Best and Worst Non-Native Accents

[AmberLM]

Ok, so we all know how bad Dick Van Dyke is at Cockney but who else do you rate or think is dreadful from the world of film and TV?

The Good:
Paul McGillion is great at Glaswegian Scottish even though he is Canadian.
James Marsters as Spike in Buffy.
Anthony Stewart Head as Giles in Buffy doing a middle class English accent (he's really broad London in RL)



The Bad:
Louise (Sofia Curtis from CSI) Lombard is awful at American (she's English and you can hear it lol).
Amanda Tapping as Helen Magnus (sorry guys but it's not good!)
Anthony Lapaglia as Daphne's brother in Frasier - not only do all of her brothers have different accents (Cockney, Lancashire and Middle class) but even then he can't get Cockney right!
Jane 'Daphne Moon' Leeves - I'm from Manchester and Mancunian she is not. Maybe occasionally there's a hint of Lancashire but not much.



The Downright Ugly:
Mischa Barton in St Trinians
Gerard Butler doing any accent, including Scottish! I know he's from Paisley in Glasgow but he speaks like it's by way of the USA. John Barrowman sounds more Scottish than Butler does!

Also, I love how Gillian Anderson flips between US and London accents mid sentence these days.

Anyone from anywhere else think anyone has perfected/butchers their own country's/other country's accents?

[pookey]

Jane Leeves and Anthony LaPaglia, altho the accents are different places in England i think they pull off an English accent very well.(Considering Jane is English)
Gillian Anderson, nope, just nope.
The guy who played Gaius Baltar, American accent, i would give it a zero
Paul Blackthorne great American accent, Terrence Mann, American accent keeps creeping thro the English (Both from Dresden Files)

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Ok, so we all know how bad Dick Van Dyke is at Cockney but who else do you rate or think is dreadful from the world of film and TV?

Cockneys don't like Dick Van Dyke's accent because it is accurate. For the first time they realised how ridiculous they sound when they talk..


I like Gerard Butler, he was great as the Scottish Viking in How to Train your Dragon.. and the Scottish Spartan in 300... etc..

[Starfist]

Gary Chalk does a passable Russian speaking English.

I like Amanda Tapping's English accent. I agree with what has been said about Paul McGillion.
And as for Dick Van Dyke...! His 'mockney' accent was dreadful.

[themeatcleaver]

cant believe i'm the first.. Hugh Laurie as Doctor House! Laurie is British but speaks in an American accent better than I do(and he should, he's lived in Philly for something like thirty years).

Also see, John Noble who plays Walter Bishop in Fringe. He's actually Australian.

Finally we've also got two other notable Aussies, Alex O'Laughlin who plays Steve McGarrett, and Robert Taylor who plays Sheriff Longmire on Longmire.

No idea how the hell you Brits distinguish your accents though. I've a hard enough time telling Scottish from English no less narrowing it down to regions. I'm sorry but that place is just not that big lol

[pookey]

ya cant tell Scottish from English? The amount of accents is determined by size?
I thought John Nobles accent was decidedly iffy in Fringe, there were lapses.

[Starfist]

What about Jamie Bamber in Battlestar Galactica. He was speaking with an 'American' accent and he's a Brit...!

And as for 'English' accents. Here in the UK we manage. Because there are areas in the UK where the accent can be different when only seperated by a few miles.

[pookey]

I thought he did a great accent, i was under the impression he was American till i saw him in some interviews
And that is so true SF,about the few miles.

[mr_kennedy]

The Best

Andrew Lincoln from The Walking Dead is actually English i believe, but he does a great American accent on the show, i was so shocked to learn that he wasnt American

And as already mentioned Jamie Bamber is english, but does a pretty good American accent on BSG

The Worst

Amanda Tapping - Sanctuary, the first season her accent was horrible, but the rest of the show it wasnt as noticeable

Honorary Mention

Jane Leeves - I actually didnt mind her accent in Frasier, and after awhile you dont even notice it anyway, her fake American accent was pretty funny "sureee"



Misha Collins - Played a russian in 24, his accent was decent

[Nikki Alexander]

The Best

Andrew Lincoln from The Walking Dead is actually English i believe, but he does a great American accent on the show, i was so shocked to learn that he wasnt American

And as already mentioned Jamie Bamber is english, but does a pretty good American accent on BSG

The Worst

Amanda Tapping - Sanctuary, the first season her accent was horrible, but the rest of the show it wasnt as noticeable

Honorary Mention

Jane Leeves - I actually didnt mind her accent in Frasier, and after awhile you dont even notice it anyway, her fake American accent was pretty funny "sureee"



Misha Collins - Played a russian in 24, his accent was decent

Yep, Jamie and Andrew are both British and actually technically so is Amanda because she was born in the UK, she was 3 when she moved to Canada.

But anyway I didn't mind Helen's accent.

I don't like Jane Parsons accent in CSI NY, I don't know if it was just me but it just sounded so fake.

[min min light]

What about Jamie Bamber in Battlestar Galactica. He was speaking with an 'American' accent and he's a Brit...!

I had no idea he's British, so I'd say his American accent is pretty frakking good.

I remember being startled to hear Danny John-Jules' real accent; I never would have imagined that his "Cat" sort-of-U.S. one was faked.

[SGSuzi]

Paul McGillion does do a very authentic scottish accent but he was actually born in Paisley in scotland and although he moved to Canada when he was 2 he spent 3 yrs back in scotland age 11, i believe, it would figure his parents would have Scottish accents therefore picking it up shouldnt be too hard

I also dont think Amandas British accent is bad at all, it is supposed to be a bit mixed up as she has lived through so many eras and in so money places it is a combination of accents. I have lived all over the UK and Scotland and I have a crazy mixed up accdent and have been told i sometimes do a magnus with things i say. Again Amandas parents will probably still have their British accents so Amanda will have grown up listening to it.

[JadedWraith]

Well, thinking of my native language, there are pronunciation variations within a few mile radius, so the country's actual size is not an issue.

What about Damian Lewis in Homeland? He's a Brit as well.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507073/?ref_=sr_1

[Starsaber]

Yvonne Strahovski does a pretty good American accent too.

[dipsofjazz]

I have lived all over the UK and Scotland and I have a crazy mixed up accdent and have been told i sometimes do a magnus with things i say.

Scotland is part of the UK.