# English actors adopting American accents and vice versa **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958 "2009-03-02T02:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/1 "2009-03-02T02:25:40Z")
Is it just my imagination, or do English actors (e.g., Hugh Laurie, Kate Winslet, John Mahoney) do a much better job in general of emulating an American accent than the other way around? If so, why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/2 "2009-03-02T02:56:19Z")
I suspect that British people grow up with many more accents around them and make a habit of mimicking other accents. Also, I believe that the British theatre/movie industry places more emphasis on traditional skills, like accents. By the way, I don’t think Mahoney counts. He joined the U.S. military as a teen-ager and purposely changed his accent in order to blend in. I’ve heard him say in an interview that he’s completely lost his original accent. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/3 "2009-03-02T03:07:02Z")
That’s clearly true. After all, British actors are almost certain to have watched more American movies and TV shows than American actors have watched British movies and TV shows, so they have more practice in listening to (and probably imitating) American accents than American actors have in listening to (and probably imitating) British accents. Furthermore, British actors have more motivation to learn American accents than Americans have to learn British accents. Brits are quite likely to have a chance to audition for American movies and TV shows, since there are so many of them, while Americans are not nearly as likely to have a chance to audition for British movies and TV shows, since there aren’t anywhere near as many of them. Incidentally, about twenty years ago, the ability of all English-speaking actors to speak English-language accents from other countries than their own got dramatically better, in my opinion. I don’t know why this happened, but it may be that acting schools and acting teachers got serious about teaching actors how to do accents. The country that gained the most from this is Australia, I think. That’s why Australian actors are all over American and British movies and TV shows now. After all, an American actor can make a pretty good living without ever learning to do accents. A British actor can make a reasonable one without learning to do accents. On the other hand, the Australian industry isn’t that large, so Australian actors are apparently told, “You will learn to do American and British accents or you will never have much of a career.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/4 "2009-03-02T03:50:56Z")
We’ve been watching the Wire, and Dominic West, who plays McNulty is an excellent case. I would have never guessed from watching the show that his is English - when he speaks in his real voice in the extra videos it is quite a shock. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/5 "2009-03-02T04:32:09Z")
I think the big question is, WHO benefits more from mastering the other side’s accents: Americans or Brits (and Scotsmen and Irishmen and Australians). An Irish actor like Jason O’Mara has great incentive to learn to speak with a convincing American accent: a job on an American TV series pays a HELL of a lot more than any job he could get in Ireland. Aussie actors like Anthony LaPaglia and Simon Baker make waaaay more money on American TV than they could Down Under. And “House” pays English Hugh Laurie waaaay more than he could ever make doing Bertie and Jeeves" back home. Now bear in mind, if an American actor is playing an Englishman or an Irishman on an American sitcom, he doesn’t HAVE to perfect a foreign accent. He only has to speak well enough to fool American audiences. John Hillerman didn’t REALLY sound English on “Magnum P.I.,” after all- he sounded more like a snobby upper-class American than like a Brit. But his accent was plenty good enough to fool Americans, and that’s all that mattered. But if Hugh Laurie or Anthony LaPaglia’s accents weren’t perfectly convincing to American audiences, they’d never be able to work here. If even a trace of a foreign accent slipped through, they couldn’t play their parts effectively. To give you some perspective… when British/Irish/Scottish/Aussie actors work in America, they tend to do American accents flawlessly. BUT… if you ever watch a BBC TV production, one made for consumption by a British audience, you’ll regularly see British actors doing comically bad “American” accents. If those British actors thought they had to be good enough to fool Americans, they might work harder… but if they’re appearing in programs watched primarily in the U.K., they figure “My Yank accent isn’t that great, but it’s plenty good enough for THIS gig.” I guarantee that if London were the film capital of the English speaking world, instead of Hollywood, you’d see American actors working their tails off to master British accents. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/6 "2009-03-02T04:37:42Z")
Watching the gag reel for “The Riches,” I was amazed at the way Minnie Driver could speak with a Deep South American accent and then go right back into her native accent, and then back to the American one with no hesitation. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/7 "2009-03-02T04:58:07Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > We’ve been watching the Wire, and Dominic West, who plays McNulty is an excellent case. I would have never guessed from watching the show that his is English - when he speaks in his real voice in the extra videos it is quite a shock. Huh. The single main reason I can’t watch that show is how West’s accent keeps squeaking through and reminding me that this is NOT real. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/8 "2009-03-02T09:17:17Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > To give you some perspective… when British/Irish/Scottish/Aussie actors work in America, they tend to do American accents flawlessly. BUT… if you ever watch a BBC TV production, one made for consumption by a British audience, you’ll regularly see British actors doing comically bad “American” accents. This is true, but don’t underestimate the huge importance for British actors of being able to produce correct British accents (plural) for the domestic market, be it on screen or stage, and the ability to reproduce the accurately is an essential part of stage school training. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/9 "2009-03-02T13:04:59Z")
