Here Are 7 Jarringly Bad And 8 Impressively Good Accents By Actors

Actors should, in theory, be able to execute any accent they’re required to do. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

Often, actors are rinsed by audiences and critics alike for their loose grasp of an accent or dialect. On the other hand, in some cases, people have no idea what an actor actually sounds like in real life, as their accents on screen are so convincing.

So, when Reddit user u/naspiwi recently asked the good people of r/popculturechat “whose accent in a TV show or film was either jarringly bad or impressively good”, there were quite a few responses.

Here are some of the best submissions for good accent work:

1. Toni Collette

“Toni Collette has such an insanely good American accent that I only just found out she was Australian this year!” – u/Jasminewindsong2

2. Melanie Lynskey

“I am once again reminding you that Kiwi Queen Melanie Lynskey nails every accent flawlessly and looking spectacular.” – u/sweetpea_d

Here is Lynskey discussing her accent work herself with us:

3. Dev Patel

“Dev Patel’s Australian accent in Lion is fucking flawless. Best accent work I’ve ever seen.” – u/ForgetfulLucy28

4. Kate Winslet

“Kate Winslet nailed the Delco accent in Mare Of Easttown.” – u/ChaosAndMath

“She not just does a flawless American accent, she does a near flawless Phili accent, generally agreed to be one of the most difficult American accents to get right.” – u/MGD109

5. James McAvoy

“A lot of people think James McAvoy is English because he’s had to use that accent quite a bit. Justice for his natural Scottish accent!” – u/the-real-slim-katy

6. Idris Elba and Dominic West

“I had no idea Idris Elba and Dominic West had English accents when I was watching The Wire. Dom did a good job playing at Baltimoron accent and all!” – u/BmoreArlo

7. Mia Goth

“Mia Goth’s real voice had me shook after watching X and Pearl.” – u/KoreyW07

And here are some of the most notable submissions for bad accent work:

1. Emma Watson

“Emma Watson’s American accent...”. – u/GoodChives

2. Uma Thurman

“Uma Thurman’s southern accent in Red, White & Royal Blue was hilariously awful.” – u/sabira

3. Al Pacino

“As a Latina who lives in Miami, the accent of Al Pacino in Scarface is so funny to me. Like, I can’t believe that’s how people think we talk...”. – u/Commonnbdy

4. Bianca Lawson

″*I am KendRA! The vompyre slayah!* Though I read that she was being coached for an entirely different accent (I forget which), and that they decided to change it at the last minute, leading to this bizarre warped accent.” – u/DrKnowNout

5. Daniel Craig

“Daniel Craig in Knives Out. I have no clue if it’s considered good or bad but I thought it was going to be a plot point for about 90% of the movie, and I’m still confused why it wasn’t.” – u/MarsScully

6. Benedict Cumberbatch

“I can’t stand Benedict Cumberbatch’s American accent. It just doesn’t sound natural to me.” – u/michaelpalindrome

7. Hilary Duff

“Hilary Duff’s Italian accent is awful, and whatever accent she did in that John Cusack movie. Ooof.” – u/Livinforyoga

″‘Sing to me, Paolo’ was still iconic though”. – u/littlenymphy

“When an accent doesn’t go right, it’s usually not the actor’s fault. It’s usually a combination of actor, coach, and production, and often is about not having enough time to prepare before shooting starts”, dialect coach Erik Singer once told Wired.

″[While] accent is a crucial layer of storytelling... good or bad, these actors all took some serious risks for our entertainment.”

To find out which accent Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan struggles with the most, check out the clip below: