Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Accents or No?

by Jo Robertson

This is how stupid I am.

I’ve recently become enamoured of THE TUDORS, Showtime’s exciting series about, yes, -- the Tudors of English history. The first season begins with a very young Henry VIII womanizing his way around England, increasingly dissatisfied with his wife Katherine of Aragon, and actually having less wealth than some of his dukes and lords.

I’m familiar with the background because I did an extensive historical background when my students read A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, Robert Bolt‘s play about Sir Thomas More, King Henry, and the conflict with the Catholic Church -- a dramatic and passionate period of English history.

Now, the stupid part on my account was not being familiar with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers the young actor who plays Henry. And further, not knowing that THE DUDE’S IRISH!!!

Hello, I wouldn’t have waited until THE TUDORS came out on DVD if I’d realized Rhys-Meyers was IRISH.

Oh, and did I mention HE'S IRISH??!!

Be still, my beating heart.

That got me to thinking: is it all about the accent?

Maybe.

For sure if it’s Scottish, Irish, or British. Love those laddies.

And the Aussies too – hmmm, Russell Crowe, bad-boy Colin Farrell.

Does anyone NOT adore Gerard Butler or Clive Owen whom I fell in love with by watching a PBS mystery series called SECOND SIGHT where Owen plays an inspector losing his vision and trying to conceal it. Smexy man!

But some accents? Bleh!

Detective Andy Sipowicz from NYPD BLUE notwithstanding, does anyone love a true New York accent in a hero? Or heaven forbid, a heroine? Images of Fran Drescher anyone?

I never thought I’d go for the Scandinavian accents either – Dutch, Danish, Finnish. My sister-in-law is first-generation Danish and my brother calls her his Danish Danish. So not cool.

But, there’s a new show this season called NEW AMSTERDAM, featuring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Since I have no idea how to pronounce this Denmark star’s name, I’ll call him Nik. This guy grows on you like cute on a baby. I swear!

And if you listen carefully, you can hear his darling Danish accent peeping through his Americanisms. And after all, since NEW AMSTERDAM is the story of a 400-year-old immortal man named John Amsterdam settling in long-ago New York, it makes perfect sense that he’d have a lingering accent, right?

I’ve heard women say there are two things they can’t resist – a man in a skirt and a man with an accent.

What about you? Who's your favorite accented character -- man or woman, film or print?
Do non-Americans blather over Yank accents the way we do over European ones? Do you like that southern speech or the western drawl? The men can weigh in on this too. Do you like women with accents?

83 comments:

Fedora said...

I'm a sucker for many accents, but do love those UK varieties--British, Irish, Scottish... mmm...

Keira Soleore said...

Bwooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

Fedora said...

Avian... ;)

Keira Soleore said...

Oh no!! Fedora!! You wotten wooster-napper.

jo robertson said...

Fedora, yay on you!!!

My goodness, I was still fiddling with the pictures and you guys popped in to capture the rooster and comment!

LOL, Keira, Fedora beat you out. She's a tricky gal!

Amy Andrews said...

Love accents.
Have to say I think Sean Connery's is still one of the best. And yes, those Irish boys....
There's that great scene in A Fish Called Wanda where John Cleese is speaking to her in all those different languages and Jamie Lee Curtis is crawling along the landing, drooling on the floor and practically orgasming on the spot. Fab scene.

And Jo, as much as I'd love to claim Colin Farrell as an Aussie, alas, he's English....

Jane said...

Ooh, Jonathan is hot. Sorry, Jo. I forgot you got dibs on him. I love the Aussie and English accents. Eric Bana and Hugh Jackman are my faves. I loved Clive in "Second Sight," too. I became enamored with the English accent when I watched the James Bond movies(the ones after Sean Connery.)

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, we have a battle woyal between two wotten wooster nappers! And I think that Fedora might have come out on top! Keira, what a gallant effort! Fedora, congratulations! He's obviously missed you!

Oh, accents! No, my dear Jo, it is not just the Americans who swoon over a lovely bit of accent. Nothing to beat a Scottish brogue in my humble opinion (and you get the skirt as well - mind you, depends what SORT of skirt we're talking about!). But the Irish lilt is pretty special as is the Welsh one which sounds like singing even when they're reciting a grocery list. And I love some of the American accents - I loved the way the guys in Dallas spoke last year. Sigh. And I love being called ma'am with such deference.

