# House, Hugh Laurie, Englishness, Accent **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208 "2008-10-30T03:54:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/101 "2008-11-03T07:32:05Z")
I’ve watched House for a while without realizing that Hugh Laurie was British. That is, until I saw him host Saturday Night Live. I couldn’t figure out why he was doing all of the sketches with a British accent. At first I thought that the accent was part of the sketches. Duh! So yes, he speaks very good “American”. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/102 "2008-11-03T08:03:56Z")
I don’t really mind the fake American accents in “Dalek.” I just say, “Oh, Canadians.” It’s Barrowman’s real American accent I find annoying, because while it’s not a fake accent, it’s just incredibly strong next to the British accents. All those voiced _t_’s & whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/103 "2008-11-03T09:58:59Z")
At the very beginning of the second section of _Lucky Thirteen_ (see it [here](http://www.hulu.com/watch/41271/house-lucky-thirteen#s-p1-so-i0), but it expires fast), House pronounces “issue” three times, each time as /ISju/ (“ishyoo”) rather than /ISu/ (“ishoo”). While probably not categorically so, that is definitely much more typically a British pronunciation than an American one. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/104 "2008-11-03T16:12:12Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > It’s not a real Yank accent, of course, & doesn’t quite sound like anywhere in particular as far as I know, but it’s a plausible Yank accent. Hey, the best compliment I ever got on my aksent, or rather lack thereof, was visiting some friends in southern Illinois after I’d been living in Miami for 4 years. “If I didn’t know you’re from Spain I’d think you’re just from a couple counties over! You know, from here but not exactly from here-here.” (It’s not that good any more, sadly) Sounds to me like “sounds Yank but can’t peg the state” is quite good, specially given how many Yanks try to sound “can’t peg the state” unless the role specifically asks for it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/105 "2008-11-03T16:40:03Z")
> [@Jelly\_Roll](#): > > I read that Patrick Dempsy was up for the role of House and was crushed that he didn’t get it. He auditioned, but admits that he couldn’t have played House as “dark” as Laurie does. Laurie manages to walk the fine line of being crazy & being a good diagnostition, all with speaking like a true American. ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/106 "2008-11-03T18:55:34Z")
> [@Gail](#): > > Speaking of accents, Kelly MacDonald, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland played Evangeline in _Nanny McPhee_ and Carla Jean in _No Country For Old Men_. I had no idea who she was when I saw No Country. She did, to my ear anyway, a great Texas accent. I came in here just to mention this. If you ever get a chance, watch the movie “Girl in the Cafe” where she is alongside Bill Nighy. I could never imagine someone with such a strong Scottish accent get the Texan one right in No Country.. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/107 "2008-11-03T19:10:55Z")
> [@DaphneBlack](#): > > The one who fooled me was Joely Richardson on Nip/Tuck. I heard her on an awards show and thought it was some sort of skit for a few minutes, because I couldn’t understand why she was speaking in a British accent. If I’d remembered she was a Redgrave, I guess I wouldn’t have been so surprised… I wouldn’t have said she was British necessarily, but her voice on Nip/Tuck never sounded quite right to me. And Marianne Jean-Baptiste just sounds wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/108 "2008-11-03T22:15:05Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I wasn’t talking about him. He’s fine. Other episodes they have had scenes in the US and the accents were awful. Strangely the two I can think of both had Daleks. One took place as the Empire State Building was being built and I there were some of the worst New York accents I ever heard. The other one had some bad ones but a particularly bad Texan accent. “Delta and the Bannermen” from the Sylvester McCoy era had some (deliberately?) bad American accents - two “CIA spies” who sounded like they were doing a really bad “Archie Bunker” accent ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/109 "2008-11-04T01:09:31Z")
I believe Toni Collette is from NZ or Australia, but in **Little Miss Sunshine** , her American accent is very believable. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/110 "2008-11-04T02:45:01Z")
Not just an American accent: it’s a well-educated New Englander accent, which explains some of the weirdness. I knew him from Jeeves and Wooster first, then from Blackadder and little bits of other things here and there. He made a very strong impression, but I remember clearly the moment I realized he was in House: I was in Toronto, riding on the bus from the subway station to my friend’s house. I was looking around for something interesting and I saw this huge billboard with a gigantic HOUSE and a huge FACE on it. I only saw it for a moment and was struck with “Good Lord, that guy looks like Hugh Laurie. How weird!” The bus made another turn and I saw it more clearly. The first thing I did when I walked inside was to check IMDB. The funny thing is, I’d seen teasers for the show on TV. I’d glanced over and thought – do I recognize that guy? But he’d open his mouth and I’d realize it sure wasn’t Hugh Laurie and stopped paying attention. Who needs another doctor show? Yeah. Addict now. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/111 "2008-11-04T03:47:24Z")
I find his accent near-flawless. However, it’s the “perfect newscaster” accent, with no regional twang of any sort. I disagree with LittlePlasticNinja that it’s a New England accent. (I also disagree that the “perfect newscaster” accent is mid-western; a lot of folks I know from the midwest speak with recognizable accents). I remember one episode where he was sleuthing something, that required him to phone up some medical person in England. Or maybe he was pretending to be a medical person from England, and phoning someone in the US. Either way, he put on a British accent for the call. AND IT SOUNDED FAKE. Now that’s talent. Speaking your own language, but making it sound like you’re a foreigner trying to sound British. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/112 "2008-11-04T15:34:10Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I disagree with LittlePlasticNinja that it’s a New England accent. Same here. Mid-Atlantic maybe, but not with any real regionality. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/113 "2008-11-04T16:14:39Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > (I also disagree that the “perfect newscaster” accent is mid-western; a lot of folks I know from the midwest speak with recognizable accents). The newscasters who began using [this accent](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_American) purposefully modeled themselves after a dialect that exists in eastern Nebraska, southern Iowa, and western Illinois. At the time it was starting to become the standard “neutral” accent, it was more widespread, reaching into Ohio and Indiana as well. (So says Wikipedia, but I’ve seen video of contemporary Ohioans speaking what sounds to me like perfect “newscaster” English so I’m not sure what exactly the spread of the dialect is today.) -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/114 "2008-11-04T16:28:16Z")
Actually, if you consider House’s background (military brat), his accent could easily be an amalgam of many regional accents. Undefinable American is consistant. StG ---
**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:** [November 5, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208/115 "2008-11-05T03:33:26Z")
Frylock writes: \> (So says Wikipedia, but I’ve seen video of contemporary Ohioans speaking \> what sounds to me like perfect “newscaster” English so I’m not sure what \> exactly the spread of the dialect is today.) To me, “newscaster” English sounds just like what I grew up speaking in rural northwest Ohio. Rural northwest Ohio means anywhere in that quarter of the state except in Toledo and its suburbs, where the Northern Cities Vowel Shift has happened. I sometimes joke that linguistic surveyors came by my family’s farm several decades ago and, after investigating our accent, planted a sign on a fence post between our farm and the farm of my great-uncle and great-aunt next door which says, “On this spot is spoken absolute standard American English.” Incidentally, where is it claimed that “newscaster” English was deliberately modeled on the speech of “eastern Nebraska, southern Iowa, and western Illinois”? How would that work? Did somebody wander around the Midwest until they decided that this would be a nice place to base the accent on? Was that decision based on the fact that they liked the corn that grew there best? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-hugh-laurie-englishness-accent/470208.md?page=5)