Brits (and other UK denizens) impersonating Yanks

[Stanislav]

I was surprised today to catch a segment I had never seen on Love, American Style in which Richard Dawson affects a pretty credible American accent. It was a bit weird, as I am more accustomed to his natural accent (as heard on Family Feud) or the broader caricature of a Cockney-esque accent he used on Hogan's Heroes.

In recent years, it's very common for U.K. native actors to take on American character roles -- think of Hugh Laurie on House as the most popular example, and there are many other examples of British, Irish, Australian, etc. actors playing Yanks in recent years. But what are some good (and bad) American impersonations (both starring and guest roles) from older, more "classic" TV shows?

 

[pqgeorge]

I was surprised today to catch a segment I had never seen on Love, American Style in which Richard Dawson affects a pretty credible American accent. It was a bit weird, as I am more accustomed to his natural accent (as heard on Family Feud) or the broader caricature of a Cockney-esque accent he used on Hogan's Heroes.

In recent years, it's very common for U.K. native actors to take on American character roles -- think of Hugh Laurie on House as the most popular example, and there are many other examples of British, Irish, Australian, etc. actors playing Yanks in recent years. But what are some good (and bad) American impersonations (both starring and guest roles) from older, more "classic" TV shows?

How about Angela Cartwright of "Make Room For Daddy" and "Lost In Space" who was born in the UK and had to practice her American accent for her various roles as a child. Once in a while on "Lost In Space", her English accent would come through.

 

[Markxxx]

I think Mark Addy of "Still Standing" did a good job, but I know a lot of people thought his accent was horrible.

I'm amazed at how fast the little kids lose their accents. I like the old Australian sitcom "Hey Dad," and the youngest girl brought charges of abuse against the star when she was little and she has no accent today. She moved to Texas in her teens.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I was surprised to learn rather recently that Gillian Anderson spoke with a British accent.
I never would have pegged her from The X Files (though she did have a strange, nondescript
accent that I could never really pin down to a region)

Likewise, Hugh Laurie's on House isn't bad (though it is sort of an over-overly affected Chicago or
midwest accent, not like a real one you'd actually hear from anyone. But not British)

I also understand John Mahoney from Frasier is actually a Brit. Does he speak with that accent?
If so his affected American may be the best.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I think Mark Addy of "Still Standing" did a good job, but I know a lot of people thought his accent was horrible.

I'm amazed at how fast the little kids lose their accents. I like the old Australian sitcom "Hey Dad," and the youngest girl brought charges of abuse against the star when she was little and she has no accent today. She moved to Texas in her teens.

I have known several Aussies who, within a year or two of coming to the States, sounded like native born Yankee
Doodle Dandies. One girl managed to actually bluff her way past customs at the Canadian Border! I think frankly it takes too much effort to speak Aussie.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

One of the best now is Damien Lewis (Dick Winters in "Band Of Brothers"). Some of the worst (but the funniest) were various Monty Python members and Benny Hill. They tended to really overemphasize the "R" sound, for instance.

 

[Stanislav]

In the Fawlty Towers episode with the obnoxious American tourist, said actor's performance was so broad and over the top that I used to assume it was a Brit doing an extreme caricature of "The Ugly American." I learned years later that the actor in question was Canadian, not British!

 

[landtuna]

Not exactly a Brit but related.

How about Malanie Lyndsky ("Rose" on Two and a Half Men)?

She is a Kiwi but doesn't have a trace of it in character.

 

[Stanislav]

I was surprised to learn rather recently that Gillian Anderson spoke with a British accent.
I never would have pegged her from The X Files (though she did have a strange, nondescript

She was born in Chicago, but spent much of the first decade of her life in England. When her family moved back to the U.S., she was mocked by other kids for her accent, and quickly learned to imitate her fellow Michiganders.

 

[Stanislav]

Not a "classic," but in the (IMHO) unjustly-canceled-too-soon ABC show FlashForward, the main characters -- an American FBI agent and his equally American wife -- were portrayed by Joseph Fiennes and Sonya Walger....both British. (I give them a B+ and A-, respectively, for their accents...)

 

[Bob1370]

"I also understand John Mahoney from Frasier is actually a Brit. Does he speak with that accent?
If so his affected American may be the best."

IIRC he and his family moved to the US when he was young, and he came of age in the Chicago area...which explains how he sounds today.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I was surprised to learn rather recently that Gillian Anderson spoke with a British accent.
I never would have pegged her from The X Files (though she did have a strange, nondescript

She was born in Chicago, but spent much of the first decade of her life in England. When her family moved back to the U.S., she was mocked by other kids for her accent, and quickly learned to imitate her fellow Michiganders.

I lived in Michigan and am married to a Michigander. I get pounded with that accent every day.
Gillian does not sound like a Michigander.

 

[classictvfan]

Not exactly a Brit but related.

How about Malanie Lyndsky ("Rose" on Two and a Half Men)?

She is a Kiwi but doesn't have a trace of it in character.

landtuna:I believe Stanislav specified either
Britain or countries of the Commonwealth,
including New Zealand and I assume Canada.

 

[Stanislav]

Not exactly a Brit but related.

How about Malanie Lyndsky ("Rose" on Two and a Half Men)? 

She is a Kiwi but doesn't have a trace of it in character.

landtuna:I believe Stanislav specified either
Britain or countries of the Commonwealth,
including New Zealand and I assume Canada.

When I said "Brits (and other UK denizens)," I really more or less meant "Non-U.S. native English speakers, primarily those of current countries of the U.K., as well as former colonies of the once far-flung British empire, including, but not limited to, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Wales, Scotland; the Republic of Ireland; Australia, New Zealand; and hell, let's throw South Africa into the mix as well, even though Afrikaans and various tribal languages make up the primary tongue of the vast majority of citizens there, and there aren't that many South African actors in U.S. media anyway; and with the deliberate exception of Canadians (or at least the lack of emphasis thereupon), whose accents are pretty close to those of the U.S. and whose portrayal of ertsatz Americans in media is so commonplace and ubiquitous as to be irrelevant to the spirit of my query."

But that was a little too wordy for a subject line.