Bullet Train: How cast perfected British accents - and words they struggled with

Though David Leitch’s Bullet Train is a stylistic, heightened action thriller, for actor Brian Tyree Henry, who plays Lemon, there was a commitment to authenticity he wanted to honour.
The character is from the East End of London, and is the brother of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Tangerine.
When speaking to Yahoo, alongside his on-screen sibling, Henry said he used his co-star as a guide when it came to perfecting the tricky cockney accent. Joey King also talked to us about the words she struggled to master when perfecting a British accent.
Read more: yhoo.it/3bvyGZg
Bullet Train is in cinemas nationwide from 3 August.

[@JustMe-ks8qc]

Brian's accent was spot on, so good I was a little shocked when I heard him talk in his own accent.

[@funsciencecheltenham9829]

It really wasn't. At one point he pronounces bad ass as "bard arse"...

[@joewearden382]

Mission accomplished! I thought he was British until today! Haha

[@Sam-tu1on]

I'm sorry but you can't be from England? His accent was so bad that it almost ruined the film. It sounded like a mix between cockney, recieved pronunciaton, american and austrailan

[@thetalentedmrfitz]

They both nailed it. Yank actors are notoriously *BAD* at doing London accents but they very were good. I actually thought they might be English when i watched the movie.

[@jjs7837]

Are you joking ? It was terrible and a big distraction

[@thetalentedmrfitz]

@@jjs7837 You clearly know sweet f.a. about accents

[@tobecontinued5110]

Lol, one of them is English and his accent still sucked, the "yank" at least has an excuse.

[@anthonyellison4737]

@@tobecontinued5110 I completely agree, took me right out of the film. Joey kings was pretty convincing though.

[@Hewhois82]

At least his teeth were on point 🤣🤣🤣

[@brockdavy1824]

Bro Brian Henry in this movie, is like Idris Elba in the voice sometimes and it's crazy that he's a yank and he's portraying a west ham Englishman. Spectacular work, hope to see him in more movies like this or even better rolls

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

I watched both "Kick-Ass" movies. Definitely made mental note of Aaron Taylor-Johnson's name. And years later I watched "Bullet Train". Perhaps made mental note of Aaron Taylor-Johnson's name. Loved all three movies. And only about HALF A YEAR after first watching "Bullet Train" did I realize: IT WAS THE SAME ACTOR!

[@Xxiroo]

“I hope it came off that way” IT LITERALLY DID! I DIDNT KNOW A DAMN THING

[@danhdo1078]

Joey King is stunning

[@CHAD-fr4hh]

Is*

[@fotuoflordsafioae9299]

Nah she like a 4/10. Something about her face idk

[@chadhero37]

@@fotuoflordsafioae9299 she has a great body, but she is ugly hot. Ugly, but weirdly hot. Hard to explain

[@fotuoflordsafioae9299]

@@chadhero37 I agree

[@lordsergal8783]

@@fotuoflordsafioae9299 dunno, fit the role well enough.

[@Fricktendo]

I actually thought lemon and tangerine were British

[@kingchaos6050]

Tangerine is

[@markusfel47]

Aaron Johnson is british

[@gabrielkimmet9135]

Yeah, Tangerine is actually British, but not lemon, he's American.

[@Fricktendo]

Mb I meant I thought lemon was

[@gabrielkimmet9135]

@@Fricktendo oh yeah, same.

[@gewoonzakelijk]

Wtf, he’s american?🥲

[@hitheremynameis]

I was so shocked when i found out Henry was american, I could not believe it

[@willywhale5439]

Seriously? I was thought they are british

[@SchrodingersHorndog]

I just watched Bullet Train yesterday. It was better than I expected. I see a lot of people arguing about British accents in the comments here, but while I was watching the movie I was fixated on Joey's atrocious pronunciation of Japanese words.

[@stephenlow1841]

Brian Tyree Henry going straight for the Don Cheadle Ocean’s Eleven cockney wanker accent…which somehow worked in those films (despite being bad) but was really distracting in this film. Great performance still, especially the Thomas the Tank engine wisdom-spouting!

[@leilanirodriguez8377]

Nah cuz I thought he was really English

[@myran984]

🔥

[@ETS186]

Brian's was just ok. It took a while to realize he was supposed to be British. But Joey's was good.

