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15 Actors Whose Natural Accents Might Make Your Hair Stand On End

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (61)

Anna_Torv-accent.jpg

Stephen Moyer

Charlie Hunnam

Rose Byrne

Anna Torv

Jason Clarke

Idris Elba

Lena Headey

Joel Kinnaman

Joely Richardson

Anna Friel

Yvonne Strahovski

Jamie Bamber

John Barrowman

Alan Dale

Alexander Skarsgård










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Comments

Nope. What little hair I have is still firmly in place.

Posted by: Uriah Creep at June 14, 2011 12:31 AM

The only hair raising thing in there is the baby-voiced tv host girl.

Posted by: Lauren at June 14, 2011 12:43 AM

I love Moyer's accent. It makes the man so much hotter than the character he plays. But if we're going to compare True Blood accents, NO ONE tops Ryan Kwanten's Aussie accent. It doesn't make my hair stand, but it sure does make these pants want to come off.

Don't worry, Alex. My heart will belong to you always. Even with the birth control glasses.

Posted by: Kala at June 14, 2011 12:55 AM

Oh my God Alex Skarsgard. Even there, even there... my hair isn't rising, but other things are.

The other things are my nipples.

Posted by: Laurie at June 14, 2011 12:58 AM

What the fuck Sons of Anarchy? Don't ever sound like that again.

Posted by: Melanie at June 14, 2011 12:59 AM

cough* Hugh Laurie* cough

Posted by: Melody Be at June 14, 2011 1:10 AM

imo, hugh laurie should be at the top of the list. as he is best known for 'house' in america, some people might find his english accent surprising.

also, anna torv's accent is sexy.

Posted by: Myrmidon16 at June 14, 2011 1:13 AM

Also, sorry for the total invasion of Australians. We're a charming disease sent to spread all over the world with our long vowels and no consonants and our 'd's instead of 't's cos it's a lot of f'king effort to get that tongue behind the two front teeth you have no idea.

Posted by: Laurie at June 14, 2011 1:18 AM

The way Anna Freil says, "Chuck" is the most delightful thing ever. It reminds me of Muriel's Wedding and Strickly Ballroom, that makes my night. Aussie's are awesome.

Ryan Kwanten should be on this list. I'm from MS and was shocked that he wasn't actually from the South. Also he's hot.

Posted by: Melody Be at June 14, 2011 1:29 AM

I have a hard time making the connection between watching Hugh Laurie talk, and hearing his natural voice come out. On the other hand, reading his book (The Gun Seller), I could hear him read it aloud with his British accent in my head.

But Damien Lewis is supposed to sound like Dick Winters, damnit.

Posted by: Maymar at June 14, 2011 1:40 AM

Rose Byrne hottness went up.

Anna Friel saying "Chuck" awesome.

Posted by: junierizzle at June 14, 2011 1:50 AM

Accents.... SWOOOOOON.

My comments would be: Charlie Hunnam's accent is really very slight. Anna Friel is quite charming. Lena Headey's accent is not surprising because she had the woorrrrst American accent in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. (And I liked that show, and I like Lena Headey - but she's better with her natural accent.)

The most surprising, hair-raising accent (if you're not expecting it) is Hugh Laurie's, hands-down.

Regarding, oh, panties: I'm on record that Alexander Skarsgard does absolutely *nothing* for me. Maybe there's something wrong with me, I don't know. Y'all can have him. Seriously, my panties get happier for his dad. On the other hand, I remembered how much I love Lee Pace!! Whether or not he plays for my team. He's fucking adorable. More Lee Pace plz.

Posted by: MM at June 14, 2011 2:29 AM

The way Anna Freil says, "Chuck" is the most delightful thing ever. It reminds me of Muriel's Wedding and Strickly Ballroom, that makes my night. Aussie's are awesome.

Erm... Anna Friel's not Australian. She's from the North of England...

Posted by: Scott at June 14, 2011 2:32 AM

I've never seen a single episode of House, so the only thing I have to go on is every episode of A Bit of Fry & Laurie. No surprises for me.

I've never found Rose Byrne's American accent fully convincing, but I was always paying more attention to Glenn Close anyway.

I didn't really notice Idris Elba between the time I first spotted him in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous and the last time I saw him in an episode of The Big C, so again, no surprises.

What gets me, as far as people with accents go, is how no one ever mistakes Toni Collette for a drag queen.