Must laugh - in the US, I've discovered people actually like my accent. In the UK, everybody winces when I open my mouth! Speaking of the UK, don't you just love an upper-crust English accent?

Hmm, could go on, but och aye, a girl's got an upper crust Englishman to write in her mip. I was thinking last night, this is my third Englishman in a row. About time I did another Scot, methinks!

jo robertson said...

Oh, no, Amy! I stand corrected. Was sure he was Australian. My bad!

But yes, that scene in FISH is a classic. I love that movie; it's one of the few I play over and over.

I've been in love with Sean Connery since he had HAIR! And he just gets better and better. I cried when his character died in Untouchables.

jo robertson said...

I'll share Jonathan with you Jane; he's a mite young for me.

But never on Clive Owen. There's a scene in Second Sight where he's writhing on a bedsheet, sweating, dreaming and the camera man takes the shot from straight above. My, oh my!

jo robertson said...

Anna, it's funny how we never appreciate what's right around us. I'm a little tired of southern and western accents (ducking the tomatoes thrown my way), but I fell in love with the Scotish accent.

When we went to Scotland last year, I listened intently to our guides and it was surprisingly easy to pick up understanding. And so musical.

So, yes, write us a Scottish lad, Anna!

Keira Soleore said...

a man in a skirt and a man with an accent

And with Gerard Butler, you have both.

Ladies, Gentleman, and Rooster: I give you His Yummiliciousness His Bootifulness His Abness Gerard och-aye Butler and his naughty twin.

Anna Campbell said...

Yep, definitely a Scot next, she said, wiping up the drool from the keyboard...

Keira Soleore said...

Now folks, close your eyes and imagine. Imagine that the boots are off. The knee socks are next to go as is the sporran. Then the short coat and weskit. Now, comes the interesting part. The unbuttoning and the revealing. Button-by-button, inch-by-bronzed-inch. Our hearts beat faster, our closed eyes are watching this man fully unbutton his shirt, untuck it, and remove it. Yes, ladies. This is what dreams are made of. Well, my dreams are; yours aren't? Now imagine his right arm brigning a long sword up from right and brandish it, teeth in a snarl. Then someone says "Cut! Director's Cut!"

Huh-huh? Wakey-wakey, dream's over.

Nancy said...

Fedora, congratulations! It has been a while since the old bird went home with you, hasn't it?

I'm a sucker for a British accent. I even went to Oxford Blue, really, really not a good movie, so I could look at Oxford and hear the people who were not Rob Lowe talk. Nothing against Rob, whom I loved as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing. He just wasn't the primary draw in this instance.

I have to agree on Sir Sean. I could listen to him talk all day. For me, he's the quintessential Bond, though I do remember we already had that discussion.

Ever notice how British actors do American accents so well, while the reverse is often so not true? And Southern accents--what passes for them in Hollywood (but nowhere in the ACTUAL South)--don't get me started! I liked listening to DeForrest Kelly as Dr. McCoy because he grew up in Georgia and had genuine vestiges of a genuine drawl. You didn't ask which accent I hate, Jo, but Mangled Southern would be it (Hollywood seems to think Ignoramus is about the same, not understanding the speech patterns OR the sounds of the South.)

Maybe I should get off my soapbox now.

Jo, it's okay to be tired of southern accents or western ones. We all like what we like. I assume you've seen JRM in Bend It Like Beckham and CO in King Arthur. When the Arthurian came out on DVD, the dh, who had left me home watching it while he went to the grocery store, followed a man on a cellphone out of the store. The man seemed to be making plans for the evening, but what caught the dh's attention was when he said, in a disgusted tone, "No, she won't be there. She's home watching King Arthur on DVD." The dh, having learned to embrace fannish habits he cannot defeat, laughed quietly all the way to the car.

Patrick Stewart has been under discussion in the lair, though we hadn't yet gotten around to his accent. Many of us are wishing we could go to NYC and take in his Macbeth.

Nancy said...

Keira--it's so good to see you back and feeling better!

Keira Soleore said...

Thanks,Nancy!

Amy Andrews said...

