View Full Version : TV Australian Accents in American Shows
Is it just me, but are they kind of annoying? And I don't just mean when they're bad accents being put on by American actors - even when they're actual Australians playing Australians. I'm thinking House, the new season of Scrubs, etc.
For some reason they just grate on me. I really shouldn't dislike my own accent but it stands out in a US show like American accents stand out when they visit here.
Agreed. Nicky Whelan on Scrubs season 9 was horrible, especially 'cause her character was Australian.
Simon_Nesbit
2 Mar 2010, 08:22
The fact that our accents stand out against an american backdrop....is it that it's more obvious, or is it that they WANT them to be more obvious.
A friend of my wife's (well ex-friend now due to 'fame') was consistently unable to land "australian" roles, as her voice wasn't considered Australian enough. No issue landing "american" roles, just no "aussie" ones.
She had more vocal coaching on the "australian accent", and managed to win a few parts - her voice sounding strangely New Zealandish, with a little bit of Queenslander in it. (Could well be outback or WA, not familiar with either of those).
Her natural voice "sounds" australian, but most "australian" accents on tv sound nothing like an "australian" accent - either going "pseudo-British", or "Outback Bogan"
In 'Rogue' Radha Mitchell had to re voice all of her dialogue because her Australian accent was so bad.
Admiral Afterworld
2 Mar 2010, 09:25
I'm always surprised Emilie de Ravin (Australian actress) has such a dodgy Australian accent in Lost.
Slightly off topic, but has an American actor that you can think of ever nailed an Australian accent? Even the English struggle, yet we have no probs mimicing theirs.
Simon_Nesbit
2 Mar 2010, 11:41
Considering the aussie actresses can't get it....what hope does anyone else have?
Slightly off topic, but has an American actor that you can think of ever nailed an Australian accent? Even the English struggle, yet we have no probs mimicing theirs.
Jeremy Clarkson does a great ocker/bogan accent.
But yeah, the Aussie accent is hard to imitate. I mean I was born in England but spent most of my life here (and enough there to have an English accent), yet it's obvious enough when people hear me talk that it isn't a real Aussie sounding accent. I can't put one on for shit either.
Invigoration
2 Mar 2010, 12:35
Slightly off topic, but has an American actor that you can think of ever nailed an Australian accent? Even the English struggle, yet we have no probs mimicing theirs.
I'm sure there are a few obvious ones, but I can't really think of any movies with American's playing as Australians... Don't they usually just get Aussies for it?
Dunno whether I agree with the Aussie actors having no problems mimicking other accents either. A few of our current actors over there have a pretty difficult time of it, very few are actually good at it. But then of course it is the ones who are actually good at it that manage to become successful and therefore the most prominent, which probably feeds the chain of thought that we are good at taking on other accents as they are virtually the only ones we see.
I always thought the guy from House was an Australian playing an American really badly... is that not the case?
Don't really notice Simon Bakers accent in The Mentalist, although he has been in the US for some time now.
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
And in other movies I guess the director or whoever just gets everyone to do an English/general accent even tho the movie is set in France or something.
But yeah accents do kinda grate. It can work the other way too, when actors nail them. Like I was astounded Kate Winslet was British.. i think her American accent is amazing. (or wait is it the other way round :o)
The Toad
2 Mar 2010, 13:14
I love the Aussie accent. Even when surrounded by yanks it still sound great.
dales.girl38
2 Mar 2010, 13:32
Don't really notice Simon Bakers accent in The Mentalist, although he has been in the US for some time now.
Pretty sure his character isn't meant to be Australian though, so that's why he doesn't have an Aussie accent in the show.
DoubleO7
2 Mar 2010, 13:47
I always thought the guy from House was an Australian playing an American really badly... is that not the case?
If you are referring to Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), then you would be slightly off the mark, but a good shot none the less. He is an Australian playing an Australian. He portrayed Billy Kennedy in Neighbours, a while back.
The Old Dark Navy's
2 Mar 2010, 13:56
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
Cue Sean Connery, the Scottish Russian. :)
Nicky Whelan on Scrubs season 9 was horrible, especially 'cause her character was Australian.
Yeah she puts on, or has, a horrible accent.
I'm always surprised Emilie de Ravin (Australian actress) has such a dodgy Australian accent in Lost.
That could be her normal accent; it is very bogan sounding.
Don't really notice Simon Bakers accent in The Mentalist, although he has been in the US for some time now.
Yeah, he plays an American, so puts on that accent. He has a much more Australian accent in real life.
I'm sure there are a few obvious ones, but I can't really think of any movies with American's playing as Australians... Don't they usually just get Aussies for it?
Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder :D
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
And in other movies I guess the director or whoever just gets everyone to do an English/general accent even tho the movie is set in France or something.
But yeah accents do kinda grate. It can work the other way too, when actors nail them. Like I was astounded Kate Winslet was British.. i think her American accent is amazing. (or wait is it the other way round :o)
It is normal practice for English speaking actors to use their natural accent when playing a character who didn't speak English. German soldiers spoke German not English with a German accent.
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
The worst one is Alexander, where because Colin Farrell was the lead they decided it would be easiest for all the Macedonians to have Irish accents.