Posted by: Jerry at June 14, 2011 2:34 AM

Hey Dustin!! You do know that Skarsgård is swedish, he was speaking GERMAN in the clip...

Posted by: sunday at June 14, 2011 2:59 AM

I don't think that's Swedish that Alexander Skarsgard is speaking in that clip. It's German, right? And that's why the salesperson speaks to him in English in the clip?

I respect Australians that can convincingly pull off American accents. I find that so many Australian actors' natural accent flare out at the ends of their lines. (The worst, BY FAR, is Julian McMahon.) I wish I didn't know some of these people were Australian, because now I'm always going to be listening for it.

Posted by: The Wandering Parakeet at June 14, 2011 3:00 AM

Charlie is in that weird place where he has like 6 accents layered on one another, and they are all fighting to get out. And it confuses and scares me.

I'm surprised that the list wasn't just "cast of True Blood", even though I figured it would mostly be us Aussies.

Posted by: Shane at June 14, 2011 4:20 AM

Rose Byrne: "You know...you know...you know". No, no I don't. A good drinking game clip though (should get you hammered in no time).

Posted by: io at June 14, 2011 6:04 AM

I could not in good conscience include Hugh Laurie because anyone surprised by his English accent does not know him first from Blackadder and that hurts my heart.

And it could be Swiss German that Skarsgård is speaking; either way, how could I pass up an opportunity to post that clip? It's hilariawesome.

Posted by: Dustin Rowles at June 14, 2011 6:55 AM

It's always incredibly jarring for me to hear James Marsters speak with his natural American accent (especially when he has brown hair, too) - Spike is just too ingrained in my head.

Posted by: Jen K at June 14, 2011 7:23 AM

I'm glad Charlie Hunnam's accent hasn't changed too much. Me and my sister were always doing impressions of him back when he was in Queer as Folk, his accent is really unusual I'm not even sure which bit of England he's from.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiLRkG1kcPM
I'll never get used to Hugh Laurie's American accent. He was famous over here for so long before he bacame House, it still seems really fake to me. I loved him in Blackadder and A bit of Fry and Laurie. I hope he gets to be a Brit again at some point, in Street Kings he was doing his House accent too, it's been too long.
I remember Alan Dale from Neighbours (an Austrailan soap that used to be big in the UK) when I was a kid, and Ryan Kwanten from Home and Away. Both of their American accents are really convincing.

Posted by: Katie at June 14, 2011 7:42 AM

And they make Beeeeeeeeeeeeeel talk in that ridiculous fucking accent for the show? Dammit. Why couldn't they just get an actual Southerner who wouldn't make the character sound like an idiot?

Posted by: Figgy at June 14, 2011 7:57 AM

Yeah, I know Hugh Laurie best from Sense and Sensibility so it wouldn't surprise me.

Most of the people on this list I've never heard of, so they're not surprising either.

Posted by: kayla at June 14, 2011 8:52 AM

Anna Friel is amazing and I love her. In that clip alone, she transfers so smoothly from one accent to the other and back again.
Stephen Moyer's accent on True Blood is so laughable, but I've kind of gotten used to it.

Charlie Hunnam was ADORABLE on Queer as Folk. What a cutie.

Posted by: SassafrassGreen at June 14, 2011 9:06 AM

I think I am the only woman under the age of 75 who loves Paul O'Grady. I can't explain it. I just find him adorable as Paul or Lilly (the only exception being the Blankety Blank years). And he desperately needs to be a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Posted by: PaddyDog at June 14, 2011 9:23 AM

Anna Friel's natural accent makes me love her more. Choouk, indeed.

Posted by: Robert at June 14, 2011 9:49 AM

Dustin, I can't thank you enough for the accent-related posts! Accents/regional dialect/speech patterns and slang are where my where my inner anthropologist fan girl lives; I know I'm lame but I do so love when the topic comes up in conversation.

Although none of these came as a surprise, though I'd never heard Charlie speak outside of SoA. While his speech on the show has a moderate affect (due to his accent), I am shocked at how weak his accent actually is. If I were from Newcastle I'd just tell him to gtfo. Being an American, I'd like to tell him never to speak as if he's from Newcastle ever again, as it has a severe impact on his hotness.

Additionally, I don't ever want to see Alexander Skarsgård look like that ever again. The full extent of his creepiness was revealed and I don't know how how the Swedes could possibly fancy him over my Joely.

Fin.

