The 5 Best & 5 Worst British Accents In Movies, According To Reddit

Non-British actors have often had a rough time emulating a British accent. Which made the English proud… and which ones failed miserably?

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Certain actors have been venerated for their spot-on British accents in film and television, sometimes even being mistaken for being British themselves. Some, on the other hand, have become the subject of ridicule for their admirable but ultimately laughable efforts to speak the Queen’s English. Reddit users weigh in on which of these actors belong in each category.

2 Best

Mike Myers, Austin Powers

The halls of accent fame are in no way relegated solely to dramatic actors, as certain comedians have turned in rather admirable Anglican articulation. According to Reddit user Chris-P, Mike Myers’s accent in the Austin Powers films deserves a commendation. “Austin Powers is honestly pretty good,” they write.

Fans of the James Bond parody franchise know that Mike Myers actually portrayed multiple characters in the films, most notably the title character and his endlessly quotable archnemesis Dr. Evil. Both have quite distinct accents, given that Myers is well-known for his iconic voice impressions, and few will be able to get Austin Power’s iconic line, “Groovy, Baby,” out of their heads after seeing the film.

Sean Astin, The Lord Of The Rings

Redditor shtaaap puts Sean Astin’s name in the mix for best American doing a British accent, writing: “I thought Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in LOTR, did a great Dorset accent. Probably the most memorable American doing an English accent, in my mind.”

The Reddit user specifically pinpoints Astin’s portrayal of Sam, whose character is one half of the best friendship in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Astin is one of several American actors to adopt a British accent during this trilogy but manages to assert himself over many of his costars by adding to his inflection a distinct character of humility and loyalty that have become synonymous with the character of Samwise Gamgee.

Alan Tudyk, Death At A Funeral

Alan Tudyk gave Minky_Dave_the_Giant a run for their money when they first saw him in the 2007 comedy Death at a Funeral. They write that, when Tudyk’s character Simon first appeared in the film, they actually believed him to be British before recognizing the American actor.

It should come as no surprise to many film enthusiasts that Tudyk was so easily able to deceive audiences with his spot-on impression of a British accent. The character actor has proven on multiple occasions that he has incredible talent in altering his own voice to play whatever role he chooses. Not only has he been able to master multiple different accents, but has also been able to masquerade as several animals in films, including Hei-Hei the chicken in Moana and Iago in the 2019 reboot of Aladdin.

Brad Dourif, The Lord Of The Rings

Dunsparces relays a rumor that American actor Brad Dourif often confused people who were familiar with his portrayal of Grima Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy when he reverted back to his natural accent after filming was completed. The Redditor even adds that “people thought he [Dourif] was faking” an American accent thereafter.

Dourif, originally from West Virginia, is also known for his roles in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Dune (1984), and The Exorcist. However, it was with his role in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings that he truly became well-known, meaning that many viewers that were seeing his talents for the first time could easily mistake him for a British actor.

Gillian Anderson, The Crown

CousinGregsAlt is extremely complimentary of Gillian Anderson in all of her roles in which she was intended to be British, citing that they themselves did not know that she was American until recently. However, Anderson’s most famous role as a Brit is undoubtedly that of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Netflix’s The Crown.

Anderson has been lauded not only for her precise accent but also for her portrayal of a controversial real-life figure in a way that allows for viewers of The Crown to both sympathize and despise her from scene to scene. Anderson’s work in the role of Thatcher has not gone unnoticed, with the actress garnering several awards for her portrayal, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

1 Worst

Karl Urban, The Boys

Minky_Dave_the_Giant suggests Karl Urban’s performance as Billy Butcher in Amazon’s The Boys as a choice for one of the worst British accents on television. The New Zealand actor has given a quite distinct Cockney accent to the character, though it would appear that many native Brits call its accuracy into question.

Billy is perhaps the character on The Boys with the biggest mouth, making his accent somewhat difficult to overlook. Yet, despite a general consensus on the merits of Urban’s accent, his character Butcher remains one of the most popular characters in the series.

Don Cheadle, Ocean’s Eleven

Redditor parttimependant points out Don Cheadle’s poor British intonation in his role as Basher Tarr in the Ocean’s Trilogy. Cheadle appeared in all three of the films as the iconic heisting team’s electronics expert, who hails from England, despite the actor’s American heritage.

Don Cheadle may not have impressed audiences with his take on the British inflection, but can laugh off such failings due to his many other noteworthy film roles, including in Hotel Rwanda, multiple entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Boogie Nights, all of which have earned him plenty of positive attention.

Kevin Costner, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

American actor Kevin Costner has built a noteworthy career for himself over the years, with plenty of film roles that have been lauded by audiences. His take on Robin Hood in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, however, earned him some ridicule for his off-base accent. Redditor Designer_Skirt2304 indicates that they consider Costner’s accent to be one of the worst cases of an American trying to emulate a British accent.

Costner’s spin on Robin Hood received mixed-to-negative reviews upon its release, with most of the film’s praise being directed to the definitely British actor Alan Rickman, who portrayed the Sherriff of Nottingham opposite Costner. Rickman ultimately proved to be one of the more memorable bits of a rather forgettable movie.

Keanu Reeves, Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Canadian actor Keanu Reeves has been experiencing a new renaissance in his career as his recent roles in John Wick and Always Be My Maybe have reinvigorated fan interest in the actor’s work. However, not all viewers can forget about Reeves’s performance in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with Reddit user Outside_Money_1786 goes so far as to call his accent in the film “abysmal.”

In the 1992 retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic Gothic novel, Keanu Reeves plays the character of Jonathan Harker, accompanied by Winona Ryder as Mina Harker and Gary Oldman as the titular Dracula. Despite some shoddy accent work, the film received generally positive reviews from critics, including some nods to Keanu for an otherwise solid performance.

Dick Van Dyke, Mary Poppins

There are very few things that just about everyone can agree on in this life. However, one of the few seemingly unanimous opinions is voiced by Reddit user LampeterRanger, who says that the 1964 Mary Poppins film has “a lot to answer for” in regard to Dick Van Dyke’s accent as Bert the chimney sweep.

Despite the film’s status as a Disney classic, and Van Dyke’s otherwise beloved performance, it is very difficult for viewers, especially those native to the UK, to overlook Bert’s completely overdone accent that can’t quite seem to settle on a specific region. The character of Bert has gone down in film history as one of the worst American takes on a British accent ever committed to screen.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-worst-british-accents-movies-according-reddit/