MovieChat Forums > Ocean's Twelve (2004) Discussion > Don Cheadle: Worst Cockney Accent Ever?

Don Cheadle: Worst Cockney Accent Ever?


It's really dreadful. Painfully so.

He's a good actor overall, but, oof, his accent in the Oceans films is beyond bad.

I'll never understand why they didn't cast Lennie James as Basher.

Any Brits have an opinion on it?

reply

Yeah I'm a Londoner.

His mockney accent is a disgrace.

reply

Question for you: There's plenty of British actors & actresses who can pull off very good American accents, but in your opinion are there any American actors/actresses who you think have pulled off a decent British accent? Johnny Depp seemed to have a passable one in "From Hell" and everyone says Gillian Anderson does a spot on Thatcher in "The Crown."

reply

If you think this is bad, you should check out Brion James dreadful cockney accent in Tango and Cash.

As for US actors who can do English convincingly, the first time I saw Spinal Tap I was convinced Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer were English. At the time they were not known in the UK. Had me fooled.

reply

Has no one here seen Dick Van Dyke murdering the cockney accent in Mary Poppins?

reply

Yep, Van Dyke's terrible accent is well known. I was surprised at Cheadle's casting because I figured Hollywood had learned from the Van Dyke casting blunder. Apparently not.

reply

I'd completely forgotten about the Spinal Tap crew! Yes, excellent British accents. Guest's father was British so that gave him a bit of an advantage, but McKean and Shearer are both very American.

reply

Alessandro Nivola is one American actor who can. He is extremely talented with accents. ๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ‘

reply

Off the top of my head, Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love.

reply

His poor accent just proves he's not as great as everyone thinks he is.

reply

His accent is fucking hysterical. Sounding idiotic is the whole point.

Like Pitt in Snatch.

Itโ€™s called comedy.

reply

It doesn't strike me as a comedy accent though. It's just... weird.

reply