Top 10 Actors Who Sound NOTHING Like Their Movie Characters

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021)
If your only experience with actor Daniel Kaluuya has been through the film “Get Out” then it’ll probably shock you to learn that he was born, and grew up in London, England. In Hollywood, Kaluuya has become a pro at putting on an American accent in movies and, by the same token, not sounding like himself. That was also true in 2021’s “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Foregoing his own accent and way of speaking, he instead channeled his character, the real life Fred Hampton, a deeply important and influential Black Panther from Chicago.

“There Will Be Blood” (2007) & “Lincoln” (2012)
Known for his intense levels of method acting, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis gives his all to each part he secures. As such, how his character sounds is presumably just as important to Lewis as how they move and think in the preparation process, which also means he’s often unrecognizable. He vanishes into his roles whether he’s playing a character based on a real person like Abraham Lincoln or a fictional one like Daniel Plainview in “There Will Be Blood”. Indeed, neither character sounds anything like the English actor off set. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both roles earned him Oscar statuettes for Best Actor.

“Spencer” (2021)
For her role in 2021’s “Spencer”, Kristen Stewart didn’t just have to not sound like herself, she had to sound like one of the most famous people of the 20th century. And it didn’t come easy. As she told Howard Stern, she worked extensively with a dialect coach to figure out how to really capture Princess Diana’s voice and honor the woman she was portraying. The roughly 6-month long process involved learning how to physically open her mouth more and move her tongue differently as well. It was a grueling process, but one that paid off with critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
Jim Carrey has been referred to as “the man of a thousand faces” for his amazing ability to transform his visage. But as we’ve come to know throughout his career, he ain’t too shabby at doing voices either. Look no further than this hit holiday film to see what we mean. Even in all the prosthetics and makeup it’s hard to forget it’s Carrey playing the part. But what if you close your eyes and just listen? We’re pretty sure there are a whole lot of folks who wouldn't be able to match just the voice to the man!

“The Dark Knight” Trilogy (2005-12)
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know that Christian Bale hails from the United Kingdom. Go through his filmography and you’ll see movie after movie in which he played a character with an accent not his own. From a con artist to a Vice President and beyond, Bale has made a career immersing himself in characters and essentially masking his own voice in the process. “The “Dark Knight trilogy is perhaps the best example of that. Speaking as Bruce Wayne, he’s already unrecognizable. And when he’s Batman, he puts on that iconic gruffness and kind of stops sounding like Bruce, too! How many levels removed is that from Bale’s natural sound? We’re impressed!

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (2013)
Admit it, Idris Elba’s American accent in “The Wire” was so convincing that when you first saw him in “Luther,” you thought he was putting on the British one. Well, as we all know now, he wasn’t, as the London-born actor comes by his true accent honestly. Honestly, we were more than impressed with his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the 2013 biopic, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”. Not only did he sound South African, but he sounded almost exactly like one of the greatest and most important South African men to ever walk this earth.

“Bridget Jones's Diary” (2001)
Nope, Renée Zellweger isn’t English - despite what you heard in “Bridget Jones's Diary”. In fact, the Texas-born Zellweger being picked to portray Bridget was heavily debated and scrutinized at the time, given the extreme Britishness of the character and the story. Of course, these days it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role! Indeed, for the most part any angry voices were quickly silenced when the film was released, and Zellweger’s much-practiced London accent was put on display. She was praised by critics and movie-goers alike, and it’s all the more amazing when you compare it to how Zellweger sounds in real life!

“Sophie's Choice” (1982)
Meryl Streep has been hailed by many as the greatest actress of her generation, and her many, many awards would certainly seem to reinforce those claims. Along with her acting talents, Streep is also synonymous with her ability to change her voice and adopt a whole variety of accents for various roles. That includes the part of the titular Polish immigrant at the center of “Sophie’s Choice.” Of course, Streep makes it look easy, but make no mistake: she had to work to get the sound right. She actually went so far as to learn both Polish and German in preparation for the role!

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005)
Born in Kentucky, Johnny Depp has a rather deep and brooding voice - which is not, in any way, how one would describe Willy Wonka’s sound in 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Depp also barely looks like himself in the film - especially with that intense hair. That’s beside the point, but it speaks to the level of transformation that occurred. Back to the voice, though. There’s no denying it has a really distinct, unusual identity that’s separate from Depp’s usual tone, like nothing you can really pin your finger on. Still somehow, it also feels like exactly how this character should come across when he speaks.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

It’s Safe to Say Phoenix Doesn’t Sound Like Johnny Cash In Real Life

Watching Williams Here Is Like Spending 99 Minutes with Marilyn Monroe

Cheadle Was Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Not Rwanda, but You’d Never Know It From This Movie

London-Born Pattinson Shed His British Accent for a Queens One

Unlike His Character, Garfield Has an English Accent

“The Dark Knight” (2008)
It turns out Christian Bale wasn’t the only one sounding nothing like himself in the Christopher Nolan “Batman” movies. Portraying the protagonist’s archenemy in the trilogy’s second film, 2008’s “The Dark Knight”, Heath Ledger created a Joker character whose vocal identity was totally different from the Aussie-born actor we were used to hearing. It’s not like we’d never heard Ledger embody a different nationality for a part. He’d done so before - including in “Brokeback Mountain”. But what makes this performance stand out goes beyond the accent-swap. It’s about how the late actor was able to infuse a layer of maniacal, twisted, Jokerness to his voice that’s unparalleled.