Best American accent by a British actor......

[JayCaz]

....and vice versa?? I'm talking most accomplished, believeable accent. I'm particularly interested in people from the US opinion on it.

So far I have;

Tim Roth (Resevoir Dogs in particular), Christian Bale (you name it, American Psycho, Harsh Times, Batman Begins), Ben Kingsley (Lucky Number Slevin), but my favourite has to be Gary Oldman (True Romance, Leon, Batman Begins). To me he just seems effortless and very natural.

A shout out for the worst ones I can think of too, Jason Statham (Transporter 1 & 2) and Ray Winstone (the Departed).

The best American actor to do a British accent, only Johnny Depp springs to mind, but my knowledge is kinda limited.

Any thoughts?

 

[The Chairman]

Gary Oldman nails the American accent in every film in which he plays an American.

On the vice versa, I thought David Anders was great on Heroes. I really thought he was a Brit for awhile.

 

[Mister Sinister]

Hugh Laurie in House.

 

[Girl_Wonder]

Definetly Christian Bale and also Gary Oldman are good at passing off an american accent.

as for an american acting with a British accent I guess that what's-his-face..er Donald Sutherland? right? yeah him. that's all i can think of...

 

[Ahura Mazda]

Why would Jason Statham have an american accent? I thought he was British in the Transporter...

 

[JayCaz]

Why would Jason Statham have an american accent? I thought he was British in the Transporter...

That was his attempt at an American twang. I rest my case.

 

[Liquid Snake]

I haven't seen the movie but I saw a commercial with ed Norton and he had a different accent. Not sure what the name was but it had the girl from Mulholland Drive and The Ring. It was alright the accent.

 

[JP]

What? Christian Bale? Amazing actor but his accent is one of the worst I've ever heard.

"Raichul, Ay am moooooore"

 

[November Rain]

gweneth paltrow is the only yank to do a decent regional brit accent

 

[JayCaz]

What? Christian Bale? Amazing actor but his accent is one of the worst I've ever heard.

"Raichul, Ay am moooooore"

Do you feel the same about American Psycho? The Machinist? or Harsh Times? (where he does two convincing American accents IMHO)

 

[Clobberin' Time]

Bad American doing English

Dick Van Dyke In Mary Poppins
Don Cheadle in Oceans 11
Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta

Good American doing English

Johnny Depp in From Hell
Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy
Johnny Depp in that film about Sweeney Todd

 

[chamber-music]

Definetly Christian Bale and also Gary Oldman are good at passing off an american accent.

as for an american acting with a British accent I guess that what's-his-face..er Donald Sutherland? right? yeah him. that's all i can think of...

Donald Sutherlands Canadian although his father was from Scotland.

Worst American accent by a British actor has to go to Jude Law. That guy murders yanks accents to me.

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May from the Spider-Man films) does a convincing accent too.

Best British actors doing american accents on TV are probabley Hugh Laurie, Anna Friel or Idris Elba.

I give Josh Hartnett a bit of respect for attempting a British northern accent in Blow Dry.

 

[KenK]

I haven't seen the movie but I saw a commercial with ed Norton and he had a different accent. Not sure what the name was but it had the girl from Mulholland Drive and The Ring. It was alright the accent.

Naomi Watts.

And yeah, Bale's not nearly that convincing at doing an American accent, not compared to Oldman, anyway. Bale, you can always kind of tell that it's something he's putting effort into doing. Some Brits can pull off American so well, you wouldn't even guess they were British.

I agree with Hugh Laurie, though, his American accent's flawless.

 

[chamber-music]

Bad American doing English

Don Cheadle in Oceans 11

Dear god did Don Cheadles cockney accent suck in the Oceans movies

 

[jaguarr]

I haven't seen the movie but I saw a commercial with ed Norton and he had a different accent. Not sure what the name was but it had the girl from Mulholland Drive and The Ring. It was alright the accent.

What, "The Painted Veil"? Norton's British accent in that film was abysmal (and I'm being kind).

jag

 

[jokersminion]

I know Ewan McGregor isn't Brit but he pulls off an American accent pretty well.

 

[Clobberin' Time]

Oh, how could I forget...

All of Spinal Tap, they do amazing English accents. 10/10 convincing!

 

[Clobberin' Time]

I know Ewan McGregor isn't Brit but he pulls off an American accent pretty well.

He is British. He's from Scotland, like me.

 

[JayCaz]

I know Ewan McGregor isn't Brit but he pulls off an American accent pretty well.

Ewan McGregor IS a Brit!!t:

 

[chamber-music]

Welsh actors Matthew Rhys from Brothers and Sisters, Ioan Gruffudd from Fantastic Four films do fine american accents too.

 

[JayCaz]

He is British. He's from Scotland, like me.

and like Big Dunc!

 

[jaguarr]

Jonathan Rhys Myers can turn on a good Yank accent when the mood strikes him.

jag

 

[jokersminion]

He is British. He's from Scotland, like me.

Ewan McGregor IS a Brit!!t:

doh! *slaps forehead*, I meant English. I know he is from Scotland. Honestly.

 

[Clobberin' Time]

Brad Pitt does the most amazing 'Pikey' accent in Snatch.

 

[JayCaz]

Brad Pitt does the most amazing 'Pikey' accent in Snatch.

Agreed. Apparently he said he'd only take the role if he could play it 100% comedy. Which he did brilliantly.