If you’ve ever had the displeasure of hearing a terrible Scottish accent while watching a film or catching up on a television series, then you know how much it can ruin your viewing experience.
In many instances, it is almost immediately noticeable when a Scottish character is being played by an actor from elsewhere.
From Mel Gibson’s famously terrible Braveheart accent to James Doohan’s disastrous attempt in Star Trek, it can sometimes feel as though there are only overwhelmingly awful Scottish accents in film and TV.
Thankfully, this isn’t the truth. While the ideal scenario would see Scottish actors taking on Scottish roles, there are some performances which leave audiences surprised to learn that the person they were watching on screen wasn’t from Scotland to begin with.
Classic examples of this include Jonny Lee Miller, Emma Thompson and Celia Imrie, each of whom boast almost perfect Scottish accents.
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However, more recent performances from actors such as Jack O’Connell in 28 Years Later or Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer, have significantly increased the number of good Scottish accents popping up in film and TV.
So without further ado, here are 23 of the best Scottish accents by non-native actors – including Robert Aramayo in I Swear.
5. Jamie Bell in Filth and Hallam Foe
About to star opposite Baby Reindeer’s Richard Gadd in upcoming drama series Half Man, it’s a good thing that Jamie Bell has his Scottish accent down. While we don’t know for sure that he will once again appear on our screens playing a Scot, he has already done so fairly convincingly in both 2007 drama Hallam Foe and 2013 crime comedy Filth, which he starred in alongside James McAvoy. | Noble Entertainment / Ascot Elite
6. Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer
Speaking of Baby Reindeer, many fans of the Netflix series were shocked to learn that Jessica Gunning, the actress who plays Gadd’s stalker Martha, was actually English – with Lorraine Kelly even expressing her surprise in a live interview. Gunning, rightfully, won several awards for the role, though there has been some behind the scenes controversy regarding her character’s real life inspiration. | Ed Miller/Netflix
7. Chris Pine in Outlaw King
Another accent which some have mixed feelings about is Chris Pine’s in Outlaw King, the 2018 historical action film directed by Scottish filmmaker David Mackenzie. Pine, who is from California, starred as Robert the Bruce and said that he understood he was likely to be “crucified” for his accent and as such “just went full tilt”. While there are some weak spots, overall Pine gets away with it. | Netflix
8. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Outlaw King
With that being said, he didn’t quite meet his co-star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s, levels of accent mastery. Portraying James Douglas in Outlaw King, many watching the film said they didn’t realise that Taylor-Johnson was not only English, but were also shocked to learn he was the same actor from Kick-Ass. | Netflix