Something I noticed to which I had paid no attention is the ability of British actors to portray Americans. I recently viewed two DVDs, "Return to Me" and the 1987 TV motion picture "The Quick and the Dead." Both motion pictures had British actors portraying an American. I examined and/or played every one of my collection - we're talking about nearly four hundred movies. The only American actor I could identify who is portraying a British character is Jeffrey Jones as Inspector Lestrade in "Without a Clue" (1988).

British actors portraying Americans with mid-western accents are myriad. I even identified Laurence Harvey portraying an American with a substantial southern accent in "The Outrage" (1964).

I am interested in "why" - why can, and do, British actors make this transition while American actors cannot or do not?

Because they are wanna be Americans.Who wants to be a faggy Brit?

Hugh Laurie is another good example. After watching "House" over the years I found out he was a Brit (+ damned fine pianist as well)then started watching his earlier BBC works;Jeeves + Wooster + A Bit Of Fry + Laurie.Several others as well but those last 2 series I recommend;a lot of fun.Also his last action drama was called "The Night Manager" where he plays an international arms dealer.Good also.

Perhaps being a faggy brit means you can make a better quality production than much of the rubbish that the "entertainment" industry in the US produces.... ?

Why would Americans stoop so low, always love the old Native Americans played by a white american. Seem to be More non American actors in American movies than British. Still love Sophia Loren.

Grizz

John Hillerman (RIP) played "Higgins" on Magnum PI. I believe he received a letter from a Brit praising his acting ability and how wonderful it was to see a Brit playing such a great role in an American show. Hillerman's response was that he was, in fact, an American redneck and damned proud of it.

Grizz,remember in Jimmy Stewart's Winchester 73, Rock Hudson played the Indian;In Hondo the indian who killed John Wayne's dog (you know he was gonna die bad)was the Italian hit man from the Valachi papers. + how many times has Anthony Quin played an Indian?

Tom Hardy, a British actor starred in Lawless and The Drop.

In a few of the John Ford/John Wayne westerns, the Indians were played by Filipinos.

Follow the money

FWIW there are far more Canadians playing Americans

Don't forget that Lawrence Harvey plated W.B. Travis in John Wayne's "The Alamo".

Damien Lewis is a Brit actor that portrayed Maj. Dick Winters in Band of Brothers. IIRC quite a few of those actors were Brits playing Americans.

They did a dang fine job too!

Damien Lewis is a great actor.My 1st introduction to him was in "Band Of Brothers" but have seen in many others since then.I read an interview with him in the New Yorker where it was mentioned that when he was playing Brody in the HBO series "Homeland" he made $250,000.00 per installment.Nice work if you can get it.

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Perhaps being a faggy brit means you can make a better quality production than much of the rubbish that the "entertainment" industry in the US produces.... ?

I am speaking of the UK not the rest of the Colonies.

quote:

Originally posted by richj:
FWIW there are far more Canadians playing Americans

Surprising how many and going back to silent film days. Mary Pickford and William Shatner are the first to come to mind.


Grizz

In all honesty,William Shatner is at his best by not speaking.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
In all honesty,William Shatner is at his best by not speaking.

I think his success has gone to his head. Popularity built on one role. OK, so Robin Williams was an American who specialized in comedy, most of which doesn't work for me, but I remember him best as the Russian anarchist, who blew himself up in some movie that escapes me at the moment. Great job in a serious role.

Grizz

I have also noticed that British and Australian actors easily can speak with any American accent they want to, Southern, Midwest, whatever. Reason? Their speech is not naturally formed, but is affected, and thus, easily dropped. It takes a lot more work of the facial muscles and vocal cords to do.
Not the other way around unless you work at it.
Bottom line, our speech, mostly, is a lazier, and more efficient, way to do English.

Yes indeed,for we are all transplants from the mother country,(mainly,as there are dutch + germans as well)

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have also noticed that British and Australian actors easily can speak with any American accent they want to, Southern, Midwest, whatever. Reason? Their speech is not naturally formed, but is affected, and thus, easily dropped. It takes a lot more work of the facial muscles and vocal cords to do.
Not the other way around unless you work at it.
Bottom line, our speech, mostly, is a lazier, and more efficient, way to do English.

You talking about Mel Gibson here ? Difference between his early movies and the Die Hard series is night and day.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have also noticed that British and Australian actors easily can speak with any American accent they want to, Southern, Midwest, whatever. Reason? Their speech is not naturally formed, but is affected, and thus, easily dropped. It takes a lot more work of the facial muscles and vocal cords to do.
Not the other way around unless you work at it.
Bottom line, our speech, mostly, is a lazier, and more efficient, way to do English.

You talking about Mel Gibson here ? Difference between his early movies and the Die Hard series is night and day.

Grizz

Mel Gibson was born in New York and his father moved the family to Australia.

Wasn't Bruce Willis in the "Die Hard" series?

My mistake, but Mel's accent has evolved.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Lapidary:
John Hillerman (RIP) played "Higgins" on Magnum PI. I believe he received a letter from a Brit praising his acting ability and how wonderful it was to see a Brit playing such a great role in an American show. Hillerman's response was that he was, in fact, an American redneck and damned proud of it.

