10 Accents By Actors Who Did An Amazing Job And 10 That Just Fell Flat On Their Face. But while nailing the Irish accent has proven to be very difficult for most actors, there have been a handful that absolutely cracked it, starting with James McAvoy - Inside I'm Dancing / Glass. 6 Isla Fisher. However, not as many are likely to recognize the Northern variation. Michael Fassbender is an Irish actor who was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to a German father, Josef, and an Irish mother, Adele (originally from Larne, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland). We just assumed he was Irish, but nope, he was born in New Jersey to to an Armenian-American mother and English father. Anjelica Huston starred in the 1999 film Agnes Browne as a working-class Irish mother and she nails the inner city Dublin accent. He is an actor, known for Michael Collins (1996), Intermission (2003) and Any Time Now (2002). We think what makes this accent worse is that Natascha's mother is Irish, what a betrayal! Natascha McElhone - Ronin (1998) PA. Natascha McElhone's attempt at a Northern Irish accent didn't hit the mark. Meryl Streep as Kate Mundy Sony Pictures. However, according to a video clip from the site for "Rockface" he resides Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Shanley, of Moonstruck fame, even compared the backlash from Irish people to the receptions triumphs Angela's Ashes and Playboy of the Western World got in Ireland. Actor | Even the actually Irish Jamie Dornan isn't convincing (what the hell, Jamie?). He has been married to Georgie Hurford-Jones Sam Neill was born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, to army parents, an English-born mother, Priscilla Beatrice (Ingham), and a New Zealand-born father, Dermot Neill. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Dropkick Murphys are touring in March 2023. With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne as king. An Irish voice has a distinct lilt that cannot be replicated by any other region. They have two children. Gerard Butler - P.S. Watch on. For example, you can find . That's right: Christian Grey is secretly Irish. 1. He has been married to Anna Nygh since 1986. Greatest Finds From Lululemon's 'We Made . He is best known for his portrayal of Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise (2010-2011), About Time (2013), Ex Machina (2015) and The Revenant (2015).He is the son of actor Brendan Gleeson, alongside whom he has appeared in several films and Born Dublin, Ireland on July 11 1929. Thanks for contacting us. 1. Heart your main contenders for an instant quote. An actor studying an Irish accent is likely to get some very unreliable feedback. When it comes to sounding Irish, most Hollywood stars are full of blarney. However, Huston has strong connections with Ireland, her father filmmaker John Huston renounced his U.S. citizenship for Irish citizenship in 1964 and Anjelica attended school in Ireland at Kylemore Abbey for a number of years. (Steve Coogan also stars who gets a special shout out for one of his Alan Partridge characters, Martin Brennan.). He is an actor, known for Angela's Ashes (1999), The Magdalene Sisters (2002) and Ballykissangel (1996). She was previously married to Denis O'Dea. The Wind that Shakes the Barley. You get the drift. Irish actor Liam Cunningham was an electrician in the mid 80's. AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C. And we mean fully nudeas in, not a shred of clothing. Simone wrote about the couple's engagement. Actress | He is an actor, known for Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and The Infiltrator (2016). The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Every year, St Patrick's day rolls around and we're subjected to every nationality attempting to mimic the Irish accent. The actors were rated from 1 to 5. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away. Blunt has now joined the likes of Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts in the league of terrible Irish accents, but it's not all bad, some actors have completely nailed it (looking at you James McAvoy) and we shouldn't let Wild Mountain Thyme overshadow their accent mastery. Fiona Shaw. His father was a member of the Garda Sochna, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. Well then. Ronin Official Trailer #1 - Robert De Niro Movie (1998) HD. Jon Voight - The General. Within six months he was in his first movie, acting alongside Aidan Quinn in This Is My Father Actress | Ciaran Owens was born in 1985 in Co. Cavan, Ireland. We'll give Kelly MacDonald a shout-out for her role in Intermission hereat times the accent veers into "beggora" territory but it's mostly a decent attempt at a more posh south Dublin accent. The star of HBOsThe Affairmay have the Brooklyn dad accent down, but hes actually English. Murphy was educated at Presentation Brothers College, Cork. Listen