~~Any of you ever heard an American that could pull off a
decent Aussie accent to the degree that it could pass as
authentic?
Same for the Brits, Irish, SAs while I’m at it…
If you could only hear what the Outback Steakhouse makes us
listen to you would understand why I ask…
Thanks much…
Gwyneth Paltrow and Renee Zellweger (sp?) did good jobs with English accents. However, I’m Australian and may not be the best judge. Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Olivia Newton-John, Guy Pearce (sp again?) and Russell Crowe also do pretty well with Aussie accents and none of them were born here.
OTOH, Meryl Streep does NOT do a good Strine accent.
Since this is a matter of opinion and not verifiable fact, Ï’ll move this to IMHO.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
Depends on exactly how you define American 
Mel Gibson, as Mersavets points out, does a decent Australian accent. On the other hand, he does live here (or had lived here) so that’s probably a bit different to any American actor who hasn’t lived here “doing” the accent for a movie. From what I’ve seen most Americans tend to exaggerate it too much, which helps other Americans know what they’re supposed to be but makes Australians wince.
Nicole Kidman was born in Honolulu, and lived in Washington DC but came to Australia around age three, so I would expect her to be putting on the American accent rather than the Australian one. Sam Neill was born in Northern Ireland but raised in New Zealand - as much as it pains me to admit, there’s not a lot to pick between Australian and New Zealand accents - and Russell Crowe was born in NZ but came to Australia “at an early age”. Olivia Newton-John was born in England but came to Australia when she was 5. Guy Pearce was another English born, Australian raised actor, coming here when he was 3 years old. With the possible exception of Sam Neill, none of those actors lived outside Australia through their teen years, and I think it’s around that point that an accent becomes fixed into place, so to speak.
For the record, I’ve never heard an American actor do a decent Australian accent that I can remember. Meryl Streep did a really bad job. Also, some of the bit-parts in Point Break have fake Australian accents that sound terrible - I’m sure there’s a big list of movies that got it wrong! Even the Simpsons, despite the accuracy with which they portrayed our legal system, messed up when it came to the accents.
On a side note, is it possible that the only authentic Australian-born Australian actor who has made it to the “big time” overseas is Yahoo Serious?? Say it ain’t so!
Wait - Paul Hogan is Australian born. Phew!
You’re right on all counts of course. I was really making the point that most of our cultural ambassadors don’t seem to have actually been born here. Phar Lap, Michael Klim, John Farnham (blech!)… so many great Aussies are actually imports.
It sort of brings out the bleeding heart in me and makes me wonder how many of those Iraqi and Sri Lankan kids in Nauru and PNG could have turned out to be the next generation of cricket or acting greats for this country. We might never find out all because keeping them out made for an excellent election stunt.
I don’t know about that. I remember when the film came out being very impressed with Streep’s accent. It was quite harsh, ('A dingahooz got moy baaaaibi!’) but then the person she was portraying had a harsh voice, particularly considering the stress she was under. I must hire the video and watch the film again; it’s worth another look.
(As a born-and-bred okker I have been very critical or overseas actors’ attempts at Ozzie accents. Meryl Streep is the only American that I can recall coming close. Even Poms haven’t seemed able to pull off a good Aussie twang, although they appear to be getting better.)
Well, I met a girl from San Francisco when I was at the Australian Open tennis at the start of this year, and she did pretty well, even though she only said one sentence. She told me she could only say words that end in -er, so I made her say “there’s water in the car” and she passed with flying colours. 
P.S. She kinda cheated because she had lived here (Melbourne) for a few years during high school. Her only downside is that she followed the Bombers in Aussie Rules Football (GO THE LIONSSSSS!!! )
Isn’t Geoffrey Rush a born Australian?
And here’s a thing I’ve wondered for years. Are the BeeGees British or Australian? Who claims responsability? They were born British, but became famous in Australia. I cant quite tell whether there accents are Aussie-British or Pommie-Australian…
And the current lead singer of AC/DC, Brian Johnson, has the absolute most unintelligible accent ever…is he Australian?
Brian Johnson was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne England. He appropriately sang with the band Geordie before AC/DC.
Geoffrey Rush was born in Toowoomba.
