Top 10 Most Hilarious Accent Choices
#10: Peter Klaven “I Love You, Man” (2009)
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Who doesn’t love the iconic duo of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel? In the “bro-mantic comedy” film “I Love You, Man,” Rudd’s character Klaven is such an anxious mess – and it reflects in everything he says. In his everyday speech, he constantly misspeaks and fumbles his words – always coming up with strange expressions and nicknames. But most comically, he is painfully unable to successfully execute any kind of accent. No matter how hard he tries to say “slappin’ da bass” with a different tone of voice, he always sounds vaguely… Irish? We’ll let you decide.
#9: Janosz Poha “Ghostbusters II” (1989)
When a film villain uses a funny voice, it makes them a little less evil in our book. This is the case for one of the “Ghostbusters II” bad guys, Janosz Poha. Played by Peter MacNicol, the character as written was a nondescript American art curator. But in the hands of MacNichol, who was given some creative freedom to develop the character as he pleased, Janosz ended up with a rich - if unexplained - backstory and this unique, vaguely Czech- and Romanian-inspired accent. MacNichol decided Janosz hailed from Carpathia, the same fictional country as the movie’s big bad Vigo. As a result, he even created a national motto for the country that only used consonants, since Carpathia was “too poor a nation to afford vowels.” Now that’s dedication to a role!
#8: King Julien “Madagascar” franchise (2005-)
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When you have the comedic genius Sacha Baron Cohen as your voice actor, you know he’s going to pull out all the stops for his character! As a matter of fact, the “Madagascar” character King Julien was only supposed to have two lines in the original film. But Baron Cohen’s voice acting and improvisational skills proved to be so strong that they decided to rewrite the film’s script! Now, Julien is one of the most beloved characters in the whole franchise– and his one-of-a-kind accent is to thank!
#7: Everyone “House of Gucci” (2021)
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The 2021 film “House of Gucci” received some praise for its performances… but the cast’s accents were a whole different story. Linguists commented on the inconsistency in dialects and pronunciation that each actor struggled with in their own way. Namely, the choice to have the characters speak English but slip in and out of Italian expressions was generally clunky. Especially since each performer had obvious difficulty mastering their accents in the first place! But if you can overlook the cringiness, it’s entertaining watching these world-class talents attempt to sound Italian.
#6: Jack Sparrow “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise (2003-)
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Did you know that Johnny Depp based his accent for Captain Jack Sparrow off of the rockstar Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones? Well, now you do! The iconic character from “Pirates of the Caribbean” certainly has a curious accent, one that combines various tones of British and English ways of speaking. But when you hear him speak, it’s completely unmistakable! According to Depp, Sparrow’s character is also loosely inspired by the Looney Tunes skunk Pepé Le Pew. Clearly, these various influences worked wonders together – creating a timeless persona for the film.
#5: Gru “Despicable Me” franchise (2010-)
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Who doesn’t love Steve Carell? The voice of the fan-favorite character Gru from “Despicable Me” noted that the accent just happened to come to him on a whim while he was recording. He isn’t particularly attempting to emulate any specific regional dialect. Instead, he’s attempting to sound equally funny and devious– which we think he nailed! Carell leans into strange pronunciations of words and expressions, which is a trait that has become a staple of the character. Thank goodness the “Despicable Me” producers let him experiment with Gru’s vocal intonations!
#4: Johnny “The Room” (2003)
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There are a lot of odd things to take note of in Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 film “The Room,” and Johnny’s accent is certainly one of them. Wiseau is using his own voice to portray the role, but there is still much speculation as to the origins of his dialect. He sounds a bit French, but also somewhat vaguely European. Regardless of where he – or his character – is supposed to be from, Wiseau’s distinctive tone and intense over-pronunciation are just two of the ingredients that make “The Room” so hysterical.
#3: Laszlo “What We Do in the Shadows” (2019-)
Matt Berry was born to play a vampire – his line readings are always spot on and hilarious! Laszlo Cravensworth was born in England sometime between the 1600s and 1700s. To properly portray such an eccentric character, it’s crucial to have the perfect diction that matches his background. Berry delivers this in every scene, finding funny ways to make modern speech and expressions sound antiquated. It would be easy for a daring comedy like “What We Do in the Shadows” to go wrong with improper casting, but luckily this has never been the case for the series!
#2: Benoit Blanc “Knives Out” franchise (2019-)
Nothing adds to a great mystery story like an equally mysterious accent! In the script for the original film, Rian Johnson had noted that Benoit Blanc should speak with a Southern drawl. And while Daniel Craig absolutely delivers this, he also adds his own distinct twang that is impossible to pin down to one region. According to Craig, this is done entirely on purpose. As a world-renowned detective, Blanc needs to maintain an air of mystique to keep people guessing. And when it came time to revive his role for the sequel “Glass Onion,” Craig took four months to perfect the accent once again! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Hannibal Lecter, “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) Lecter’s Old-Fashioned Manner of Speech Makes Him Even Creepier! Basher, “Ocean's Eleven” (2001) Don Cheadle’s Cockney Accent Leaves Much to Be Desired
#1: Moira Rose “Schitt's Creek” (2015-20)
Catherine O'Hara’s incredible dialect choices may have turned Moira Rose into one of the greatest television sitcom characters of all time. She plays Moira with the affluence of someone accustomed to wealth and luxury, but sprinkles in some quirky diction that brings her personality to the next level. It’s hard to distinguish exactly what region her accent is reminiscent of – while it’s slightly Transatlantic, it also has some British and Canadian tonal influence mixed in. It’s no wonder O'Hara has earned so much fanfare for this role – her performance is unforgettably unique!