Oooooh yes, JRM was fab in Bend It Like Beckham.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

*AHEM!*
And WHOM do you think 'twas TOLD Jo-Mama that Johnny R-M was a wee Irish lad? And sorry to all but Colin Farrell is Dublin born and raised! His father was even a professional football (soccer) player.

Now, accents?!?! SWOON! LOVE MOST ALL OF 'EM! Yes, that includes you lot from Oz, who are the only folks I know that make "no" a five syllable word! Nee-eeewwww-oooo-ooohhh-uuuuh! Hmmm, looks a bit like Keira calling the rooster.;-) Gotta tease ya after you got me so hot & bothered over Gerry B. I swear that man can charm paint off a wall!

You are soo right, Nancy! Foreign actors can NAIL other accents. My ever-lovin Eric is REALLY GOOD at this. Listen to him do American in "Lucky You" then Israeli in "Munich". Then listen to Brad Pitt BUTCHER an Irish brogue in "The Devil's Own". Sorry all you Brad lovers, he's nice to look at but he can NOT do a brogue justice. And as for Southern, esp. Texas, just about NOBODY gets it right except a native speaker (and I'm betting Suz will back me up on this). As I told Jo-Mama after watching "No Country For Old Men," you KNOW IMMEDIATELY who is really from Texas... Tommy Lee Jones and Woody Harrelson! My grandparents were from Texas, and I still have lots of relatives there. Trust me, I KNEW!

AC
who would gladly listen to Sean C. read the phone book.

Tawny said...

And just think, our Joanie is wallowing in accents right now LOL.

Count me in on the swoon-over-an-accent group :-) My stepfather was born and raised in Scotland and his entire family had fabulous brogues.

But, I have to admit, as hot as Johnathon R-M is in these shots (I'll have to watch the show, he's that hot) he seriously creeped me out in Batman Returns. Those eyes, those lips... they were scary!!!! And he didn't have his accent to distract me LOL

Tiffany Clare said...

I just melt when a man's got an accent. Any accent. It's all in the timbre of his voice. And those Scots ones and Irish ones and then the English ones that do me in--in that order too...they are very sexy.
not sure who's my favourite.

Buffie said...

Morning Ladies! Place me in the category with everyone else who loves accents -- British, Irish, Scottish, French, Aussie. Just about any of them.

And since I live in the South (Atlanta), I have to add those lovely southern gentlemen with their southern drawls. Can't beat I guy who opens the door for you, says y'all, and can still rock the bedroom!

brownone said...

I'll just say a man with an accent just does it for me! Hugh Jackman, JRM, Clive Owen...ahh...I think I could just watch them on a loop! (I DID admit to my disgusting lust for Gordon Ramsey yesterday) Oh, and Nikolaj! I love it when his accent peeks through...and he's pretty darn easy on the eyes. New Amsterdam is my favorite new show this season! The flashbacks kinda remind me of romance novels. Heck, in one episode he was actually in a duel defending a lady's honor!

Gillian Layne said...

I thought Heath Ledger had a magical voice.

Liam Neeson could read the phone book and I could listen for hours.

Gillian Layne said...

Oh, and Sam Elliot! Can't believe I forgot Sam Elliot. Simply amazing.

Kelly Krysten said...

For me, it's always going to be a honey thick southern accent. I don't know why, there are certainly better more nuanced accents around. But I'm from the south*shrugs*. And , Gillian, I am so with you on Sam Elliot! He's just so...*sigh*

Dina said...

I'm for Scottish accents (& men, if I could find one) lol. I love to listen to Gerard Butler and James McAvoy speak, both are from Glasgow. :)

limecello said...

Oh I looooooove accents. JRM is a cutie. Raoul Bova speaking English, Gerard Butler's accent sometimes comes through...
I have to say though, I can resist a guy in a skirt. I've seen some pretty weird ones. [And a guy wearing a broomstick skirt is just kinda weird.]

Anonymous said...

Love the accents Jo Mama! Seriously, is there any woman who doesn't? I sure wish I understood why, though.

I LOVE John Cleese. Love the scene in Fish Called Wanda, love him in anything!

Anyone else like Hugh Grant? I have to admit, I'm more partial to the guy who had sorrowful eyes and can make me laugh than a guy with big biceps. ;-)

Terri Osburn said...

