# Brits: Are there any Yank actors who can play a convincing Brit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587 "2008-11-07T03:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/1 "2008-11-07T03:48:05Z")
I’ve always understood that actors’ “stage dialects” are usually nothing but embarrassing imitations to the ears of native speakers of the dialect in question. But when I watch British Hugh Laurie do House, I would not guess he was not American if I didn’t already know. Are there any American actors who can do as convincing-to-British-ears a job in a British character? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/2 "2008-11-07T05:33:56Z")
One thing to bear in mind: American TV pays waaaaaay better than British, Irish or Australian TV. So, a British, Scottish, Irish or Aussie actor has a lot of incentive to come to America and to learn Yank accents well enough to fool American audiences. That takes months or years of practice, but the financial rewards for success are great motivators. Anthony LaPaglia, Simon Baker, Jason O’Mara and Hugh Laurie make a lot of money now because they put in a lot of work in order to reap big paychecks. American actors undoubtedly COULD learn foreign accents equally well, but why would they bother? Where’s the financial incentive to perfect a Scottish burr when a blatantly phony one like James Doohan’s is sufficient to fool domestic audiences? For what it’s worth, I’ve seen BBC productions in England and RTE productions in Ireland in which British/Irish actors were playing comical American characters, and their accents were atrocious. But really, why SHOULD an Irish actor develop a spot-on American accent if he’s only playing a small part on a show only his fellow Irishmen are watching? ---
**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:** [November 7, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/3 "2008-11-07T05:43:35Z")
I find James Marsters’ English accent more convincing than his American accent, and the guy’s a lifelong Californian, so go figure. The worst fake American accent I’ve heard was from one of the **Sharpe’s Rifles** sequels, a British soldier who was from a Loyalist Virginia family. He spoke like Elvis. But, I’m an American and hope some UK types weigh in soon. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/4 "2008-11-07T05:48:41Z")
[Alexis Denisof](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219206/) played Brit uber-ponce (on _Buffy_) turned rogue demon hunter\* Wesley on _Angel._ [Scaaary!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZDh2Soa_RU) \*“What’s a rogue demon?”😛 ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/5 "2008-11-07T05:57:16Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > American actors undoubtedly COULD learn foreign accents equally well, but why would they bother? Because they’re not good enough to make it in the US? They prefer to live somewhere else? I dunno, but plenty of US actors go abroad to work. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/6 "2008-11-07T08:17:03Z")
Kevin Costner in Robin Hood. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/7 "2008-11-07T08:24:03Z")
I would have guessed [Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins](http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=B_rVzBt20N0). Whenever I’m with my British friends I talk just like that so as to make them feel at home. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/8 "2008-11-07T08:54:00Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I find James Marsters’ English accent more convincing than his American accent You’re kidding right? Just in case you’re not - his English accent is terrible. It took me a while to realise he was trying to do an English / cockney accent. It really is all over the place (which actually suits the character well). The worst is when he sings and he goes back to his US accent. And I say this all as a big Spike fan. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/9 "2008-11-07T09:16:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Anthony LaPaglia, Simon Baker, Jason O’Mara and Hugh Laurie make a lot of money now because they put in a lot of work in order to reap big paychecks. Don’t forget Christian Bale, whose American is impeccable, and who stays in-character (accent and all) throughout shooting. I’ve heard that people who work for him for the first time often don’t find out he’s English until after they’re done filming the project and he starts speaking naturally. ETA: If you’re looking for it, you can tell he’s straining it a little during the more frantic scenes in _American Psycho_, but he seemed totally convincing in _The Dark Knight_. > [@astorian](#): > > For what it’s worth, I’ve seen BBC productions in England and RTE productions in Ireland in which British/Irish actors were playing comical American characters, and their accents were atrocious. But really, why SHOULD an Irish actor develop a spot-on American accent if he’s only playing a small part on a show only his fellow Irishmen are watching? I’m curious: what, exactly, does a badly-mimicked American accent sound like? Does anyone have some YouTube links they can share? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/10 "2008-11-07T10:00:30Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > I’m curious: what, exactly, does a badly-mimicked American accent sound like? Does anyone have some YouTube links they can share? The bad ones I’ve heard are high and sing-songy. I start wondering if I missed the scene where the character got high and swallowed some helium - then I realize, no, they’re just supposed to be American. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/11 "2008-11-07T10:45:33Z")
