Why so many Brits, Auzzy, Canooks in American movies?

[zipur]

i love everybody this is not a hate post!
However why does the new Men In Black have a British main character? Also why are so many Canadians in American movies and Tv shows. Is the Australian accent so impressive that it has to be in Every TV show. Are historical movies only true if you have an English British accent? Even The ”Walking Dead” is full of Britts actors faking it a southern accent. Comedy is infested with Canadians, why? Are they move funny the mores north you go? Music; Britts singing Like an American then when interviewed they have that British accent. You don’t agree, Beatles, Rolling Stones. How about the highly popular series “House” Hugh Laurie. Even the most evil characters in movies have a German accents even when they are American government employees. How about our beloved sports Basketball, Golf, Tenis, Formula 1 all full of non-Americans.
Don’t we have any talent in the good old USA?

Toung in cheek

 

[0388631]

Outside of the US, those who perform usually start out in theater and or are classically trained. American actors usually don't do that and learn as they go. Professionalism and quality of acting go a long way. As does raw skill honed over the years.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

i love everybody this is not a hate post!
However why does the new Men In Black have a British main character? Also why are so many Canadians in American movies and Tv shows. Is the Australian accent so impressive that it has to be in Every TV show. Is an historical move only true if you have an English accent? Even The ”Walking Dead” is full of Britts faking it a southern accent. Comedy if infested with Canadians. Music; Britts singing Like an American then when interviewed they have that British accent. Example the highly popular series House. Even the most evil characters in movies have a German accents. Even in our beloved sports Basketball, Golf, Tenis, Formula 1. All full of non-Americans Don’t we have any talent in the good old USA?

I'm tempted to say, no, you don't.

As a rule, for that reason, I rarely watch American movies, as I find them too predictable, trite, and clichéd, with too many pretty people (unable to act) in leading roles.

Or, rather, you promote (that is, your society promotes) qualities (such as a focus on good looks, as opposed to - or, sometimes, to the exclusion of - serious acting ability and experience) which do not necessarily mean that American actors are the best in their profession.

Some of the best British - or European - actors (of both genders) are very ordinary looking, but are superlative at inhabiting and giving voice to characters.

Moreover, sometimes, creatively, American society (actors, producers, directors, scriptwriters) will not take the sort of risks that European drama will be willing to take: complex characters, downbeat ending, fluid and sometimes bleak and nuanced stories.
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Outside of the US, those who perform usually start out in theater and or are classically trained. American actors usually don't do that and learn as they go. Professionalism and quality of acting go a long way. As does raw skill honed over the years.

Thank you and well said, and agreed.

Most actors in Europe are professionally trained actors, who, yes, start in theatre and are classically trained.

 

[Anarchy99]

for the movie/tv industry in general many Canadians are in American movies because many American movies are filmed either partially or fully in Canada due to the tendency to have a lower dollar as well as the generous tax breaks given to movie production companies.
when things are filmed in the states I imagine there is also a draw for Canadian actors to work down there when given the chance because they will make more money once again due to the dollar.

as for more Canadian comedians... maybe because its cold we need to be able to have a sense of humour more often so we don't realize the parts of the year that get miserable i don't know :S

 

[2984839]

Somebody's gotta be the bad guys.

 

[zipur]

Outside of the US, those who perform usually start out in theater and or are classically trained. American actors usually don't do that and learn as they go. Professionalism and quality of acting go a long way. As does raw skill honed over the years.

Ok I concede I watch The Rock in a movie and realized that he was an football player, wrestler and now the most popular actor today. Point well taken

 

[HDFan]

I rarely watch American movies, as I find them too predictable, trite, and clichéd, with too many pretty people (unable to act) in leading roles.

There are a lot of good American movies. They just aren't promoted like the blockbusters which keep the studios funded since they have have a much smaller audience. You just have to do a little research to find them.

There are recent films like "The Last Word" with Shirley MacLaine. Difficult movie as she plays a very unlikable character, but well worth going all the way to the end. Or "The Wife" with Glenn Close & Jonathan Pryce. Citizen Kane, Casablanca ....

https://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx

 

[Scepticalscribe]

There are a lot of good American movies. They just aren't promoted like the blockbusters which keep the studios funded since they have have a much smaller audience. You just have to do a little research to find them.

