American Actors and Accents

[Q-C]

I just watched Daniel Radcliffe rap the Alphabet Aerobics on Jimmy Fallon show [media=]

[/media]

What impressed me more than getting through the lyrics was that he spoke it all with a perfect American accent as well.

So how would you native speakers rate American actors on their English, Scottish, Irish and Australian accents in general?

***I know I've heard UK and Australian actors lower their voices to speak with an American accent, like it seems to help.

Some I hear slip up on certain words- I'm thinking of ones I've heard who are on American TV series and it sometimes isn't hard to spot (hear) a British actor playing an American on a British TV series.

I know Glenn Quinn (Mark on Roseanne) did a flawless job. I like to listen for slip ups. Matt Passmore (on The Glades) used to slip up occasionally. He also seemed to lower his voice to make it easier.

But anyway, any really bad standouts? Any spot on standouts? Do American actors generally blow it, to native ears, or are they pretty respectable.

Can you often tell they are not native speakers even if they do a good job?

***Correction: I don't think they lower the register of their voice necessarily but flatten it, speakimg with a monotone to make it easier. Like expressivness in an American accent is harder than a monotone.I notice this is how it appears some think we Americans speak, too.

Edited October 30, 2014 by QuiteContrary

[MidnightLady]

The first time I noticed Patrick Bergin was in "Sleeping With the Enemy" (1991). The next time was in "Patriot Games" (1992) I thought wow he's got the Irish accent down. I couldn't have been any more wrong. It was the American one he nailed.

[Lilly]

I can usually tell when someone is faking a Boston or New York accent...but beyond that I really can't tell. I suspect it's only the people who live in the areas being copied who can tell the difference.

[keithisco]

Dick van Dyke - "Mary Poppins"....what a dreadful "Cockney" accent ... makes me cringe to this day

[rashore]

I totally suck with accents- the only ones I can remotely pick out is Midwestern media speak, because of lack of any accent at all. It's kind of a "you were taught how to speak with zero accent instead of naturally coming by it, weren't you?" sort of thing.

[Q-C]

There have certainly been some awful southern accents spoken by American actors and I have no idea how real it was but Tom Bosley on Murder, She Wrote with his Maine accent used to drive me nuts!

I'm wondering how 'mericans do with foreign English speaking accents.

Edited October 30, 2014 by QuiteContrary

[MidnightLady]

I can usually tell when someone is faking a Boston or New York accent...but beyond that I really can't tell. I suspect it's only the people who live in the areas being copied who can tell the difference.

Interesting that you should mention Boston. I read somewhere that Leonard Nimoy hailed from there and worked hard to loose the accent because he thought it would narrow acting possibilities.

[Gatofeo]

I suck at doing accents, although I do a passable mime accent.

[SHaYap]

No one really speaks the way they do in the movies ~ accents or no ~ well maybe just Gregory Peck ~

[Stubbly_Dooright]

I thought Gillian Anderson does a good job on her British accent. Gwenth Paltrow I thought does alright with her English accent on Shakespear in Love. Speaking of that movie, Joseph Fienes did a pretty good job on an American accent in a tv series here in the states awhile back. Ryan Cartwright from Bones, I thought did a great job with an American accent in 'Alphas' as well as someone with Autism. I think now I am also comparing David Tennent in both 'Broadchurch' in which he speaks with his native Scottish and pretty much the same role in 'Gracepoint' in which he speaks with an American accent. I don't know. There are times I think he slips up. And he talks real low too. And I think he does great with an English accent as the Doctor.

I totally suck with accents- the only ones I can remotely pick out is Midwestern media speak, because of lack of any accent at all. It's kind of a "you were taught how to speak with zero accent instead of naturally coming by it, weren't you?" sort of thing.

When I didn't travel that much, growing up in Connecticut, I worked at McDonald's and while working drive thru, started taking orders in a Southern accent. Apparently I was so good, some people asked me what part of the South I was from.

Interesting that you should mention Boston. I read somewhere that Leonard Nimoy hailed from there and worked hard to loose the accent because he thought it would narrow acting possibilities.

My father, who hailed from Bangor Maine, worked at losing his accent for his job. Many years later, for an assignment in college, I recorded my father explaining this and then he easily went into his Maine accent that it floored me. In his later years, he started slipping into it more and more.

[MidnightLady]

No one really speaks the way they do in the movies ~ accents or no ~ well maybe just Gregory Peck ~

I would add Jimmy Stewart.

[SHaYap]

I would add Jimmy Stewart.

I wouldn't ~ don't believe Jim ever spoke the same as soon as things go ~ Camera Lights Action ~

[MidnightLady]

My father, who hailed from Bangor Maine, worked at losing his accent for his job. Many years later, for an assignment in college, I recorded my father explaining this and then he easily went into his Maine accent that it floored me. In his later years, he started slipping into it more and more.

My parents grew up in Jersey City but I was raised in the burbs. Still, when I lost my temper I sounded just like them. Let's face it, there is just no escaping it.

[MidnightLady]

I wouldn't ~ don't believe Jim ever spoke the same as soon as things go ~ Camera Lights Action ~

Well before he went into acting he was studying Law at Princeton, so I guess it's all in the presentation.

[tipotep]

Every time I hear Eric Bana do his American accent I cringe,Us Aussies don't do the best American accents

On the other hand the English guy from the Walking dead does a cracking job with his American accent, I thought he was American until I saw an interview with him and I was like WTF he;'s a pom !

[Didya See That]

The TV series Fringe had two Aussie actors, Anna Torv (Olivia) and John Noble (Walter) I thought they both had impressive American accents.

[a nice cup of tea]

I thought Margot Robbie did a great American accent in The Wolf Of Wall Street.