Accents turn me into a puddle. Sad but true. I love all those mentioned but have to throw in Jeremy Northam, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and even Rupert Everett. Who cares which way that boy swings, I just want to hear him whisper in my ear. LOL!

And how has no one mentioned Richard!? Anna - I believe this lapse means you lose all claims. He's mine!

And the Southern accent is also a favorite but it depends where in the south. Texas is probably the best but then there's the Cajun. And Georgia. Lived in AR for many years and that backwoods one does nothing for me.

And stop calling them skirts! Kilts, ladies. They're KILTS! LOL!

jo robertson said...

OH. MY. GOSH. Kiera, imagine me screaming like a tweenie. Where did you get those photos of Gerard? Confess, girl, have you been stalking the dude?

Okay, I'm ready to take down one of the other pix and put him up.

I must confess to not even knowing who he was until I saw 300. I love that story so, NATURALLY, I was just doing research when I purchased my ticket and went alone. Hmmmm.

jo robertson said...

LOL, Keira, you are definitely in the right career!

Claudia Dain said...

New York accents on a man not appealing? Woman, get yourself to the nearest television and watch CSI: New York. Tall, dark and handsome detective or street-wise, muscular CSI; take your pick. Both have strong NY accents and both are so yummy.

When I was in Scotland a while back, they seemed genuinely delighted by my either being an American or talking American. Or maybe they were just delighted by my obvious delight in being there.

Buffie said...

Claudia -- I'm sure they were delighted in just you!

Hellie Sinclair said...

ABSOLUTELY TRUE. A man in a kilt while talking to me in his infectious brogue is absolutely irresistible. YUM.

And yes, NY accents don't cut it.

But I do enjoy a Southern accent. I loved Josh Lucas' accent in Sweet Home Alabama. Sweet.

Deb Marlowe said...

Oh, terrio I'm with you on Rupert Everett. He's got the tiniest rasp in his voice that just does it for me.

I'm extremely into voices and accents. I'll say yes, please to all of those you guys have mentioned.

Oh, and Keira--Thank you! GB in a kilt with a massive broadsword. You are so generous to share!

Minna said...

Mmm... Irish... I could listen to someone speaking with that accent for hours on end.

Gannon Carr said...

Ah, a man with an accent! I luurve 'em, especially a Scottish brogue. Just scoop me up off the floor after I swoon. It all started with Sean Connery--the man could read the phone book and I would listen for hours. And then of course, there's Gerard Butler. *sigh* Absolutely delish. Thanks, Keira, for all of the fantastic pictures.

Clive, Liam, Hugh.....and so many more. I'm a sucker for those accents. And since I live in the South, I love those, too. Give me a y'all and a wink... mmmm! Maybe that's why I married a Southern boy!

I was at a wine tasting on Monday, and one of the wine reps was this very tall, charming Aussie bloke. I loved listening to him talk as well. G'day!

Beth Andrews said...

Jo, I adore accents! British, Irish, Scottish, Australian, Southern - I even get a kick out of a flat Boston or Maine accent *g* I do love them all!

I love watching Paula Deen and listening to her say 'bowl' which sounds like 'boil' *ggg* And I love it when her sons call her Mama! I tried to get my son to call me Mama (complete with a Southern accent) but he won't. Darn kid ;-) Next son I have I'm going to raise in the South!

jo robertson said...

You're right about actors doing the accents, Nancy. Do you suppose the British get more training in that than American actors. In theatre they teach you to do that "special accent," don't recall what it's called, but it's not quite British, but more clipped and formal than American. Maybe British actors have more stage training?

And uh, yeah, why do all bad cops in movies have that awful southern accent?

YES, Aunty Cindy turned me on to JRM, but WHAT, you say, AC? Colin was born in Dublin??? Sigh, I'm such an ignoramous!

jo robertson said...

Ah, Tiffany, so many men with loverly accents, so little time.

jo robertson said...

Buffie, so far it seems to be unanimous on the accents.

Does anyone NOT like an accent? We Californians are supposed to have NO accent, sort of the voice of television and radio media.

jo robertson said...

Yes, Brownone about New Amsterdam! You said it much better than I did, but I love how the stories from the past are juxtaposed against the current story/case.

Do you think the ER doctor is going to be his true love? I haven't watched the season finale yet, but I'd guess NO!

Fedora said...

