• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

Non-American actors using American accents

Angry Floof

Angry Floof

Tricksy Leftits
Staff member
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
15,185
Location
Sector 001
Basic Beliefs
Humanist
Have you heard any non-American actors that used American accents in film or TV perfectly? Badly?

I was thinking of that today watching House. Hugh Laurie is the best I've heard hands down. Not a flaw.

That led me to remember Jude Law in I Heart Huckabees, whose American accent would have been flawless except for the word "sandwiches." It bugged me that he got it a little too perfect, or maybe it stood out because he was focused on getting it right or something. The sandwich story his character told over and over turned out to be a key to his existential crisis, so maybe it was meant to stand out. Either way, it seemed obvious that his tongue was not used to pronouncing sandwiches in an American accent.

Some others that come to mind are Heath Ledger and Charlize Theron. I also noticed Martin Freeman's Minnesota accent in the Fargo series is damn convincing as well.
 
hylidae said:
Have you heard any non-American actors that used American accents in film or TV perfectly? Badly?

I was thinking of that today watching House. Hugh Laurie is the best I've heard hands down. Not a flaw.

That led me to remember Jude Law in I Heart Huckabees, whose American accent would have been flawless except for the word "sandwiches." It bugged me that he got it a little too perfect, or maybe it stood out because he was focused on getting it right or something. The sandwich story his character told over and over turned out to be a key to his existential crisis, so maybe it was meant to stand out. Either way, it seemed obvious that his tongue was not used to pronouncing sandwiches in an American accent.

Some others that come to mind are Heath Ledger and Charlize Theron. I also noticed Martin Freeman's Minnesota accent in the Fargo series is damn convincing as well.
Click to expand...

Damien Lewis
Christian Bale
Kate Winslet
Idris Elba

Laurie is really good. I was especially impressed with Damien Lewis (Band of Brothers/Homeland). I had no idea at all until I heard him speaking in his normal accent, and I'm usually pretty good with accents.

Also, Daniel Day-Lewis. But he's so good at everything, it would only be a surprise if he didn't pull off perfect accents.
 
Oh, Kate Winslet, yep! Christian Bale, too. I'll take your word on the others as I'm not sure I've seen their performances with accents.

I just remembered Eric Bana in Black Hawk Down. I was not convinced.

Southern accents seem to be especially difficult for non-American actors to pull off. Then again, southern accents are often unconvincing coming from non-Southern American actors.
 
Ewan McGregor still has trouble.

Mel Gibson had trouble earlier in his career, but he's down pat now.

I cut Eric Bana slack in Black Hawk Down as he had double duty - doing not only an American accent, but a SOUTHERN American accent of undetermined origin.

Tom Hardy was also in that movie as was Jason Isaacs, Hugh Dancy, Ewan Bremner and Orlando Bloom, all British actors, Ioan Gruffud, a Welsh actor and they all did very good American accents.
 
hylidae said:
Southern accents seem to be especially difficult for non-American actors to pull off. Then again, southern accents are often unconvincing coming from non-Southern American actors.
Click to expand...
Part of the problem might be when actors try to do a specific southern region and most Americans think "Gone with the Wind" Georgia is the only true southern accent.

Rose Byrne is said to have a perfect American accent.
 
Nicole Kidman has it down. I never even thought of where she might be from until I saw her being interviewed on the set of Moulin Rouge! Holy Aussie twang!

Of course, there are a bout a million Canadian actors in Hollywood, and nobody notices that they aren't speaking 'Murrican, unless they go out and about around the house.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WAB
Nexus said:
hylidae said:
Southern accents seem to be especially difficult for non-American actors to pull off. Then again, southern accents are often unconvincing coming from non-Southern American actors.
Click to expand...
Part of the problem might be when actors try to do a specific southern region and most Americans think "Gone with the Wind" Georgia is the only true southern accent.

Rose Byrne is said to have a perfect American accent.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that. Unless someone points out what the regional accent is, I just assume they're all from Teck-siss.
 
In general, non-American English-speakers using American accents and American actors using non-American accents are doing a much better job these. Go back just a couple of decades and either was appallingly bad in most cases. It seems that the English-speaking entertainment industry has finally learned the value of hiring linguist consultants.

Contrast that with, say, Monty Python. It took me more than a decade to realize that those characters were supposed to be American at all. Every time they appeared in a skit I found myself thinking "What part of England are they supposed to be from, and why are they always dressed up like 19th century carnival barkers?" The sad thing is, they had an American working closely with them (the guy who did the animations), so it's not like they didn't have a ready example of what an American accent should sound like.
 
hylidae said:
Have you heard any non-American actors that used American accents in film or TV perfectly?
Click to expand...

More than I can possibly remember. The vast majority.

Badly?
Click to expand...
Portia De Rossi's is okay except when she says the word "anything"; she pronounces it "an-uh-thing", rather than "an-ee-thing".
Punisher: War Zone. There were a lot of people trying to do some sort of Brooklyn mafioso accent, and even the Americans sucked at it. Ray Stevenson(Irish) as the Punisher probably had the worst accent in the film. He barely sounded different from his Titus Pullo accent in Rome.
 
I recall seeing an interview with Billy Connolly about his movie The Man Who Sued God, in which the part of his brother is played by Aussie actor Colin Friels.

Apparently when Friels heard he would be playing Connolly's brother, he spent months working on his Scottish accent, and was very proud of it; Connolly agreed that he sounded exactly like a real Scotsman, but didn't have the heart to ask him why he thought a man from Glasgow would have a brother who came from Edinburgh...
 
Charlie Hunnam does a pretty good American accent as Jax Tuller in Sons of Anarchy. He uses pretty much the same accent in Pacific Rim.
 
Emma Thompson has it. On the flip side, which American actors can go Brit? And which ones try it, but either lay it on too thick or have a spotty delivery?
 
Unbeatable said:
More than I can possibly remember. The vast majority.

Badly?
Click to expand...
Portia De Rossi's is okay except when she says the word "anything"; she pronounces it "an-uh-thing", rather than "an-ee-thing".
Punisher: War Zone. There were a lot of people trying to do some sort of Brooklyn mafioso accent, and even the Americans sucked at it. Ray Stevenson(Irish) as the Punisher probably had the worst accent in the film. He barely sounded different from his Titus Pullo accent in Rome.
Click to expand...

Speaking of Rome, Kevin McKidd does a great American accent. You have culture shock when you hear him revert to his Scottish accent. Ciaran Hinds, the Irish actor does good American as does Jonathan Rhys Myers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom