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Most convincing non Irish actor in an Irish role.

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  • 26-07-2015 10:13pm
    #1
    darkdubh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭


    Theres always threads about worst Irish accent in a film,Tom Cruise in Far And Away and the like but are there any instances of outsiders convincingly portraying an Irish character on screen?Now it can be a bit tricky defining who is and isin't Irish in the case of someone like Aidan Quinn who was born in the States but spent a considerable amount of their childhood in Ireland.So for arguments sake lets say someone who did not grow up in the old sod(that probably rules out Anjelica Heuston,I know).First choice for me is Ian Harte,a scouser,whos played Cork in Michael Collins,Monaghan inThe Butcher Boy,Belfast Loyalist in Nothing Personal and Dub in Thousands Are Sailing,pretty convincingly each time.


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    #2
    Into The Blue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,358 ✭✭✭Into The Blue


    Daniel day Lewis, my left foot
    Brad Pitt, snatch


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    #3
    dirkmeister
    Registered Users Posts: 2,650 ✭✭✭dirkmeister


    I loved John Hurt as The Bird O'Donnell.


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    #4
    MakeEmLaugh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,356 ✭✭✭MakeEmLaugh


    Into The Blue wrote: »
    Brad Pitt, snatch

    Pitt's performance was fun, but it was hardly convincing. His accent was all over the shop.

    I thought John C. Reilly's Irish accent in Gangs of New York was pretty good, though I haven't seen it in years.



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    #5
    RobbingBandit
    Registered Users Posts: 18,087 ✭✭✭✭RobbingBandit


    Alan Rickman as De Valera in Michael Collins.


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    #6
    Aimeee
    Registered Users Posts: 499 ✭✭Aimeee


    I think Pete Poslethwaite did a pretty good Giuseppe Conlon, In the Name of the Father. Though it's been years since I've watched that movie, I just remember at the time he impressed me.


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    #7
    Dirty Dingus McGee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    Ewan McGregors Irish Accent in Angels and Demons was decent enough.


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    #8
    MEGA BRO WOLF 5000
    Registered Users Posts: 17,417 ✭✭✭✭MEGA BRO WOLF 5000


    Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »
    Ewan McGregors Irish Accent in Angels and Demons was decent enough.

    Not sure if your trolling or not?
    It was horrendous.


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    #9
    NachoBusiness
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,389 ✭✭✭NachoBusiness


    Thought for a thick Glaswegian accented James McAvoy, he did alright in Inside I'm Dancing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL1duOVGEgk


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    #10
    Gwynplaine
    Registered Users Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭Gwynplaine


    Tom Cruise in Far and Away.


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    #11
    Eugene Norman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    Gwynplaine wrote: »
    Tom Cruise in Far and Away.

    You didn't even read the OP's very first sentence.


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    #12
    Eugene Norman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    Minnie Driver Circle Of Friends.


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    #13
    Eugene Norman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,191 ✭✭✭Eugene Norman


    Not a movie but Coogan in Moone Boy is spot on.


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    #14
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Ironically Angela Lansbury starred in some made for TV film (not Murder She Wrote, where they had horrendous accents) and she did a perfect Irish accent.

    Brad Pitt in Snatch.


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    #15
    Elmo
    Registered Users Posts: 23,641 ✭✭✭✭Elmo


    Eugene Norman wrote: »
    Not a movie but Coogan in Moone Boy is spot on.

    Judy Dench in Philomena.


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    #16
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    I think Jon Voight done a good one in The General.


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    #17
    Curly Judge
    Registered Users Posts: 2,708 ✭✭✭Curly Judge


    Leo McKern in Ryan's Daughter.


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    #18
    crushproof
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭crushproof


    Ipso wrote: »
    I think Jon Voight done a good one in The General.

    +1, no idea how he pulled that one off. Must have stayed up in the Phoenix Park for a few weeks.


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    #19
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    Granted he's lived in Cork for years to a mother from Mayo and a father 'of Irish descent' so he doesn't really qualify as a complete outsider, but Steve Coogan probably does a range of Irish accents better than I do.



