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The Irish accent, judging from some of Hollywood's attempts at it over the years, must surely be one of the most difficult for actors to master. We've plowed through the archives and nominated our top 10 worst offenders. What do you think?
Read down through our list or use the playlist on the right to listen to the top 10 Worst Hollywood Irish accents!
1. SEAN CONNERY IN DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE"
The gold standard to judge against all other bad Irish accents must surely remain Sean Connery's portrayal of Michael McBride, in the Walt Disney classic "Darby O' Gill and the Little People."
2.SEAN CONNERY IN "THE UNTOUCHABLES"
That was in 1959; by 1987, when he starred as the tough Irish cop Jim Malone in "The Untouchables," things had scarcely improved (though ironically, he nabbed the Best Supporting Actor Oscar).
it's not just the Irish accent that the Bond star has grappled with it - no doubt he also made the cut for some Top 10 List of Bad Russian Accents for his portrayal of Captain Marko Ramius, in "The Hunt for Red October."
3. KEVIN SPACEY IN "ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL"
Every so often, U.S. actors - even really good, respected actors like Kevin Spacey - come out with stuff like "Ordinary Decent Criminal," a fairly unremarkable movie save for the fact that the main stars all try to outdo one another on the bad Irish accent front.
It's a kind of bizarre concoction of various Irish regional accents - a little bit of Dublin, a touch of Northern Ireland - that slips into American every fifth sentence or so.
It's astonishing that Colin Farrell, a native Dubliner, didn't think of saying to Spacey, "What the f**k, Kevin?! No one in Ireland, and I mean no one, talks like that! Now go get a voice coach and give the Oirish accent a rest!"
This mustn't have happened - and indeed, the director, Thaddeus O'Sullivan, himself an Irishman, somehow failed to spot that Spacey's co-star, Linda Fiorentino, had an equally ridiculous accent. Shame on both O'Sullivan and Farrell for not spotting these...
It remains a mystery why this film actually got made, when John Boorman's "The General" - a movie about the same thing - came out before it, and is vastly superior.
4. TOMMY LEE JONES IN "BLOWN AWAY"
One of the other stock Irish characters in Hollywood movies is the Irish terrorist. (For example, Sean Bean in "Patriot Games," Brad Pitt in "The Devils Own," Richard Gere in "The Jackal," etc.)
Perhaps the worst bad Irish accent offender from the Irish terrorist category is Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Ryan Gaerity in "Blown Away," above and beyond the worst Northern Irish accent you are every likely to hear. Real-life Northern Irish terrorists must have been disgusted that their movement could be insulted with such a woeful accent.
5. JULIA ROBERTS IN "MICHAEL COLLINS"
Like Sean Connery, Julia Roberts is a repeat bad Irish accent offended: in 1996, she played Kitty Kiernan, the lover of Michael Collins in the movie of the same name.
(Although English actor Alan Rickman, playing Eamon de Valera in that movie does a pretty good job in his Irish accent - shame he didn't pass on any tips to Roberts.)
6. JULIA ROBERTS IN "MARY REILLY"
Things went from bad to worse for Roberts in "Mary Reilly," which was also released in 1996.
In it, she plays the title role, an Irish housemaid who becomes embroiled in a love affair with her employer Dr. Jekyll, and his alter ego, Mr. Hyde.
Apparently, Roberts had a voice coach for the part - and Roberts spokeswoman told a tabloid, "Julia wants her voice to be authentic."
Do yourself a favor, Julia - the next time you play an Irish character in a movie, get yourself a new voice coach.
7. TOM CRUISE IN "FAR AND AWAY"
To be perfectly fair to the much pilloried Tom Cruise, his Irish accent in "Far and Away" is truly appalling.
Joseph Donnelly, the 19th century Irish peasant played by Cruise, sounds like how a Hollywood film executive imagines Irish people talk.
If Cruise's Irish accent has any redeeming features it's that it might fall into the "It's so bad, it's funny" category of Irish on screen accents.
It also diverts attention from Nicole Kidman's efforts at an Irish accent in the same movie. (In one scene, Cruise tells Kidman, "Yer a corker, Shannon. What a corker you are!" - a well known Irish pick-up line.) While being fairly feeble, it's not the crime against Irish humanity perpetrated by her ex-husband, to be sure, to be sure.
