The Best and Worst Irish Accents in Cinema
With St. Patrick’s Day preparations taking place around the world, what better time to take a look at Irish cinema? Last year I posted an article about my favourite Irish films. But, if there’s one thing that can madden an Irish person, it’s the perception that Hollywood often has about our little nation. Sure, it may be small in size, but we’ve produced some of the world’s greatest writers, not to mention Ireland has one of the strongest economies in the world at the moment, with Dublin rated as one of the world’s best cities to live in.
Which is all the more annoying when Hollywood has a history of portraying the Irish as rural and simple, with our Oirish exclamations (Bejaysus!) and our resident leprechauns. And while I didn’t enjoy the film, it was good to see Once fare so well, considering its modern depiction of Ireland’s capital city. But even still there’s numerous examples of how the old stereotype still squirms its way into representations of the Irish (the terrorists of Sin City being a good example). And of course there was Far and Away, possibly the most insulting film an Irish person could ever watch, with Tom Cruise portraying the Irishman as a rugged and passionate brute.
Below are what I consider to be some of the most convincing Irish accents made by a foreign actor, as well as a few of the worst examples that I can lure out of my memory. Enjoy. And Top O’ The Mornin to Ya.
THE GOOD
Paddy Considine- In America
Paddy Considine is a strange actor. Despite an obvious intensity he invests in his roles, he seems to keep to largely independent films, such as the understated Dead Man’s Shoes and 24-Hour Party People. Is it his choice, or has he yet to break the U.S. properly? His performance as the aspiring actor who brings his family to the slums of New York in John Sheridan’s In America was the highlight of the film. Considine’s Dublin accent is so flawless that when asked in an audition to do an English accent, it almost sounds fake. Considine is brimming with an undercurrent of sadness throughout the film, and because of the quality of his accent, he is utterly convincing.
Cate Blanchett- Veronica Guerin
Finally, a film that deals with some sort of modern Ireland. Joel Schumacher’s film was flawed, but it was an honourable attempt to tell the true story of Veronica Guerin, an Irish journalist who attempted to tell the country about its huge drug and crime problems, only to be assassinated. Cate Blanchett is one of the world’s best actress at the moment, and her performance of Guerin is commendable. Blanchett embodied the feistiness of Guerin, and she is one of the few foreign actresses to actually capture the Dublin accent well.
Daniel Day Lewis- My Left Foot
Many people don’t actually realise that Daniel Day-Lewis, despite his love of this country, is not Irish. He was born and bred in England, gradually making a name for himself in films such as My Beautiful Laundrette. In 1990 he agreed to play Christy Brown, the real-life painter who suffered from cerebral palsy so badly that he could only paint with his (yes you guessed it) left foot. Day-Lewis had the hard task of not only replicating the painter’s speech difficulties, but also trying to maintain a working-class Dublin accent. It’s no wonder he stayed in character throughout the shoot. Day-Lewis’s excellent performance was rightly rewarded with an Oscar.
THE BAD
Samantha Morton- In America
It pains me to say this, as I have the utmost respect for Samantha Morton (she’s excellent in Control, for example), but her presence in this movie represents an incredibly irritating tendency in cinema. Many people seem to think that just because you’re English, and thus geographically close to Ireland, that an Irish accent is much easier to pull off. Just look at the recent episodes of Heroes set in Cork for some atrocious examples of this. And sadly, Samantha Morton has a disappointingly shaky Irish accent in the film. In moments of stress, she leaps back to dear old Blighty and ruins the moment. Director Jim Sheridan (who’s Irish, and should have known better) should have written her as English, and solved the problem.
Sean Connery- The Untouchables
Whoever thinks Sean Connery can act really needs to think about him for a while. Being Bond consists of donning an all-knowing grin, and then an occasional grimace when the action starts. I believe there’s a scene in From Russia With Love, in which Bond tries to reason with the bad guy. It’s pretty laughable, and you just crave for the karate chops. Without doubt, Connery has charm, but one only has to watch a few minutes of The Hunt for Red October (in which Connery is supposed to be Russian) to see his acting and accent limitations. In the Untouchables Connery is supposed to be Irish, and while Connery does make some effort to do so, by adorning a cap, whistling Danny Boy and other assorted stereotypes, his accent’s attempt to swim from Scotland to Ireland gets sunk about half-way.
