Top 10 Actors Who Swear the Most
actors, acting, movies, films, swearing, cursing, dirty words, profanity, obscenity, samuel l jackson, al pacino, martin scorsese, joe pesci, robert de niro, bruce willis, nicolas cage, colin farrell, seth rogen, ray liotta, edward norton, top 10, list,
They should have their mouths washed out with soap! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 actors who swear the most.
For this list, we’ve chosen those actors who are associated with swearing and those who’ve done it in more than one role. But it’s not solely based on the number of times they curse or movies they’ve cursed in – we’re going more for quality over quantity.
He might not be the first person who comes to mind when you’re thinking of potty-mouthed actors, but Norton’s no stranger to using dirty words to get his point across onscreen. Sometimes, it totally fits with the character he’s playing. Other times, it’s startling and unexpected. Either way, he’s been nominated for an Oscar twice so he’s doing something right.
You’re in a Martin Scorsese crime drama. You’re accompanied by actors like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. You’re playing a real-life mobster. It’s pretty much a given that you’ll be throwing around some obscenities, specially since “Goodfellas,” on the whole, contains about 300 uses of the f-word. But Liotta’s played guys one both sides of the law, so he’s definitely done his share of onscreen cursing.
It wasn’t his first flick, but “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” is the film that really showed us Rogen’s unique brand of comedy. After building an image as a foulmouthed stoner, he honed his raunchy sense of humor as a bumbling cop and an amateur porn star. Hell, even the fictionalized Rogen doesn’t hold back – and neither do his foulmouthed friends. But they’ve got good reason: it’s the end of the world.
Considered an obnoxious playboy in real life, Farrell’s also played a number of rude and crude dudes onscreen. But occasionally, that Irish accent is so strong we don’t even know what he’s saying. Some women find it sexy, others not so much. Though he’s been in indie flicks and historical epics, Farrell truly shines when he lets the rowdy Irishman in him run wild on the big screen.
With over 70 film credits to his name, it’s little wonder Cage has developed his own distinct acting style. In fact, he’s so committed to his craft that people have called him out for over-acting. Whether or not you agree, you gotta admit that the Oscar-winner’s many onscreen freak-outs wouldn’t be the same without him screaming various obscenities into the camera.
Butch may not be the lead in “Pulp Fiction,” but Willis still serves up plenty of the dirty words Quentin Tarantino films are known for. But, the character he’s most associated with is John McClane – and what’s a “Die Hard” movie without some cursing? Sure, McClane’s a man of few words all in all, but with his signature catchphrase, was the R-rating really that shocking?
Whether he’s acting with Pesci, or in some Scorsese flick, De Niro ain’t shy to let the expletives fly. But those aren’t the only roles where this legend spits out profanities – he even went into an F-bomb-laced tantrum in “Silver Linings Playbook.” It takes skill to pull off that much cussing in a rom-com.
If you’re looking for someone to play a hot-blooded tough guy, look no further. For over three decades, this Italian-American actor has portrayed rage-filled characters that are inseparable from their filthy dialogue – and one of those roles even nabbed him an Oscar. While he’s also played more family-friendly fiends, Pesci’s most remembered for his starring roles alongside Robert De Niro in three blood-drenched Scorsese flicks.
There’s something about Hollywood mobsters and vulgar language that goes hand-in-hand. As a method actor famous for his mobster movies, Pacino loses himself and his shit in his roles. If that means getting verbally nasty, he’ll do it – and he always makes it work. Want proof? His flick “Scarface” was the first movie to use the f-word over 200 times, while “Glengarry Glen Ross” gained fame for its acting AND its profanity.
Though he’d been in loads of films before “Pulp Fiction,” Jackson’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Jules Winnfield made him a worldwide star – thanks in no small part to the character’s memorably foul mouth. Legend has it that saying one curse word in particular actually helps the actor overcome his stutter, which explains why he says it so damn much. Whether or not that’s true, no one delivers it quite like Sam.
Do you agree with our list? Which actor do you think swears the most? Be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more entertaining top 10s.