8. BRAD PITT IN "THE DEVIL'S OWN"
While not sinking to the same depths as Richard Gere in "The Jackal," Brad Pitt still manages to embarrass himself - and indeed anyone from Northern Ireland - with his efforts at playing Frankie Gallagher, an IRA man on-the-run.
Apparently, Pitt spent a few days hanging around Belfast to perfect a Belfast accent. (He was even attacked in West Belfast while he was researching the role.)
Probably could have done with a few more days in Belfast....
9. GERARD BUTLER IN "P.S. I LOVE YOU"
Everyone involved in the making of this film, from the producer to the coffee maker, should be rounded up and shot - it's that bad.
First on the list to go is Gerard Butler, who plays lovable Irishman Gerry Kennedy, and whose Irish accent is only one of the many problems in this pretty awful film.
Sean Connery has shown that even Scottish actors can have trouble with an Irish accent - a point also demonstrated by Butler in this movie.
P.S. Gerry, your accent sucks.
10. THE LEPRECHAUN IN "LEPRECHAUN"
Like many of the films featured on this list, this movie falls into the "It's so bad, it's good" category. And it's hard not to laugh at a movie with the tagline, "Your luck just ran out."
This horror gained something of a cult following, and was also notable for giving Jennifer Aniston one of her first roles.
Of course, in a movie about Leprechauns, anything less than a ridiculous "Oirish" accent would be a total shock - and Leprechaun doesn't disappoint.
SEE VIDEOS - Click here to see clips of the movies
Visit our special St. Patrick's Day section
Read more: The worst Irish movies ever made - SEE VIDEOS
24 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.macausheen | Mar 10, 2011, 08:02 AM EST
I am just an ignorant American, but I have been to Ireland a few times and have some Irish friends, some even from Belfast. Therefore, I was quite pleasantly surprised by Brad Pitt's accent. To me it sounded just fine, though like I said, I am not a native. That a Scot like Sean Connery or Gerald Butler can't pull off an acceptable (to Irish ears) accent is a bit odd. And that a fine actress like Julia Roberts is also deficient blows me away. Tom Cruise was acceptable at the beginning of 'Far and Away', but lost it by halfway through the movie. What about native Irishmen? Do they have bad accents too? Pierce Brosnan was in a movie I can't remember the name of just now, but he sounded horrible. Of course, me being the silly American, I think everyone should sound like they do in 'The Quiet Man'. I have actually been happily amazed when I meet someone that speaks like they are straight from that movie.
Cranleigh | Mar 09, 2011, 06:05 PM EST
Eiregirl, please don't step on my dreams. I LOVED Minnie Driver in Circle of Friends and have watched that movie an embarrassing number of times. OK the accent had its ropey moments but it was way better than Saffron Burrows' (Nan Mahon's) effort and Colin Firth didn't even try to be Anglo-Irish. Driver's timing was exquisite. Her face had a Wellesian plasticity (perhaps the extra pounds helped) and she was able to convey multiple conflicting emotions at once. I better stop on the wonders of Minnie. The main reason for big name actors is financing. Why can't scripts of fictional events be tweaked to take account of the weird accent on display? With that said, if a Scotsman of limited versatility (here's looking at YOU, Sean) has to play an Irishman, why on earth can't they let it be a Northener? That way you can be yourself and offend nobody outside Ulster.
remaguire | Mar 09, 2011, 04:59 PM EST
Not to be nitpicky, but I believe Brad Pitt's character in "The Devil's Own" was Frankie Mcguire, not Frankie Gallagher.
hyperion | Mar 09, 2011, 02:08 PM EST
Next up: The 10 worst American Accents by British or Irish actors. First place: Vanessa Redgrave in anything she has ever portrayed a North American in.
hyperion | Mar 09, 2011, 02:07 PM EST
@carrickcourt: wasn't John Wayne's character a fighter from America?
carrickcourt | Mar 09, 2011, 02:03 PM EST
Sorry to date myself but John Wayne in "The Quiet Man" has got to the worst Irish or lack of an Irish accent in a movie.The Duke, whose character in the movie is Irish born and raised, does not even try to do an Irish accent.
