I remember a movie scene in which a teenager/early-twenties woman is in a car with a "bad boy" type of guy. She reaches for her purse and he asks what she is doing, in a "no sudden moves" tone (that a kidnapper would use). She says "I was going to offer you some gum." I saw this in the early 2000s, so it's at least that old. I thought it was "Freeway" (1997, with Reese Witherspoon), but I just watched that and it's not. Thank you for any guesses.
Azalea
17th Jul 2024
General questions
9th Jun 2024
General questions
Is there a general reason why American actors are chosen for starring roles as British characters, or vice versa? I've read about Renée Zellweger working at a British publishing firm to prepare for the Bridget Jones movie. Andrew Lincoln played a Southern US man on "The Walking Dead" for several years. Natalie Portman hired a coach to help her prepare for playing Anne Boleyn. With all due respect to them, would it not be easier to simply use an actual British or American actor?
Answer: Working Title Films tried for years to raise the finance to make "Bridget Jones' Diary", but nobody was interested, even with Rachel Weisz and later Kate Winslet attached as Bridget. Then one day Renée Zellweger signed on and Miramax and Universal threw money at them. This explains the many jarring Americanisms in the film, sops to the film's US financiers.
Answer: Would add to the other answers that it's typical when casting a movie there are usually multiple actors considered for a main role. Movies are a huge and risky financial investment, so for a big-budget film, it's usually a small pool of bankable A-list actors that are considered, regardless of their nationality. In the case of Bridget Jones' Diary, Helena Bonham-Carter, Cate Blanchett, Emily Watson, Rachel Weisz, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Toni Collette were considered. Some were already tied to other projects, Winslet was ultimately considered too young, Weisz was too pretty, and so on before producers landed on Zellweger. I also suspect some of these well-known actresses balked at playing a slightly overweight character that would have required them gaining weight for the role. Zellweger put on 20 lbs. To pay Bridget.
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Answer: Why "easier"? If an actor can do the right accent and is the best fit for the role, there's no great hardship in someone traveling for work and changing their voice. It's not like they're hiring someone with a completely inappropriate physical look that will involve hours in makeup every day. If the best person for the role happens to be a different nationality, far better to get them to do an accent and make the movie better, rather than hiring someone with the right natural accent but who isn't actually as good a fit. Producers and directors and casting directors don't owe it to actors of either nationality to give them work, their job is to find the best person for the film they're making.
Jon Sandys ★
Why the snappy response? This is why people are afraid to ask questions.
Azalea
What was "snappy"? You used the word easier, I asked why. I didn't accuse you of implying anyone was owed work, I was just stating that as a fact. Slightly odd you'd reply "thank you for your comment" then later come back with your own "snappy" response, when I just answered the question you asked. No evidence anyone's afraid to ask question either - they get asked here all the time.
Jon Sandys ★
By "easier", I only meant that some of the preparation work might have been skipped by choosing someone who is already American or British. Also, I did not mean to imply that any actors are "owed" work. They're not. I was only curious about why actors are chosen for such roles. Thank you for your comment.
Azalea
Even actors playing someone of their own nationality often have to work with a dialect coach to perfect a regional accent. An American actor who grew up on the West Coast does not speak the same as someone from New England, the Mid-West, the South, Texas, New York, etc. The same for British actors as there are many regional accents and dialects they may have to master.
raywest ★