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Why can't American actors, act American?



Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,363
West west west Sussex
Talking of Eddie Marsan as I was primarily to myself, earlier, he reminds me of the thread title:-

Why can't American actors, act American?

Eddie Marsan - Ray Donovan, playing Liev Schreiber's brother.
Damian Lewis - Homeland, all American hero.
Matthew Rhys - The Americans, quintessential American family man.
Dominic West - The Wire
Idris Elba - The Wire, ok so even we didn't know he was English.
Stephen Graham - Al Capone, Boardwalk Empire.
Henry Cavill - Superman, the most iconic 'American' of them all.

There must be hundreds of other examples.
Like Idris in reverse, I doubt most of America even knows these fellas are British.

But surely there must be plenty of miffed American actors out of work because of them.
 


Kosmonaut

Proud Hoveonian
Feb 10, 2013
748
Hove
There is also Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in Walking Dead
Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh Becket in pacific rim
Also in Homeland, the man that plays Estes is English too

edit: oh and dont forget Christian Bale
 




Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Nov 15, 2008
31,763
Brighton
There are lots of them (getting these lists from various sources)

Dominic West as The Wire's Jimmy McNulty
Idris Elba as The Wire's Stringer Bell
Hugh Laurie as House's Gregory House
Minnie Driver as The Riches' Dahlia Malloy
Eddie Izzard as The Riches' Wayne Malloy
Ian Hart as Dirt's Don Konkey
Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Without a Trace's Vivian Johnson
Anna Friel as Pushing Daisies' Charlotte "Chuck" Charles
Michelle Ryan as Bionic Woman's Jaime Sommers
Damian Lewis as Life's Charlie Crews
Joely Richardson as Nip/Tuck's Julia McNamara
Ian McShane as Deadwood's Al Swearengen
Joseph Fiennes as FlashForward's Mark Benford
Ed Westwick as Gossip Girls's Chuck Bass
Linus Roache as Law and Order's Michael Cutter
Louise Lonbard (CSI)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sraha Connor Chronicles)
Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
Lennie James (Jericho)
Sean Maguire (The CLass)
Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)
Gabrielle Anwar (Burn Notice)
Eamonn Walker (Oz)

There are others


British actors invade US television | Television radio | The Guardian
Television | British actors playing Yanks on TV | Seattle Times Newspaper
BBC News - Why are British actors playing Americans?
Which British Actors Have the Best American Accents on TV?
Top British Actors Who Play Americans On Satellite Tv


http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?187399-The-Walking-Dead/page4
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,363
West west west Sussex
Quote Originally Posted by Acker79 View Post
There are lots of them (getting these lists from various sources)

Dominic West as The Wire's Jimmy McNulty
Idris Elba as The Wire's Stringer Bell
Hugh Laurie as House's Gregory House
Minnie Driver as The Riches' Dahlia Malloy
Eddie Izzard as The Riches' Wayne Malloy
Ian Hart as Dirt's Don Konkey
Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Without a Trace's Vivian Johnson
Anna Friel as Pushing Daisies' Charlotte "Chuck" Charles
Michelle Ryan as Bionic Woman's Jaime Sommers
Damian Lewis as Life's Charlie Crews
Joely Richardson as Nip/Tuck's Julia McNamara
Ian McShane as Deadwood's Al Swearengen
Joseph Fiennes as FlashForward's Mark Benford
Ed Westwick as Gossip Girls's Chuck Bass
Linus Roache as Law and Order's Michael Cutter
Louise Lonbard (CSI)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sraha Connor Chronicles)
Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
Lennie James (Jericho)
Sean Maguire (The CLass)
Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)
Gabrielle Anwar (Burn Notice)
Eamonn Walker (Oz)

There are others


British actors invade US television | Television radio | The Guardian
Television | British actors playing Yanks on TV | Seattle Times Newspaper
BBC News - Why are British actors playing Americans?
Which British Actors Have the Best American Accents on TV?
Top British Actors Who Play Americans On Satellite Tv

My point was the American-ness of the Americans comfortably played by Brits in America. (wow that's a sentence)
Hugh Laurie being a classic case, I can't believe I forgot.

