Many great actors put on a particular voice for certain roles, but it’s always exciting when they sneak their real-life accents into their characters. Several actors’ real-life voices are unexpected and surprising, mainly because they spend so long portraying a character that audiences forget that there is a real person behind the fictional persona. For example, Andrew Lincoln is so well-known as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead that many are shocked to discover that he is actually British.
There are multiple occasions when an actor who has a unique and notable character voice injects their own accent into a performance, either in TV or movies. This is especially noticeable for those who play a character from a different part of the world than their actor comes from. However, some of these examples show actors taking on a dialect from another area of their respective countries, which is very close to their true voices but isn’t exact. Whether it is amazing or terrible, often on purpose, it’s always fun to hear a character replicate their actor’s real-life accent.
7 Luke Youngblood’s English Accent
Luke Youngblood is a fantastic British actor who has, surprisingly, made an even bigger name for himself in the US. Youngblood is best remembered for portraying Jordan Lee in the Harry Potter movies as a teenager, but in his adult years, he is also known for his role as Magnitude in Community. Magnitude is a completely ridiculous character who appears at random points and makes every episode he stars in that much better.
This is especially because of his iconic catchphrase, “Pop, pop!” which is nothing short of hilarious at times. Hopefully, it’ll be heard again in the upcoming movie. Magnitude is American, but there is one moment in which Youngblood uses his own voice.
In the season 5 episode “Geothermal Escapism,” Greendale’s student body takes part in a school-wide game where the floor is lava. When chaos ensues, and as Shirley’s Island starts to collapse, a frightened Magnitude takes cover and loudly admits, “ I’m actually British !” This moment is brilliantly funny because Youngblood purposely makes his voice sound even more stereotypical than usual for comedic effect, but it’s also clear that his accent is native.
6 Nicola Coughlan’s Irish Accent
Bridgerton – Season 2, Episode 1 “Capital R Rake”
Nicola Coughlan has famously altered her accent for a TV show in the past. Coughlan notably portrays Clare Devlin in the hit sitcom Derry Girls, which is a separate part of Ireland in which she is from. The actress originates from Galway, which is a part of the Republic, whereas Derry is in Northern Ireland, which is a separate territory.
In recent years, Coughlan has been best known for playing Penelope Featherington, one of the best characters in Bridgerton. Penelope is a multi-talented woman, and her skills aren’t limited to her writing abilities. Bridgerton reveals that Penelope is Lady Whistledown rather early on in the show, which establishes the character’s sneaky side perfectly.
Penelope’s efforts to keep her identity under wraps is a prominent part of her character arc, and in the season 2 episode “Capital R Rake,” she demonstrates just how important this is to her. While visiting Whistledown’s printers, Penelope puts on an Irish accent and pretends to be her own maid. Coughlan uses more of a Dublin accent than her own, but it is only a few hours away from Galway, so they sound somewhat similar.
5 David Tennant’s Scottish Accent
Doctor Who – Season 2, Episode 2 “Tooth And Claw”
David Tennant is an obvious example of an actor who uses a completely different accent from his own for a character. Both the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors use a typical London-esque accent, but Tennant is actually from Paisley in Scotland. However, early on in his first tenure as the legendary Time Lord, the actor has the opportunity to show off his talents with dialects and accents.
In the season 2 episode “Tooth and Claw,” the Doctor and Rose land in 19th century Scotland and cross paths with Queen Victoria, one of many real-life historical figures in Doctor Who. A good chunk of this episode sees the Doctor take on the persona of Dr. James McCrimmon from Balamory, another well-known location in Scotland.
In these scenes, Tennant adopts a Scottish accent similar to his own, although it’s not exactly his usual voice. However, “Tooth and Claw” is only Tennant’s third episode, and this gives him the opportunity to flaunt the personality of the newly regenerated Doctor. Not only is the Doctor adaptable to the situation he finds himself in, but he also has a sense of humor, as he quickly slips into an interpretation of a Highlands-style Scottish accent.