celticfury | Mar 09, 2011, 12:04 PM EST
Umm, I simply can't believe that one of the biggest offenders was left off this list. But Leo DiCrapprio has absolutely butcherd accents all over the place, including Irish!!! Even if you are a fan of him, you have to admit that his accents are horrible. Don't even get me staaded on his Bahston accent either! Wicked retahded! :-)
countycork | Mar 09, 2011, 11:57 AM EST
I LOVE this! But...hate to tell ya....a lot of Americans still think Gerry Butler and Craig Ferguson ARE Irish! And- way back when I watched Michael Collins- I actually decided (so I could stop thinking about it) that Julia Roberts must not even BE Irish in the movie because her accent was so bad. I absolutely love the Irish accents, and often annoy the hell out of my family by trying to speak with one. Luckily, nobody's recording!
sorxia02144 | Mar 09, 2011, 11:38 AM EST
People always get the Texas accent wrong, too. It's always some bizarre southern accent that sounds nothing like it. They can't get a Boston accent right either. In Mystic River, Sean Penn was running around saying "Dorchestah" instead of "Dahchistah". Laura Linney sounded like she was from Brooklyn.
jaynajamison | Mar 09, 2011, 11:10 AM EST
watched Michael Collins last night, I was thinking the same thing, Julia Roberts is a great actress, but she could do some work on her Irish accent.
littlecee | Mar 09, 2011, 11:09 AM EST
Another accent that is "slaughtered" in movies and television is the Southern accent. Every Southern state has its own version. Just hard to get it right and sound authentic.
irishtommy | Mar 09, 2011, 11:01 AM EST
Hell a true brogue is too hard to understand. In american films anything goes. Take Brad Pitt in SNATCH, like tha man said "Did ya understand anything he said?" Movies are for entertainment...When I watch a film made in Ireland with all irish actors I need to have captioning so I don't miss the dialogue. I have a slight brogue I'm told and have been told to slow down to be understood. Get over the worst accents and concentrate on the movie !!!!
JohnKilgore | Mar 09, 2011, 10:45 AM EST
On second thought. Don't English actors do the best job with accents? Exception: those who attempt to pass off an English accent as a Southern American/Texas accent.
celticsol | Mar 09, 2011, 10:42 AM EST
I don't think that it's fair to include Sean Connery in any list like this because he always uses the same accent whether he's a Russian Submarine Captain:'The Hunt For Red October' or a British Officer in the 'Man Who Would Be King' or 'Bond, James Bond'....I enjoy your top ten lists by the way.....Thanks !
JohnKilgore | Mar 09, 2011, 10:40 AM EST
Heck if I can tell the difference, except even I noticed that Sean Connery is a Scot.
concannon | Mar 09, 2011, 10:30 AM EST
At the risk of sounding like a complete midwest-american 'wanker' (is that Irish or English, by the way?), everytime I've been to Ireland, it's taken me a week at least to understand what the irishman I'm talking to is actually saying...at least I can understand Sean, Tom and Nicole the first time around!
fedupirish | Mar 09, 2011, 10:14 AM EST
To GrayGhost, agreed on the Caddyshack girl! There are many Irish and Irish American actors who should be the first choice. Quite simple!
Jamcelt | Mar 09, 2011, 09:54 AM EST
I have just had an overwhelming sense of déja vu. How many times has this article bee sent out in the last year?
Helen Ferone | Mar 09, 2011, 09:53 AM EST
Here's a thought. Use Irish actors and actresses, then you wouldn't have to worry about autenticity. You've got Colin Farrell, Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, just to name a few.
pacifist | Mar 09, 2011, 09:48 AM EST
What about a list of the best Irish accents in Hollywood films?
eiregirl | Mar 09, 2011, 09:46 AM EST
There's enough Irish talent out there to get someone from Ireland to play the part of someone from Ireland. I lost respect (not that I had much anyway after Pretty Woman) for Julia Roberts after her string of ear crushing accents. There are so many dialects in Ireland, but Hollywood like to go back the mushandbegorra era, which was close to the Mesozoic era.
eiregirl | Mar 09, 2011, 09:41 AM EST
.......and please don't forget Minnie Driver in Circle of Friends, ugh. Brad Pitt was good in that English movie where he played a tinker. He had that down, eh because he just mumbled.
GrayGhost | Mar 09, 2011, 09:36 AM EST
Worst ever was the girl in Caddyshack who got pregnant. Gives me douche chills just thinking about it
SecretCelt | Mar 09, 2011, 09:35 AM EST
LOL But I admire anyone who would try it.