Anna, I love an Aussie accent, too! Like Jo, I'm out here in accent-less CA :) And MsHellion, I completely agree--Josh Lucas in Sweet Home Alabama was YUM!

jo robertson said...

Thanks for adding Heath, Sam, and Liam to our list, Gillian. I still cry when I think the world's lost a Heath Ledger.

I adore Liam Neeson, but he's such a heavy smoker, I have to admit that turns me off a little.

jo robertson said...

Kelly, do you think the southern accent appeals to so many people because of the automatic association with "southern manners" and gentility?

p226 said...

Accents... hmm....

Yeah, some are hot. Eastern European accents are kind of hot. "Zillee Umerican, why azkink eef rooshin rifle haz ze zafety. Iz gun! Iz not zafe! Iz strong! You no need zafety. Are to be shootink now!"

I could come or go on British accents... Irish are kind of cool though.

And a man has not lived until he's heard a southern girl say "aaaah luuuuuv yewwww."

Seriously.

Anna Campbell said...

Oh, no! Terrio has rightfully taken my place in Richard Armitage's arms! Sorry, can't hang around, I'm out painting the house black in mourning! You're right, T, though, you won him fair and square and I lost him because I'm a doofus (doofi?)! Perhaps we could arrange for him to commute NORTH AND SOUTH????!!!

jo robertson said...

Dina, it's also Gerard's blue eyes coupled with the accent that shivers me timbers.

I just watched Atonement with McAvoy and and must say I've just started to appreciate his talents.

Limecello, what's a broomstick skirt? Am I showing my ignorance?

Anna Campbell said...

Terrio and Deb, I always get a shock when I see Rupert Everett. I was a huge Barbara Cartland fan in my early teens and I swear he modeled for all the covers! Does anyone else remember these? The duke/earl/marquess always had a long skinny aristocratic face just like RE's, including that nose! And the girls were so ethereal, they looked like they'd float off on a strong breeze!

jo robertson said...

Here's another question -- Kirsten's mentioning Hugh Grant made me think of it. Does an actor's personal, how shall I say it, proclivities, change his WOW factor on the accent scale?

I LOVED Grant in the Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility.

Has anyone else been following the PBS's run of Austen's works? Lots of accents there!

jo robertson said...

Terrio, I stand corrected -- KILTS, YES, NOT SKIRTS LOL.

And, Terrio and Deb, Rupert Evert -- yum and I, too, don't care which team he plays for. Often BIG men don't look as handsome as smaller ones, I think, but he does height very nicely. My husband's 6'4" so I always judge size by him.

Esri Rose said...

Scottish tops, British a very close second. I might actually like the Brit *accent* more, but I like Scottish *men* better. Craig Ferguson (drool). That voice! That grin!

I like Australian fine, but unless it's really broad, I just don't hear it that much. It has a lot of similarities to American. Oh, and as for American accents, I think Southern is prettier on a woman, Western sexier on a man. Matthew McConaughey has a killer accent. You guys have all seen that vid where Matt Damon imitates him, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuYD2cwMbpw

Terri Osburn said...

Anna - as long as he meets me at the train station, I'm good. LOL!

Beth - that's funny about the Mama thing. Before my daughter was born I had to hear my ex-SIL (teenager at the time) say Mama in the whiniest, most annoying accent you could ever hear and swore my children would never call me that. Happy to say my daughter calls me Mom and that's how I like it!

Have we failed to mention Alan Rickman? His voice makes me purr. Well, I can't actually make that purring sound by y'all know what I mean.

jo robertson said...

Oh, yes, Claudia, I forgot about the CSI, NY, fellows. But honestly, don't you think they're the only ones? And their accents are slight.

I especially like Danny Messer, and Eddie Cahill's been a favorite since he did that run on "Friends."

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Oh Jo...accents...I so adore them.

I was doing research on scuba diving and a friend asked her husband to come to work and answer my questions. Imagine my delight when he started talking and he had such a lovely Welsh accent!!

AS for men...Sam Elliott does it for me every time, as does Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean. Gerard Butler is just too yummy, both in voice and body, not to mention that wicked grin!

jo robertson said...

Mshellion, I think that's one of the reasons Scottish historicals are so popular. If a writer can convey the accent well in her writing, ooh la la!