For this list, we’ve chosen those actors who are associated with swearing and those who’ve done it in more than one role. But it’s not solely based on the number of times they curse or movies they’ve cursed in – we’re going more for quality over quantity.
#10 – Edward Norton
He might not be the first person who comes to mind when you’re thinking of potty-mouthed actors, but Norton’s no stranger to using dirty words to get his point across onscreen. Sometimes, it totally fits with the character he’s playing. Other times, it’s startling and unexpected. Either way, he’s been nominated for an Oscar twice so he’s doing something right.
#9 – Ray Liotta
You’re in a Martin Scorsese crime drama. You’re accompanied by actors like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. You’re playing a real-life mobster. It’s pretty much a given that you’ll be throwing around some obscenities, specially since “Goodfellas,” on the whole, contains about 300 uses of the f-word. But Liotta’s played guys one both sides of the law, so he’s definitely done his share of onscreen cursing.
#8 – Seth Rogen
It wasn’t his first flick, but “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” is the film that really showed us Rogen’s unique brand of comedy. After building an image as a foulmouthed stoner, he honed his raunchy sense of humor as a bumbling cop and an amateur porn star. Hell, even the fictionalized Rogen doesn’t hold back – and neither do his foulmouthed friends. But they’ve got good reason: it’s the end of the world.
#7 – Colin Farrell
Considered an obnoxious playboy in real life, Farrell’s also played a number of rude and crude dudes onscreen. But occasionally, that Irish accent is so strong we don’t even know what he’s saying. Some women find it sexy, others not so much. Though he’s been in indie flicks and historical epics, Farrell truly shines when he lets the rowdy Irishman in him run wild on the big screen.
#6 – Nicolas Cage
With over 70 film credits to his name, it’s little wonder Cage has developed his own distinct acting style. In fact, he’s so committed to his craft that people have called him out for over-acting. Whether or not you agree, you gotta admit that the Oscar-winner’s many onscreen freak-outs wouldn’t be the same without him screaming various obscenities into the camera.
#5 – Bruce Willis
Butch may not be the lead in “Pulp Fiction,” but Willis still serves up plenty of the dirty words Quentin Tarantino films are known for. But, the character he’s most associated with is John McClane – and what’s a “Die Hard” movie without some cursing? Sure, McClane’s a man of few words all in all, but with his signature catchphrase, was the R-rating really that shocking?
#4 – Robert De Niro
Whether he’s acting with Pesci, or in some Scorsese flick, De Niro ain’t shy to let the expletives fly. But those aren’t the only roles where this legend spits out profanities – he even went into an F-bomb-laced tantrum in “Silver Linings Playbook.” It takes skill to pull off that much cussing in a rom-com.
#3 – Joe Pesci
If you’re looking for someone to play a hot-blooded tough guy, look no further. For over three decades, this Italian-American actor has portrayed rage-filled characters that are inseparable from their filthy dialogue – and one of those roles even nabbed him an Oscar. While he’s also played more family-friendly fiends, Pesci’s most remembered for his starring roles alongside Robert De Niro in three blood-drenched Scorsese flicks.
#2 – Al Pacino
There’s something about Hollywood mobsters and vulgar language that goes hand-in-hand. As a method actor famous for his mobster movies, Pacino loses himself and his shit in his roles. If that means getting verbally nasty, he’ll do it – and he always makes it work. Want proof? His flick “Scarface” was the first movie to use the f-word over 200 times, while “Glengarry Glen Ross” gained fame for its acting AND its profanity.
#1 – Samuel L. Jackson
Though he’d been in loads of films before “Pulp Fiction,” Jackson’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Jules Winnfield made him a worldwide star – thanks in no small part to the character’s memorably foul mouth. Legend has it that saying one curse word in particular actually helps the actor overcome his stutter, which explains why he says it so damn much. Whether or not that’s true, no one delivers it quite like Sam.
Do you agree with our list? Which actor do you think swears the most? Be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com for more entertaining top 10s.
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