Maine accents are hard to do, and yet we know a real one when we hear it. There’s a long history of actors butchering our distinctive regional accent, though there are also some that, for the most part, nailed it.
We dug deep into our pop cultural knowledge to come up with this list of some of the best — and worst — Maine accents ever committed to TV and film. What do you think also belongs on this list? Send us an email at [email protected] with your thoughts.
Jud Crandall, as played by Fred Gwynne in “Pet Sematary” (1989)
Is it possible for a Maine accent to be both the worst and the best? In the original adaptation of Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary,” Fred Gwynne played Jud Crandall, the neighbor of the Creed family, who warns them that they live next to an ancient burial ground. Gwynne lays on the thickest Maine accent imaginable, with an almost cartoonish enthusiasm. In the 2019 remake of “Pet Sematary,” however, John Lithgow opts to drop the Maine accent almost entirely in his portrayal of Crandall. Regardless, Gwynne’s accent is one of the most memorable parts of the 1989 movie, and for that, we think it stands as one of the best Maine accents ever put to film — accurate or not.
Sheriff Amos Tupper, as played by Tom Bosley, as well as many other characters in “Murder, She Wrote”
What even is this accent? It’s certainly not a Maine accent. Nor is it a Massachusetts accent. In some ways, it sounds like Bosley’s character is from the upper Midwest. Regardless, it’s a puzzling choice. Considering Bosley played Amos Tupper 19 times over the course of four of the show’s 12 seasons, he had plenty of time to research it, so that’s no excuse. Bosley is one of many actors on “Murder, She Wrote” with far from accurate Maine accents. Who do you think has the worst?
Dolores Claiborne, as played by Kathy Bates, in “Dolores Claiborne”
Putting aside the fact that this is an excellent movie with all-around great performances, main character Dolores does have a Maine accent, and an overall pretty decent one. Is it perfect? No. It’s really hard to do a light Maine accent without it inevitably veering into a heavy one, and Bates, great actor though she is, occasionally gets a bit too heavy. Nevertheless, compared with most others, she does a pretty good job.
Most characters in “Storm of the Century”
This miniseries is totally ridiculous, and the accents are all over the map. It’s packed with classic Stephen King tropes: a small town, a mysterious villain, an ancient curse and crusty old Mainers. But as far as the Maine accents go, it sounds like nobody actually knew what one sounded like and just sort of winged it. It’s actually kind of fun to watch, in that sense.
Nearly every character in the O’Chang web cartoon series
This web series shows that you need people from Maine to actually put out a proper Maine accent. The folks from O’Chang are based on the midcoast, and for more than a decade have created animated shorts featuring an array of Mainers with thick accents, with Donny the Grumpy Maine Dad and Green Bud Kelly being the most memorable. This is how you do it, Hollywood.
Olive Kitteridge, as played by Frances McDormand, in “Olive Kitteridge”
It makes sense that Frances McDormand would turn in one of the most nuanced Maine accents ever put to film. Her portrayal of the cantankerous, complicated Olive Kitteridge includes a very soft, sometimes imperceptible Maine accent — just a few dropped “r”s and other hints towards it. Very subtle, and effective.
Thomas Howard, as played by Robert Pattison, in “The Lighthouse”
In a 2022 interview with GQ Magazine Pattinson talked about the inspiration for his Maine accent in this bonkers movie. He said that through research he discovered that in one unnamed part of Maine, people spoke with a kind of hybrid southern British and American accent, an accent that he affected during the filming. We can’t say for sure how accurate it is since “The Lighthouse” is set in the 19th century, but if he was going for unhinged and entertaining, he definitely nailed it.
Dana Carvey and Stephen Colbert, the “Skinheads From Maine” from “The Dana Carvey Show”
For a comedy sketch on Dana Carvey’s short-lived post-”Saturday Night Live” primetime show, “Skinheads From Maine” actually does a pretty good job with its Maine accent. Not too surprising from a master of impressions like Carvey and a comedy icon like Stephen Colbert.
Jason Sudeikis, in the “Maine Justice” sketch from “Saturday Night Live”
This is not a Maine accent. This is a Cajun accent. As Bobby Moynihan’s character asks, “What the hell is going on here?” Don’t think about it too hard. Just lean into the absurdity.
