I actually think this has far more to do with bias on the parts of directors, casting directors, producers than it does with the insanely imblanced ratio of acting talent with accents in the UK/AU than America. Lots of Americans do great UK accents, but people would rather hire brits to do them if it's not a star, in large part because this country has always had a complex about British actors being superior.
But to propose that there are such a vastly disproportionate number of american actors able to do accents than non-Americans able to do American accents is crazy. I mean, not even all the people who work in American roles can do it... take the other Brit from The Wire, Dominic West.. I knew in the first 5 minutes that he was British. That happens ALL THE TIME.
These people don't get good American roles because they've proven they can do an accent, it's because theyre good actors and the train and get coaches and are taken a chance on. Americans have the same thing, but i don't think they are trusted as much.
And for the record you do the argument no good by pretending the only two Americans who have convincingly played Brits are Gwyneth Paltrow and John Lithgow. |
