Worst. Accent. Ever.

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It was definitely bad on purpose, she even had a line where her character was complaining about "Yanks" doing fake British accents and how "you can always tell." The guy playing her uncle did an even worse British accent.

[thecupcakekid]

Kate Beckinsale's accent in Van Helsing was terrible. It was Russian, but not. I remember she made a big deal about translating the script into Russian (she's that smart) so it would be the authentic accent. But it was just awful.

[Deleted]

It was definitely bad on purpose, she even had a line where her character was complaining about "Yanks" doing fake British accents and how "you can always tell." The guy playing her uncle did an even worse British accent.

True. However, neither Dave Thomas nor Charlize are "Yanks" so... I don't know. I will concede that the accent may have been purposefully bad. I was just taken aback by its awfulness because I assumed she would be able to do a great British accent. If the accent was supposed to be funny, it didn't work for me, and if it was supposed to be off because she was a MRF, the badness of it still prevented me from seeing the bigger picture. Oh well. I do think Arrested Development is a show where a bad British accent is probably more than simple bad acting, but that doesn't mean that the bad accent won't get in the way of whatever else is going on. Or something.

Here is one we can all agree on: Nic Cage in Captain Corelli's Mandolin. So, so bad.

ETA: So true about Kate Beckinsale! It wouldn't be so bad if she just said she wanted to vamp it up and use an over the top accent. I mean, the movie was about a vampire hunter so it isn't like she had to be true to life. However, she went on and on about getting the accent just right and translating the script (spending that much time with a Van Helsing script might cause brain damage!) only to use an atrocious accent. She sucked! She does do a great American accent, though.

[tinyshoes]

thursdaynext said:

ETA: So true about Kate Beckinsale! It wouldn't be so bad if she just said she wanted to vamp it up and use an over the top accent. I mean, the movie was about a vampire hunter so it isn't like she had to be true to life. However, she went on and on about getting the accent just right and translating the script (spending that much time with a Van Helsing script might cause brain damage!) only to use an atrocious accent. She sucked! She does do a great American accent, though.

Her American accent was flawless in The Last Days of Disco. Also, am I the only one not bothered by Fishstick's British accent in Sliding Doors? Everyone I know panned it, but it didn't bother me any. Then again, I'm a pathetic bloody Yank.

And I'm going to second, third and fourth Kevin Costner's inconsistent accent in Prince of Thieves.

Generally, someone doing their own accent for a movie doesn't bother me as much as doing a really bad regional accent. I perfer a good accent, of course, but a bad one is more jarring than the actor's natural voice.

[tamaradixon]

William Hurt in "History of Violence". At least I hope he was attempting some sort of accent. He just sounded way weird.

[thesurlymermaid]

Kevin Costner's Boston accent in Thirteen Days was ridiculous.

[hobocamp]

Ooh, I have one. Keanu in Devil's Advocate. It took half the movie to realize he's supposed to be Southern. It only really comes out when he's conversing with other Southern accented characters.

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tamaradixon said:

William Hurt in "History of Violence". At least I hope he was attempting some sort of accent. He just sounded way weird.

They all sounded very weird! Viggo when his character started speaking as Joey, and William Hurt's bodyguard who came to meet him at the bar..where was "Joey" supposed to have been from? Philidelphia? Because that accent they were all adopting was the weirdest Philly accent ever. Or was is supposed to be some fictional part of Philly were only gangstas who talk strange live?

[Wol]

What the hell kind of accent was Angelina doing in Alexander?

On the good side, I didn't mind Nicole Kidman's Russian in Birthday Girl.

Going back upthread, I don't believe Ben Kingsley played an American psychiatrist in Harold and Maude. He did play one in Maurice.

I know people slag on Michael Caine always sounding like Michael Caine (like Sean Connery), but I thought he made an effort in The Cider House Rules.

[mrpancake]

Dick Van xxxx in Mary Poppins