There was a special about the Bee Gees on ABC last week. They had already been performing in England before they came to OZ, but Barry was only 11 then.
Sorry, I didn’t complete the Bee Gees story. They had no hits in Australia, although they won songwriting awards, until they were on the boat back to England in 1967. Barry was about 20 by then. They only spent 9 years in Australia and never returned.
Never, ever, but ever have I heard someone pull of an Aussie accent. South Africans come closer than New Zealanders but there’s still a slightly different expression of certain sounds.
BTW, everyone denies responsibility for the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, and John Farnham (all originally poms). Some people try to claim responsibility for Elle MacPherson and Russell Crowe. No-ne wwant to claim Jelena Docich anymore.
I’ve been told I’m good with accents, but I can never quite get the Aussie or the Irish/Jamaican accents.
If someone’s accent was good enough to pass as authentic, how would you know to suspect it was being mimicked? You’re only going to notice the failures, because the ones doing it flawlessly won’t attract any attention.
-fh
Mr Cazzle has a hybrid Scottish-American-Australian accent, but while it’s mainly Australian now he still sounds a bit American to Ozzies. However, he can say the word “carp” (the fish, I didn’t make a typo) in Australian
He says you say it like there’s no “r” - caahp. That’s why he can also do “caah” for car. We can’t agree on the pronouciation of “bath” or “wolf”.
And thank goodness for Geoffrey Rush - we can hold our heads high again, now that ONE famous Australian is really Australian!!
I love hearing “acted” Australian accents in US sitcoms because they are always so bad they add to the hilarity.
South Park’s “crocodile hunter” one is a good example. But I’ve seen many others.
ROFL-to-death every time.
Oh yeah - and I was not impressed with Gwyneth’s or Renee’s accent particularly. Do an English accent which doesn’t sound like you’ve got a pole up your arse, and then I’ll be impressed.
PS - Renee - nobody in England has ever pronounced “super” “syooper” - at least not under the age of 108. And sane.
I’ll give Gwyneth it, she can pull off the accent. I am impressed with her. When “Sliding Doors” was released the UK press was full of praise for her accent - and I agree completely.
Renee, however, was utterly useless. She attempted “Received Pronunciation” but (a) managed to wander all aroudn the place with it and (b) no-one actually speaks it anyway (apart from social circles that she was not in).
It cracks me up when I read reviews in the US of people doing British accents in films. It is very rare that it is well done, but as most of the US seems to think we all speak with RP everyone there seems to think the accents are done well.
Of course it all works in reverse as well, the UK seems to think everyone in the US is from the deep south and was dropped on their head as a baby (judging from the accent - I’m not sayign you’re stupid or nuffink)
amanset, having lived in various southern regions of the US for much of my life, I hear many genuine Southern accents every day. (There are LOTS of regional accents.) I have yet to hear a decent one in a movie. I sincerely doubt that the “Southern” accents UK actors use bear too much resemblance to the real thing, since American actors can’t do it either!
hah!
you think AUSSIE accents are butchered!
Nrthern Irish accents are notoriously badly done!
Brad Pitt, method actor of note, was dreadful in The Devil’s Own…as was every other “norn irish” accent on show.
i watched Ronin and was disgusted at the badness of the IRA guy’s voice. the girl wasn’t much better.
i actually watched a US tv cop show show being syndicated in Ireland ( the chief, or the precinct or some such title, maybe someone will know) and one of the detectives is supposed to be an ex-RUC man.
He has obviously NEVER heard the accent he is supposed to be speaking with, as he uses a BROAD (and quite good) GLASGOW accent.
His nemisis, an IRA man allegedly from South Armagh had a broad LIMERICK accent…the dialogue coach for that show obviously has problems with separating Scotland and Southern Ireland in their head.
Northern Irish people can tell your class, religion, county and even HOME TOWN by your accent. It has to be done well or there is no point in trying.
If you can’t tell the difference between Gerry Adam’s accent and the Rev Ian Paisley’s you stand no chance of convincing ANY Irish person.
I beg the differ, Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs had an excellent accent for a “West-Virginian-er”. I’m not sure if she was born or raised in the south but she certainly sounds it.
Amen to that.