American Actors and British Accents
Here’s a list of some American actors who’ve attempted British accents. The question is: How convincing are these performances? Can we truly forget the actor’s American origins?
Sliding Doors: Gwneyth Paltrow
In the 1998 film “Sliding Doors,” Gwyneth Paltrow portrays Helen Quilley, a London publicist whose life diverges into two parallel paths based on a simple decision: whether or not to catch a train. This film explores the concept of fate and chance, as Helen’s choices lead to dramatically different outcomes.
Score
Pronunciation: 10/10
Accent: 9/10
Gwyneth Paltrow delivers a blend of London and RP accents with remarkable skill. She speaks in a quick, fluent manner, and at no point are there any noticeable American vowel sounds, darker /l/ sounds, or excessive /r/ sounds. Her use of glottal stops is well-executed, and she connects the sounds fluidly, employing flapping and linking techniques with ease. She convincingly sounds like someone raised speaking RP but deliberately incorporates glottal stops here and there to avoid sounding overly refined. There’s nothing rigid or stiff about her British accent.
The only critique is that her natural American accent has a slightly nasal quality, which carries over into her British accent. This aspect remains unchanged, but it does not detract significantly from her performance.
British Accent for Americans Course:
Bridget Jones Diary: Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger stars as Bridget Jones, a an awkward singleton in London, in the 2001 romantic comedy “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” Based on Helen Fielding’s popular novels, the film follows Bridget’s journey as she juggles work, family, and a tumultuous love life.
Bridget Jones lives in a small modest flat in London and works in publishing. Her mother’s aspirations to climb the social ladder through events like her escapades with the TV shopping host hint at a more aspirational middle-class position.
Score
Pronunciation: 7/10
Accent: 7/10
Renée Zellweger aims for a more traditional sounding RP accent, which can come across as slightly exaggerated given her character. Her articulation of British English sounds is commendable. She rounds the lips on the back vowels, avoids slacking the jaw, and refrains from curling or rolling the tongue accidentally. She also successfully avoids any American sounds.
However, her accent feels somewhat rigid and unnatural at times. For instance, whenever she pronounces a word containing the diphthong /əʊ/, such as “no”, she appears to overemphasise the rounding of her lips. This creates unnecessary stress on certain words. In contrast, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, who have natural RP accents, handle these sounds more naturally.
This tendency to over-articulate is a common issue among American actors attempting British accents. It can make the accent sound slightly caricatured, detracting from its authenticity.
V for Vendetta: Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman stars as Evey Hammond in the 2005 dystopian thriller “V for Vendetta”. Set in a future Britain ruled by a fascist regime, the film follows Evey as she becomes entangled with the mysterious vigilante V, who seeks to liberate the oppressed.
Score
Pronunciation: 5/10
Accent: 4/10
Natalie Portman’s effort to avoid tongue rolling, tongue flexing, and jaw slacking is evident. However, she seems to miss the mark on capturing the distinct sounds of British English, particularly RP. As a result, her accent ends up sounding like a mix between South African and Australian.
It seems she was aiming for a more traditional RP accent, which features slightly different vowel qualities compared to modern RP. In traditional RP, the tongue is slightly more elevated for certain vowels. This style of accent can be heard in the first season of The Crown. She struggles with the subtle vowel shifts that differentiate traditional RP from modern RP. Perhaps this inadvertently results in sounds that lean toward South African.
Her occasional tongue flex on front vowels and front diphthongs results in slight jaw slack, which contributes to the occasional resemblance to an Australian accent.
That said, there are moments when she produces convincing British RP sounds that are clear and well-articulated. It’s unfortunate that these moments are inconsistent. With additional practice and focused training, she could have delivered a much more authentic RP accent.
The Iron Lady: Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 2011 biographical drama “The Iron Lady”. The film follows Thatcher’s life and political career, from her humble beginnings to her rise to power and her controversial policies.
Score
Pronunciation: 8/10
Accent: 8/10
Meryl Streep portrays British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in this film, replicating the distinct accent associated with Thatcher. It is widely believed that Thatcher herself underwent elocution lessons, partly to boost her confidence and help her project authority in the male-dominated Conservative Party. As a result, Thatcher’s way of speaking often came across as condescending and belittling to others. Her RP accent had a theatrical and somewhat dramatic quality, occasionally bordering on over-the-top, which suggests evidence of formal elocution training.
For these reasons, Meryl Streep had a relatively straightforward task in replicating the target accent. Thatcher’s accent was inherently clear, moderately paced, and featured distinctly articulated sounds, making it easier for Streep to achieve accuracy. Overall, she delivers a convincing performance. However, I believe Margaret Thatcher’s accent is relatively easy to replicate, which gives Meryl Streep an unfair advantage in this role. I would be more interested in seeing her tackle a more challenging accent.
Film: Die Another Day
Actor: Madonna
Madonna makes a brief appearance in Die Another Day as Verity, a fencing instructor with a sharp tongue and an air of sophistication.
Film: Sherlock
Actor: Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. portrays the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes in the 2009 film adaptation. This modern take on the classic character sees Holmes and his loyal companion Dr. Watson solving complex crimes with a blend of intellect, wit, and physical prowess.