For years in my (misspent) youth I wondered what was supposed to be so funny about certain Monty Python characters. The laughtrack suggested that everything they said was hilarious, but I couldn’t quite see why. Then came _The Meaning Of Life_ where Death says to a partygoer, “You bloody Americans…” and I finally got it. That weird accent with the over-emphasized ‘R’ sounds, not even a hint of a final ‘G’, and totally inappropriate ‘H’ enunciations was supposed to be American. They simply took the most obvious (to them) differences, regardless of regionality, and exaggerated them and that = American. Probably better than their Welsh, I bet. (My brain hurts) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/12 "2008-11-07T10:47:13Z")
_The Meaning of Life_ has some pretty egregious “North American” accents at some points (e.g., the boardroom meeting: “item six on the agender”), as do Monty Python in general (“suspendies and a brar… just like my dear papar”; this sort of thing is probably the most noticeable common mistake when Brits attempt American/Canadian accents), but the partygoer addressed by Death was played by Terry Gilliam, a bona fide American. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/13 "2008-11-07T11:51:41Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > _The Meaning of Life_ has some pretty egregious “North American” accents at some points (e.g., the boardroom meeting: “item six on the agender”), as do Monty Python in general (“suspendies and a brar… just like my dear papar”; this sort of thing is probably the most noticeable common mistake when Brits attempt American/Canadian accents), but the partygoer addressed by Death was played by Terry Gilliam, a bona fide American. Yeah, but ‘e was doin’ ha typically bad, hoverrrdone 'Merrrkin haccent hin that scene, has hI rrrecall. Methinks they ‘ad caught hon hand werrre playin’ hit for laughs by that point. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/14 "2008-11-07T12:28:16Z")
> [@Rich\_Mann](#): > > Yeah, but ‘e was doin’ ha typically bad, hoverrrdone 'Merrrkin haccent hin that scene, has hI rrrecall. Methinks they ‘ad caught hon hand werrre playin’ hit for laughs by that point. Is Pratchett’s Mrs. Whitlow (head maid at Unseen University) supposed to be American? I remember that she’s represented as talking like that. ETA: Maybe Mrs. Cake as well. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/15 "2008-11-07T12:42:33Z")
Not my sort of film, but Renee Zellweger as [Bridget Jones](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243155/) was pretty spot on for the character. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/16 "2008-11-07T12:49:48Z")
Has Meryl Streep ever done a British accent? ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/17 "2008-11-07T13:12:48Z")
I recently saw a new British independent film, “Telstar”, which featured Kevin Spacey as chap called Major Banks. Apparently, the director (Nick Moran) gave him a copy of “The Dam Busters” to help him get an officer-type accent. He almost managed it… ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/18 "2008-11-07T13:35:32Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Has Meryl Streep ever done a British accent? At least twice. In _Plenty_ and _The French Lieutenant’s Woman_ her accent is pretty much flawless. Her secret, as she once explained, is simply to listen to what is going on around her. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/19 "2008-11-07T13:41:48Z")
> [@MarcusF](#): > > Not my sort of film, but Renee Zellweger as [Bridget Jones](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243155/) was pretty spot on for the character. The main problem I have with American actors doing British characters is they think we’re all Cockneys or unbelievably posh. Bridget Jones was a good example of this - Renee Zellweger’s accent wasn’t bad, but I don’t think someone of the sort of lower middle-class background the character was supposed to have would sound so plummy. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587/20 "2008-11-07T13:42:30Z")
Add Bob Hoskins to the list of British actors with flawless accents. I had no idea he was British when I saw _Who Framed Roger Rabbit._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-are-there-any-yank-actors-who-can-play-a-convincing-brit/471587.md?page=2)