Surprise Imposters

[jonny jeez]

Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma - didn't realise she was a yank until much later. (Also in Sliding Doors)

That's a good one...me too, she had me fooled right up until last year when I really thought she was British. Big Shock

 

[Fnaar]

Damian Lewis in Homeland has a good 'Mercan accent.

 

[jonny jeez]

THE most unconvincing British accent ever done by an American, HAS to be Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins...right folks?

Well, if we are going down that route, how awful was Don Cheadle's mockney, in oceans 12.

Shame, I love him in most everything else.

 

[jonny jeez]

Damian Lewis in Homeland has a good 'Mercan accent.

and of course in B.O.B.

Did you ever catch him in that Horror flick where he plays a yank (out in the snowy mountains) but whenever he is possessed by the "evil demon" (there's always one) he flips to a jolly English accent.

classic

Not the film, the accent

 

[Fnaar]

Never saw BOB, actually.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The Wire has some of the best - most Americans had no idea Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) was British, or Dominic West (McNulty) for that matter.

 

[Cheddar George]

Cary Grant was English - as is John Mahoney, the chap who played Frasier's dad.

I think that Cary Grants accent is what americans expected posh British people sound like, where as we thought he had a bit of a USA "twang" . The ultimate example of this was the woman who played Daphne in Frasier, if an american met somebody with a real Mancunian accent they would need a translator.

 

[zizou]

Although i knew she was from South Africa i was surprised that Charlize Theron first language is Afrikaans. Cant identify any trace of such an accent when she speaking English, either in interviews or while acting.

The Wire has some of the best - most Americans had no idea Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) was British, or Dominic West (McNulty) for that matter.

Yeah was going to say the Wire. Also Aidan Gillen who played Carcetti is Irish

 

[Crosstrailer]

I think that Cary Grants accent is what americans expected posh British people sound like, where as we thought he had a bit of a USA "twang" . The ultimate example of this was the woman who played Daphne in Frasier, if an american met somebody with a real Mancunian accent they would need a translator.

Love Frazier, but you are right her accent was shocking.......

 

[MontyVeda]

After seeing Spinal Tap for the first time I was amazed to find that all 3 main actors were American (OK Lord Christopher Haden-Guest father was a member of the British aristocracy... )

Very funny film and their accents are first rate

The amount of times I've tried and failed to convince people that a; they're all Americans, and b; they're not really a real band.

They did seem to forget which British accent they should have had in the subsequent Return of Spinal Tap and other little extras though.

 

[Black Sheep]

David Tennant,

first time I saw him was in Doctor Who, watched the series on DVD then looked at the extra features and he was speaking in a Scottish accent - that threw me a bit

 

[dellzeqq]

I think that Cary Grants accent is what americans expected posh British people sound like, where as we thought he had a bit of a USA "twang" . The ultimate example of this was the woman who played Daphne in Frasier, if an american met somebody with a real Mancunian accent they would need a translator.

she's from Essex

 

[Nearly there]

Andrew Lincoln-Walking dead

 

[Dayvo]

Mel Gibson in Braveheart had an appalling Scottish accent.

 

[Milo]

The Wire has some of the best - most Americans had no idea Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) was British, or Dominic West (McNulty) for that matter.

I knew about Stringer Bell but surprised about Mcnulty.