'Presumed Innocent': Fans question the need for O-T Fagbenle's 'annoying and distracting' accent
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Apple TV+'s courtroom drama 'Presumed Innocent' is creating waves for all the right reasons, with characters becoming a topic of discussion amongst fans following each episode.
Based on Scott Turow's book of the same name, the courtroom drama is the creative brainchild of David E Kelley and follows Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose life takes a radical turn after the death of his secret girlfriend and colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve).
While the major emphasis is usually on Rusty, the supporting characters are also generating waves among fans and often serve as a topic of conversation.
O-T Fagbenle is the newest actor who is being discussed by netizens and is drawing criticism for his representation of the character, Nico Della Guardia.
Fans are amused by O-T Fagbenle's weird accent in 'Presumed Innocent'
The Reddit users have discussed O-T Fagbenle's bothersome accent, and many have voiced disapproval of the distracting delivery of dialogues.
Questioning Fagbenle's accent a fan said, "Why is O-T Fagbenle doing a Peter Sarsgaard impression? His voice/affect is so strange - ESPECIALLY because Sarsgaard is literally his scene partner throughout 90% of the series thus far."
Replying to this comment a fan added, "Okay I’m not alone that his voice sounds really weird."
Sharing the same opinion another added, "Ok so I’m not alone then! Is this his normal voice or some weird character thing!? It’s honestly really annoying."
Comparing his accent to his previous acting roles a fan shared, "He's in The Handmaid's Tale and does not sound like this at all."
Adding that the accent is distracting, a fan stated, "Ok, I figured it was this role. God, it’s awful. It’s like his jaw is wired shut. It’s really distracting."
"OMG yes its like he had a jaw surgery and cant talk properly. No he does talk like that he is British and very expressive and talks normally," noted a Reddit user.
Another fan humorously said, "I wasn’t looking at the screen and I thought somehow it was Phillip Seymour Hoffman at first."
While another commented, "I can’t stand de la Guardia’s voice!!"
Additionally, an admirer likened Fagbenle's accent to that of Truman Capote, saying, "He sounds like Truman Capote. Why?"
Did O-T Fagbenle kill Carolyn Polhemus in 'Presumed Innocent'?
While Nico Della Guardia has not been linked and no evidence has surfaced to suggest that he was involved into Carolyn's murder, Carolyn's son, Michael Caldwell (Tate Birchmore), has revealed in Episode 4 that his mother disclosed that she was being harassed by someone at work.
It's fair to presume that Nico may be her harasser, even if she didn't come clean about who was harassing her.
It seems suspicious that he and Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard) don't even bother to investigate alternative possibilities before concluding that Rusty is guilty of the murder.
Tommy and Nico may have contributed to Carolyn's death and in a hurry to dispose of the case they are framing Rusty for it.
How to stream 'Presumed Innocent?'
Subscribers to Apple TV+'s streaming service may view the series, which will transport you to the exciting realm of courtroom drama.
Apple TV+ costs a monthly membership fee of $9.99 to access all of the platform's original episodes and films.
'Presumed Innocent' trailer