Me, too, Minna, but what is it about the Irish that's so appealing? Is it the cadence, the lilt that makes it so sexy? Seriously, I stay awake nights thinking about this LOL.

jo robertson said...

Oh, Gannon, an Aussie serving wine. That's gotta make everything go down smoothly!

jo robertson said...

P226, ROTFLMAO, I was waiting for you to weigh in. I'd think with a weapon in your hand, the gutteral accents work very well.

Are we to understand that southern girl who says I love you is someone significant in your life?

jo robertson said...

OMG, Esri, thanks for sharing that! If you guys haven't seen Matt Damon imitating Matthew M., whip over to you tube and check out the link Esri left. He's spot on!

Terri Osburn said...

OMG - that imitation is perfect. LOL!

And I notice no one has mentioned the Canadian accent. Not sexy, eh?

brownone said...

Jo, I don't think Sara is "the one"! Not to let the cat out of the bag, he wakes up after getting shot! There is a nice scene where he's skinny dipping in a public pool and his partner hands him a towel and says he ought to be arrested. I was just willing the camera to pan lower! ;-)
I think it is either his partner or the chief. I LOVED the episode about Omar's mother. It was so sweet! And anyone who wants to watch it online if you missed it, they show it at fox.com. They have all the episodes there!

Dina said...

Jo,

Yes Gerry's eyes are mezmerizing, esp up close, happy sigh. ;)
And James has gorgeous eyes as well, from what I see, lol.
I do appreciate both of their. James is now 2nd to Gerry. :)

p226 said...

Are we to understand that southern girl who says I love you is someone significant in your life?

Was. I used to be a playa :)

jo robertson said...

Brownone, you're a wicked woman! This is FOX tv -- how much lower can the towel go? LOL.

P226, hmmm, I can totally believe you were a player in the day.

jo robertson said...

Terrio, I have to admit not being able to distinguish the Canadian accents from the American ones. KJ, what do you think?

Elyssa Papa said...

Count me in for loving the accents, too. JRM is sexy but Colin Farrell and his yummy badness makes my toes curl.

I'm not particular when it comes to accents... I'm an equal accent lover. *g*

Helen said...

Congrats again flchen he sure does enjoy your place

I love Scottish accents and Irish and Sean Connery's I love. We have friend who is from Indiana US and I love his accent as well. I love Hugh Lawries english accent I am in awe of how actors can change their accents for different movies and TV shows and sound so authentic when doing it.
Have Fun
Helen

jo robertson said...

Helen, that's so true. As Dr. House, Hugh Laurie is just a snarly gravelly-voiced fellow, but with his own accent, hmmm -- sure does tame the guy down a bit LOL

jo robertson said...

HI, Elyssa, I know what you mean. The bad-boy thing is just so appealing sometimes. I wonder if Colin will shed that persona as he ages. He reminds me of another bad boy -- James Dean.

Buffie said...

Beth -- my youngest son (he's 5) calls me mama (sounds more like mah mah), and it is a sound I adore, especially when he is looking at me with those big brown eyes and those inch long eyelashes. He's gonna be a heartbreaker one day.

P226 -- I wasn't born in the South, but you sure can't tell by my drawl. My honey likes it when I call him sugar.

Christine Wells said...

Love an accent when it's teamed with a deep voice (on a man, that is!) Yum!

Love Clive Owen--and yes, I first met him in Second Sight, too. The BBC keeps scooping up these marvelous actors, doesn't it?

Why is it that in American movies, the villain often has an English accent?

And I love a lot of American accents, too. That sexy southern drawl ("It's the Big Easy, darlin') Where's Matthew McConnaghey from? Wherever that is, I like that accent, too:)

I have this terrible habit of picking up the accent of whoever I'm speaking with. It's very distracting!

Roberto Arevalo-Munoz said...

Robert Whitfield is a reader for many of the classics on audiobooks. I am unsure if he performs in other venues, but the man has the most amazing gift. His "regular" voice is the Queen's English, but he is able to imitate the voices of all of the characters in the novels he reads. Besides the classics, he also narrates the James Bond series. I am currently listening to "Thunderball". All of these audiobooks are available for free "download-checkout" at the Sacramento Library's Online collection.
Robb

jo robertson said...

Hi, Floyd, waving madly to greet another male on our blog, especially somebody I know LOL.

