Mickey Rourke to play Terry-Thomas. Huh?

I must have read the words Rourke 'to remove teeth for Thomas role' before I'd had my second cup of Earl Grey this morning. I can't have been properly awake but here's what I thought I was being asked to believe; that Mickey Rourke star of The Wrestler and Angel Heart was going to play Terry-Thomas in a new screen biopic.

I tried to visualize him as the gap-toothed English film comedy actor of the 50's and 60's and, I don't know, it just wasn't working for me. I know he's had a lot of work done on that face but surely he'd have to have more than a couple of teeth removed to play the great TT?

Terry-Thomas

Mickey Rourke

Then I caught up with the rest of the story.

Mickey Rourke will remove his two front teeth when he plays gay rugby player Gareth Thomas. And he wants to learn Welsh for the sporting biopic.

What?

Apparently, "He really wants to throw himself into Welsh and Rugby and really learn as quickly as he can". From what I glean, Mr Rourke has been working on a movie about Gareth Thomas since last July. He admires Thomas for performing at rugby's highest level while keeping his sexuality a secret.

I can see there could be a good story there. But I can't for the life of me get my head around Mickey Rourke learning Welsh - or making any passable attempt at a Welsh accent. What I'm imagining is another contender for "The Weird Accent File".

Here are the standout entries:

* Mel Gibson's  Aussie/ American/Scotts burr from Braveheart


* Kevin Costner and Christian Slater as English Longbowmen in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. The big revelation was that they were brothers. Of course they were brothers - they were the only ones in the movie with American accents.

* Nicholas Cage's attempts at an Italian accent in Captain Correlli's Mandolin. But hang on, he comes from Italian stock - and he couldn't do the accent? Yeash. 


* Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Move along, we all saw the accident, no need to gloat. But honestly I had absolutely no idea he was attempting Cockney. No idea. Not an inkling. Never crossed my mind. Didn't put the two in the same room until I was well into my twenties. 

* Don Cheadle Oceans 11. Oy vey.  


There are many, many others. But let's not forget there are lots of examples of really good English accents by Americans. Gwyneth Paltrow can do it, so to Scarlett Johansson and Johnn Depp.


I wrote on a movie set in wales, "Plotz with a View Undertaking Betty". It starred Welsh, English and American actors. 
I suppose if the lovely Naomi Watts can carry off a Welsh accent maybe the lovely Mickey Rourke can do the same.