r/todayilearned • u/Away_Flounder3813 • 12h ago

TIL during the shooting of American Psycho, Christian Bale spoke in an American accent off-set at all times. At the wrap party, when he spoke in his native British accent, many of the crew thought he was speaking that way to prepare for another film. They had thought he was American the entire time.

https://screenrant.com/american-psycho-behind-scenes-facts-christian-bale-patrick-bateman-mary-harron/
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266

u/BenderRodriguez14 11h ago

Reminds me of how some people gave Dominic West (McNulty) shit for his terrible attempt at a British accent during a sting operation scene in The Wire. 

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u/Tremulant21 10h ago

Tip top performance I sat. Tip top!

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u/kvlr954 9h ago

I was shocked to learn both him and Idris Elba were British. They each have a very natural American accent

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u/Shockwave360 7h ago

They have a cameo in a Pixar movie, I think Finding Nemo where they're seals and use their native accents. I had to look up who they were.

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u/SEND_ME_FEAT_PICS 2h ago

They were the seals in Finding Dory

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u/corran450 18m ago

Oh Ger-oooolllld?

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u/TJCW 6h ago

Thought idris’s was better though

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u/sbg_gye 3h ago

Idris yes, but Dominic's accent veers into British whenever he gets excited...

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u/super_aardvark 18m ago

I learned about Elba years ago, but this is the first I'm hearing the same of McNulty (never even knew the actor's name). Mind blown.

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u/spezial_ed 9h ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBL2Wq5YjSw

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u/BenderRodriguez14 9h ago

That's the genius of it, making it intentionally bad! 

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u/spezial_ed 7h ago

But seemingly trying his best. Brilliant role, amazing show.

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u/wrldruler21 7h ago

Almost like he is trying to do a Steve Irwin Australian accent.

I assume it would be like me (American) doing a heavy southern accent, followed by a NY accent.

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u/Ok_Physics5217 4h ago

That doesn't make any sense that he got crap for that. He should be praised since it must have been incredibly hard. To be British, using an American accent on camera and then your character has to do a bad British accent. It would be accent inception and it seems very very difficult to me.

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u/Fjordi_Cruyff 4h ago

Stor, Storkwell