The perennial example is \*Dick Van Dyke’s \*over-the-top attempt at something British sounding in **Chitty Chitty Bang Bang**. Our London tour guide cited it a few years ago so evidently they’re still talking about it. What might eventually overtake him though might be \*Kevin Costner’s \*and _Christian Bale’s_ turn at ‘something British sounding’ in **Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.** The best part of course is that they simply abandon their attempt mid-way through the picture. I can imagine the director saying: “Alright, just stop it, stop it. This is completely not working. Go back to your regular voices.” At which time someone must have proposed: “Shouldn’t we go back and redub all those scenes again?” to which I’m sure the director just shrugged his shoulders with a “meh.” ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/10 "2009-03-02T13:18:10Z")
Bale’s mother is British and his father is from South Africa. He grew up partly in England. Is his normal accent American, not British? ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/11 "2009-03-02T13:25:41Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > What might eventually overtake him though might be \*Kevin Costner’s \*and _Christian Bale’s_ turn at ‘something British sounding’ in **Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.** The best part of course is that they simply abandon their attempt mid-way through the picture. I can imagine the director saying: “Alright, just stop it, stop it. This is completely not working. Go back to your regular voices.” At which time someone must have proposed: “Shouldn’t we go back and redub all those scenes again?” to which I’m sure the director just shrugged his shoulders with a “meh.” Dadgummit. I meant Christian _Slater_ not Bale. Bale does an excellent ‘American’ best demonstrated in **American Psycho** wherein he during one famous scene he conjures up an excellent Jim Carrey impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/12 "2009-03-02T13:25:46Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > The perennial example is \*Dick Van Dyke’s \*over-the-top attempt at something British sounding in **Chitty Chitty Bang Bang**. Our London tour guide cited it a few years ago so evidently they’re still talking about it. It’s usually his _tour-de-force_ attempt in Mary Poppins that is cited! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/13 "2009-03-02T14:16:10Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Huh. The single main reason I can’t watch that show is how West’s accent keeps squeaking through and reminding me that this is NOT real. I hear it too. Same with the Irish actor who plays Carcetti. It can be a bit distracting, but it hasn’t lessened my enjoyment of their characters. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/14 "2009-03-02T14:22:30Z")
Mark Addy’s another one who managed to twist his English accent into a recognizable Chicago one on _Still Standing_. I saw the show before I saw _The Full Monty_ and my jaw just about dropped when I heard Addy talk in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/15 "2009-03-02T14:55:48Z")
When the first season of “Life” was premiering, I read an interview with Damian Lewis’ costar, where she was amazed that he was worried his west coast accent wouldn’t be up to snuff. She, an American, hadn’t been aware that there _was_ a west coast American accent. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/16 "2009-03-02T15:50:10Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > And “House” pays English Hugh Laurie waaaay more than he could ever make doing Bertie and Jeeves" back home. [Jeeves and Wooster](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeeves_and_Wooster) you mean I presume. FWIW I don’t think Laurie’s House accent is all that good. It’s a bit off to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/17 "2009-03-02T16:05:36Z")
When Damian Lewis did Band of Brothers I was surprised he was British. That’s a great show BTW, watch it if you can. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/18 "2009-03-02T16:19:59Z")
You haven’t been listening to audiobooks, then, have you? Nothing I like better than being read to by someone with a lovely English/Irish/Scottish/Australian accent. I’ve listened to boatloads of these things and they’re great, but if the book has an American character, it can be downright painful, pardner. ::spits chaw:: Flat, shrill, braying Midwestern or faux Texan, most of them, and I can’t help thinking, gah! is that what we sound like to you? The most recent one I listened to was _The Quiet American_ and the title character is from Boston but judging from the narrator’s voice, he just stepped off a West Texas cattle drive. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/19 "2009-03-02T17:30:05Z")
There are American actors who are great mimics, it’s just that we don’t recognize what they’re mimicing. I recall an interview with Jean Stapleton where she discussed working on a Baltimore accent for a role, then discovering there were two _different_ Baltimore accents, and having to decide which one fit her character better. I wager the average viewer couldn’t tell the difference between either of the Baltimore accents, or, for that matter, a southside Philadephia accent. Ditto with **koeeoaddi’s** description of a “flat, shrill braying Midwestern” accent. There are dozens of different Midwestern accents - and even if I can’t describe the difference between a Minnesota and a Wisconsin accent, or a Wisconsin vs. Chicago accent, I know they don’t sound the same. [QUOTE=astorian] Now bear in mind, if an American actor is playing an Englishman or an Irishman on an American sitcom, he doesn’t HAVE to perfect a foreign accent. He only has to speak well enough to fool American audiences. John Hillerman didn’t REALLY sound English on “Magnum P.I.,” after all- he sounded more like a snobby upper-class American than like a Brit. But his accent was plenty good enough to fool Americans, and that’s all that mattered. [/QUOTE] That would be the classic “Mid-Atlantic” accent that used to be affected by stage actors. Not exactly any type of American, not exactly any type of British, but certainly “snobby upper-class.” ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958/20 "2009-03-02T17:44:40Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Mark Addy’s another one who managed to twist his English accent into a recognizable Chicago one on _Still Standing_. I saw the show before I saw _The Full Monty_ and my jaw just about dropped when I heard Addy talk in the movie. He’s the guy I was thinking about as an example of someone who wasn’t quite pulling it off. Every now and then the brit thing slips through and blows the character for me. Maybe it’s just me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-actors-adopting-american-accents-and-vice-versa/487958.md?page=2)