The Ridiculous Stories Behind 13 TV and Movie Accents
If the actor themself is, say, British but they adopt an “American” accent for a movie or TV show, and we just kind of forget they’re British (or better yet, if we were shocked to find out that they’ve been British all along), then they’re doing some truly excellent work. While sticking around for Inside the Episode after Succession, it’s honestly quite jarring to hear Sarah Snook’s Aussie accent. Like, come on… Shiv doesn’t sound like that, Sarah!
On the flip side, when an actor’s accent isn’t up to snuff, it’s like the director plunked a cartoon character into the real world. Roger Rabbit style. Those choices (or lack thereof) in the accent realm can haunt an actor for the rest of their career. Good, bad, or cartoonish, every movie accent has a story. Most are your run-of-the-mill “I got a dialect coach and worked with them until I got it right” bore-fests, but some will make you go “Hmm, well that’s just downright interesting.” Like these 13 ridiculous stories behind some of the most well known movie and TV accents.
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Oh that’s why Shrek sounds like Fat Bastard.
The Old Hollywood Accent
Natalie Portman
Whoa, dude. That’s like, a vampire, er whatever. Far out!
Over five decades of ridicule.
Yet another example of Tom Hanks’ complete lovability.
Be honest. We all don a British accent when things get a little ritzy.
Well, are you gonna tell him to change it? Didn’t think so.
To be fair, whatever he was doing, he sounded pretty evil.
A caricature of your people. For your people.
The academy is right. Give her all the Oscars.
It really was a shock when we realized Stringer Bell was actually English.
When an accent doesn’t really exist, you just have to invent one.
