Brad Pitt in The Devil’s Own struggled to do a genuine Northern Irish accent and in
this video we’re going to analyse his speech using three clips from the movie.
If this is your first time here, I’m Alister, an English teacher and Northern Irish dialect
coach.
To know more about English, languages or accents, you should consider subscribing.
Should you be an actor looking to master your Northern Irish accent then contact me using
the details in the description below.
Before we dive into Brad Pitt’s accent a brief background about the movie.
The Devil’s Own is a 1997 US-action-thriller also starring Harrison Ford.
Brad Pitt is an IRA member who comes to the United States in order to obtain anti-aircraft
missiles in order to shoot down helicopters in Northern Ireland.
The plan is complicated by an Irish-American policeman (played by Harrison Ford), whom
the IRA member has come to regard as family.
Right, let’s get into it with our first clip:
Have a listen again to how the character says the last word.
This is probably the most distinct sound in the Northern Irish accent and yet the one
that non-natives find the most difficult to get right.
And Brad Pitt is no exception.
He pronounces now as nigh, rhyming with the letter I or the words high or why.
Nigh rather than now.
In a more standard British accent this sound is the diphthong /aʊ/.
Now.
A diphthong is a combination of two vowels in a single syllable so the mouth has to move.
/aʊ/
Notice your mouth movement when making the sound.
/aʊ/
You should feel a rounded movement.
/aʊ/
Circular motion.
Now, in a Northern Irish accent this doesn’t really happen.
We tend to speak far too quickly so the diphthong is shortened.
There is no rounded movement.
So instead of saying:
An authentic Northern Irish accent would be:
It’s Rory now.
Here’s the second clip:
Notice how he says this word in a non-typical British English accent.
State.
He doesn’t use the diphthong /eɪ/ state and nails this in the Northern Irish accent.
State.
State versus state.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the word blouse.
Notice again how rather than “ouse” blouse - it’s pronounced “blies” rhyming with
wise and eyes.
"Blies" rather than blouse.
So instead of saying:
A more authentic Northern Irish accent would be:
Look at the state of you, you big girl’s blouse.
This phrase has actually caused some controversy in the UK parliament.
Have a watch.
It’s defined as a weak and cowardly man and is definitely what Boris Johnson called
Jeremy Corbyn.
What’s your opinion?
Is it outdated and misogynistic or are people making a mountain out of a molehill?
Comment below.
By the way, this video is part of my Northern Irish Accent series.
To discover more about how to do the Northern Irish Accent including specific words and
phrases check out this playlist (somewhere up here) after you’ve watched this video.
Our third clip:
This is the third time in just three clips that the character has struggled with the
[ow] sound showing just how hard it is for non-natives.
Pay attention to how the word like is said.
In a Northern Irish accent the vowel sound would be much shorter.
So instead of saying:
A more authentic Northern Irish accent would be:
A circus clown more like.
As Brad Pitt (and many others) have shown the Northern Irish accent is certainly one
of the trickiest to learn and it takes lots of time and effort to perfect.
If you’re an actor (or anyone) looking to master your Northern Irish accent then contact
me using the details in the description below.
To know more about the Northern Irish accent watch this video with 20 words that Northern
Irish people say.