to people from the Republic of Ireland speak English in their native accent or dialect. She is an actress, known for In America (2002), Heidi (2005) and Proof (2004). Star turns into "shtar", Christ to "chrisht", small to "shmall". (For the UK country of Northern Ireland, go here .) Fox, Back to the Future Part III. He took great attention to Irish play writers such as Samuel Beckett, which eventually led to him performing in his high Colm Meaney was born on May 30, 1953 in Dublin, Ireland. They have two children. A.J. She is known for playing Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series Ballykissangel, Detective Chief Inspector Roisin Connor in the ITV police procedural Trial & Retribution and Cruella DE Vil in Once Upon A Time for which she was nominated as Best Supporting Andrew Scott was born in Dublin, Ireland, the middle child with two sisters, Sarah and Hannah. Actor | The Welsh actor is famed for pulling off different accents in his hit show The Americans, but his lesser-known performance in the 2018 BBC period drama Death and Nightingales sees him pull off a perfect Fermanagh drawl. Soon after graduating from Trinity College Dublin with a BA in Drama and Theatre he moved to London, England, to further pursue his acting career. How to Master Any Accent: 4 Experts Talk Dialect Work. 1. His theatre experience includes lead roles in all the major theatres in Ireland as well as productions from Sydney, Australia to London's West-End. In 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with the talented Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney. He was an actor, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Descent: Part 2 (2009) and Willow (1988). New York, His father left Colm Meaney was born on May 30, 1953 in Dublin, Ireland. Rose Byrne, Christian Bale, Riz Ahmed, and Ruth Wilson all have played Americans on prominent shows and in films, but it turns out all of them were hiding surprising accents. It's still St. Patrick's Day, so let's rate actors attempting Irish accents in movies By Marianne Garvey , CNN Published 12:34 PM EDT, Tue March 17, 2020 His father left Born in Louth, lived in Meath for 12 years with his grandparents. Paddy Considine in In America (2002) The British actor successfully commands the role of an Irish emigrant in Jim Sheridan's family drama. No redeeming aspects whatsoever. After joining the National Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Sir Laurence Olivier, Gambon went on to appear in a number of leading roles in plays written by Alan Ayckbourn Michael McElhatton was born in 1963 in Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. He is an actor and writer, known for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Gettysburg (1993) and Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012). 15 of the worst accents in movies, according to critics. Striking Irish actor Cillian Murphy was born in Douglas, the oldest child of Brendan Murphy, who works for the Irish Department of Education, and a mother who is a teacher of French. Striking Irish actor Cillian Murphy was born in Douglas, the oldest child of Brendan Murphy, who works for the Irish Department of Education, and a mother who is a teacher of French. The Irish lass appeared in many Fionnula Flanagan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He supported himself Irish actor Robert Sheehan was born in Portlaoise, County Laois, the son of Joseph and Maria Sheehan. An Irish accent is a warm and welcoming voice that provides a feeling of home to native Irish. He later trained at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. All Irish accents tend to pronounce the 'ru' sound after a vowel, such as in words like 'first,' and 'farther.' However, the 'r' sound is closer to the English West Country accent than the rolled 'r . He is a writer and actor, known for Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011), Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie (2014) and Mrs. Brown's Boys: The Original Series (2002). Im embarrassed to admit that it took a really long time to realize that our collective boyfriend, Riz Ahmed, is in fact English. Dan had at least two siblings, a sister and a Patrick Bergin has done more than 80 films and TV movies and is best known internationally for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts character in the thriller Sleeping With the Enemy, or for his role as an Irish terrorist alongside Harrison Ford in the film adaption of Patriot Games. )in that case, you might not have realized that hes been suppressing his English accent on the show. I am also adding actors who have a strong Irish connection and/or are widely referred to as ''Irish''. That guy was Australian?! The movie star tried playing an Irish maid, who falls in love with Dr. Jekyll. He later trained at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. This story has been shared 101,783 times. The Mentalist? That was Michael J. Christopher "Chris" O'Dowd (born 9 October, 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian best known for his role as Roy Trenneman in the Channel 4 comedy The IT Crowd (2006). 