| Queen's English |
7 July 2003
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Actors Can Skip the Accents
Sir Sean Connery is a Scotsman, and his accent proves it. Empire, a movie fans' magazine in the UK, recently named him as having the worst film accent. It is hard to disagree given how all of his characters speak as if supporters of Partick Thistle Football Club. But the magazine raises a valuable question -- just when should an actor(ess) put on an alien accent? Wisdom suggests the answer is "Far less often than currently."
Coming second to Sir Sean was Dick van Dyke's dreadful Mockney speech in "Mary Poppins," and frankly, his sin is worse because it was unnecessary. An actor of some comic genius, Mr. van Dyke's role was diminished by the put-on accent -- Sir Sean's burr is merely his normal speech pattern. The latter is annoying to some, while the former is an artistic failure to enhance the portrayal.
While many thespians claim to have the ability to "do" accents, precious few of them can pass for authentic. Rene Zellweger's British vowels in "Bridget Jones' Diary" and William Macy's North Dakotan in "Fargo" are stunning exceptions -- and deserving of special attention.
The problem arises from The Method, where in the artist strives to become the character rather than to act the part. In the extreme, imagine "Two Gentlemen of Verona" done with Italian accents in English, or "The Dollhouse" with Scandinavian lilts all around.
Speak the speech, play the part, but if Lord Olivier can botch a faux accent (he made the Empire list for a bad Jewish accent), almost anyone can. Best advice is to avoid it unless it comes naturally.