GERARD BUTLER’S Irish accent in the romantic comedy P.S. I Love You ranks among the very worst in the history of Hollywood, according to a leading dialect coach.
The Scottish actor starred alongside Hilary Swank in the 2007 film adaptation of Cecelia Ahern’s novel of the same name about a young widower who discovers her late husband left her a series of 10 letters designed to guide her through the grief of her loss.
A romantic comedy drama that could require a Kleenex or two to watch, P.S. I Love You was a box office hit despite garnering mixed reviews from critics.
Butler’s accent, in particular, proved something of a sticking point for critics in Ireland with Michael Dwyer of the Irish Times describing it as being as “authentic as a Leprechaun”.
Now a leading accent expert has had their say on Butler’s attempt an Irish brogue.
Nic Redman is an established vocal coach and voice actor from Northern Ireland who works with a variety of clients both famous and commercial, perfecting a variety of dialects.
Speaking during a recent interview with Den of Geek, Redman was asked to list some of the worst accents ever committed to the big screen and included Butler in his rankings.
“I really want to give shout outs to Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You,” she said. “As an Irish person I found that pretty horrific.”
Keanu Reeves’s English accent in Dracula and Don Cheadle’s ludicrous attempt at a cockney in Ocean’s Eleven also ranked among Redman’s worst.
Anne Hathaway’s Yorkshire accent in One Day was also listed along with Mischa Barton’s effort in St Trinians. It wasn’t all bad news for the Irish though.
Joy Lanceta Coronel, a New York-based dialect expert, qualified voice and acting coach singled out Daniel Day-Lewis's accent in There Will Be Blood for praise.
You can check out the full interview with three leading dialect coaches here.