16. Pitt' makes a hames of the Belfast accent as IRA man Francis 'Frankie' McGuire in The Devil's Own. Just bad. Irish Actors and Actresses. He is best known for playing cops and villains on TV and movies plus his ability to do a broad range of accents.He has appeared in over 100 stage and screen productions.Richie is a member of Bobby Moresco's Actor's Eamonn Owens is an Irish actor born in Killeshandra, Ireland. The actor ranked most likely to make the Irish cough up their corned beef and cabbage? However, he is renowned for his roles and accents in My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and The Boxer. The Average Penis Length Keeps Growing. Richie is a member of . He died on October 13, 1964 in Brefni O'Rorke was born on June 26, 1889 in Dublin, Ireland. Natascha McElhone Ronin. Such productions included The Plough & The Stars, Romeo & Juliet and A Cry from Heaven. On occasion though, we are treated to one that isn't that bad. His father was a British pilot in the Royal Air Force, and his mother is Irish. The accent is more difficult than Irish and Scottish. For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for theMarie Clairenewsletter. Upon graduating, she became interested in fashion journalism and worked for lifestyle and fashion magazine, Image. It was his mother Moya, an amateur actress, who was the real influence behind his Actor | He was previously married to Juliette. He was previously married to Bairbre Dowling. Since then, he has been involved in many films and theater productions on both sides of the Atlantic. His film presence has been filled with memorable roles that range from an inwardly tortured hit man, to an adventurous explorer, a determined-but-failing writer, and the greatest military leader in history.Farrell was born on Jonathan Rhys Meyers was born Jonathan Michael Meyers on July 27, 1977, in Dublin, Ireland, to Mary Geraldine (Meyers) and John O'Keeffe, a musician. Isn't he Irish you ask? Director John Patrick Shanley even said himself, "I'm not making this movie for the Irish," (per Variety.) Maria Doyle Kennedy was born on September 25, 1964 in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. And she plays Amy. So what exactly is the Irish accent? Josh Bowman. Fake Irish. He is an actor, known for The Imitation Game (2014), Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) and Downton Abbey (2010). She later joined a local amateur drama group known as the Oakgrove Theatre Company. Cate Blanchett - Veronica Guerin (2003) Veronica Guerin was a real-life journalist who was murdered by the gangs she tried to uncover in Dublin in 1996 . Truly, offensive. When the trailer was released in November it caused a huge stir on Twitter as Irish people were both aghast and bemused that a film so full of paddywhackery and tired stereotypes managed to make it past the pitching process. Sorry, Stephen Moyer! Irish - Jon Voight. On leaving school he worked part-time as a reporter for The Irish Times and part-time as an Irish actor Liam Cunningham was an electrician in the mid 80's. We've plowed through the archives and nominated our . He died on January 20, 1960 in Hollywood, California, USA. With a name like ODonnell, youd think hed do better as Jack Foley in the 1995 film. Kenneth Branagh. Saoirse grew up in Dublin and briefly in Co. Carlow before moving back to Dublin Born in New York to Irish parents, lived in Carlow since she was 3. She was educated in a convent, where she gained a passion for the arts. "The Irish reaction to things written about Ireland has been tumultuous from the time of John Millington Synge when they disrupted Playboy of the Western World because they thought that it was pornographic," he said. Voight voiced to perfection the exasperated culchie guard accent, while charged with bringing Brendan Gleeson's character Martin Cahill to heel. Superman is British! Aidan Gillen is an Irish actor. And coming in last place is Fox for his horrible accent as Seamus McFly in the 1990 sequel. 1. Sean McGinley was born on March 1, 1956 in Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal, Ireland. From an early age she grew up speaking both English and Irish on a daily basis. Gerard Butler, who you would think, as he's a Scotsman, would not have as much difficulty with the Irish accent as Americans. Buckley was born on February 9, 1977 in Dublin, Ireland. 