4 Hugh Laurie’s English Accent
House – Season 1, Episode 6 “The Socratic Method”
Hugh Laurie is a massive name in the UK and a beloved comedian, especially when he works alongside his long-time friend Stephen Fry. That’s why Gregory House from House is such an interesting character of his, and Laurie is surprisingly good at the American accent.
The sarcastic and often apathetic clinician is quick to mock others when he feels it necessary, which is generally unappreciated by the other doctors in House’s team. However, in the season 1 episode “The Socratic Method,” Laurie mimics himself in character. When the titular character attempts to call a patient’s other physicians, he doesn’t get very far because it is so late at night.
House throws on an over-the-top English accent and plays dumb, pretending that he has mixed up the time zones as an excuse, although this doesn’t work either. This is a brief but hilarious moment, but it isn’t Laurie’s true voice from his daily life. However, it is a parody of Laurie’s best sketches from over the years, as well as one of his most popular characters: Prince George from one of the best British sitcoms ever, Blackadder.
3 Daniel Dae Kim’s American Accent
Lost – Season 2, Episode 4 “Everybody Hates Hugo”
Lost is one of the most important TV shows of the 21st century, and a core contributor to this is the show’s dream sequences, which add further intrigue and depth to an already mysterious story. It’s often confusing what is exactly real and what isn’t, which throws viewers off. In the season 2 episode, “Everybody Hates Hugo,” Hurley has a dream where he starts gorging on the absurd amount of food in the Swan’s pantry.
However, Hurley is interrupted by Jin, who not only speaks perfect English but also swaps his South Korean accent for an American one. Jin actor Daniel Dae Kim originates from South Korea, but he has lived in the United States since the age of 1 and has an American accent.
Jin is famously introduced as one of Lost’s main characters in the pilot with no grasp of the English language. Even though he slowly picks it up, it’s a massive shock to see him speak it flawlessly in Hurley’s dream. While it’s a shame that Jin’s American voice doesn’t return after this dream sequence, it still highlights how strange and sometimes unsettling these types of scenes are.
2 Dominic West’s English Accent
The Wire – Season 2, Episode 9 “Stray Rounds”
Dominic West’s Jimmy McNulty provides many of the best quotes in The Wire, many of which prove that he considers his work chasing after criminals as a game of some sort. While he typically does a solid job of cleaning up the streets of Baltimore, his attitude is occasionally misinterpreted as unprofessional.
One key moment that shows this is in the season 2 episode “Stray Rounds,” when McNulty prepares for an undercover operation to infiltrate a brothel and discusses the best plan of action with his wise colleague, veteran Detective Lester Freamon. McNulty decides to take on the identity of James Cromwell, a British man visiting the establishment. In this scene, West uses a terrible and almost satirical accent that somewhat resembles English, although this is done on purpose.
McNulty’s attempt to sound like a typical English person is stupidly comical, but there are certain words that West pronounces with his own voice. These tiny inflections are subtle and are easy to miss, but they are there. However, this makes sense, considering that West is from the UK and is playing an American who then pretends to be English.
1 Rose McIver’s New Zealand Accent
IZombie – Season 4, Episode 6 “My Really Fair Lady”
Rose McIver’s success in iZombie puts her on the radar in Hollywood, and her role as the show’s protagonist, Liv Moore, is a staple of her career. The actress stars as Liv, who is turned into a zombie and feeds on the brains of corpses to help solve their murders, in every season of iZombie, and she uses a strong American accent throughout. However, McIver is actually from New Zealand, not that it’s obvious in her portrayal of Liv.
It’s relatively common for actors from Britain, Australia, or New Zealand to struggle with the American accent, but McIver nails it.
It’s relatively common for actors from Britain, Australia, or New Zealand to struggle with the American accent, but McIver nails it. In the season 4 episode “My Really Fair Lady,” Liv investigates the death of a theater actress and inherits several traits of the woman, including her passion for performing.
While she tries to rescue a group of people stuck in a shipping container, Liv confronts a security guard and slips into a character with a New Zealand accent. This is actually McIver’s real accent, who is a native of Auckland, and not an interpretation of a dialect from another part of the country. The accent is decent, but what’s even more impressive is that McIver makes her voice sound artificial.