Yes, I've heard of Robert Whitfield's talents before, but alas, not his voice. He isn't the one who does the Harry Potter book voices, is he?

Thanks for the tip on the down-loads.

doglady said...

Late to the party, but I love the discussion! LOVE a man with a British accent of any kind - from aristocratic Brit to Irish pub brawler to a man in a kilt to a Welsh rugby player. I am a true tart for the accent!

Love Hugh Jackman! Sean Connery can read a cereal box and make it sound sexy. Clive Owen has that nice low rumble going on. Matthew MacFadyen has that "little boy lost" quality in his voice. SIGH!

Now as a daughter of the South I have very decided opinions about actors adopting Southern accents. If you do it accurately and well I am appreciative. If you hack it I want to hit you!

When I was in college we did a tour of the British Isles (our college choir)I cannot tell you how many people asked us to "speak Southern" because Dallas was all the rage at the time.

As a singer who worked primarily in foreign languages I had to develop a really good ear for languages and the proper accent for each. I learned German from a Berlin taught professor, but I lived and worked in Bavaria so my German accent had a distinct "bavarian" tinge to it. My professor was horrified! He said "You sound like a peasant!" Too funny!

Anna C will tell you that a baritone with any sort of accent will put your motor on permanent purr, ladies!! My Austrian baritone buddy used to turn young girls into puddles just by saying "Guten abend, lieblings."

Oh and did someone say Cajun??? There is something about that half French/ half Southern drawl, especially when spoken by 6 feet of black haired blue eyed hard bodied psychiatrist who ended every sentence he said to women with "c'est vrai, cher?" (This guy went to school with my dh and he is just a doll!)

Are we going to have another wotten wooster wumble tomorrow?

jo robertson said...

Oh my, doglady, aka Pam, I never knew you were such a connossieur of languages. I learned German in Germany as a child and when I brought that slight rolling sound to my Spanish classes, my professor just rolled his eyes at me.

And did we MENTION that Pam's a finalist in the Golden Heart this year???? Yahoo!!!

jo robertson said...

LOL, Christine, it seems to be like the bad guys have Russian accents nowadays. Which no one has mentioned so far, I believe.

Anyone want to weigh in on Russian?

jo robertson said...

Thanks, folks, for commenting on the accent issue. Obviously, most of us adore almost any kind.

I read an article that proposed that men are primarily visual and women auditory, so that a woman will be turned on by a voice before the look of a man. What do you think about that?

Or shall we save that for another discussion?

Darcy Burke said...

Always late to the party (/shakes head). Kirsten, I agree 110% re: Hugh Grant. Love his voice. Love him. I'm a complete sucker for British accents. Did no one mention Ewan MacGregor? Blasphemy! Love Clive Owen, but he could be mute and not suffer for it. ;-)

Oh, and Jo, it's Nick-o-leye. I have a Danish-born cousin with that name. And his sister is Paprika. (Don't ask because I have no idea.)

doglady said...

Paprika? There has to be some lovely translation of that name. Surely it isn't just a spice!

I speak Russian and it is NOT a pretty language unless maybe spoken by Viggo Mortensen! I mean you have to learn a completely different alphabet for cryin' out loud! Grammatically it is a very primitive language. And in some dialects the word for "Floor" is also the word for "sex" Makes you wonder doesn't it???

jo robertson said...

Darcy, thanks for the pronunciation for Nikolaj! And Paprika is just too weird!

Pam, you're a hoot! "Floor" - "Sex" -- I'm seeing the connection. But yes, wasn't Viggo amazing in Eastern Promises?

Roberto Arevalo-Munoz said...

Re: Voices in Harry Potter.
I dunno if Whitfield does the HP book voices. Likely; he seems to be omnipresent in audiobooks.
Re: British accents. Nobody, AFAICS, mentioned Daniel Craig - the James Bond character in the film version of "Casino Royale"; a gentleman drug-dealer in "Layer Cake" (A great movie, btw, that I accidentally Netflicked). I have a non-sexual crush on Craig...(uh, ignore that...)

jo robertson said...

LOL, Floyd, you're right. Nobody mentioned Daniel Craig, who's gotta be everybody's new Bond, maybe even surpassing Sean Connery. Hmmm, maybe I should check out "Layer Cake," sounds, uh, intriguing.