# Actors pretending to speak in their real accent (spoilers possible) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179 "2017-11-30T20:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/1 "2017-11-30T20:11:14Z")
A fairly recent episode of Blindspot made me think of it. How many examples are there of an actor using an accent other than their own for a role and then as the character pretending to speak in the actors real accent? Either for comedic effect or dramatically. In Blindspot the character Roman kills an Australian and takes over his life. Roman has been on the show for more than a season and has an American accent. The actor Luke Mitchell is Australian. There is a scene where he is trying out his new Australian accent in the mirror. Hugh Laurie once used a very bad English accent as House. In the 1st season of The Wire Dominic West does a poor English accent while undercover. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/2 "2017-11-30T20:53:50Z")
I _think_ this is an example: In _There’s Something About Mary,_ Lee Evans, who’s a Brit, plays an American who’s pretending to be British. Not sure if he uses his true accent, though. In _The Paperboy_ (2012), Brit David Oyelowo plays and American who is pretending to be English so as to avoid racism in the American south. Not sure if those are the kind of thing the OP is looking for. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/3 "2017-11-30T21:45:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In the 1st season of The Wire Dominic West does a poor English accent while undercover. [Season 2 episode 9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBL2Wq5YjSw) now go rewatch the entire series. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/4 "2017-11-30T21:49:36Z")
In an episode of _Doctor Who_, set in Scotland, David Tennant briefly dips into his real Scottish accent. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/5 "2017-11-30T22:00:31Z")
Kinda/sorta: In **The Island** , Ewan McGregor plays a clone of a famous celebrity - when the actual celebrity character shows up, Ewan McGregor uses his normal Scottish accent. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/6 "2017-11-30T23:02:10Z")
In the American show [Chuck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_(TV_series)), Australian actor Yvonne Strahovski played an American CIA agent. In one episode she pretended to be an Australian researcher of some sort, complete with strong accent. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/7 "2017-11-30T23:19:48Z")
I dunno if this is entirely relevant, but in Agent Carter, both of Hayley Atwell accents sound fake. And she is British-American. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/8 "2017-12-01T01:24:38Z")
Not really what the OP is looking for but I had seen Margot Robbie in several movies playing American characters and I assumed she was American. I then saw her in _Whiskey Tango Foxtrot_ and I remember thinking she did a good job on her character’s Australian accent. It was a few months later that I read she actually is Australian. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/9 "2017-12-01T02:09:52Z")
I once heard Gary Oldman on _Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me_ say that he has done such a wide variety of roles that he is no longer sure what his normal accent is. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/10 "2017-12-01T16:28:56Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > [Season 2 episode 9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBL2Wq5YjSw) now go rewatch the entire series. That’s what I meant. Season 2. Forgive me. > [@Mk\_VII](#): > > In an episode of _Doctor Who_, set in Scotland, David Tennant briefly dips into his real Scottish accent. > [@Tamerlane](#): > > In the American show [Chuck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_(TV_series)), Australian actor Yvonne Strahovski played an American CIA agent. In one episode she pretended to be an Australian researcher of some sort, complete with strong accent. That’s what I’m looking for and I forgot those. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/11 "2017-12-03T03:01:28Z")
British actor Franz Drameh plays an American on _Legends of Tomorrow_. One episode he went undercover at NASA as an observer from the British space program. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/12 "2017-12-03T03:39:16Z")
On _White Collar_, Agent Berrigan had to “pretend” to be English while undercover, giving actress Marsha Thomason a chance to bust out her native Mancunian. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/13 "2017-12-03T03:47:27Z")
In “The Agency”, Irish actor Jason O’Mara played an FBI agent. In one episode, he went under cover as an IRA operative. People complained about his horrible Irish accent. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/14 "2017-12-03T14:50:05Z")
On _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, Spike (James Marsters) once spoke in a very unconvincing American accent. He is, of course, American. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/15 "2017-12-03T16:11:16Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I once heard Gary Oldman on _Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me_ say that he has done such a wide variety of roles that he is no longer sure what his normal accent is. It’s the one when you’ve got a buzz on, duh. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/16 "2017-12-03T19:00:25Z")
In the movie _The War of The Worlds_ Alan Young appears as his own descendant, he uses his original Scottish accent and his descendant uses an American accent. I know this is really the opposite of what your talking about I thought it was pretty funny where in one episode of DuckTales Scrooge losses his accent. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/17 "2017-12-03T19:15:52Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > In the movie _The War of The Worlds_ Alan Young appears as his own descendant, he uses his original Scottish accent and his descendant uses an American accent. > I know this is really the opposite of what your talking about I thought it was pretty funny where in one episode of DuckTales Scrooge losses his accent. Except that Alan Young isn’t in _The War of the Worlds_. Try _The Time Machine_ (1960). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/18 "2017-12-03T19:46:53Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > In the movie _The War of The Worlds_ Alan Young appears as his own descendant, he uses his original Scottish accent and his descendant uses an American accent. > I know this is really the opposite of what your talking about I thought it was pretty funny where in one episode of DuckTales Scrooge losses his accent. Yes Time Machine as was mentioned. But that’s not his accent. If you listen to interviews he had a Canadian/American accent with a hint of Scottish on some words. He only lived in North England and Scotland until his parents moved to Canada when he was 6. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/19 "2017-12-05T12:32:55Z")
How’d I forget John Hillerman? He spent much of his career playing Englishmen, most notably in “Magnum P.I.” But he was actually a Texan. In one “Magnum” episode, he played Higgins’ cousin, a rodeo cowboy, and got to use his natural drawl. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179/20 "2017-12-05T12:44:20Z")
Dan Stevens encounters an imaginary British-accented version of himself in _Legion_. Stevens is of course British. ETA: Regarding the Gary Oldman thing, Patrick Stewart has also commented that he’s long since lost his original Oldham accent and now can only fake it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-pretending-to-speak-in-their-real-accent-spoilers-possible/803179.md?page=2)