Why did the director of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ have to defend Bill Skarsgård?

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Bill Skarsgård has slowly but surely established himself as one of the most versatile actors of this generation. With a number of quirky and unconventional roles under his belt, Skarsgård keeps pushing the envelope of his skills with each new character he plays on the screen.

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The actor has been a part of several notable franchises in his career. Therefore, it was not surprising when John Wick came calling for him. He is not new to playing antagonists, in fact, he excels at playing morally dubious characters.

He did it again as Marquis Vincent de Gramont in the fourth installment of this Keanu Reeves-led series. It was a knock-out performance, but one aspect of his role faced a lot of flak from the public, so much so that it could have taken attention away from the film itself.

Skarsgård was in Chapter 4 of the series (Source: Lionsgate)John Wick 4 director defends Bill Skarsgård’s gamble

Chad Stahelski helmed the latest part of the series, which saw Keanu Reeves return to play the gun-toting assassin as the protagonist. Bill Skarsgård played an aristocratic member of the High Table and the primary antagonist of the film.

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Skarsgård played the dapper Marquis, who stood out from the rest not just for his clothes but also for his French accent. During an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stahelski delved a little deeper into the controversy surrounding his accent.

He revealed that it was Bill Skarsgård‘s idea to not do a standard French accent, but warp it to make it sound like a Cajun accent. Stahelski added that the decision resulted in a lot of brickbats from the public because they felt Skarsgård could not get the accent right.

Skarsgård’s accent was heavily criticized (Source: Lionsgate)

“Skarsgård came to me, he goes, ‘I want to do a little bit like fucked up French, like Cajun accent. And I’m like, ‘I have no idea what that sounds like.’ Some people gave us sh*t a little bit because it’s not a good French accent. I’m like, ‘Guys, it’s not supposed to be French.’ Like, he wasn’t trying to be French; he’s a guy that speaks French, that’s all,” said Stehelski (via Far Out Magazine).

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Getting the accent correct was never the intention, though. Stehelski’s words clearly indicate that Vincent de Gramont was not a Frenchman, just someone who knew the language.

How well was John Wick: Chapter 4 received?Advertisement

John Wick is one of the most beloved franchises in the world. Reeves first donned the role in 2014 and has reprised the role in every sequel ever since. Chapter 4 found success, much like its predecessors.

Reportedly, it grossed over $400 million from the global market and an estimated $226 million from the domestic market. Not only did the film become the highest-grossing installment of the franchise, but it was also its highest-rated film.

The fourth film was a massive success (Source: Lionsgate)

Bolstered by the success of Chapter 4, the franchise crossed the $1 billion mark as well. The box office numbers are a testament to the popularity of the films.

This Lionsgate production stars Keanu Reeves, and after four successful films, it will return for another chapter soon. The franchise has also spawned a show called The Continental, which only proves the love for the series.