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Ok, I know this is a really old movie, but honestly, the worst has to be Dick Van Dyke's english accent in Mary Poppins...It's beyond painful to listen to

What?? He's not really a Cockney?

Well, he dances well with penguins, so that more than makes up for it.

I watched "The World's Fastest Indian" recently and thought Sir Anthony Hopkins did a great Kiwi accent... But it's been 15 (!!!!) years since I was there, so I'm certainly not the expert.

The South African accent is one of the hardest to imitate... but i think Leo did an alright job of it in Blood Diamond!

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Nicole Kidman has a great South African accent in both English and French in "The Interpreter".

But I think she does a horrible American accent. Or, perhaps it's not the accent, but the volume...whenever she does America, she sounds like she is loudly whispering.

What I always wonder is...when an American plays a Brit, there is often a huge uproar in the tabloids (see: Renee Zellwegger in Bridget Jones, Gwenny when she first started in the Jane Austen movies). There are a ton of non-American actors/actresses playing rather iconic American roles, and no one here bats an eye. (see: Kenneth Branaugh playing FDR, Nic Kidman playing Samatha of Bewitched and a Stepford Wife, Rachel Griffiths as Brenda Chenowith...) Why do Brits care so much?

Brits don't care so much. Tabloids are always looking for something to sensationalise and - credit where credit is due - if Gwynneth or Meryl or others can play a British accent to a tee, all due power to their elbow, and we don't give a damn.

Where we (like you) object is where the accent is ham or simply bad and obviously put on. Gwynneth is very fine at British accents and is an honorary Brit anyway. If tabloids try to make a meal of this, that's their problem, not the British cinemagoing public.

Oops, having said that and examining my own prejudices, I realise that I am pleased that the latest James Bond is a Brit, for example.

But it's not only Daniel Craig's acting that makes Casino Royale the best Bond movie in years - it's also got a very good script, much closer to Ian Fleming's original conception.

I'm also patriotically pleased that Harry Potter is played by a Brit, too, and I would probably insist it was that way as JK Rowling did.

But as I said before, when the chips are down, what matters is the performance, not the nationality of the actor.

Kate Beckinsale does a great American accent but a terrible "Romanian/Eastern European" thing in Van Helsing. Of course I should never have actually watched Van Helsing in the first place.

Christian Bale pulls off American really well although there are occasions when his words sound awkward.

Would you consider his normal speaking accent like in The Prestige to be "cockney" ? And what would Michael Caine be?

I actually think in "Cold Mountain", Nicole Kidman (an Aussi) and Jude Law (a Brit) sis quite awful Southern accents. One of my ex is North Carolinian (where Cold Maintain is based), so I am sort of familiar with that accent. I think both of them tried hard to have that accent but it just feels forced.

In fact, Nicole Kidman usually does a good American accent, so this move just her occasinal miss...

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Originally posted by static:

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Is she an Aussie or a Brit?

She's an Aussie.

Aussie actors usually do great accent, both for American and British. Another good Aussi actor come to mind (who has played both Brit and American) is Cate Blanchett.

Not famous actors, just a general observation: American movies almost never get a German or Swiss German right. It's bloody horrible. To the point where you almost don't understand it as a German speaker. Example: the two cops who pick up Bourne in the Bourne Identity in Zurich. a) They wouldn't speak German but Swiss German and b) even their German sucks. I mean, they filmed it in the Czech Republic - it should have been possible to pick up two German tourists for this 30 seconds scene, right? The way Bollywood picks up foreigners for their movies. Really. HEAR ME YOU HOLLYWOOD MOGULS????

Yes. I hear you.

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Originally posted by elAdi:
Not famous actors, just a general observation: American movies almost never get a German or Swiss German right. It's bloody horrible. To the point where you almost don't understand it as a German speaker. Example: the two cops who pick up Bourne in the Bourne Identity in Zurich. a) They wouldn't speak German but Swiss German and b) even their German sucks. I mean, they filmed it in the Czech Republic - it should have been possible to pick up two German tourists for this 30 seconds scene, right? The way Bollywood picks up foreigners for their movies. Really. HEAR ME YOU HOLLYWOOD MOGULS????

As someone who works in the industry I can comment on that. It has a lot to do with the Screen Actors Guild, which obviously is not a factor in India.

I've been back in the U.S. for a few months now, and I've been catching up on all the media comings and goings. You Brits might find it amusing to download a copy of "The Riches," wherein Eddie Izzard plays an American. A very entertaining accent. Strangely, it is nearly identical to Hugh Laurie's impersonation of an American in "House."

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As someone who works in the industry I can comment on that. It has a lot to do with the Screen Actors Guild, which obviously is not a factor in India.

Fair enough. But there still must be some sort of solution to this (I'm sure it's similar with other 'minority languages') - because it's just simply BAD.

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Originally posted by chrissy2k5:

Later someone told me it's the American accent that's fake- I was shocked! Turns out Hugh Laurie spent the greater part of his career doing British comedy sketches (check them out, they are knee-slappin' awesome).

Hugh Laurie was in seasons 3 and 4 of, quite possibly, the greatest BBC series of all time: Black Adder with Rowan Atkinson.

I find his American accent on House, like Izzard's accent on The Riches, hilarious.

Kevin Costner's supposed Brit accent in Prince of Theives...it lasted about 10 minutes and from then on he wasn't even trying!!!

I always thought that Hugh Laurie's voice was annoying, even before I found out that he was British. Its way too smug and smartass, even though that is the character, it is just a bit over the top.

"The Riches" also features the American (and Southern American, no less) accent stylings of one Ms. Minnie Driver, who I think is quite good at the whole accent thing. And I still think Hugh Laurie's American accent is fantabulous.

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Originally posted by JessieS:
"The Riches" also features the American (and Southern American, no less) accent stylings of one Ms. Minnie Driver, who I think is quite good at the whole accent thing. And I still think Hugh Laurie's American accent is fantabulous.

Minnie Driver's great. Izzard sometimes switches between the different accents made famous in his standup. I guess I can't help but see Hugh Laurie as George from Black Adder. As such, his accent seems a bit overboard when hitting the "oiys." I love the guy, but I've yet to make it through an episode of House.

Ironically, during Black Adder series II he guest stars as a German "master of disguise" known for his accents and impersonations. Hilarious.

Gone With The Wind is my favorite movie, but Vivien Leigh does such a terrible Southern American accent.

On that note, why is it that when I see an American in a British movie, they always seem to have a Texas twang? There's a huge range of accents in this country, given its size, but I'd say the people who live in the east-central part of the country would have the most neutral American accent.

But, then again, people here think the only kind of British accent is cockney.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is Welsh, and her American accent is perfection. I can't even tell shes from Wales.