Sean Connery tops list of worst accents in movie history

Posted Tuesday, July 1, 2003 at 1:17 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Some actors are good at it. Some sound terrible at it. It's not easy to speak with an accent that's not your natural dialect. These actors prove it.

Empire, England's premier film magazine, has selected its list of the worst accents in film history. Topping the list is Sean Connery for his attempted Irish accent in The Untouchables. The mag stated, "Whether he's a Russian sub captain or even an English King, always that baritone Highland burr remains." Ironically, Connery earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the 1987 film.

Second to Connery was American Dick Van Dyke who tried to pull off a English Cockney accent in Mary Poppins. Brad Pitt was third for his Austrian voice in Seven Years In Tibet.

Other notables in the top ten were Julia Roberts for Mary Reilly and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.