To become a successful actor, one does not only have
to be able to perform a variety of emotions while portraying a story, but if
your character has a certain accent, the actor has to adapt and make it sound
real with the help of a dialect coach. Therefore, the accent the actor uses in
a movie is necessarily their real accent. I find more and more foreign actors
that play in American movies, such as Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Robert Pattinson (Twilight),
Chris (Thor) and Liam Hemsworth (Hunger Games), Theresa Palmer (Warm Bodies), Robert Sheehan (Mortal Instruments), Gerard Butler (300), Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), etc. The following
actors have either surprised me with their own accent or with their story
behind changing their accent.
Idris Elba
I recognize this actor from numerous movies I’ve
seen, such as Takers, Daddy’s Little Girls, American Gangster and Thor. While looking up a few of his
interviews, I was very surprised to hear that he has a British accent. After
doing some research, I found out that he was born and raised in Hackney,
London, England. He recently came out with a movie where he portrays Nelson
Mandela with a great South African accent in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.
Saoirse Ronan
Academy Award Nominee at 13 years old, this
incredible actress can act with a variety of accents and makes it look effortless.
Although Saoirse Ronan was born in New York, her family moved to Ireland when
she was only a baby therefore she speaks with an Irish accent. You might know
her from Atonement, The Lovely Bones, Hanna, The Host, or other
movies she has played in.
Portia de Rossi
Although this actress and former model was born and
raised in Australia, she has completely lost her Australian accent and has
adopted the American accent while living now in East Hollywood with her wife,
Ellen DeGeneres. Portia de Rossi admits in an interview that when she moved to
America, she worked hard to get rid of her Aussie accent. I assume it was to
blend in more and so it could become easier to book American acting roles.
However, I wish she had kept the accent because I don’t think it makes much
sense for her to say she’s an Australian but not talk like one. She should be
proud of her nationality.
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment