One of the interesting aspects of watching actors on the screen, however, lies in some viewers’ ability to notice certain tics that the actor seems to carry through their filmography. Small, seemingly trivial mannerisms or repeated techniques that can be witnessed over and over again in separate films – some of which are hilarious, while others are simply irritating. Are these actors aware of their tics, or are they purely coincidental? 

 

 

 

James Norton’s incessant repetition of his character’s creepy catchphrase ‘little baby‘ is driving viewers of  BBC1’s The Trial of Christine Keeler up the wall.  Why didn’t he twig it at the read-through? Anywho, I was wondering about what other TV/Film tics and catchphrases have gotten on the audience’s collective wick?

 

 

Well, for starters, there’s Anthony Hopkins saying ‘yeah’ all the time as Pontiff Benedict in The Two Popes (and loads of other movies he’s starred in). As for examples I can offer, how about CSI Miami‘s Horatio Caine (David Caruso)’s cheesy sunglasses ‘moment’ and accompanying naff one-liners?

 

 

 

 

There’s also River Song (Dr Who)’s ‘Hello Sweetie,‘ Ricky Gervais’s self-satisfied sniggering, and even Hugh Laurie’s American accent in House. As a Brit, this one really, really bugs me.

 

 

 

‘Nilfgaard’ and similar gibberish every other line in The Witcher?

 

 

 

Jeff Bridges frequently descends into indecipherable jabber in many of his movies such as R.I.P.D, True Grit, or Seventh Son?

 

 

 

 

And speaking of lousy annoying accents, Michael C. Hall’s crummy Brit patois in Netflix’s Safe. I mean, why Michael? for the love of God – why?

 

 

 

 

 

 

So am I alone? What other actors’ ticks irk my fellow Bleeding Fool readers? Or is it just me?