Jase Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 This question has been bugging me and I am sure that some here will be able to answer. I am wondering how foreign actors sound to locals when they play them in a movie. Obviously there are stacks of Australian actors plying their trade in the US and to a lesser extent UK. I know the Aussie accent is near impossible to replicate (although their is little need as few non Australian films need an Aussie accented character) - except for the likes of Benedict Cumberbach playing Julian Assange, Anthony Hopkins playing a NZer (similar to Oz) in the fastest American. I have heard a couple of words of Tom Hardy playing Mad Max and he sounds very authentic too. How do the likes of Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Bana, that main bloke from The Mentalist and the main bloke from Longmire and of course the late Heath Ledger sound when playing American characters to natives, especially given regional differences. I watched Pacific Rim the other day and was gob smacked how bad the 2 guys playing Australians were, one actor was American and one was from the UK - granted they are nowhere near the caliber as the Hardy, Cumberbach and Hopkins. To me it turned a 'just okay' movie into a below average cringe fest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 There's been a few big budget movies with actors trying to put on an English accent and tbh you can usually tell straight off as either they will try and replicate a "posh" royal type british accent or else a more common cockney type accent. You're never going to fool a local that your accent is genuine but overall and across the globe I'm sure their accent is pretty convincing. .........They should watch Eastenders to help their research. Would be a useful tool! The person who stood out to me in the last few years was David Tennant as when he played 'doctor who' he had a southern british accent so good I was flabbergasted when I eventually realised it wasn't his normal accent and that normally he sounds very scottish! lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronevolution Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 I have watched The Dark Knight at least 10 times and I still can not tell that Heath Ledger is playing the Joker. To me it is the best acting performance I have ever seen. Also, I have always loved how Hugh Laurie managed to do 8 seasons of an American accent in House. Very talented guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazz Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Well, for Robert Taylor who plays Walt Longmire, he sounds like someone who could be from Wyoming. There's no hint of an Aussie accent. Even saw some You Tubes of him talking about the program, and he sounds the same - no Aussie accent at all. Russell Crowe was in a movie a few years ago. I think it was Last Train to Yuma. Was a western. Could not depict any Aussie accent from him in that role. The bloke from the Mentalist (only watched part of one show) speaks with what we call a MidWestern accent. In other words, no accent. Sounds like he's from Iowa of all places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotTheDogWhisperer Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 One actor who never ceases to amaze me when it comes to accents is Damien Lewis...quite unknown as he doesn't do many big roles. He played Mjr D. Winters in Band of Brothers and he was able to impersonate a US accent perfectly even though in reality his accent is cockney (IIRC). Steve Coogan does some amazing impersonations as well..always worth a watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 There aren't a lot of Canadian movies out there...so I can't really judge on that front. But we do have slightly different accents for different parts of the country (Newfies from Newfoundland comes to mind). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 There aren't a lot of Canadian movies out there...so I can't really judge on that front. But we do have slightly different accents for different parts of the country (Newfies from Newfoundland comes to mind). When we were staying in Canada hubby's cousin kept calling me a newfie. Wasn't sure if I was supposed to get down on my hands and knees and start barking? I suspect not. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBELHOWLUC49 Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hannah my daughter has taken to talking in an Aussie accent, to the extent she decided to talk to everybody she didn't know with this accent, she found it hysterical because they wouldn't believe it when she said she wasn't Australian..... My brother lives in Newcastle Australia with three children and an Aussie wife... would love to go visit... Maybe one day... I have yet to hear an American actor pull of a believable English accent.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparks Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 no one can do the welsh accent lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane_M Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 @Sparks Nobody can say "lush" quite like the welsh ;-) James McAvoy shocked me too...Shameless, Wanted, x-men... It was years before I realised he was a Scot! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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