Tag Archives: accents for actors

The Death of Drama School Accent Enforcement

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Ben

Although I enjoy the series Downton Abbey, I know little about the personal lives of its cast members. So the other day, after watching a program on PBS, I was startled by a promo interview with the actress who plays … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

The Accents in Downton Abbey

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Ben

I am apparently the last person in the English-speaking world to watch Downton Abbey, but got a chance to see the first series over the past two evenings.  For the unfamiliar, the show takes place in an English country estate … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , , , | 100 Comments

Dialect Work in the Old Days

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Ben

Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps is a wonderful piece of classic moviemaking, but there is something amiss with the accent (not to mention dialect) of its leading man, Robert Donat: Donat is the handsome chap who remarks, ‘Daaahhhling, fancy seeing … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Accents at the Renaissance Faire

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Ben

Yesterday I went to the Renaissance Faire.  For those unfamiliar with this tradition, the Ren Faire is a type of festival set in a milieu vaguely indicative of the Renaissance, with jousts, fortune tellers, mead, period music, and Elizabethan costumes. … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Anne Hathaway’s Accent in ‘One Day’

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Ben

In news of the dialect work of movie stars, the romantic comedy One Day opens soon. As I did with Mel Gibson’s accent in The Beaver, I’d like to briefly examine Anne Hathaway‘s “Yorkshire accent” in this adaptation of the popular … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

Arrr, Matey! The Origins of the Pirate Accent

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Ben

Ask people to imitate a pirate, and they instinctually adopt the “pirate accent” immortalized in film and television. This unique brogue is renowned for it’s strong “r” sound, as in “yarrr” and “arrrrr.” Pirate imitators may wonder, “What accent am … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 45 Comments

Learn an Accent in 3 Minutes! (A Rant)

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Ben

A while back I posted something about “accent savants” on Youtube. These are people with a knack for dialects who post videos of themselves imitating Cockneys, Americans, Irishmen or some other nationality. I find these videos harmless fun, even as … Continue reading →

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 11 Comments

The 5 Best Irish Accents on Film

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Ben

As it’s Saint Patrick’s day, there have been a number of “worst Irish Accents on film articles floating around. I like to remain relatively positive here, so instead of putting out another list eviscerating Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, I’d … Continue reading →

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Posted in Irish English | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Mastering the Trap-Bath Split

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Ben

[Update: I made a few slight revisions to this post based on feedback.] (NOTE:  This post uses the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For information about the IPA, please visit my page of IPA Resources.) What is the #1 thing American actors screw … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , , | 40 Comments

Dialect Savants on YouTube

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Ben

I have been with the family for a few days and haven’t got a chance to post anything substantial.  So I figured I would quickly comment on the recent rash of “dialect savant” videos on YouTube.  The most trafficked of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged , | 8 Comments