Two examples.

[clynt]

Long I have pondered over these examples. Your thoughts please.

An NFL player with a hard cast down to his fingers and playing at roughly 40-50% is better than his back-up at 100%

On the TV show House, the actor that plays Dr. House and I don't know his name is a British actor with a heavy British accent. Do we have such a shortage of good actors that we have to go abroad and then teach him not to talk with his natural accent in order to sound American. Why couldn't we have just started with an American?

I lament! Oh well.

[TerryAnne]

On the TV show House, the actor that plays Dr. House and I don't know his name is a British actor with a heavy British accent. Do we have such a shortage of good actors that we have to go abroad and then teach him not to talk with his natural accent in order to sound American. Why couldn't we have just started with an American?

Maybe because he's a good actor? I've personally never seen the show, but I know a lot of people who love it and say he is a great fit. I'm a HUGE fan of Lost and about 1/3 of the cast is "foreign" (Sayid (Brit), Kate (Canadian), Charlie (Brit), Claire (Aussie), Eko (Nigerian), Danielle (French)...Jin and Sun (Korean) are actually American)...and b/c the fit the profile of the character so well, there is no other way that the character could have been cast, other than with that particular star.

[clynt]

On the TV show House, the actor that plays Dr. House and I don't know his name is a British actor with a heavy British accent. Do we have such a shortage of good actors that we have to go abroad and then teach him not to talk with his natural accent in order to sound American. Why couldn't we have just started with an American?

Maybe because he's a good actor? I've personally never seen the show, but I know a lot of people who love it and say he is a great fit. I'm a HUGE fan of Lost and about 1/3 of the cast is "foreign" (Sayid (Brit), Kate (Canadian), Charlie (Brit), Claire (Aussie), Eko (Nigerian), Danielle (French)...Jin and Sun (Korean) are actually American)...and b/c the fit the profile of the character so well, there is no other way that the character could have been cast, other than with that particular star.

But don't you think that is putting the horse before the cart. Everybody thought Sally Kellerman was the perfect fit until Loretta Swit came along. If someone never plays the role, they're impossible to miss. Here's another example, Why Robert Downey Jr. and his excess baggage? He is a terrible role model at best? Because all the adverse publicity he gets for his antics are actually good for ratings and business forget the negative impact on our juveniles. And then there's Terrell Owens.

[Ed S]

Hugh Laurie plays the role of Dr. House on the show, he does not have a british accent. The person you are referring to is one of the interns under him, he has a british accent.

Since when did we stop hiring people for roles with foriegn accents? Marlene Dietrich was one of the greats, was German and anti Nazi as you can get.

[Lonewolfe2015]

Long I have pondered over these examples. Your thoughts please.

An NFL player with a hard cast down to his fingers and playing at roughly 40-50% is better than his back-up at 100%

The people watching would rather see a star rather than a second string "nobody" All goes down to money in that case I would say. More people would want to watch the main guy play, even hurt, versus some second ranked guy who might even do better then the star quarterback in the first place.

[TerryAnne]

Hugh Laurie is British, though. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491402/

[clynt]

Hugh Laurie plays the role of Dr. House on the show, he does not have a british accent. The person you are referring to is one of the interns under him, he has a british accent.

Since when did we stop hiring people for roles with foriegn accents? Marlene Dietrich was one of the greats, was German and anti Nazi as you can get.

I saw an interview with Hugh Laurie and the topic was how he manages to disguise his heavy British Accent. He plays an American doctor not a British doctor. This has nothing to do with Britain or the actor. Again, why someone who must disguise his accent to sound American when there are plenty of good American actors around.?

How about years ago and you will remember this Ed when Merrill Lynch came out with those commercials about Merrill Lynch being bullish on America. Later it was learned that they saved a bunch of money filming them in Mexico so they weren't so bullish on America after all.
Marlene Dietrich was as hot as they came but she didn't have to disguise her voice, she spoke with a heavy German accent and was suited to her roles.

It is about the money to see the 'name' player rather than his back-up regardless of the star's condition and that I say is reckless and borders on criminal.

[Ed S]

That is interesting, I never detected a hint of British accent and I watch the show every week.

That IMDB site is awesome, it sure clears up a lot of arguments. A friend put me on it several years ago.

[Attilathehungry]

That is interesting, I never detected a hint of British accent and I watch the show every week.

That IMDB site is awesome, it sure clears up a lot of arguments. A friend put me on it several years ago.

Ed,
Just curious and hope you don't mind me asking: What's your username on IMDB? That is, if you have one since you can access all the great info without it. You just can't read and write posts unless you register.

I used to post there for years, but finally got tired of some of the regular idiots who always posted there and voluntarily deleted my account last summer. Mine was cyberspaceman1999.

[TerryAnne]

I hear where you are coming from, clynt...however, there are some actors, regardless of birth, that can personify a certain character by their acting ability. Take Sean Connery for example - could you imagine half of the characters that he's played (outside of the ever evolving James Bond) being played by another actor? Also, actors from Britain and some other European countries tend to be more "educated" in the art of acting, rather than the phenomenon we have here in America where any tween can be the next big thing. We have VERY few real and good actors here in America, so I have absolutely no problem with producers looking elsewhere for talent. Speaking of which: Ron Howard gives a perfect example with Audrey Tautou in "The DaVinci Code". She's an absolutely fabulous French actress (I've seen nearly every one of her movies) and, having only read the book, think he made an excellent decision with her because of her style.

[Ed S]

[quote="
Ed,
Just curious and hope you don't mind me asking: What's your username on IMDB? That is, if you have one since you can access all the great info without it. You just can't read and write posts unless you register. [/quote]

I never registered I just use the site from time to time.

[Attilathehungry]

I never registered I just use the site from time to time.

OK, thanks.