There's a few in that list I wouldn't have included **cough**Sean Maguire (The CLass), Michelle Ryan as Bionic Woman's Jaime Sommers **cough**
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,264
because Brits are better actors? only half in jest. note how baddies are often Brits, bad characters often have more character than the lead, requiring more ability then simply looking good and saying lines on que.

apparently american actors dont like being the baddie because it can harm your career, people will remember you as a bad person and not relate to you in a good role. true? dont know but the american public are odd. there was a programme about Columbo recently where they said that popular actors queued up to be the murderer, it was seen as a safe oppurtunity to play a bad role.
 


Meade's Ball

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,612
Hither (sometimes Thither)
We're both cutprice and not unnaturally orange, therefore being more suited to gritty drama in which they wish for people to look a bit like people.
Matthew Rhys in the Americans is great.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,363
West west west Sussex
We're both cutprice and not unnaturally orange, therefore being more suited to gritty drama in which they wish for people to look a bit like people.
Matthew Rhys in the Americans is great.
He certainly is, I'm just about to watch last nights.

I fairness, if I didn't already know I'd just assume he was American.


Southcliffe in 15mins.
 






BuddyBoy

New member
Mar 3, 2013
780
American jobs for American workers.

Seriously though, the percentage of British actors in America must be minuscule compared to the amount of American actors in, erm... America.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,363
West west west Sussex
American jobs for American workers.

Seriously though, the percentage of British actors in America must be minuscule compared to the amount of American actors in, erm... America.
I guess these high profile actors don't account for those that have tried and returned with their tails between their legs.
 






BuddyBoy

New member
Mar 3, 2013
780
I guess these high profile actors don't account for those that have tried and returned with their tails between their legs.

Probably not... I'd be interested to know how many have tried and failed over there. A figure I suppose is impossible to find out. Also like to know how things go on the flip side. Apart from that muppet from 'Green Street' with the dreadful cockney accent, I can't (right now) think of a single case of an American taking on a British character in a British screenplay.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
73,363
West west west Sussex
Probably not... I'd be interested to know how many have tried and failed over there. A figure I suppose is impossible to find out. Also like to know how things go on the flip side. Apart from that muppet from 'Green Street' with the dreadful cockney accent, I can't (right now) think of a single case of an American taking on a British character in a British screenplay.
That was on my mind as I posted the thread 10 minutes before the Dr Who announcement, but I knew I was safe.
 




skipper734

Registered ruffian
Aug 9, 2008
9,189
Curdridge
Probably not... I'd be interested to know how many have tried and failed over there. A figure I suppose is impossible to find out. Also like to know how things go on the flip side. Apart from that muppet from 'Green Street' with the dreadful cockney accent, I can't (right now) think of a single case of an American taking on a British character in a British screenplay.

Dick van Dyke Mary Poppins.
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,866
How about the alternative view, how many Yank's have acted British.......

Well I can think of 2

Robin Hood- Kevin Costner Upon landing at Dover " tonight we shall sleep in my fathers castle in Not ing ham "

Mary Poppin's- Dick van Dyke " It's a jolly Olliday wiv Mary.."

Nuff said ?
 


BuddyBoy

New member
Mar 3, 2013
780
How about the alternative view, how many Yank's have acted British.......

Well I can think of 2

Robin Hood- Kevin Costner Upon landing at Dover " tonight we shall sleep in my fathers castle in Not ing ham "

Mary Poppin's- Dick van Dyke " It's a jolly Olliday wiv Mary.."

Nuff said ?

Mary Poppins is slightly, just slightly, out of date. Is Robin Hood considered a period drama? If so, I can't say that counts. The whole nationality thing tends to get a little blurred in that field.

I'm probably picking nits now.
 


lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,673
Worthing
Is Captain Jack Sparrow an englishman? I only saw the first Pirates film(that was enough), but seem to remember he was.
 






pastafarian

Well-known member
Sep 4, 2011
11,902
Sussex
Probably not... I'd be interested to know how many have tried and failed over there. A figure I suppose is impossible to find out. Also like to know how things go on the flip side. Apart from that muppet from 'Green Street' with the dreadful cockney accent, I can't (right now) think of a single case of an American taking on a British character in a British screenplay.

i was shocked to learn that muppet in question is actually a Brit(and was in Byker Grove),the film was made to keep the American audience interested,no doubt he was told to sound like something out of Mary Poppins as obviously this is how we all talk........govnor mayte,hows yer farther wouldnt you know.

the fact the film was directed by a woman sums it all up
 



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