There are recent films like "The Last Word" with Shirley MacLaine. Difficult movie as she plays a very unlikable character, but well worth going all the way to the end. Or "The Wife" with Glenn Close & Jonathan Pryce. Citizen Kane, Casablanca ....

https://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx

Fair point about blockbusters and a well argued and balanced post.

Agreed: Citizen Kane, Casablanca and (a personal favourite) The Third Man are all rightly regarded as classics.

I'll keep an eye out for "The Wife" and "The Last Word", - and thanks for the recommendations - as I like movies that are well made, well acted, with intelligent scripts that feature strong female characters, and that also tell subtle, thoughtful, nuanced stories.

 

[eyoungren]

As an anecdote I would point out that John Barrowman is a naturalized U.S. Citizen working mostly in British cinema and film.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barrowman

Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who for those who don't know him.

 

[AngerDanger]

Perhaps America produces a disproportionate amount of film but talent is evenly spread across the globe.

 

[yaxomoxay]

There are a lot of good American movies. They just aren't promoted like the blockbusters which keep the studios funded since they have have a much smaller audience. You just have to do a little research to find them.

There are recent films like "The Last Word" with Shirley MacLaine. Difficult movie as she plays a very unlikable character, but well worth going all the way to the end. Or "The Wife" with Glenn Close & Jonathan Pryce. Citizen Kane, Casablanca ....

https://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx

I would add "Sunset Boulevard" to the list.

 

[Weaselboy]

I think some of it has to do with the perception among some in the US that having certain accents is classy or even suave. So the movie producers are catering to that preference. I notice it a lot in television commercials also.

Even Apple does this. I remember one of the recent Apple events a woman with a very distinct British accent announced the start of the event.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I think some of it has to do with the perception among some in the US that having certain accents is classy or even suave.

As someone with a strong, European accent (Italian to be precise) that some admitted to find “sexy” I am very glad about this...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I would add "Sunset Boulevard" to the list.

An outstanding movie, agreed. Haunting, brilliant, with a superb script, and phenomenal cast, playing incredible characters, and a wonderful bitter-sweet story, terrific acting, first rate direction (homage and elegy both to the silent era), and superlative cinematography. First rate, flawless.

 

[yaxomoxay]

An outstanding movie, agreed. Haunting, brilliant, with a superb script, and phenomenal cast, playing incredible characters, and a wonderful bitter-sweet story, terrific acting, first rate direction (homage and elegy both to the silent era), and superlative cinematography. First rate, flawless.

Very good description of the masterpiece. I actually purchased this book, and I plan to read it in a not-so distant future: https://www.amazon.com/Close-up-Sun...teway&sprefix=sunset+boulevard,aps,145&sr=8-3

 

[0388631]

I think some of it has to do with the perception among some in the US that having certain accents is classy or even suave. So the movie producers are catering to that preference. I notice it a lot in television commercials also.

Even Apple does this. I remember one of the recent Apple events a woman with a very distinct British accent announced the start of the event.

Present them with a Scouse accent and they'll never make such a request again.
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As someone with a strong, European accent (Italian to be precise) that some admitted to find “sexy” I am very glad about this...

I always wondered how strong your remnant accent was because I have no idea how long you've lived in the US. Do people ever say in Texas, "Oh, my word, you must be eye-talian!"?

 

[nebo1ss]

Present them with a Scouse accent and they'll never make such a request again.
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I always wondered how strong your remnant accent was because I have no idea how long you've lived in the US. Do people ever say in Texas, "Oh, my word, you must be eye-talian!"?

A very good point when anyone talks about a British accent I tend to believe they are referring more to a posh oxbridge accent. As we all know every region of Britain has different accents I even have trouble understanding some of them myself. Picking up accents is an interesting issue. I lived in the US for 15 years and never picked up any trace of an american accent. i did pick up a few expressions which my kids still give me a hard time about.

 

[eyoungren]

I lived in the US for 15 years and never picked up any trace of an american accent. i did pick up a few expressions which my kids still give me a hard time about.

Just as in Britain, America also has accents. It's difficult trying to understand someone from New York or Boston for example (unless you have lived there). Californians have no accent at all.

I lived in Texas from the time I was 5 until I was 10 and that accent there still comes out 30+ years later sometimes.