Posted by: beet salad at June 14, 2011 9:51 AM

Oh, Jamie Bamber, how I love you. The first time I heard his natural accent I was completely thrown off. And charmed.

MM I don't get the Skarsgard love either. Can we share Lee Pace? Please?

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at June 14, 2011 9:55 AM

I think Charlie Hunnam is one of those people who absorbs accents really easily. When they had those terrible episodes in Belfast, he started to sound more Irish than American just by being around all the accents (and I don't think they were even in Belfast for real) and in an intreview I saw with him about Green Street Hooligans, his accent was much more Londonish. He probably speaks in the accent closest to wherever he is at time.
I can relate because I do the same thing and sometimes people think I am mimicking them but actually it's easier to slip into sounding like everyone around you in order to blend in....especially in the days when one didn't have a green card.

Posted by: PaddyDog at June 14, 2011 9:59 AM

@ Katie

Erm...wow. That clip of Charlie Hunnam completely blew my mind grapes.

Posted by: beet salad at June 14, 2011 10:04 AM

Also! I've been so full of Cersi hate that seeing Lena be so affable and just totally cute makes me feel a little less "Grr!" and a little more like I wouldn't punch her on the street if our paths ever crossed.

Lolerskates. No way, I'd never act like such a fool. I've got a good head on my shoulders. snort.

Posted by: beet salad at June 14, 2011 10:24 AM

People are surprised by Charlie Hunnam's accent? Didn't anyone watch Undeclared? Oh, right - that's why it was cancelled. By the way, Undeclared also starred a pre-movie Seth Rogan and Jason Segal had a recurring character.

I agree with whomever said James Marsters should be on this list. He guest-starred in one of the many many procedurals I watch (Wikipedia tells me it was Without a Trace) and I stared at him for about three episodes before I realized who he was. He sounds totally different and the hair and attitude difference from Spike makes him completely unrecognizable.

Posted by: Three-nineteen at June 14, 2011 10:27 AM

A bra-less Strahovski can speak with any accent. She could sound like Aunt Patty or Selma and she'd still be hot.

Posted by: logan at June 14, 2011 10:30 AM

Are these supposed to be turning me off? Because they're not. At all.

The most annoying voice was the girl doing the Idris Elba interview. Unpleasantly nasal. It's a good thing she's hot.

Of all the accents on Earth, Americans have some of the most unattractive ones. Of course, I have to hear them all the time, so I'm probably biased.

Posted by: Slash at June 14, 2011 10:50 AM

"Of all the accents on Earth, Americans have some of the most unattractive ones"

I take it you've never heard Greek women speaking then? Nails on a chalkboard.

Posted by: PaddyDog at June 14, 2011 10:55 AM

Nope, have not experienced women speaking Greek. Seriously, it can't be worse than the Chicago-area accent, or the Baw-ston accent or the Larry the Cable Guy-type accent.

Sorry, Boston, Chicago and rednecks.

Posted by: Slash at June 14, 2011 10:59 AM

So are there a bunch of hot American actors working in Australia doing fake Crocodile Dundee accents? Is there some sort of Hollywood/Sydney exchange program going on? Who do you have to trade to get an Anna Torv or Yvonne Strahovski?

BTW Hugh Laurie in "Jeeves and Wooster" FTW. A good-natured British dimwit who is the complete opposite of House. And you get Stephen Fry as well.

Posted by: Tranjo at June 14, 2011 11:03 AM

@Three-nineteen, I loooooooved Undeclared! Everyone was awesome in that show.

Also I feel really dense for not realising Charlie Hunnam is from Newcastle. He does not sound like a typical Geordie. He was seriously cute and wee in Queer as Folk.

I love that Anna Friel is so northern. That's what I sound like!

Posted by: Katie at June 14, 2011 11:32 AM

I love how Barrowman goes back & forth with the accent. I saw that on his "how did I become gay?" special (can't remember the name) and thought it was adorable how his accent changed the second he saw his mum.

Posted by: Captain Tuttle at June 14, 2011 11:43 AM

OMG, NERDY SKARSGÅRD!!!

You have made my life complete, Dustin Rowles.

Posted by: Cindy at June 14, 2011 11:46 AM

Is it wrong that Anna Friel's natural speaking voice makes me throw an instant boner?

Posted by: alone in the dark at June 14, 2011 11:49 AM

Also, that girl with Idris should be shot.