Unfortunately they forgot to take into account the fact that Americans playing ancient Greeks with awful fake Gaelic lilts for three hours is even more stupid than it sounds.
Plugger35
2 Mar 2010, 15:18
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
And in other movies I guess the director or whoever just gets everyone to do an English/general accent even tho the movie is set in France or something.
You always see the actors in the old sword and sandals epics like Ben Hur through to newer films like Gladiator and Troy adopt the Shakespearian type English accent, whether they're English or not. Not sure why they decided that everyone should speak that way since they are usually playing Romans or Greeks but I guess it sounds better than actors using American or Aussie accents in those types of films.
Can't think of too many British or American actors that can pull off a decent Aussie accent, most just sound like caricatures.
Admiral Afterworld
2 Mar 2010, 18:12
That could be her normal accent; it is very bogan sounding.
Maybe I'm hearing things that aren't there but often she seems to drop American sounds in half her words. Perhaps it's just her normal voice after living in the US for 10 years.
And because it's sort of on topic (and funny :p):
bV3tfauw3vQ
RobbyRoy
2 Mar 2010, 19:17
Slightly off topic, but has an American actor that you can think of ever nailed an Australian accent? Even the English struggle, yet we have no probs mimicing theirs.
Robert Downey Jr. did it passably well in Natural Born Killers and then again in Tropic Thunder. Meryl Streep was also praised for her accent in the movie about Azaria Chamberlain but I've never seen it. I've heard quite a few spot on Aussie accents from Brits but that's probably not as hard an adjustment.
I'm always surprised Emilie de Ravin (Australian actress) has such a dodgy Australian accent in Lost.
She's alright.
Claire's mother on the other hand...
I'd be ashamed if that actress was indeed Australian.
"Whoosse Aaron?"
Noddy Holder
3 Mar 2010, 05:49
Slightly off topic, but has an American actor that you can think of ever nailed an Australian accent? Even the English struggle, yet we have no probs mimicing theirs.
I think Meryl Streep does an ok job in Evil Angels.
Can't think of too many British or American actors that can pull off a decent Aussie accent, most just sound like caricatures.
I maintain the best attempts I've ever heard is Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
8bsrbOjyd5k
Starts at the 4:00 mark.
I maintain the best attempts I've ever heard is Michael Caine in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
8bsrbOjyd5k
Starts at the 4:00 mark.
As said above, it is still a bit of a caricature. The use of the word "sport" puts it in that category.
Plugger35
3 Mar 2010, 12:11
As said above, it is still a bit of a caricature. The use of the word "sport" puts it in that category.
Not to mention the obligatory 'put another shrimp on the barbie' line which no real Australian ever says. Still not a bad attempt overall, the Poms definitely do a better job at doing an Aussie accent than the Yanks who are usually terrible at accents.
To be fair to the Americans, the English accent is a hell of a lot closer to ours than theirs. A modified Cockney (like Caine's above) comes very close with not much alteration required.
Marginally related, when I was in England and Europe I often had my accent confused with a Saffer's. Granted I don't have a very pronounced drawl but even so it was kind of funny.
It is normal practice for English speaking actors to use their natural accent when playing a character who didn't speak English. German soldiers spoke German not English with a German accent.
Exactly. I hate it when actors are putting on accents when they are supposedly speaking another language.
When Col Klink is talking to Hogan it makes sense that he is speaking English with a German accent, but makes no sense when talking to Sgt Schultz. :)
It's just for people who get a bit confused and need to know simple things like it's the bad guys who say 'Ve haf veys, und ve haf meanz.....'
Plugger35
3 Mar 2010, 13:19
To be fair to the Americans, the English accent is a hell of a lot closer to ours than theirs. A modified Cockney (like Caine's above) comes very close with not much alteration required.
Marginally related, when I was in England and Europe I often had my accent confused with a Saffer's. Granted I don't have a very pronounced drawl but even so it was kind of funny.
Not sure how anyone could mistake an Australian for a South African when their accent is so different to ours.
When I was in the States I got confused quite a bit for a Pom and also a Kiwi a couple of times. That's fairly understandable though as our accents can be quite similar, especially to clueless Americans.
When I was in the States I got confused quite a bit for a Pom and also a Kiwi a couple of times. That's fairly understandable though as our accents can be quite similar, especially to clueless Americans.
When i was in America i was confused as a Pom, Kiwi, South African... even this one time when I asked someone where they thought i was from they go "Europe"... they wouldnt even try a country!! :D
Pretty funny.. got slightly over it after a while tho.
DoubleO7
3 Mar 2010, 13:54
How could anyone confuse the Kiwi accent with the Australian one? :confused::D
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Ptxvxs1uhE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Ptxvxs1uhE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
They're Americans Double O7...
Its amazing they even know there are "other countries out there". :D;)
DoubleO7
3 Mar 2010, 14:20
My apologies, I forgot about that. :D
How could anyone confuse the Kiwi accent with the Australian one? :confused::D
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Ptxvxs1uhE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Ptxvxs1uhE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
My mum has told me that when she first came over here from england she couldn't tell the difference between aussie and new zealand accents. Now she can of course. I was like What the hell? too but apparently we sound similar to non australians...