Hillerman wasn't just an American, he was by-God Texan.
Muzza, the United States entertainment industry is a cesspool worthy of the AR Political Forum.

And returning to my original query . . .

In answer to your original enquiry;there must not be any monetary interest in it.

The Brits have a much deeper commitment to acting as a profession and as a rule undergo a lot more training. Americans tend to fast-track and/or use family connections in the industry. If you watch a variety of BBC productions, even the silly shows are well acted.

True that + add to the fact quite a few British actors actually started in REAL theatre.

Brits don't meet the American standard of beauty and handsomeness. Just an idle thought I had this morning. Brits like their characters more true to real life.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have also noticed that British and Australian actors easily can speak with any American accent they want to, Southern, Midwest, whatever. Reason? Their speech is not naturally formed, but is affected, and thus, easily dropped. It takes a lot more work of the facial muscles and vocal cords to do.
Not the other way around unless you work at it.
Bottom line, our speech, mostly, is a lazier, and more efficient, way to do English.

Not so, people find it easier to speak with whatever “accent” is native to them. For a brit trying to sound American it requires relearning the way words are formed just as it does the other way around.

Do you really think people in the rest of the English speaking world spend their whole lives trying to put on whatever thier native accent is and just by dropping it with a sigh of relief they will then revert to sounding American ?

quote:

Originally posted by nute:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
I have also noticed that British and Australian actors easily can speak with any American accent they want to, Southern, Midwest, whatever. Reason? Their speech is not naturally formed, but is affected, and thus, easily dropped. It takes a lot more work of the facial muscles and vocal cords to do.
Not the other way around unless you work at it.
Bottom line, our speech, mostly, is a lazier, and more efficient, way to do English.

Not so, people find it easier to speak with whatever “accent” is native to them. For a brit trying to sound American it requires relearning the way words are formed just as it does the other way around.

Do you really think people in the rest of the English speaking world spend their whole lives trying to put on whatever thier native accent is and just by dropping it with a sigh of relief they will then revert to sounding American ?

I have been informed that English actors - that is, those raised in central and southern England - are are able to emulate or replicate a Southern American accent, excluding Appalachia and upstate Alabama and Mississippi, with almost no retraining.

That is in large part because that is where their ancestors came from + thus was spoken in the home.The Appalachians has a very large Scottish heritage of immigrants from back in the day.And your cradle language will stay with you.

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
Perhaps being a faggy brit means you can make a better quality production than much of the rubbish that the "entertainment" industry in the US produces.... ?

The real reason Hollywood never portrays anyone in a good light!

They have been re-writing history, to make it look all hero’s are Americans!!

I have read books, and seen the movies Hollywood made of them.

Nothing even comes close to the truth!

I suppose one can understand this sort of thing.

Coming from a lot who have no history, no culture!

Saeed, care to share some of the history of great historical figures in UAE?

Saeed kinda on + off the subject,but have you ever read "The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence?This is an honest enquiry w/ no ax to grind.If not I recommend it highly. I also must say that David Leans movie "Lawrence Of Arabia" was the most true to form as books to movies go that I have ever seen. (albeate his buggery from the turks was only a beating).O'toole even looks like him,+ his passion for the House Of Saud to take ownership over their land from the Ottoman turks is very well done. (Then the dealings w/ Allenby + the Brits,but that's another story.One of my favorite movies + once again because it actually follows his writings so closely.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Saeed kinda on + off the subject,but have you ever read "The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence?This is an honest enquiry w/ no ax to grind.If not I recommend it highly. I also must say that David Leans movie "Lawrence Of Arabia" was the most true to form as books to movies go that I have ever seen. (albeate his buggery from the turks was only a beating).O'toole even looks like him,+ his passion for the House Of Saud to take ownership over their land from the Ottoman turks is very well done. (Then the dealings w/ Allenby + the Brits,but that's another story.One of my favorite movies + once again because it actually follows his writings so closely.

I have not read the book, but seen the film.

Typical bloody Brits.

No one could trust them!

They went and gave Palestine to the new Nazis, the Zionist!

And look where it got us!

saeed,truly,read the book.T.E Lawrence was completely behind an independant Arabia.He felt the cause as his own + backed his thoughts up with personal action.But as always overzealous warriors are over ridden after the smoke clears by the political fringe (starting w/ Allenby) + moving to the House Of Lords.But don't forget that the decisions made then by the powers that be played REAL hell on all of Europe 20 years later.All things considered,in the aftermath,Arabia did better than most of Europe.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Hugh Laurie is another good example. After watching "House" over the years I found out he was a Brit (+ damned fine pianist as well)then started watching his earlier BBC works;Jeeves + Wooster + A Bit Of Fry + Laurie.Several others as well but those last 2 series I recommend;a lot of fun.Also his last action drama was called "The Night Manager" where he plays an international arms dealer.Good also.

The BlackAdder you must see also, that is a must .

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Saeed, care to share some of the history of great historical figures in UAE?