List of film accents considered the worst

The performances listed here have achieved notably negative reputations as being called the worst accents in English language film. They have been cited by a combination of reputable sources as the worst accents in film of all time. Examples of such sources include Time, EW, Empire, and Life.

Negative reception to accents may be due to being inaccurate, inconsistent, unidentifiable or incomprehensible. Furthermore, to be included on this list, the performances must be remembered to the present day as exemplars of bad accents by continuing to be featured in more than one list of worst movie accents. Actors' attempts at other accents can be mediocre and thus may remain in obscurity rather than being considered notably bad. This list does not include accents performed for obviously comedic purposes or to mock a specific group of people. For example, Breakfast at Tiffany's features a performance by Mickey Rooney that is widely considered to be an intentionally racist portrayal of Asians.^[1]

This list is also limited to accents for linguistic groups that speak English natively, and so exclude, for example, portrayal of French characters by speaking English in a stereotypically French accent.

American[edit]

American English accents

Nicolas Cage in Con Air (1997): Cage plays a character from Alabama, and his accent in the film has featured prominently on many lists of worst accents in film. Critics have called it "too thick".^[2]

Kevin Costner in Thirteen Days (2000): Costner's attempt at the Boston accent was described by critics as “painful on the ear”^[3] and "overdone".^[4]

Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy (1987): Quaid's Cajun accent was widely perceived to be over-exaggerated and stereotypical, with the New Orleans based newspaper, The Times-Picayune, referring to his performance as "famously cringe-inducing" and "perhaps the most egregiously over-the-top faux New Orleans accents ever captured on film".^[5]^[6]^[7]

James Van Der Beek in Varsity Blues (1999): Van Der Beek's Texan accent was identified by critics as notably unsuccessful and based upon inaccurate stereotypes and exaggerations of the regional accent.^[8]^[9]

Jessica Simpson in The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)^{[citation needed]}

Gerard Butler in The Bounty Hunter (2010)^{[citation needed]}

English[edit]

UK English accents

Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (1964): Though Mary Poppins was wildly successful, Dick Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney accent has been much maligned by critics and audiences alike. In a 2003 poll by Empire Magazine of the worst accents in film, his performance came in second(cite). Van Dyke himself acknowledges the negative reception of his performance, admitting that he was aware of the poll and that "British people have never left me off the hook".^[10] A weblog, The Ministry of Dick Van Dyke's Accent, has been established with the express purpose of "documenting current complaints in the British and world press regarding Mr. Dick Van Dyke's poor attempt at a Cockney accent". Famed British acting accent coach, Barbara Berkery, noted that those seeking her services claim to not want to "sound like Dick Van Dyke."^[11] However, Total Film critic, Paul Bradshaw, suggests that lack of accuracy in a fantasy-based movie such as Mary Poppins may be an unreasonable and irrelevant complaint.^[12]

Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991): Costner's inconsistent and unconvincing attempt at an English accent for his role as Robin Hood was attacked by critics.^[13] Some were not convinced that Costner even attempted an English accent at all, and Empire Magazine call his performance "just giving up" (empire).^[14] In the DVD commentary, Costner claimed that he did not have adequate time to prepare his accent. Cary Elwes famously spoofed Costner's performance in Mel Brooks' 1993 Robin Hood: Men in Tights, with the line "unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent." ^[15] However, some have contended that given that the film is set in the 11th century when English accents differed significantly, Costner's American accent may be closer to what was actually spoken at that time.^{[citation needed]}

Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992): Reeves' performance in general was panned by critics but they particularly noted his poor attempt at an English accent, described as a "gossamer-thin attempt"^[16] and "bloody awful".^[17]

Anne Hathaway in One Day (2011): In One Day, Hathaway plays a character from Leeds and adopts a Yorkshire accent. Critics and fans alike spoke out against Hathaway's performance, particularly in the British press.^[18] The Village Voice criticized her "dodgy, hodgepodge British accent"^[19] and the Telegraph's critic, Robbie Collin, derided it as "the most honkingly rubbish Yorkshire accents you've ever heard".^[20] Newspaper columnist Suzanne Moore, reviewing the film on BBC Radio 4's Front Row on Monday, said the accents were "all over the shop" and that "sometimes she's from Scotland, sometimes she's from New York, you just can't tell.” Hathaway said that she watched Emmerdale, a television soap opera set in Yorkshire, and worked with a dialect coach to prepare for her role, but that “it was really hard”.^[21]

Don Cheadle in Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004), and Ocean's Thirteen (2007): Though Ocean's Thirteen was widely acclaimed and had huge box office earnings, critics panned Cheadle's cockney slang. Cheadle is black, but attempted a white working class cockney accent rather than one based on British Black English. The Guardian noted that his accent was "hilarious" and made his "scenes genuinely unwatchable" and Time magazine called it "disastrous" when including it in its list of 'Top 10 Worst Fake British Accents'.^[22]^[23]^[24] Writing for the BBC, Anwar Brett labelled Cheadle "the purveyor of the screen's worst Cockney accent since Dick Van Dyke."^[25] When accepting his Spirit of Independence Award in 2008, Cheadle acknowledged widespread criticism of his accent, and joked "forgive me! I won't do it again!"^[26]

Demi Moore in Flawless (2007)^{[citation needed]}

Irish[edit]

Irish accents

Sean Connery in The Untouchables (1987): Connery's performance as an Irish-American police offer topped Empire Magazine's poll of worst movie accents.^[27] Though he eventually won the 1987 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for this performance, Connery's inability to mask his native Scottish accent was widely panned.

Tom Cruise in Far and Away (1992)^{[citation needed]}

Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away (1994)^{[citation needed]}

Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly (1996): Roberts performance as an Irish servant is routinely identified as an example of a failed Irish accent.^[28] Many critics attributed some of the film's box-office and critical failure to her accent and she was later nominated for Worst Actress in the 1997 Razzie Awards for her performance.^[29]^[30]