Unless a Kiwi has an extremey pronounced accent, or you know the differences to listen for (flattened vowels, etc) it's pretty easy to confuse the two.
The American and Canadian accents are a good analogy. 90% of the time they sound very similar to the untrained ear.
Plugger35
4 Mar 2010, 14:46
Unless a Kiwi has an extremey pronounced accent, or you know the differences to listen for (flattened vowels, etc) it's pretty easy to confuse the two.
The American and Canadian accents are a good analogy. 90% of the time they sound very similar to the untrained ear.
Kiwi accents tend to get stronger as you go further south.
People in the North Island, particularly up around Auckland where most of my family is from, don't really have a very thick Kiwi accent. They sound pretty similar to Aussies.
If you go down to the South Island around Christchurch and Dunedin they tend to have much thicker and noticeable Kiwi accents.
DeadlyAkkuret
7 Mar 2010, 15:48
She's alright.
Claire's mother on the other hand...
I'd be ashamed if that actress was indeed Australian.
"Whoosse Aaron?"
Lmao comfortably the worst Australian accent I've ever heard.
She's alright.
Claire's mother on the other hand...
I'd be ashamed if that actress was indeed Australian.
"Whoosse Aaron?"
British.
EagleMan87
7 Mar 2010, 16:06
What about when they dont even try to do the correct accent.
Like Valkeryie (sp?), with Tom Cruise playing some German Nazi (again?... i havent actually seen the movie).. and he just does his American accent.
And in other movies I guess the director or whoever just gets everyone to do an English/general accent even tho the movie is set in France or something.
I hate it when they have a mixture of accents when they're all supposed to be from the same country.
Classic example is the mini-series Napoleon(starring Christan Clavier and Isabella Rossellini). It was plagued by off-sounding American accents surrounding the main cast of French actors. Heino Ferch and John Malkovich having English accents actually seemed to fit in well, but some of the others were attrocious. How hard is it to mimic an accent?
DeadlyAkkuret
11 Mar 2010, 00:08
British.
It always seems dead easy for an Aussie to do an English accent, why don't they seem to be able to do ours just as easily?
hirdy_is_champ
11 Mar 2010, 16:58
It always seems dead easy for an Aussie to do an English accent, why don't they seem to be able to do ours just as easily?
I watched Sounds of Aus a few weeks ago and apparently it's got to do with Aussies not moving their mouths as much to speak (suprise surprise :p) and other accents, (such as the american) use their mouth more when speaking. I.e. its harder to "unlearn" how to use to your mouth less than it is to learn how to use your mouth more. Sorry if I'm not making sense, english skills are not currently present for some reason.
It always seems dead easy for an Aussie to do an English accent, why don't they seem to be able to do ours just as easily?
Well, to be fair you're more likely to spot problems with someone imitating your native tongue. Maybe Australians don't do other accents as well as you think.
Maybe I'm hearing things that aren't there but often she seems to drop American sounds in half her words. Perhaps it's just her normal voice after living in the US for 10 years.
And because it's sort of on topic (and funny :p):
bV3tfauw3vQ
zRUJ12ra0Uc
I love the Aussie accent. Even when surrounded by yanks it still sound great.
Me too. The aussie accent sounds friendly, it's a fantastic accent.
iffstarz
14 Mar 2010, 19:27
The first one that springs to mind is that Aussie chick of Home and Away in the first Transformers movie
Atheist
14 Mar 2010, 20:44
I've always thought Jesse Spencer's accent in House was quite normal sounding.
I've always thought Jesse Spencer's accent in House was quite normal sounding.
Beat me to it. Was watching House last night, and thought about this thread.
Simon_Nesbit
18 Mar 2010, 21:43
The first one that springs to mind is that Aussie chick of Home and Away in the first Transformers movie
Rachel Taylor. The "Home and Away" chick was Isabel Lucas who was the "transformer" in the 2nd one with the tongue thing.
AFAIK she wasn't in Home and Away (something called Headland? Might be a Sydney show as that's where she went when she left Tassie).
She had all sorts of problems getting that voice. The casting director heard her talking before an audition, stopped them and said he'd found the voice.
Then Bay/(Vocal Director?) decided it wasn't unique enough and got her to harden up some of the words. The end result is pretty inconsistent, and anything longer than a sentence she softens up again.
iffstarz
19 Mar 2010, 23:29
Rachel Taylor. The "Home and Away" chick was Isabel Lucas who was the "transformer" in the 2nd one with the tongue thing.
AFAIK she wasn't in Home and Away (something called Headland? Might be a Sydney show as that's where she went when she left Tassie).
She had all sorts of problems getting that voice. The casting director heard her talking before an audition, stopped them and said he'd found the voice.
Then Bay/(Vocal Director?) decided it wasn't unique enough and got her to harden up some of the words. The end result is pretty inconsistent, and anything longer than a sentence she softens up again.
Yep, Rachael Taylor - that's the one. Ironically Transformers is on tonight - her Aussie accent really comes through when she starts talking about "fourier transfers (should be transforms)"