Jan 29 2009
Eight American Actors with Great Foreign Accents
Back in November, my man Sub-Zero wrote an article featuring eight foreign actors with great American accents. Well, I decided to flip that doodie and try to find eight American actors who do great foreign accents. Doing a foreign accent isn’t easy. My British accent sounds way too cockney, and my Australian accent sounds, um, British. It’s just awful. Here are eight American actors who, unlike your faithful author, are able to speak with a foreign accent convincingly:
Viggo Mortensen as Nikoli Luzhin in Eastern Promises (Russian)
I think Viggo is half-Danish, but he was born in New York, so that makes him American for our purposes. Watch the above clip to hear Viggo talk about his Academy Award nominated role and listen to his excellent Russian accent.
Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (Rwandan)
Also nominated for Best Actor is Don Cheadle, who delivers a terrific Rwandan accent in the above clip. Cheadle also did a great British accent in Ocean’s 11, but his performance in Hotel Rwanda is certainly more impressive.
Robert Downey, Jr. as Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder (Australian)
In Tropic Thunder, Downey plays Australian Kirk Lazarus, an actor who is playing the role of a black man in a Vietnam movie. Downey’s “black” voice is comical - and maybe a bit overdone - but his Australian accent is spot on. He also did a pretty good Australian accent in Natural Born Killers. Downey has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lazarus, but the award is going to Ledger, right?
Brad Pitt as Mickey O’Neill in Snatch (Irish/Pikey)
Why the f*ck do I want a caravan that’s got no f*cking wheels? Pitt’s a tremendous actor, and I love when he takes these “silly” roles.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Danny Archer in Blood Diamond (Rhodesian)
Another Best Actor nomination on this list. It seems like doing a good foreign accent is the best way to get noticed by the Academy. We already know that you never go full retard. In the above clip, DiCaprio talks about becoming Danny Archer. I think Leo’s got to be in any conversation about who the best actor in the world is right now.
Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary (British)
Zellweger gained 20 pounds and nailed the British accent for this movie to earn herself an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress. Say what you want about Zellweger, but she does sound British in this movie.
Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (Ugandan)
Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his uncanny portrayal of the brutal Idi Amin. This is one of the best acting performances I have ever seen, and Whitaker’s Ugandan accent it just perfect. In this clip, director Kevin McDonald talks about just how great Whitaker was.
Mickey Rourke as Martin Fallon in A Prayer For The Dying (Irish)
Before he was playing an old, washed-up wrestler, Rourke was just owning Irish accents. This one is one of the most convincing ones I’ve heard (second only to Nattyb’s!).
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im scared of forest wihtaker after that movie. afraid of him getting angry
No idea what an actual Rwandan accent sounds like, so I’ll have to take your word for it. Given Don Cheadle’s talent, I have no doubt he researched it and did an excellent job.
Johnny Depp does a decent Scottish accent in Finding Neverland - a notoriously difficult accent to do right.
Mickey Rourke’s accent sounds kinda more Northern Irish/Scottish, it’s still very good though!
What the hell is a ‘British’ accent? You do realise Britain consists of 4 different countries, each with their own distinct accents, don’t you? Oh, you don’t? Well now you do.
[…] Posted January 29, 2009 Filed under: quick news links | Tags: accents | 8 American Actors With Greant Accents […]
@Gray
Thanks. Every time I say “British accent,” people just look at me funny. They have no idea what I’m talking about; I totally made up the term “British accent” and used it for the first time in this article.
Your point is well-taken, but lighten up.
I thought Bridget Jone’s accent was really awful, I’ve lived in England all my life, and I’ve never met anyone that sounded that over the top. Definately agree with Brad Pitt in Snatch though
[…] Eight American Actors with Great Foreign Accents […]
I have to agree with Eithne, Renee’s English accent is awful. Seriously, we don’t sound like that.
renee should have kept the weight on. yummy!
Don Cheadle’s accent in Ocean’s 11 is famous on these shores for how awful it is.
Next to that, Zellwegger’s isn’t so bad.
I’ve heard a lot of really bad fake Russian accents, and a lot of real Russian accents, and I want to say that Viggo Mortensen’s was quite impressive, seeing as they aren’t easy to do.
Peter Sellers was able to do eleven English speaking accents(American, Canadian, Australian, British, Cockney…).
On the contrary , John Hillerman, an American actor born in Texas, in the Magnum series, was able to speak British better than a British.
Nevermind the bollocks accents, Forest Whitaker had to “Black Up” for his role as Idi Amin. He had to tan and wear make up.
I preferred him has the fat Samurai with the pigeons.
@WeeMan
Is that a bad thing? I find it pretty interesting, actually.
Aren’t we getting a little loose in defining “accents” here? I’m not English, but even I know that there are multiple “English” accents all over the country, depending on where you’re from. Likewise, trying to define an accent as “American” is pretty general - listen to someone from California, someone from Wisonsin, and someone from Tennessee and then tell me there’s a generalized “American accent”.
Not to mention the Newfies. Most of Canada may sound somewhat similar, but our Newfs take the cake on crazy accents, Lord tunderin Jesus.
@ Bert
I don’t disagree with you at all, but the fact that these actors can change their voices to fit their character - and do it convincingly - was commendable, in my opinion.