Top 20 Actors With the Best Fake Accents
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Actors With the Best Fake Accents. For this list, we’ll be looking at the performers with the most convincing accent work. Did we forget a talented performer worth mentioning? Let us know in the comments below.
#20: James McAvoy
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While the Scottish brogue is sometimes harder to decipher, James McAvoy easily changes out of it for any number of roles. He’s no stranger to British accents for dramatic parts such as “Atonement” and later playing Professor X in the “X-Men” series. While he’s able to make subtle accent changes in various genres, McAvoy also shows off his range in one particular film. M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” captures the performer doing 23 distinct voices in a variety of American dialects. Continuing this character in the movie “Glass”, the star reveals himself as an underrated artist with superb versatility.
#19: Tatiana Maslany
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Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany can portray a multitude of European accents. Most famous for her performance on “Orphan Black,” she has to do a variety of voices for the critically-acclaimed show. Each one of the clones she plays comes from one side of the Atlantic or the other, forcing her to master all kinds of international sounds. Her underrated film work takes her to American cities for “Stronger” where she shows off a subtle Boston accent. On the small screen or in a major motion picture, Maslany shows up with the ability to play any nationality.
#18: John Boyega
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John Boyega has come a long way from starring in hidden gems like “Attack the Block”. The British actor became known to international audiences with his role in the “Star Wars” series. With an American accent, Boyega plays Finn in the sequel trilogy. He also showed his range in Kathryn Bigelow’s period drama “Detroit”, where he plays a security guard in the titular city. The performer can switch back and forth between his London roots and other nationalities in a rather seamless way. In the movie “The Woman King”, the star channeled the West African figure King Ghezo in a difficult role capturing a historical figure.
#17: Hugh Jackman
Before he became the fearsome Wolverine, Australian actor Hugh Jackman was known for musical theater. He continued to push himself as a performer through his varied performances and vocal work. Throughout his work in the “X-Men” series, Jackman became Logan in a commendable take on an American accent. He would use similar sounds to change into a more sadistic and troubled character in “Prisoners”. His wide range also extends into musicals, such as his acclaimed role in “Les Misérables”. He’s among the few artists that can act, sing, and dance in a variety of voices.
#16: Renée Zellweger
This acclaimed actress is from Texas, but you’d never think that if you watch “Bridget Jones’s Diary”. While native Brits might be picky about capturing their accent, it seems that Renée Zellweger’s work in the series passes the test. Her efforts shift effortlessly from rom-coms in England to period dramas like “Cold Mountain.” For the hit adaptation of “Chicago”, the actress moves into a Northern American dialect without skipping a beat. Zellweger also delivers in her Oscar-winning role as Judy Garland in the biopic “Judy”. No matter the part, this performer manages to convince us all that she’s a completely different person.
#15: Tom Holland
Top 10 Actors With The Best Fake Accents
In case you didn’t know, Tom Holland is a British actor. You might not have realized this if you’re only familiar with him in “Spider-Man”. His take on Peter Parker perfectly captures the personality of a New York teen. He’s also able to slip into accents such as his West Virginia-based character in “The Devil All the Time”. These skills aren’t just a one-off either, considering he also plays an American accent in the war film “Cherry”. From the boyish energy of Parker to his work in gritty dramas, this movie star proves that he’s built for voice work in more than just superhero adventures.
#14: Meryl Streep
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What else needs to be said about this actress that hasn’t already? Clearly in a class of her own, Meryl Streep has yet to fail in transforming herself for roles. This includes high-quality accent work throughout her illustrious film career that includes “Sophie’s Choice”. The Oscar-winning part requires Streep to become a Polish character stricken with guilt. Decades and several award nominations later, she won more awards for performances like Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” Continuing her command of regional and period accents, she also served a fun and comedic performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins”. She’s three Oscars deep into her career and showing no signs of stopping.
#13: Gary Oldman
Known for playing all kinds of international baddies, Gary Oldman has no shortage of accent training. He disappeared into roles long before he was a household name, playing historical figures like Lee Harvey Oswald in “JFK.” His performance as Winston Churchill won him an Oscar for his dedicated impression of the prime minister. Widely lauded for his range, Gary Oldman has yet to find an assignment he’s unable to complete. His role as the evil Stansfield in “Léon: The Professional” allows him to skillfully play an American. He also brought a subtle brilliance to Jim Gordon in “The Dark Knight” trilogy, once again playing a believable U.S. citizen. Whether he’s playing heroes or villains, the star provides a chameleon-like performance.
#12: Saoirse Ronan
Even though she’s played Irish before in films like “Brooklyn”, Saoirse Ronan has become widely known for disguising her native accent. One of her critically-lauded roles took her to California for the teenage-comedy “Ladybird”. As the title role, Ronan plays an American teenager as well as anyone could with both drama and humor. Her ability to adapt to diverse settings makes her among the brighter talents of her generation, showing her skills as far back as “The Lovely Bones”. Few other performers could easily fit into “Hanna” as well as “Little Women”, giving each character authenticity no matter the accent or time period.
#11: Jodie Comer
Born in Liverpool, this talented actress has won the world over with her rich palette of diverse voices. Comer becomes a 14th century noblewoman in the ultra-serious “The Last Duel”, just as easily as she switches to an American accent for the adventure/comedy “Free Guy”. Her previous work in British television doesn’t exactly scream archvillain, making her later transformations full of disguises and voice changes all that more amazing. Any fans of “Killing Eve” will know the true power of Jodie Comer’s talents. Her assassin Villanelle can become seemingly anyone at any moment, reminding audiences of the performer’s true mastery of her craft.