My point is that just as Americans don't get that the British have different accents, people often don't understand that Americans also have different accents.
[doublepost=1559404995][/doublepost]

I think some of it has to do with the perception among some in the US that having certain accents is classy or even suave. So the movie producers are catering to that preference. I notice it a lot in television commercials also.

Even Apple does this. I remember one of the recent Apple events a woman with a very distinct British accent announced the start of the event.

I think Star Wars has played into this a bit.

Carrie Fisher's accent (in the movie) has been retconned into the Star Wars culture. In that world, if you have this accent you are either from the Core Worlds, royalty/political or both. It's known as a Coruscanti accent.

There is an influence of the accent on it's own, but I think that this retconning in Star Wars has accelerated it.

Myself, I would not be adverse to seeing a return of the mid-Atlantic accent. That accent was developed for radio and carried over into films of the 1950s. It's what a lot of actors (Cary Grant being one) were taught. The idea being that you'd be understood.

 

[Huntn]

Outside of the US, those who perform usually start out in theater and or are classically trained. American actors usually don't do that and learn as they go. Professionalism and quality of acting go a long way. As does raw skill honed over the years.

This sounds reasonable to me. I am most impressed by Brits, Aussies, Germans who can talk clearly in a US accent, from whatever region they are emulating. The ones who have not mastered the US accent, tend to speak in more of a gravely voice. I think Christian Bale falls into this category. However I heard him in an interview and could barely understand him when he used his natural dialect.

At the same time, I admit when I hear these actors speak with their natural accent, I am usually disappointed if I have bonded with them as a countryman/woman before I realize. There are so many examples, but a few I knew about in advance:

• Andrew Lincoln (as Rick Grimes).
• Anne Hathaway
• Chris Hemsworth
• Damian Lewis
• Hugh Jackman
• Kate Winslet
• Henry Cavill
• Ian McShane
• Benedict Cumberbatch (An excellent job as Dr. Strange)

Now in reverse although I like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kevin Costner in several movies, I thought they sounded ridiculous using their natural accents in The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood respectively. But I’ve also noticed in several British productions, or with Brits in prominent roles, representing Italians (Rome, I Claudius), they use their natural UK accents without even bothering to emulate Italian.

As far as the OP question, they are drawn to Hollywood, still the world wide capital of movie making.

 

[0388631]

Rick Grimes? That's The Walking Dead, isn't it? Isn't most of that show's cast not American?

 

[Huntn]

Rick Grimes? That's The Walking Dead, isn't it? Isn't most of that show's cast not American?

The Walking Dead. Most are American actors. I know of 3 Brits on the show, there are probably other foreign actors I don’t know about.

Speaking of excellent American accents, I would never guessed that Peter Serafinowics of The Tick fame is English. I’m not yet sold on this super hero series spoof.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Perhaps American accents are easier to mimic than British accents so the transition is easier for actors. This means the pool for filmmakers is much bigger.

Christian Bale is a famous Welsh actor and many Americans still don’t realise he’s not American lol. We do produce some good talent though

 

[Nermal]

I am most impressed by Brits, Aussies, Germans who can talk clearly in a US accent, from whatever region they are emulating. The ones who have not mastered the US accent, tend to speak in more of a gravely voice.

I'm about as kiwi as they come (Mum's family came over here in 1836) but when I started playing online games about 15 years ago, the combination of my accent, a poor mic, and the kiwi predilection for speaking very quickly resulted in Americans struggling to understand me. Over the years I "naturally" adapted to speaking in a way that made me more understandable... to the point where someone in NZ once asked me whether I'm American.

 

[Huntn]

I'm about as kiwi as they come (Mum's family came over here in 1836) but when I started playing online games about 15 years ago, the combination of my accent, a poor mic, and the kiwi predilection for speaking very quickly resulted in Americans struggling to understand me. Over the years I "naturally" adapted to speaking in a way that made me more understandable... to the point where someone in NZ once asked me whether I'm American.

Interesting, what we do for our online games!

 

[eyoungren]

We do produce some good talent though

You aren't kidding.

Ioan Gruffudd moved his entire family to Los Angeles because of the TV series 'Forever'. While that show only lasted one season, Gruffudd is a fantastic actor.

He speaks Welsh (it's his first language) and he promotes the Welsh language. I cannot find the term, but he is an official promoter of the language for the Welsh government. He has been known to correct people on the proper pronunciation of his name.