Maria Doyle Kennedy's accent.

dlofnep

Did anyone notice that Maria Doyle's accent is a put on, fake Irish accent - as if it was an American person trying to mimic an Irish person? She's Irish - why does she need to put on an accent?

amacachi

From QI and elsewhere I've heard that often British actors have to be "taught" a British accent when they go to work in the US, yer one from Season 2 of Dexter said so as well, so I'd imagine it may well be the case for Irish actors as well.

EDIT: Also, hearing an accent you're used to but surrounded by another accent can be off-putting as well. For example when someone from Coronation Street or whatever go on TLLS their accent seems way stronger than it does when they're surrounded by similar accents.

Amtmann

dlofnep wrote: »

Did anyone notice that Maria Doyle's accent is a put on, fake Irish accent - as if it was an American person trying to mimic an Irish person? She's Irish - why does she need to put on an accent?

She's avoided using an aspirated T... other than that, I think it's okay.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i noticed it being a bit off too, but I have a thing for Irish actors on american television just can't take them seriously. That doyle fella in angel was the same for me, he may have been a great actor but his accent just grated on me.
weirdly the same doesn't happen for cillian murphy.

allprops

Have you heard her Spanish one from the Tudors ? Not since allo allo have accents been so bad.

pwd

Stereotyped inauthentic accent for stereotyped inauthentic character.
Americans might have trouble understanding a northside dublin accent.

Stark

The first thing I thought was she sounded incredibly creepy. Like the Rachel Allen of babysitters.

niallk

Remember, Aidan Gillen in the Wire? Worst accent by an Irish actor ever. I couldn't pay attention to a word he said. I think there has to be more to MDK's character. How could she turn down the Commitments reunion to be a nanny?

syklops

amacachi wrote: »

From QI and elsewhere I've heard that often British actors have to be "taught" a British accent when they go to work in the US, yer one from Season 2 of Dexter said so as well, so I'd imagine it may well be the case for Irish actors as well.

That unfortunately is it. American producers and directors, for the most part, have only heard Irish accents from other American movies. The ones who have heard real authentic irish accents know that probably 90% of their target audience have not heard genuine irish accents, so they train their actors, even the genuine Irish ones a sort of bastardized, american quant old "sure isnt it a fine morning" kind of accent. I am sure the following dialogue is a regualr scene upon the set of movies and series that require Irish actors.

Maria(to Director): "Hows it goin?"
Director: "Im fine, thank you. Now lets see if we can do this in one take... rolling"
Maria:"Ah isn't he a lovely baby"
Director:"CUT! Hey irish girl, what the hell was that? We want an OIRISH accent"
Maria:"That was my own standard Clontarf accent. Do you want it more inner city?"
Director:"Er, yeah, try that.. rolling"
Maria:"Jaysus isnt it a fine baby altogether. He'll be a roi-ad when he's older so he will, d'you know whatta me-an?"
Director:"Cut! Go and watch some Irish actors at work and come back when you have a decent OIRISH accent. Like Darby O'Gill and the little Peeple, or The episode of Murder, She wrote where she is in Oireland, or that epic Irish movie about the Leprechaun, er, The Leprechaun!

Moro Man

niallk wrote: »

Remember, Aidan Gillen in the Wire? Worst accent by an Irish actor ever. I couldn't pay attention to a word he said. I think there has to be more to MDK's character. How could she turn down the Commitments reunion to be a nanny?

That's probably because he was playing an Italian-American

niallk

Moro Man wrote: »

That's probably because he was playing an Italian-American

What's your point, genius?

Vicxas

The irish accent is very strong and sometimes hard to follow, so they tell people to go with that god awful accent you see in alot of the american shows. you guys ever watch Sons of Anarchy, the accents in that are cringe worthy