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How To Get An American Accent

by John Durham
22 replies
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Interesting how this guy breaks it down.

  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    My method for getting an American accent is to tape John Durham talking and lip-synching. I got it down real good, and it looked like I was speaking with a genuine 100% American accent. It confused the girl at Tim Horton's coffee shop, of course, since the words had nothing to do with ordering coffee, donuts, or whatever in Canada, but no matter.
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Ok John, I will ask.

      1. How come you are watching a video about how to get an American accent?

      2. Right, just checked my home security is all in order so... why would one want an American accent?

      Dan

      PS: What do you think of the guy presenting the videos accent out of interest? It is false. He trained himself to speak like that for his job and it has stuck over the years. He has removed all regional inflection from it. It is the British accent version of sterilized water if that makes sense.
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      • Profile picture of the author John Durham
        Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

        Ok John, I will ask.

        1. How come you are watching a video about how to get an American accent?

        2. Right, just checked my home security is all in order so... why would one want an American accent?
        .

        1: Because Thunderbird said he read one of my thread titles in a "cockney" accent, so I was looking it up to try to get in his head with him, and picture what he was thinking.

        2: After hearing how this guy puts it, I almost ask the same question myself though. I think an English accent on a woman is very attractive...but then I also think a southern accent is too .... It takes all kinds to make the world such an interesting place. But yeah, admittedly, after watching this I had to ask myself why anyone would want an American accent? Seeing the way he puts it...

        He is only showing one accent, more of a northern one... accents are very diverse in the USA.

        -John

        Ps. Dan , I agree, this guys accent isnt very dynamic or colorful...the American version he presents isnt either. Sterile is a good word, but he does have the basic premise correct.

        Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

        This surprises me, considering that most of what John talks about (and to!) is coffee.
        Lol...you selective reader you. I sometimes talk about... I dunno... okay I talk about coffee alot... and I guess sometimes "to" it as well... but, that helps me get a disability check! It's my friend.

        "Muggie" gets me a check, and I get him "cream", it's a symbiotic relationship.
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        • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
          Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

          "Muggie" gets me a check, and I get him "cream", it's a symbiotic relationship.
          Sounds like you two have a very "special relationship."
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        • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
          Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

          Because Thunderbird said he read one of my thread titles in a "cockney" accent, so I was looking it up to try to get in his head with him, and picture what he was thinking.
          Maybe he had been watching Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dykes Cockney accent was voted the worst accent in the entire history of film.

          Dick Van Dyke - Chim Chim Cher-ee 1,12 min - YouTube


          Dan
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          • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
            Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

            Maybe he had been watching Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dykes Cockney accent was voted the worst accent in the entire history of film.

            Dick Van Dyke - Chim Chim Cher-ee 1,12 min - YouTube


            Dan
            great song, great movie, tight up there with chitty chitty bang bang
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          • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
            Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

            Maybe he had been watching Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dykes Cockney accent was voted the worst accent in the entire history of film.

            Dick Van Dyke - Chim Chim Cher-ee 1,12 min - YouTube


            Dan
            His accent was that of an extraterrestrial Cockney from planet Hollywood, and that is why it sounded so strange. I could be wrong but regular Cockneys don't go around flying up chimneys like moths, do they?

            I think Dick Van Dyke gave a great performance, and his "Cockney" accent was perhaps the oddest linguistic concoction prior to Mork & Mindy, that resembled Cockney as much as a Chihuahua resembles a wolf (as very closely related to wolves as they may be as a breed). It wasn't realistic to be sure, which was odd since otherwise the film closely matched reality, the way people are always hopping into paintings or flying in the sky with umbrellas:
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            • Profile picture of the author Kurt
              Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

              His accent was that of an extraterrestrial Cockney from planet Hollywood, and that is why it sounded so strange. I could be wrong but regular Cockneys don't go around flying up chimneys like moths, do they?

