10 Actors Who Sound NOTHING Like You Would Imagine
Actors' accents that sound nothing like you'd expect - Karl Urban, Toni Collette & more!
Performers like Meryl Streep, Daniel-Day Lewis, and Kate Winslet can execute another accent so well, you would swear it was their natural voice. Most of the time, we know the actors are simply putting on an act. Hugh Jackman has played Americans in over a dozen mainstream films but it's common knowledge he's an Aussie.
However, there are times where this talent can pose a problem. If an actor is too good at a certain cadence, they might only be offered roles with that dialect. Sometimes, an actor will use their native accent in indie flicks but play a foreigner in a blockbuster hit, causing film fans to only associate them with that way of speaking. Sometimes, a performer's accent is so unusual, they feel compelled to put on a voice that better suits their castability.
Accents can become so synonymous with certain actors, the majority of people haven't a clue how they actually sound. This becomes extra confusing with Hollywood stars who maintain the accent of their characters in interviews while promoting their latest movie.
So which actors have you never heard speak in their native accent?
10. Dominic West
The Wire is one of the most beloved and groundbreaking tv shows of all time. In fact, many people see it as the greatest series of all time. It also launched many actors' careers, including Dominic West, who portrays the protagonist, Jimmy McNulty. Because the story is set in Baltimore, Maryland, most of the cast have an accent from that region, including West.
Consequently, after hearing that convincing Baltimore accent come out of West's gob for years on end, many viewers believe West is a real resident of Maryland. That's why fans of the show are often baffled to learn he's from Yorkshire, England.
Even though West has had a diverse Hollywood career, none of his work has received the same acclaim or popularity as The Wire. Because of this, millions of people erroneously believe he's from over the pond.
Interestingly, there's an episode of The Wire where McNulty is mocked by his colleagues when he is unable to perform a convincing British accent. This means that this scene has an Englishman pretending to be American pretending he can't do an English accent! Such is the life of an actor...