[@brunomillalaf8553]

Yea :/ it’s a difficult accent and he def didn’t nail it. He should have just been himself…haha😊

[@missmong12]

Yeah he did vocalise the R, many times

[@ricoa.k.aantlive6052]

American actors can do the same thing

[@Vale9118]

I’m Italian, live in the UK for the past 6 years, and knew after about 2 minutes Brian’s character was not British… didn’t come out very well, sorry.

[@MrDaveRotherham]

I wonder how many of you saying "his accept was perfect" are actually from the UK. I'm English, and I'm here to say his accent was absolute dogshit. It slipped and slid between Cockney, some kind of North American and a completely made up dialect. No one pronounces "bad ass" as "bard arse". Also, can we please accept once and for all that there is no such thing as a "British accent"? The accent he was attempting was Cockney, from East London. This, Scouse, Weegie, Brummie, Geordie and received pronunciation (i.e. posh) are all British accents and they all sound completely different.

[@sobresaliente1833]

Brian’s accent was so bad it was taking me out of the film. Joey King’s was definitely better but still noticeably off. Surprisingly, Aaron’s wasn’t that good and he’s actually English? Good film but bloody hell, just let them do something a bit easier next time.

[@michaelhawkins7389]

No it wasn't. He did a decent job

[@NISasquatch]

Brian had possibly the worst British accent I’ve ever encountered in a movie

[@TheMaxthesis]

iT WAS SO BAD Sorry Paper Boi.. =/

[@TheLightKnight04]

kzbin.info1YBJSqZrctE?feature=share This should answer it

[@Joesmith-qm6dt]

No it wasn’t

[@MrE.888]

Yes! It took about twenty minutes to realise he was supposed to be English. What made it worse was we was speaking beside someone that was obviously really british.

[@MrBloodlust3996]

Sounded straight out of a Guy Ritchie film, u definitely smoke rocks on ur free time

[@augstar]

Her accent was good. I actually thought she was British doing/acting an accent that wasn't hers locally. His accent was terrible. It made me cringe every time he opened his mouth. We're talking Dick Van Dyke cringe.

[@QSGWorldwide]

Brian Henrys accent was awful, took me out of the immersion instantly

[@allibee9184]

I was born and raised in london and can honestly say, Brian's English accent was terrible, it was distracting, I was very pleased when his character was killed. His accent was the worst thing about the film. Film was really good otherwise.

[@hamerthyme7810]

Bryan’s was horrendous! Half the time its American, the other Dick Van Dyke. Where was the vocal coach?! Totally took me out of the film

[@fod1855]

Ngl Brian’s was not very good. Joey king - not great either.

[@TheLightKnight04]

kzbin.info1YBJSqZrctE?feature=share This should answer it

[@fod1855]

@@TheLightKnight04 Ah yeah that's a good explanation. There is definitely a lot more thought that has to go into British accents in terms of tongue and even lips movement - obviously depending on the region. For example if you're doing a more upper class British accent your mouth will hardly move, where as if you're doing another there can be a lot of movement. Having said that I can't think off the top of my head when I've heard an American ever do a good British accent, maybe I have! but I can't remember it haha

[@MrE.888]

Her's was defintitely better than Brian's

[@fod1855]

@@MrE.888 yeah at times I thought she could have passed but still lots of odd pronunciations. But yeah much better than Brian’s.

[@tobecontinued5110]

Not to be a duck but I'm literally 20 minutes into bullet train and both the mockney accents are blatant as f. Not quite dick van dyke bad but not great or convincing. One has the excuse at least of being American.......as for the english guy........no idea.

[@lordsergal8783]

I thought the intent was to start from a cockney base and muddle it a bit due to their extensive travels, giving them the "They're british." "Are they?" feel in the same way their contrasting appearance leads into "They're twins. "Are they?"

[@studentone2383]

These comments have to be all American or bots😂 i spotted so many damn mistakes in the accent and word pronunciations, very easy to tell they were American..

[@gavinforsyth321]

Awful film but I was fooled I thought he was a cockney

[@michaelhawkins7389]

It was a great film... you are blind