              I think Dick Van Dyke gave a great performance, and his "Cockney" accent was perhaps the oddest linguistic concoction prior to Mork & Mindy, that resembled Cockney as much as a Chihuahua resembles a wolf (as very closely related to wolves as they may be as a breed). It wasn't realistic to be sure, which was odd since otherwise the film closely matched reality, the way people are always hopping into paintings or flying in the sky with umbrellas:

              A little hijack...There is a theory that chihuahuas may be the only breed of dog that didn't come from wolves but rather foxes.
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      • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
        Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

        Ok John, I will ask.

        1. How come you are watching a video about how to get an American accent?

        2. Right, just checked my home security is all in order so... why would one want an American accent?
        <snip>
        I have lots of friends who are actors, and they often have to play American roles. Why hire a Canadian to play an American? Er, um (spaced-out confusion). Anyway, they do have to practice talking with an American accent, since Canadians do often speak with identifying intonations which are best avoided if they want to pass for American.
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      • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
        Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

        ... why would one want an American accent?
        It's a requirement now that every US TV show must include a set number of British actors putting on American accents.

        It's all House's fault.

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        • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
          Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

          <snip>It's a requirement now that every US TV show must include a set number of British actors putting on American accents.
          This is actually true. It's also a requirement that every show must have at least one straight guy playing a gay character. In an effort to meet quotas, casting directors do their best to find straight Brits to play gay Americans. It's a two-for-one.
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          • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
            Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

            ... In an effort to meet quotas, casting directors do their best to find straight Brits to play gay Americans.
            In which case the actors keep their British accents and most viewers just assume they're gay.

            Or Australian.
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            • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
              Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

              In which case the actors keep their British accents and most viewers just assume they're gay.

              Or Australian.
              Honestly, Frank, that wasn't the direction I was going.
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            • Profile picture of the author John Durham
              Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

              In which case the actors keep their British accents and most viewers just assume they're gay.
              They aren't?

              Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

              Sounds like you two have a very "special relationship."
              (Face Palm) I had that comin'... This bar just keeps getting lower and lower doesnt it? lol
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      <snip>It confused the girl at Tim Horton's coffee shop, of course, since the words had nothing to do with ordering coffee, donuts, or whatever in Canada, but no matter.
      This surprises me, considering that most of what John talks about (and to!) is coffee.
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  • Profile picture of the author ltrain_riders
    You should try his advanced courses about speaking with an accent from Brooklyn, Boston, Long Island, Maine, Dakotas, and the Deep South.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Well, he speaks like ALL speak like that, meddle and metal, etc...,when they don't, but he does sound American, none the less,

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author alistair
    Maybe Ray Winstone should have watched that when he landed his part in The Departed. I've never rated him as much of an actor anyway except in Nil By Mouth, but his American accent or attempt at one was worse than what I could do, not that I'd want to.

    Being from Kent, a lot of people I know are Mockneys. Mainly chavs they are who've watched films like the Football Factory and Green Street too many times. Sad little bar stewards.

    I thought this was funny though.



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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    I know a lot of Americans need to be able to talk with a Newfoundland accent:

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  • Profile picture of the author hardraysnight
    but why on earth would anyone want one?
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    It certainly gives an actor a lot more flexibility in character, but as someone who has tried his hand as a dialect coach, I think it is easier now that there are many more video examples...but in the past it was hard to train someone phonetically, gutturally, glottally - like speaking another language, but you still need an 'ear' for it...some people have it - some don't (no matter how good an actor you may be otherwise) and ultimately, everyone even in the same region pronounces words differently, so the dialect has to be often generally convincing, and not specifically convincing - plus, there are regional colloquialisms to consider...(imo)
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    @ Thunderbird

    My own accent is what you might call a "galvanized yankee" accent. Partially northern with a slight southern drawl...sometimes the drawl is more pronounced, depending on how laid back Im feeling.

    It comes from being raised by a northern mother, with southern grandparents, and having been raised equally in the north and south.

    I tend to turn off the southern part when giving speeches somehow automatically. Probably from listening to alot of Don Lapre and developing that kind of sales style.
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