    Christ, he can even do a northern accent on helium!



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    #20
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    Billy86 wrote: »
    Granted he's lived in Cork for years to a mother from Mayo and a father 'of Irish descent' so he doesn't really qualify as a complete outsider, but Steve Coogan probably does a range of Irish accents better than I do.



    Christ, he can even do a northern accent on helium!


    Ders more to Steve Coogan dan dis.


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    #21
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    Ipso wrote: »
    Ders more to Steve Coogan dan dis.

    Oh I know, it's just all I could find on a really quick youtube search.


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    #22
    pinksoir
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭pinksoir


    I thought Kate Hudson did a good upper-middleclass north Dublin accent in About Adam. At the time of seeing it I'd no idea who she was and only realised she wasn't Irish when I saw her in another movie.


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    #23
    Looper007
    Registered Users Posts: 4,216 ✭✭✭Looper007


    Will Poulter in Glassland, he pulled off one of the best Dublin accents I heard from someone who's not from here.


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    #24
    R P McMurphy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭R P McMurphy


    Anthony Brophy as coco prunty in the run of the country nailed the long border drawl


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    #25
    razorblunt
    Registered Users Posts: 17,300 ✭✭✭✭razorblunt


    Brad Pitt in Snatch was fantastic, come on it's an A-list Hollywood star playing a traveller, that's almost an impossible task. Jason Flemyng alongside him made an awful attempt in the few scenes he had with line.

    I still can't decide on James Cromwell in LA Confidential, first time I saw it I thought he was Irish just adding a stronger "brogue" but I saw it a few weeks back and found it twiddly dee. Better watch one more time to be sure ... to be sure!


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    #26
    Adamocovic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,292 ✭✭✭Adamocovic


    Has Paddy Considine been mentioned? Been a while since I watched In America but I remember thinking at the time that his Irish accent was very good. Not sure how big he was before it but was the first film I watched him in, and thought he was Irish during it!

    It's been a long time since I watched the film so maybe my memory is hazy, hope I don't rewatch to discover it was a poor irish accent :P


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    #27
    Looper007
    Registered Users Posts: 4,216 ✭✭✭Looper007


    Adamocovic wrote: »
    Has Paddy Considine been mentioned? Been a while since I watched In America but I remember thinking at the time that his Irish accent was very good. Not sure how big he was before it but was the first film I watched him in, and thought he was Irish during it!

    It's been a long time since I watched the film so maybe my memory is hazy, hope I don't rewatch to discover it was a poor irish accent :P

    Like Steve Coogan, both his parents are Irish so no shock he pulled off the accent.


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    #28
    Adamocovic
    Registered Users Posts: 9,292 ✭✭✭Adamocovic


    Looper007 wrote: »
    Like Steve Coogan, both his parents are Irish so no shock he pulled off the accent.

    Wasn't aware! Himself and Coogan are very good at accents.


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    #29
    Larbre34
    Registered Users Posts: 23,822 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    The wife was watching Tara Road and I couldn't place the Irish actress, though she looked familar.

    Turned out it was Olivia Williams, not Irish, but spot on neutral Irish accent.


    I'd like to nominate Patrick Bergin and Pierce Brosnan as Irish men who still manage to make themselves sound un-Irish, when trying to be Irish. If you see what I mean.


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    #30
    kupus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,151 ✭✭✭kupus


    Veronica Guerin actress forget her name, I remember thinking the accent was pretty good.


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    #31
    Hrududu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,711 ✭✭✭Hrududu


    Larbre34 wrote: »
    I'd like to nominate Patrick Bergin and Pierce Brosnan as Irish men who still manage to make themselves sound un-Irish, when trying to be Irish. If you see what I mean.
    I'll never forget seeing the trailer for Evelyn in the cinema and breaking myself laughing at Pierce Brosnans accent. "Where's me dhhhhaughthhher?"


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