Stephen Colbert no longer has a wicked bad Boston accent, thanks to John Krasinski.
When the Newton native visited “The Late Show” Monday night to promote “A Quiet Place Part II,” he tried to teach Colbert how to do a proper Boston accent, starting with the biggest mistake people make when attempting one.
“Stay casual. Because people, when they do a Boston accent, they’re like, ‘Hahvahd yahd cah pahk!' ” Krasinski said. “And you’re like, ‘OK, now do it with 20 percent the energy.' ”
Colbert tried out a few classic movie quotes with a Boston accent, with varying success. Colbert made passable attempts at the “fava beans” line from “The Silence of the Lambs” and the “box of chocolates” line from “Forrest Gump.” But his first attempt at “May the force be with you” from “Star Wars” with a Boston accent was “terrible,” by Krasinski’s estimation.
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“Almost like Bob Fosse, but not totally,” Krasinski said, as a way of helping Colbert out. “May the force be with you.”
The South Carolina-born Colbert then flipped the tables on Krasinski, forcing him to try the same “Star Wars” catchphrase with a Southern accent, with Krasinski faring no better.
According to Krasinski, he struggles with just about every accent, including a British one, despite being married to London-born actress Emily Blunt.
“She tells me every day how bad my accent is,” Krasinski said. “She’s gotten my kids against me, too. I’ll be like, ‘Hey can I have some water,’ and my kids are like, ‘pfffft.’ I thought I was pretty good, and I was proud of it, and now I’m totally self-conscious.”