom’s role gets lost in the huge ensemble cast, but it’s hard to ignore when his well-spoken southern English accent creeps into his American character.

Bloom’s role gets lost in the huge ensemble cast, but it’s hard to ignore when his well-spoken southern English accent creeps into his American character. Fortunately, this blip does nothing to hold back Black Hawk Down, which is still considered one of Ridley Scott’s best movies, and a defining war movie of the era. Much of the cast are extremely impressive, particularly Josh Hartnett and Jason Isaacs.

6 Lee Evans

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Lee Evans was one of the biggest comedians in Britain before his retirement, but he also had a few memorable acting roles. He stars alongside Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller in the 1998 comedy There’s Something About Mary. Initially, his character appears to be a British architect named Tucker, but he is soon forced to reveal his true identity as an American pizza delivery boy named Norm.

He appears to base his American accent on some part of California, but he keeps inexplicably drifting into the Midwest or perhaps Canada.

While the guise of Tucker allows Evans to play to his strengths, with plenty of bumbling physical comedy and an accent he feels at home with, he has to shift gears as Norm. He appears to base his American accent on some part of California, but he keeps inexplicably drifting into the Midwest or perhaps Canada. The shock of the reveal is enough to gloss over the irregularities of this accent, and There’s Something About Mary has the kind of comedic tone that forgives Evans.

5 Emma Watson

The Bling Ring (2013)

The Bling Ring is one of very few heist movies based on real life, so Emma Watson’s character is inspired by one of the eponymous gang’s actual members. Watson gives her best attempt at a California “Valley Girl” accent, but she doesn’t quite pull off the rhotic consonants, and she leans too heavily into the upward inflections of the accent. Her character’s voice is meant to be obnoxious within the context of the movie, and this certainly hasn’t helped Watson’s defense.

Watson gives her best attempt at a California “Valley Girl” accent, but she doesn’t quite pull off the rhotic consonants, and she leans too heavily into the upward inflections of the accent.

Although Emma Watson’s accent is imperfect, she does a good job of conveying her character’s callous disinterest and vapid materialism. Her character should be unlikable, so she succeeds by that metric. Watson is indeed the standout performer in The Bling Ring, proving that a meaningful approximation of an accent is more useful than a soulless, by-the-book reading. She also received criticism for her accent in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but again, she gives a powerfully emotive performance.

4 Ewan McGregor

Big Fish (2003)

Big Fish is a southern fairy tale, but the main character is played by two British actors, Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney. For the most part, McGregor and Finney are on the same page as the younger and older version of Edward Bloom, although there are some vowel sounds that fall unnaturally out of McGregor’s mouth. This might not have been so noticeable if Finny’s accent wasn’t so flawless.

Big Fish
is a southern fairy tale, but the main character is played by two British actors, Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney.

Ewan McGregor attempted a similar accent in I Love You Philip Morris, with similarly uneven results. Big Fish works perfectly, however. Part of the film’s mystery is just how much of Edward Bloom’s absurd life story is true, so it makes sense in his land of make-believe and exaggerated truths for one or two inconsistencies in speech. McGregor fares better with other regional American accents. He plays two brothers in Fargo season 3, and his Minnesota accent is much more believable.

3 David Bowie

Basquiat (1996)

David Bowie wrote a song named “Andy Warhol” for “Hunky Dory,” and he got the chance to play the artist 25 years later in Basquiat. Bowie may have been a legendary musician, but his acting roles were more of a mixed bag. Basquiat shows Bowie’s strange attempt at an American accent. It’s impossible not to hear notes of Bowie’s distinct London accent sneaking through.

Simply by being himself, Bowie does a better Warhol than most actors could dream of.

Despite his patchy accent work, casting Bowie as Andy Warhol was an inspired idea. Bowie has the kind of confident presence that was needed to portray Warhol, and his public persona carries a lot of his on-screen character in Basquiat. Both Bowie and Warhol were known as fashionable, trend-setting artists, but they always maintained a mysterious allure. Simply by being himself, Bowie does a better Warhol than most actors could dream of.

2 Michael Fassbender

The Killer (2023)

The Killer features a lot of narration from Michael Fassbender’s protagonist. He has a very soothing voice which nicely juxtaposes the violent horror of what he’s describing, and his character’s sense of humor also gives the impression that his gruesome work is merely a job to him. However, while Fassbender’s American accent is mostly very strong, his Irish roots start to show when he lingers for a little too long in his R-sounds.

David Fincher’s crime thriller is still a captivating watch, and it’s not as if Fassbender’s American accent is ever too distracting.

David Fincher’s crime thriller is still a captivating watch, and it’s not as if Fassbender’s American accent is ever too distracting. The only drawback is that his natural speaking voice occasionally breaks through, but this might not even be noticeable for someone who isn’t aware that Fassbender is Irish. The Killer also operates for long stretches without any dialogue whatsoever, as Fincher keeps his camera trained on Fassbender’s every move.

1 Ray Winstone

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed features several actors attempting a Bostonian accent, with varying degrees of success. Alec Baldwin’s accent leaves a lot to be desired, but he can thank Ray Winstone for the fact that he doesn’t have the worst accent in the movie. Winstone’s iconic London accent has allowed him to play the hard man in movies like Sexy Beast, but The Departed pushes him out of his comfort zone.

Ray Winstone’s accent in
The Departed
is a little bit Bostonian, a little bit Irish, and a little bit general American. This could suit the character if these disparate styles were blended with more subtlety.

Ray Winstone’s accent in The Departed is a little bit Bostonian, a little bit Irish, and a little bit general American. This could suit the character if these disparate styles were blended with more subtlety, and if he could fully ditch his London roots. The Departed is still among Martin Scorsese’s best and most accessible movies, so Winstone’s strange performance is little more than a novelty.