Worst Regional Accents by actors

Okay, we watch the HBO show Big Love - our DVR records it for us, and we watched this week's episode last night. The show is set in Utah. But they had an actress come on, a law enforcement officer, with the most atrocious accent ever. At first I thought maybe she was trying to be "southern" and then she said "kaahs" (cars) so I thought okay, maybe ... rural ... wait - she then said, when the main character said "You're not from around here, are you?" She said "I'm from Bahstin (Boston)." I was appalled. Especially because in the next sentance, she said "God" like she was from New Jersey. No offense, Jersey Pet Talkers, my church had a pastor intern, lovely woman, from New Jersey one year, and I winced whenever she said "Gad" instead of God. So when the actress on Big Love used a theoretical Boston accent (pointedly saying "kaahs") one second, and sounded like New Jersey the second, and somewhere MidSouth for part of the sentence, I cringed.

I live in a city that borders Boston. Very few people in Boston itself have what Hollywood thinks of as a Boston accent, and frankly, only the Kennedys sound like the Kennedys. If you want a honest Boston accent, see Matt Damon in The Departed. He grew up here (in Cambridge, technically across the Chahles) and knows whereof he speaks.

So, what accents grate on your nerves that you have seen in movies or on TV?

I put this in the Dog House in case it gets heated, and because it is annoying!

for some reason claire (from LOST) irritates me everytime she speaks. It's supposed to be Australian but I saw her in "the hills have eyes" and I'm pretty sure she didn't have the accent in that movie. It sounds like she's got a stuffed nose everytime she speaks!

I thought Tony Curtis in "Spartacus" was the best......loved that Brooklyn accent as the Romans were coming over the hill. "The Roymans are comein". :D
Wom

OOOH! i thought of a good one! Kevin Costner's english accent in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves was highly annoying....it would come and go throughout the movie

I was always annoyed by Keanu Reeves' accent in The Devil's Advocate and Brad Pitt's in Seven Years in Tibet.

I have always wondered why they don't use an actor who is from the specific area where the actor in the movie is from. Wouldn't that be easier and obviously sound more authentic? :)

Karen, there are actually two kinds of NJ accents. :) The folks in North Jersey sound like New Yawkers and those of us here in South Jersey have more of a Philly accent. I never knew anyone, either north or south, who said Gad. :confused: :p

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Originally Posted by Pam

I have always wondered why they don't use an actor who is from the specific area where the actor in the movie is from. Wouldn't that be easier and obviously sound more authentic? :)

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That isn't always that possible Pam. Perhaps so with this day and age type films, but still the problem would lie in getting that perfect person for a particular role.
I think more actors should be putting the effort in to sound more authentic within their roles, it is not a hard ability, but I think a lot of the producers, directors, casting agents, actors and the like simply don't care.
On the other hand, you do get some actors who do care, like Robin Williams, Meryl Streep.....brilliant actors like that.
Have you seen Streep in "Out of Africa" and "Sophies Choice" ??? Her accents were flawless !!!! A true actor !!!!! One who puts her heart and soul into her roles....and because of that, she is probably one of the best actors of this day and age.
Unfortunately, not too many actors have that ability, and it's because really they can't be bothered to learn it.
Wom

Karen did you ever see The Perfect Storm? If you want a bad accent, listen to Diane Lane in that movie. I cringe every time I hear it. :eek:

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Originally Posted by Pam

Karen, there are actually two kinds of NJ accents. :) The folks in North Jersey sound like New Yawkers and those of us here in South Jersey have more of a Philly accent. I never knew anyone, either north or south, who said Gad. :confused: :p

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I 'll try to find out where Amy was from, maybe middle of NJ? Hee hee.

And yes, Elizabeth, I saw The Perfect Storm - grew up going deep sea fishing out of Rockport, one town over from Gloucester, so yeah, some of the attempted accents were pretty amusing in that one, too.

I watch Big Love and had the same reaction to that woman's accent. I thought her speak-impaired when she first spoke... :rolleyes:

Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman"...one of the worst movies I ever saw and he seemed to forget his accent (southern??) frequently and then pour it on in the next scene.

Remember,

THey are all "staahs"- Nothing more, nothing less. ;)


I dislike the "so cal gal" accent. Real Cah lee Fuh nee Ah girls say "like" far more often.

hmmmmm... BEST accents and WORST accents.....who can discern better than a native??? :p

Wom -interesting that you mentioned Meryl Streep because I was thinking of her as I was reading threads and trying to recall examples of believable use accents by actors.

I recently saw the actor that plays the doctor on "House" and was really surprised to hear an accent!! I never suspected that he was not American :D

The accents that bug me the most are southern ones. This happens in westerns often when there is a supposedly Texas cowboy using slang and twang that sounds more like Kentucky or Tennessee. Recently I returned to Texas and it was so nice to once again hear that familiar sweet and subtle drawl :D Remember the movie "Steel Magnolias"? That was a mix of odd-to-my-ears assorted southern voices. I never heard anything similar when I lived in Louisiana. Maybe that is because I was in Shreveport rather than near Nawlins. :p But didn't that movie take place around Shreveport??

Hubby and I just talked about this topic and he recalls Denzel Washington's role in "For Queen and Country". Now Denzel is one of our very favorite actors but we still don't know if that accent was good or terrible. The role he plays is a British man who starts to hang out with some Irish criminals.

I also find it interesting to read the comments about the "Yankee" accents. I can't distinguish between New Yorkers,(and my mom was one) New Englanders, Jersey, Boston, etc. I tend to recognize accents from that part of the country but am not able to identify the specific area like those of you who are from up there :) Guess it is a subtle difference in dialects, also.

a little true story....my first day of school after my family relocated from Texas to New Hampshire....5th grade English class and the teacher was giving a spelling test. A word she listed was "ah-pot-mint". I did not recognize it but thought maybe it had to do with putting mint in a flowerpot :p Well, I misspelled "apartment" that day! :D :D

I think my ears are pretty sensitive to subtle regional differences because I have lived in so many places during my life. But, I never lived anywhere long enough to be "native" of anywhere. Military brats like me often are confused :cool: Accents are pretty fascinating aren't they ;)

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Originally Posted by sirrahbed

The accents that bug me the most are southern ones. This happens in westerns often when there is a supposedly Texas cowboy using slang and twang that sounds more like Kentucky or Tennessee. Recently I returned to Texas and it was so nice to once again hear that familiar sweet and subtle drawl :D Remember the movie "Steel Magnolias"? That was a mix of odd-to-my-ears assorted southern voices. I never heard anything similar when I lived in Louisiana. Maybe that is because I was in Shreveport rather than near Nawlins. :p But didn't that movie take place around Shreveport??

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The southern ones bug me as well! Troy and I are constantly trying to figure out who is trying to pretend to be from where. He is constantly irritated with Paula Deen, saying, "She sounds like she's a yankee trying to sound like a Georgian!" :p

You were in Shreveport? :eek: :D We lived there (Troy, born and raised). :D I *think* there were scenes around S'port but the majority was filmed in Natchitoches. :) :D

Silly Karen... don't you know that you no longer have to have "talent" to be big?? You just have to have a pretty face and be willing to do whatever is asked of you to do! Talent... what's that?

VERY FEW actors/actresses or musicians have talent anymore. Most of them got to where they are now because they knew someone in the industry that helped get their foot in the door.