[JohnB1000]

It's been mentioned elsewhere so I thought I'd bring it up here.

I'm a Brit living in the US (for the record)

Why are so many Brits playing lead roles on shows but acting as American's, Don't US Actors unions get upset, can't they find US Actors.

Journeyman
Pushing Daisies (voice over also)
Bionic Woman
Life
Moonlight
Without a Trace (not new I know)

There is probably more.

Since I know these characters as 100% brits (especially Bionic Woman) I have a tough time accepting them.

Please discuss 1000 words or less

 

[firerose818]

It's been mentioned elsewhere so I thought I'd bring it up here.

I'm a Brit living in the US (for the record)

Why are so many Brits playing lead roles on shows but acting as American's, Don't US Actors unions get upset, can't they find US Actors.

Journeyman
Pushing Daisies (voice over also)
Bionic Woman
Life
Moonlight
Without a Trace (not new I know)

There is probably more.

Since I know these characters as 100% brits (especially Bionic Woman) I have a tough time accepting them.

Please discuss 1000 words or less

Without a Trace has Aussie actors, right? Poppy Montgomery and Anthony LaPaglia. Am I missing someone who is British?

Also, the husband on Medium is British.

Isn't there another thread very similar to this one out there?

 

[JohnB1000]

Vivian aka Marianne Jean-Baptiste is a Brit

http://imdb.com/name/nm0001399/

If there is another thread then oops My search skills have failed me again.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

House is another one and similarly, the blonde chick from Chuck is Australian.

 

[JohnB1000]

Oh yeah, House, I completely forgot that (because I don't watch it) but that's a major role.

 

[Magnolia88]

Why are so many Brits playing lead roles on shows but acting as American's, Don't US Actors unions get upset, can't they find US Actors.

There are also Americans playing British characters on American TV. Should the British be up in arms about that?

James Marsters and David Anders come to mind, although Marsters isn't doing it anymore. I'm sure there are others. Charlize Theron played a British character on Arrested Development (although she's from South Africa).

David Anders has played a Brit on two different TV shows now. He's very convincing, or least the people who keep hiring him must think so.

 

[Havana Brown]

Isn't there another thread very similar to this one out there?

Something like this.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=308464

 

[JohnB1000]

There are also Americans playing British characters on American TV. Should the British be up in arms about that?.

Absolutely not, this is America, by using Brits in American roles they are taking the roles away from American actors hence American acting unions might be upset.

It would make more sense to me if there was anything British about the roles being played.

 

[JohnB1000]

Something like this.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=308464

Not exactly the same thing right, that's about accents. Having lived here for 15 years I can do a passable US Accent and they have voice coaches. I think a Brit doing a passable US accent is easier than the other way around.

 

[super dave]

Since I know these characters as 100% brits (especially Bionic Woman) I have a tough time accepting them.

Please discuss 1000 words or less

Why???

 

[JohnB1000]

Why???

Why not ? But if you want to use more than 1000 words feel free :up:

 

[Fish Man]

Brits playing Americans (and doing a credible job with the accent) has been common in Hollywood for many decades.

At various times, when surfing around on IMDB and the like, I've been surprised by how many "Golden Age of Hollywood" actors, who routinely played American characters, were British.

Cary Grant stands out as one of the more notable examples.

 

[pantherman007]

Jamie Bamber on Battlestar Galactica
Matthew Rhys on Brothers and Sisters
Hugh Laurie on House...

I'm not sure where you're trying to go with this topic. Are you suggesting that only American actors should work on American TV shows? Or that British actors should play British and not hide their accents and try to blend in?

My goal is to be entertained by a show, not focus on the biography/background of the actors. If anything I would give foreign actors more kudos for believingly (sometimes) changing their accents on top their regular acting duties.

Having lived here for 15 years I can do a passable US Accent and they have voice coaches. I think a Brit doing a passable US accent is easier than the other way around.

A bit of a generalization, don't you think? I was justing reading an interview with Matthew Rhys, who talked about regional differences in US accents and that (he thought) sounding Californian was harder than doing a passable New York or Boston accent.

I spent several years in the midlands myself - I can't sound British, but I can get rid of my American accent to the point where Brits aren't sure where I'm from. That's frequently how I react to British actors on US shows - something's slightly off, but if the show is good the I can easily get past the nondescript accent.

 

[dtle]

Why are so many Brits playing lead roles on shows but acting as American's, Don't US Actors unions get upset, can't they find US Actors.

This question was brought up in the usenet TV newsgroup. One person said that basically the industry in their respective countries do not have enough acting gigs to accommodate all the talented actors. So alot of them flock to the area where there are not only alot of jobs, but well-paying jobs.

 

[brott]

Lennie James (Robert Hawkins) on Jericho

 

[bareyb]

Brits are "in" right now. Simon Cowell and all.

Plus you guys make awesome motorcycles. :up:

 

[Graymalkin]

This was the deal that Tony Blair made with George Bush before the Iraq War. Britain would support the United States in the war; in return, the number of British actors in major US television roles would be increased 50%.

 

[JohnB1000]

I'm not going anywhere, I just find it interesting and was wondering what others thought.

Regarding accents, I suspect one difference is the size of the country. GB has a ton of different accents in a relatively small amount of space. The US has a lot also but in a much wider space. I would guess the UK accents ratio per sq mile (or kilometre) is higher

Fundamentally I am just rambling because I have to be at work yet I have nothing to do.

 

[megory]

Since I know these characters as 100% brits (especially Bionic Woman) I have a tough time accepting them.

That's funny! Actors are supposed to, um, act i.e., convincingly portray a character other than themselves. This is different from appearing as themselves in a documentary.

Of course, the viewer's responsibility is to "suspend disbelief' in order to enjoy the story and be entertained.

So, it's all pretend and fun!

For instance, when you watch a movie starring a married American woman, and she's pretending to be a hot single gal, are you able to accept that character? Or, when you view hot sex during a show, can you pretend it's really happening if the actors do a good job?

I suggest you get out of your own way and have fun and enjoy these talented people without regard to their native language, country, ethnicity, etc!! Have fun! And I hope you get busier or that this thread gets more intriguing.

 

[busyba]

DEY TOOK ER JERBS!!