Pierce Brosnan has responded to criticism of his Irish accent in the Paramount+ series MobLand, despite being born in Ireland.
The 72-year-old actor, who plays mobster Conrad Harrigan in the crime drama, told Radio Times that his own voice is “very soft” and that his character’s accent is “a million miles away” from his natural speaking voice.
The Drogheda-born and Navan-raised star faced backlash from viewers after the show’s release earlier this year, however, critics on social media described Brosnan’s accent as “offensive”, “terrible” and “atrocious” following the show’s March debut.
The Irish Independent’s review stated his speaking voice was “all over the shop and a huge distraction”, with one fan writing on X: “Brosnan’s accent almost makes MobLand unwatchable.”
Another commented: “#Mobland is excellent… if you have not watched it, get on it now. OK, yes, Pierce’s fake Irish accent is silly, but it’s grand.”
A third added: “Absolutely obsessed with Mobland, however, why is Pierce’s accent so thick? It’s kind of off-putting…”
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“Mobland has to be the best series in a while by far! Storyline is fab and the characters are class! Althought, Conrad’s Irish accent seems a little forced and fake at times.”
Some viewers were left baffled by the accent, particularly given the actor’s Irish heritage.
In explaining his approach, Brosnan revealed he specifically sought a Kerry accent for the role. “I told him that I needed a Kerry accent, so he gave me the name of a man and I googled the guy and that was it,” he told Radio Times, referring to his dialect coach.
“It was a Kerry accent, and so I just gave it full tilt,” the actor added.
Brosnan also shared that director Guy Ritchie had initially told him not to worry about the accent, saying they would “sort it out” on set.
“Of course, I put the phone down and did worry about it!” Brosnan admitted about his conversation with Ritchie.
“Five weeks later, I was on the set with Tom Hardy and Guy, first day, important dialogue, important information, and he just said, ‘more Irish, more Irish’.”
The actor explained that his natural Irish accent has “dissipated into the midst of time” after years living abroad.
Born in Drogheda, County Louth, Brosnan later moved to Navan in County Meath, where he spent most of his childhood, before his family relocated to Scotland and then London.
“My Irish accent has dissipated into the midst of time. It’s somewhat Californian and everything. So, I asked myself, ‘What kind of accent would he have?’ It was Kerry,” Brosnan further explained in an interview with Today FM.
MobLand follows the Harrigan crime family’s “kill-or-be-killed” battle with their rivals, the Stevensons, in London.
The star-studded cast includes Tom Hardy, Dame Helen Mirren, and Joanne Froggatt alongside Brosnan.
In the Radio Times interview, Brosnan also spoke about the anxiety and excitement of taking on new roles, saying: “That’s what makes you alive.”