English actress NAILS the South African accent (or does she?)
Actress Rosamund Pike’s latest role as a South African diamond heiress has got local tongues wagging for her ‘mastery’ of the Saffa accent.
British actress Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Pride & Prejudice, Saltburn) has seemingly cracked the code of the South African accent, after an interview on her latest role grabbed local ears.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is an upcoming American heist film. It is the sequel to Now You See Me 2 (2016) and the third installment in the Now You See Me film series.
In the movie, Pike stars as Veronika van der Berg, the main antagonist and matriarch of a worldwide crime syndicate.
She joins a stellar cast that includes returning actors Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, and Morgan Freeman.
In an interview with actor and content creator Ian Paget, Pike gives him a crash course on how she ‘perfected’ the South African accent for her character. Watch:
The flatness of the Saffa accent makes it notoriously difficult to master (particularly for Americans it seems).
Hollywood has tried – often unsuccessfully – to master the South African accent. From Morgan Freeman to Daniel Radcliffe, attempts have ranged from confusing to downright cringe-worthy.
Pike however is being lauded for how seamlessly she slips into the accent’s rhythm, and her near-flawless annunciation.
South African accent: Nails or fails?
South African audiences will no doubt remember the efforts of the following A-list actors and the films that featured a ‘South African’ character. And reviews were mixed…
- Matt Damon in Invictus (2009)
- Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond (2006)
- Denzel Washington in Cry Freedom (1987)
- Daniel Radcliffe in Escape from Pretoria (2020)
- Thomas Jane in Stander (2003)
- Val Kilmer in The Saint (1997)
- Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is set to hit theatres this month. Fans of the franchise are in for a treat as The Four Horsemen reunite to recruit three skilled illusionists for a high-stakes heist involving the theft of the world’s largest queen diamond.