10. Bronagh made her screen Dominique McElligott is an Irish actress. In GANGS OF NEW YORK, an actor who never uses his real voice ends up being the ONLY actor who DOES. He was previously married to Mary McGuckian. T he best Irish accents in film history. He has been married to Jennifer Gibney since August 1, 2005. Siobhan McKenna was born on May 24, 1923 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Richard Hayward was born on October 24, 1892 in Southport, Lancashire, England, UK. Though not as well known as his nearly decade-older brother Barry Fitzgerald, Shields was a talented actor with well over twice the film roles in his career. Cyril James Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, to Alice Violet (Cole), a Cockney English actress and chorus girl, and James Walter Cusack, an Irish mounted policeman in Natal. Scots have shown a decent facility with the Irish accent over the . His first acting experience was when he was aged just two, entertaining wounded soldiers returning from action during the First World War. From Scarlett O'Hara to the recent biopic of Hank Williams starring the British actor Tom Hiddleston, Hollywood has often been indifferent to making Southern characters nuanced . His father was a cooper and his mother a hospital worker. (2013) and Passing (2021). Heres how the 10 non-Irish-born stars fared. Roberts played Kitty Kiernan in the 1996 thriller she wasnt half bad, with a 2.4 ranking for her accent. Youd never know this from his role onGirlsorThe Night Ofbut his real accent is English. They have one child. Already accomplished in his homeland, Irish actor Colin Kenny came to the US in 1917 to make his bid for film stardom. Ireland 1 male, 30s, 1960s, Irish/White, Sligo. He was previously married to Bairbre Dowling. Feel free to make suggestions.. politeness is appreciated :). Sometimes actors might look the part, but they just don't sound the part. When he wasn't being a serial killer, obviously. List of the top Irish male screen actors. Alas, most of them didnt come close, but leave it to Meryl Streep to finish on top. Drilling. We've gone into some detail already as to why you need to watch this Irish dark drama, but without a doubt one of the biggest reasons is because of relative unknown Cosmo Jarvis, as the hulking, softly-spoken bruiser at the centre of it all. Playing everything from Beckett to Shakespeare, he has appeared in theatre, TV and film constantly since 1959. He has been married to Marie Mullen since 1990. Other Irish actors in the show are Desmond Eastwood (who plays Niall), India Mullen (Peggy), Killian Filan (Jack), Fionn O'Shea (Jamie), and Leah McNamara (Rachel). MacDonald reprised an Irish role years later when she was cast as Margaret Shroder in Boardwalk Empirethat's not on the list because the accent is often strangely indistinguishable but it is set during the prohibition era so maybe that's why. New to this great lineage of bad accents is Wild Mountain Thyme, a romantic drama released in the UK in early 2021 and so inexplicable that even literal Irish actors seemed to speak with fake . Rosemary (Emily Blunt) and Anthony (Jamie Dornan) have a special moment in "Wild Mountain Thyme," a new movie written and directed by John Patrick Shanley. The actor, famous for his roles in Inception and 28 Days Later was born in Douglas, an Irish suburb in Cork, but he masterfully manages to switch his Irish accent into Tommy Shelby's Birmingham . They have one child. At age 16, O'Donoghue went to Paris, France, for a month to learn the French language. He is an actor, known for Michael Collins (1996), Omagh (2004) and The Constant Gardener (2005). He has been married to Anna Claire Sneed since June 1, 2019. Born in 1972 in Northern Ireland, Bronagh became involved in the performing arts, including music and drama during her teenage years. Please select a sample from the list below. His parents Michael and Fidelma Murray sent him to the Billie Barry when he was six, and within two weeks he landed a Tesco television ad. Actor | Huston also starred in her father's 1987 adaptation of James Joyce's The Dead and her accent is faultless. Maureen made Sarah Lee Bolger (born 28 February 1991) is an Irish actress. The New York Times noted, "Hepburn's distinctive voice, loud, clipped and with a pronounced upper-class New England accent, that became crucial to Ms. Blanchett's performance." Yup he was born in Wales to English parents, so he definitely doesn't sound American. He went on to study law Bran F. O'Byrne was born on May 16, 1967 in Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland. Actor | She was educated at Catholic schools in Jamie Dornan was born on May 1, 1982 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. 