Kevin Spacey- Ordinary Decent Criminal
I decided against ranting about Orson Welles’ horrible Oirish accent in The Lady from Shanghai, and opted for Kevin Spacey. Because in this day and age, he should know better. Ordinary Decent Criminal is basically the “fun†and “frivolous†(and completely unenjoyable) version of The General, the excellent film about one of Dublin’s most resourceful gangsters, Martin Cahill. In Ordinary Decent Criminal, Spacey plays Michael Lynch (only one step away from Paddy O’Brady), and his accent is without doubt one of the worst I’ve heard in years. It kind of tries to sound like something out of Dublin (with a twang of Northern Ireland here, and of Oirish there), but Spacey is unable to shed his American drawl. This is further proof that Spacey is a lazy actor, powering each of his roles with a single emotive thrust (sarcasm for American Beauty, greed for Superman Returns, etc), but this role not only embarrasses himself, but this country as well.
Other worthy bad Irish accents are Julia Roberts’s performance in Michael Collins, Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away, and Brad Pitt in The Devil’s Own.
JENNY, you’re an idiot. If you think anyone with a Northern accent, (myself beong from Donegal would say I fall in that bracket geographically) sounds like a pirate then you’re insulting an awful lot of people.
Im not sure of where ur from, but Im going to guess American buy your down right ignorance. You all sound like deflating baloons.
Have a nice day!
again im seeing more tripe. They sound odd because your not from ireland. Pitts is actually spot on?!?
Shut theeeeeeeee Fuck up! I live in Belfast, the past 4 years, Im from Donegal by the grace of god and I can say, the only non irish actor to ever do the accent any justice has been daniel day lewis. DiCaprio was decent at best (although having lived around the southern tip of Africa for a year Im going to hazzard a statement saying his African accent is Fan-fucking-tastic!) [besides the point]
I cant really see anyone else as being in anyway good. The killers in Sin City,,,,,They were CRAP!
FAO; Ross
Pitt doesnt do an irish accent in Snatch. he does a tinker accent. Its the same all over ireland and the UK. And anyone can do it! —- Boss!! lmao
Where to start!!! If I had been on the set with Di Caprio I would have pushed his head under myself, fare play to Kate Winslett for letting his hand go.
Tom Cruise…His accent in Far and Away was so bad it can’t be mentioned without causing half the Irish population to scream in pain, and the other half have their ears bleed
Sean Connery…Well, he’s Sean connery. If you look past the fact that he can’t do anything other than his own accent, he’s not a bad actor. (To the person above who mentioned ‘The Hill’, good spot, excellent film).
But then on the other foot you have about 1% of the Irish population playing Greeks in Alexander.
The film ‘Once’ is one of my favourite films, and I promote it every chance I get. Last of the Mohicans…F***ing brilliant film. Leave it alone. Nothing Irish about it.
Shit accents are shit accents. It’s the casting people who are to blame. Would you turn down £1 million to put on an accent…no. The film Highlander is case in point: we have a French actor playing a Scot, and a Scot playing an Egyptian/Spaniard but then again, we don’t know how long his character had been in Scotland. We all know that if someone goes to liverpool for the weekend, they come back like an extra from Brookside
I didn’t read everyone’s post so I don’t know if it’s alreadyon there but Brad Pitt in “Snatch”. It was absolutely amazing!
Justin Theroux’s Irish accent in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is the worst I’ve ever heard. I had to turn off the film it was that bad. It was an amateur attempt which involved a weird cross between Scottish, English, and a rubbish attempt at some northern Irish at some points. Ah to be sure…to be sure…….
brad pitts accent in the devils own was a really good northern irish accent, its wile different from the accents down south
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Uhhhhm, Mark… Ned Kelly was Australian. I never saw the movie, but that might explain why Mick Jagger’s “Irish accent” sucked.
