Is Jemima Kirke's British Accent Real?

English-American actress Jemima Kirke has found herself in the spotlight for most of her life. As the daughter of a famous British drummer and the owner of popular vintage boutique Geminola, Jemima grew up surrounded by other well-known names, including her childhood friend Lena Dunham.

Most of Jemima's acting work has been in indie films for her friends, including her debut role as the supporting actress in Tiny Furniture, though she gained notoriety for her character Jessa in HBO's Girls.

But one thing many have questioned over the years about the actress is her accent. Even The Cut, in a profile published about her in 2018, claimed her British accent sounded "almost made up."

Accusations like this have made many wonder if Jemima's accent is real or if she's actually faking it.

One of the biggest reasons many have wondered whether or not Jemima is faking her accent is her younger sister. Jemima's sister, Lola, does not have a British accent, despite how pronounced Jemima's is.

In an interview on Busy Tonight with her younger sister, Jemima was asked about her accent, specifically why one sister had it and the other didn't

"The truth is that I'm faking it. A little bit," the actress joked.

"Nurturing it," her sister piped in.

Jemima elaborated, saying that her accent was authentic, though an intentional choice she made when she was younger.

"I think that what happened is that, we had different values when we came into this country," Jemima continued. "And I, probably, was like, 'I know what's going to get me further in life, an English accent,' and [Lola] was like 'I know what's going to get me further in life, being American.'"

"It’s all about vanity and how much attention people will pay to us," Lola concluded.

Clearly, the two were joking. They even went so far as to claim that their third sister, Domino, has a Jamaican accent, before bursting into laughter. The sisters' difference in accents may be intentional, though we're not quite convinced that this means Jemima is faking hers.

While Jemima joked about faking her accent, the truth is that her accent is completely real. As the daughter of former Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, the actress was born in England, though she and her family later moved to New York City when they were young.

Jemima was raised in New York City for most of her young adult life, which is how she came to be good friends with Lena and make an appearance in Teen Vogue in 2013.

All that being said, her British accent is still real, even if it was a conscious choice she made to continue it when she was younger. Her time as a kid in England, coupled with the fact her dad is British, likely influenced her accent, though being surrounded by American influence for most of her life is likely why it often sounds disingenuine.

But regardless of these rumors, Jemima seems unbothered by the accusations her accent is fake, never addressing these rumors publicly beyond the jokes on Busy Tonight.