3. Although Irish character actor Ray McAnally would become one of his country's most revered stage actors, he will be forever remembered by audiences both here and abroad for a couple of films he made during the last years of his life.Born on March 30, 1926, in the seaside town of Buncrana and the Daniel Peter "Dan" O'Herlihy was born on 1 May 1919 at Odessa Cottage, Wexford Town, County Wexford (Ireland) to John Robert O'Herlihy, a civil servant from Cork who later worked in the Department of Industry and Commerce, and Ellen (ne Hanton). Updated. Several Irish expat and heritage organizations in the US were given short clips of the highest-grossing movies in which an American actor plays an Irish character in either a lead or supporting role. He is an actor and producer, known for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Layer Cake (2004) and Under Siege (1992). He initially attended Dundalk Grammar School, and then The Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. His maternal grandfather was Sir Michael Balcon, an important figure in the history of British cinema and Noel Purcell was born on December 23, 1900 in Dublin, Ireland. Upon returning to Dublin, she won the role of Adela in the House of Bernarda Alba at the Gate Theatre. Brendan Coyle was born in Corby, Northamptonshire to an Irish father and Scottish mother; his parents moved to Corby from County Tyrone, Ireland. Armed with an absolutely spot-on Belfast accent, Sturgess plays a spy within the IRA, reporting back to British authorities. Two-times Olivier Award-nominated, one-time winner and Tony Award-nominated, like her fellow Irish actresses, Fiona Shaw has done a great deal of work in the theatre. Ireland 2 female, 50s, 1940s, Irish/White, Dublin. The problem with setting an Irish movie in Ireland with Irish actors is that people except to hear Irish accents. In an interview with GQ, Sir Lenny Henry, who portrays a Harfoot . By. He was previously Jennifer Gibney is known for Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011), Mrs. Brown's Boys: The Original Series (2002) and Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie (2014). How can you go full Quiet Man in this the year of our Lord 2020? Tell us what you think about this feature. This heartwarming 2004 film about a young man with muscular dystrophy sees Scotsman James McAvoy do a completely pitch-perfect, natural Dublin accent. When he was nine, his family Gavan O'Herlihy was born on July 29, 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan star in "Wild Mountain Thyme." Likely Story. Special mention to Debra Messing in the stage production of Outside Mullingarthe play which later became, you guessed it, Wild Mountain Thyme. Barbara Hoffman. Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly. From the Cannes breakout The Other Side of Sleep, Jane Campions Bright Star, BAFTA wining Kelly&victor in titular role. His father was a member of the Garda Sochna, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. We'll kick off with an actor who has managed to pull off a great Irish accent not once, but twice. Richard St John Harris was born on October 1, 1930 in Limerick, Ireland, to a farming family, one of nine children born to Mildred (Harty) and Ivan Harris. Thankfully, that isn't an issue with this drama, as lead actor Jack Reynor is surrounded by actors playing his mother (Collette) and best friend (Poulter) who are totally up to the challenge. So of course it makes sense that she would absolutely nail her role as the Irish journalist in this tragic true-life drama. He was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution (also the school of Brian Campbell & Brian McAlister). You must also master speaking extremely fast if you want to speak like a true Kerry native. He has two siblings, William Branagh, Jr. (born 1955) and Joyce Branagh (born 1970). 3. His father was a doctor who hoped to have Ciarn follow in his footsteps, but that was not to be. Was not one Irish actor available for these roles? Following a long acting career with a wealth of Awards (Screen stars, Berlinale Shooting Stars, BIFA, IFTA), established Antonia as having 'a flair for experiment and depth'. She was an actress, known for Doctor Zhivago (1965), King of Kings (1961) and Of Human Bondage (1964). Just 1.1 out of 5 for our man McFly. They have one child. His first film role was as a policeman in "Into the West." Who wouldn't want to listen to these Irish actors/singers talk for hours: Micheal Gambon, Niall Horan, Saoirse Ronan, Colin FarrellThough you probably can't get one of them to voice your piece, you can still find a voice actor with the lovely Irish lilt to be the voice of your project. Will Poulter & Toni Collette - Glassland. Marianne's best friend Joanna . The best way to learn is to practice. Even some of the greatest actors have butchered our fair brogue. Ireland is an island with just over six million people, and sometimes it seems there are twice as many accents. Shay Monahan is known for The Front Line (2006), Premiss (2012) and O' Daddy Dear (2015). Jon Voight is the perfect country Garda (policeman) in this classic crime film. Her mother used to say, "A nation without a language Actor | He spent five years of his childhood in a seminary training to be a Catholic priest. Shaw was already an accomplished theater actress when director Jim Sheridan awarded her a role in his film, My Left Foot (1989).