Posted by: Cindy at June 14, 2011 11:53 AM

I'm still a beginner but Alexander Skarsgård deff said "Tack så mycket" which means "thank you very much", so that was Swedish (my sister married a Swede and moved there, she would be so proud).

Posted by: Irina at June 14, 2011 12:25 PM

No Tennant? I was definitely shocked the first time I heard that brogue.

As for the rest, I can only claim to have known what Yvonne Strahovski sounds like because of Mass Effect 2, where her voice resides in a character with the best ass ever committed to pixels.

Posted by: Mario Speedwagon at June 14, 2011 12:38 PM

My crush level on Yvonne Strahovski just quadrupled. I love Aussie accents. That is all.

Posted by: Dante at June 14, 2011 12:45 PM

@MM you can count me in the club of People for Whom Askars Does Nothing. He does not offend, but he is just Meh...and this from a woman who quite possibly married her husband JUST for his swoony accent.

Moyer's accent is swoonworthy BIG TIME.

Charlie Hunnam... I only ever knew him from Nicholas Nickleby so the accent was not a surprise. He's got it so goin on, BTW...

Posted by: klingonfree at June 14, 2011 12:48 PM

MelBivDevoe,

Because you have one of my favorite handles ever, and because I enjoy your comments immensely, we can definitely share Lee Pace. Would you like to time-share him, or should we make him the meat in our sandwich? I'm fine with either.

Posted by: MM at June 14, 2011 1:54 PM

@Captain Tuttle

"The Making Of Me!"

Posted by: Holly at June 14, 2011 2:16 PM

Charlie Hunnam - DAMN, I don't know! But you're more than welcome to drop by my place and explain it to me.
Joel Kimmerman - sheer perfection, I watched the whole interview, have no idea what it was about. Maybe I should watch it again...

Posted by: olga at June 14, 2011 2:46 PM

Well hot damn, Wysocki's Australian! Had no idea.

Posted by: K at June 14, 2011 2:48 PM

Lena Headey makes me bi-curious. God, she's gorgeous.

Posted by: snapnhiss at June 14, 2011 3:36 PM

Haha, I might be in the mood for a sandwich, MM!

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at June 14, 2011 3:52 PM

Jamie Bamber, you get back in my pocket this instant! (So cute!)

John Barrowman did just trip me out a bit. It does make him cuter. Nothing, however, can make Lee Pace any cuter, tho.

Too bad my delicious tv boyfriend Alex O'Loughlin didn't make the list with his Aussie accent. It's lovely.

And I would love to see The Statham and The Elba have a conversation together.

Posted by: ChickaBoom! at June 14, 2011 4:29 PM

I am really confused by the title of this list. I was expecting some wild and crazy accents and they're all just British or Australian. What about these accents would make your "hair stand on end"?

Posted by: Victoria at June 14, 2011 4:46 PM

Alexander Skarsgård's appearance made my hair rise more than his accent.

Man Lena Headey is so much hotter as a brunette than a blonde.

I hated that they cast her as Cersi on Game of Thrones because I've had the hots for her ever since Gossip.

Posted by: John W at June 14, 2011 9:54 PM

Umm... How could you forget Colin Farrell!?

Posted by: Gracie at June 15, 2011 1:24 PM

I'm still a beginner but Alexander Skarsgård deff said "Tack så mycket" which means "thank you very much", so that was Swedish (my sister married a Swede and moved there, she would be so proud).

Posted by: Irina at June 14, 2011 12:25 PM

I'm Swedish -- born and raised and still living here. I haven't seen Cuppen, but what I gather from that clip is that Skarsgård plays a German tourist who tosses out a (badly pronounced) polite line from a Deutsch-Svenska phrasebook. His geeky attire and mannerisms is also how many Swedes stereotypically envision German tourists.

Posted by: piedlourde at June 16, 2011 5:55 AM

I love how Idris is a proper Cockney. Moyer sounds a bit like my husband, an Essex boy who spends way too much time in America and around Americans.

Posted by: Shump76 at June 16, 2011 9:41 AM

I just found out today that Joe Jackson is a Brit. I never knew that, I thought he was American.

Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett do very good American accents for Aussies.

Posted by: kirbyjay at June 20, 2011 10:12 AM

Anna Torv does a seriously good job hiding her accent in Fringe.

Posted by: Famousworld at June 21, 2011 4:12 AM

When I read the title of this post I thought "Jamie Bamber has to be on this"...glad this didn't disappoint.

Posted by: Lodro at June 23, 2011 9:46 PM