The Brave Movie That Got Away: How Reese Witherspoon's Accent Issues Led to Her Replacement

In 2012, Disney released an animated film that would go on to become a beloved classic - Brave. The story follows Merida, a fiery and independent princess from the Scottish Highlands, as she navigates her way through a traditional arranged marriage. But did you know that Reese Witherspoon was originally set to voice Merida? Yes, it's true! In an interview with ITV's Lorraine (via South West News Service), the 40-year-old actress revealed that she had to drop out of the project due to her struggles with perfecting a Scottish accent.

According to Brave co-director Mark Andrews, Witherspoon was on board for quite some time before it became apparent that her accent wasn't up to par. 'She was getting her Scottish accent down, she was working very hard and it was sounding great,' he recalled, 'but as we were continuing with the movie she had other movies lining up, so unfortunately we were unable to continue with her and had to get a replacement.'

It seems that Witherspoon's accent issues were quite significant. In an interview with Lorraine, the actress stuttered when asked about her experience trying to master a Scottish brogue. 'Scottish is really... I was supposed to... I don't want to talk about it,' she said, before quickly changing the subject.

Witherspoon's departure from the project paved the way for Kelly Macdonald to take on the role of Merida. And while we can only imagine what Witherspoon's Scottish accent would have sounded like, we're grateful that Macdonald's performance brought the character to life in such a memorable way.

The story serves as a reminder that even A-list actresses aren't immune to setbacks and challenges. But it also highlights the importance of accents in film - after all, getting a character's dialect just right can make or break an otherwise great performance.

Brave movie reese witherspoon