Thomas already mentioned Donald Sutherland in 1976′s The Eagle Has Landed, but he really outdoes himself in 1999′s Virus. He should receive some kind of lifetime achievement award in butchery of the Irish accent.
James McAvoy did such an amazing job in Inside I’m Dancing. I’ve seen so many films through out the years that attempt an Irish accent and honestly it makes you want to cry they’re that bad! Cate did a great job in Veronica Guerin as well. Although I realise some roles have to be played by bigger names, this may be a crazy thought, but maybe Irish actors should be given the chance to play Irish roles!! There are some really talented Irish actors in this country.
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Angus MacFadyen’s accent in Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood deserves a dishonourable mention.
I rest my case:
http://www.10on12.com/index.php/notebook/taking_the_mick/
I couldn’ even tell tha’ Depp’s accent was Irish. I thought it was British! And I’ve seen that movie dozens of times!
Im from Cork, and im actually here to defend me american friends. To say the least, irish actors such as colin farrel suckkkkkkkkkkkkkk at American Accents, in fact, i havnt heard one good american accent performed by an irish actor, maybe some english actors but not irish, soo i think were getting a little ahead of ourselves to think were so important, but on the other hand i do agree that a lot of american accents are horrible like julia Roberts, but once again, if i ever hear Collin Farrel attempt a Los Angeles accent again (SWAT) i think im going to kill my self.
Believe you have to consider all aspects in the current economic climate – personally do no think we have seen the full extent of the recesssion, so would be cautious in considering.
Gerard Butler’s accent in “P.S. I Love You” was absolutely awful.
I’m also here to defend Colin Farrell. I think his American accent is pretty good.
being irish myself I thought Gerard Butler’s accent in PS I love you was good but it was nowhere near as good as Brad Pitt in Snatch. Its funny how so many people keep saying that Gerard Butler’s Irish accent didn’t sound right. So many people think all Irish people have the same accent when they don’t. Different parts of Ireland have different accents the same as England. No one from Manchester and London sounds the same. Its the same in Ireland and I think both actors done well speaking Irish.
whoever has just said Brad Pitt’s accent in the devil’s own was good needs shot. From Belfast!
james if you were truly from belfast i dont think you would use the word shot to talk to a fellow man over an accent with all the movements we have made on the piece process. Brad’s accent is amazing and yes. i too am from belfast
no ur not Scott, stop being bent u yorkshire scum. haha. Josh harnett has a cracker wee yorkshire accent.
Worst I ever heard: Orson Welles in Lady from Shanghai. Another strange one would be Billy Connolly in The Boondock Saints.
I understand that Alexander proabably hasn’t had much of a mention because no one went to see it, but what is up with the accents in that film!
Colin Farrell can’t do accents so they made all his mates Irish too, but the older generation from the same place had English accents, cos you can’t have Irish philosophers apparently!
And then Jolie sounded Russian or something, mental!
Do you remember Connor from Neighbours? I thought he was quite good but my Irish friend said he was rubbish!
just watched dennis hopper in the movie ticker, a rubbish accent for a rubbish film almost as bad as that guy from charlies angels. some of the worst irish accents come from irish actors and northern actors are the worst offenders, im from belfast by the way.
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Colin Farrell has to be the winer of “worst Irish accent” for his woeful attempt at a country Cork accent in the newly released Neil Jordan movie Ondine.
In the film Intermission Cillian Murphy, from Cork, does a far more believable working class Dublin accent then Colin Farrell, a middle class Dubliner! Also no mention for Jon Voight in The General?! He pulls off that rural south west accent perfectly. Sets up the rivalry between Brendan Gleeson's urban, working class Dublin criminal against Voights country Garda beautifully. But hats off to Cate Blanchett for her tone perfect middle class northside Dublin accent in Veronica Guerin.
Best for me will always be Michael Fassbender in 'Hunger.'
i know sean connery was painful in the untouchables and darby o gill but i saw little known movie recently called molly maguires and he had it to a tee
Wow great list! I can just not express how much I love the Irish accent. Its the best!