#10: Riz Ahmed
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Whether he’s acting, rapping, or making a difference for refugee children, there isn’t much this talented performer hasn’t done. Of course, most of us know him from his roles in TV shows like “Girls” and his incredible performance in “The Night Of”, a miniseries which earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Others among us will remember him from films like “Nightcrawler” and “Venom”. Thanks to these roles, many of us didn’t believe our hears the first time we heard Ahmed (who was born in Wembley, London) speak in his native English accent.
#9: Margot Robbie
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Ever since this actress’s breakthrough role in 2013’s“The Wolf of Wall Street”, we’ve had a bad case of Robbie fever. Couple that with roles like Harley Quinn in “Suicide Squad” and her Oscar-nominated turn as Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya”, and we can see why she’s become one of the world’s highest-paid actresses. However, fans of her films might be surprised to learn that Robbie was actually born in Dalby, in Queensland, Australia, and that most of her earlier work was in Australian independent films and the soap opera“Neighbours”.
#8: KJ Apa
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This teen heartthrob has turned more than a few heads since his breakthrough role in 2017 as Archie in the drama series “Riverdale”. That same year, he also starred in “A Dog’s Purpose”, and followed up in 2018 with “The Hate U Give”, and in 2019 “The Last Summer”. In a very short period, he’s collected Teen Choice, People’s Choice, and Saturn Award nominations like they’re going out of style. Many viewers were shocked when they first saw him on television interviews and discovered that, despite his solid American accent, he’s actually a Kiwi, born in Auckland, New Zealand.
#7: Rosamund Pike
This accomplished actress had starred in numerous successful films and television series in the UK long before American audiences caught wind of her. We’re talking about roles like her award-winning performance for “The Libertine” and her classic Jane Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”. But for some reason, it was only when she appeared as the cool Amy Elliott Dunne in 2014’s “Gone Girl” that North American audiences really sat up and took notice. Her American accent was so flawless in the film that viewers were surprised to hear her real London accent in interviews soon afterwards.
#6: Andrew Lincoln
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It’s hard to imagine this ruggedly handsome actor as anyone but Rick Grimes, the lead character in the critically-acclaimed show “The Walking Dead”. This small-town Southern sheriff audiences around the world, and his portrayal was honored several times with Saturn Awards. Many TWD fans were therefore surprised to learn that the Southern hero at the center of the horror television series was actually played by an actor born in London, England. Roles in which his native accent can be heard include the British sitcom “Teachers” and 2003’s “Love Actually”.
#5: Toni Collette
Younger audiences may know Toni Collette best for her recent work in the horror film “Hereditary”. For others, her name brings to mind her award-winning portrayal of Sheryl in “Little Miss Sunshine”, or the role of Tara in TV’s “United States of Tara”, which won her an Emmy and Golden Globe. However, her breakthrough role was actually in the 1994 Australian comedy drama “Muriel’s Wedding”, for which she achieved critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe nomination. In that film, you can hear the actual accent of the Sydney-born, Australian native.
#4: Andrew Garfield
Some know him best as Spider-Man, others from his more serious dramatic roles, such as Desmond Doss in “Hacksaw Ridge” and Sebastião Rodrigues in Scorsese’s “Silence”. Either way, there’s no doubt that Garfield is a talented actor. And adding to his impressiveness is just how impeccable his American accent is. Although born in the US, Garfield’s family moved to England when he was 3 years old, and he was raised in Surrey. You can go back in his filmography to older award-winning performances, like that of John Crowley in the television film “Boy A”, to hear his actual English accent.
#3: Idris Elba
He can write, he can rap, he can sing, and boy, can he act! Of course, we knew the man was a talented actor from the moment we saw him playing Stringer Bell in “The Wire”. Seeing him in flicks like “American Gangster” and “Prometheus” simply cemented our conviction that Elba was brilliant. But realizing that the flawless American accents he’d used were actually a cover for his London accent? Now that was definitive proof of his talent! We’ve since really enjoyed hearing his natural voice, especially as showcased in shows like BBC One’s “Luther”.
#2: Christian Bale
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Many of us felt completely and utterly tricked the first time we heard Bale’s actual accent, the product of a childhood spent in Wales, and in Surrey and Dorset in England. But could you blame us? “American Psycho”, “American Hustle”... Even the man’s movies scream American! Not to mention that this incredible actor has played the iconic American superhero Batman, American cowboys (like the one in “3:10 to Yuma”), and many real-life Americans, including Vice President Dick Cheney in 2018’s “Vice”. We still have a hard time believing that his accent in “The Prestige” is more-or-less his natural one!
#1: Hugh Laurie
Playing a character for 8 years on a TV show has a way of changing the way people perceive you. At least that was Laurie’s experience playing Dr. Gregory House on “House”, in a role that won him numerous accolades and awards and the distinction of being the most watched leading man on TV at the time. However, Laurie had previously enjoyed quite a prolific career in the UK, especially as part of a comedic duo with Stephen Fry. Despite his prolific acting work in his native British accent, his American accent on “House” is the way many still remember him.
