As John Cusack once brilliantly said in Say Anything: YOU MUST CHILL!!!!
Below is a scene from 2011's Camelot on Starz. (Yes, Starz.)
It was cast by Gillian Reynolds Casting. In Ireland. Who was cast? Let's review:
It was cast by Gillian Reynolds Casting. In Ireland. Who was cast? Let's review:
OK so let's review. Starz series...cast by Gillian Reynolds...in Ireland.
Hmmm. Let's take a looksee:
Hmmm. Let's take a looksee:
And you know what? SO WHAT if some of the actors end up being Irish?? They're ACTORS. That's what they do. Would you rather they hit up Hollywood and get Emma Stone and Tatum Channing? Lorddddd no! (NOT that I don't love both of them...but I'm making a point.)
And you know what else? I'M IRISH! So knock it off! ;)
So I was feeling a little better thinking about the Irish Liam Neeson as Rob Roy. But then, Mike Gibb (you know, the Scottish guy that wrote Outlander-The Musical) had to ruin it for me by telling me that Liam sounded too Irish in parts of that movie. If Liam Neeson can't get the accent right, who can (other than a real Scot)? You know, on this side of the pond we probably wouldn't notice if the accents aren't perfect. But don't we want it to be as authentic as possible? I don't want all the Scots laughing at us dumb Americans for liking this show if the accents are shite, ye ken? All that said, I'm sure that they will audition some real Scots. Just because they are based in Ireland and have started auditioning there, doesn't mean anything about the actors they are auditioning.
ReplyDeleteSing it sistar!
ReplyDeleteIt will be ok. It will be ok. It will be ok. Just keep saying that.
OK... let me also chime in on the accent thing - as a Southerner I can *always* tell a 'fake' southern accent from a real one. Hello, Kyra Sedgwick on The Closer? (I have friends here who absolutely refused to watch the show because she was so awful... and by 'she' in this case I mean her accent. I'm not even gonna talk about her acting skills. Or her lips. That's another thread altogether, I think - right Carol?) On the other hand, I've heard people do an extremely good 'fake' accent as well - Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain - totally spot-on. So, yes, it *is* possible, given a good actor and a proper voice coach, to pull it off. Just sayin...
ReplyDeleteI'm not a stickler for details, I just like to be engrossed by shows. If they don't have the "dinnas" or the "guid on ye" spot on, I'm not going to care.... because I will be looking at highlanders with broadswords come to life!
ReplyDeleteCamelot, while it definitely wasn't "our mother's Camelot" was beautifully executed (scenery, costumes, music, quality acting) and well cast. I was truly sad to see it end. But the cast was pricey.
Well, I take part of above back, the "Mmmphms" must be spot on.
;)
-Stacey
(West Coast)
To be a fly on the wall during that casting! Can you imagine all the gorgeous actors reading for Jamie? Sigh. Really, I'm not a stickler for film adaptations following the books 100%. It's not like I'm watching to see what they did and didn't put on film; I'm watching because I love the story. I can't wait to see how the adaptation plays out. Can. Not. WAIT. Eva Green has a bit of a Malva Christie look about her, aye?
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ginny - it will be OK, and having an aneurysm about it between now and when their casting choices are announced will have no effect on the outcome. They'll either nail it or blow it and I'm visualizing them nailing it!
ReplyDeleteAs a kindasorta part time nonprofessional actor (re: community theater, LOL), the whole "whoever plays JAMMF MUST be Scottish" thing really gets under my craw. Look: a good actor is a good actor. What would have happened if someone had been like, "Sorry Meryl--you're really talented and all, but since you're a Yank, we're not going to consider you for the role of Maggie Thatcher." Or "Yeah, Russell, this whole Beautiful Mind thing really isn't up your alley, given that you're a Brit and that math dude is from New Jersey." Or, "OMG Peter Dinklage, you're exactly what we need! You're hire--WAIT, what??? You're an American? Not gonna work--Tyrion Lannister is--well, he's not British, but he needs a British accent, so be gone with you." One more exhibit--anyone watch Homeland? Y'all realize that the actor who plays Brody is British, right? And Jason Stackhouse from True Blood is an Aussie? And Anna Paquin from the same show is from New Zealand. And Bill Compton is British. And Eric Northman in Norwegian (I think).
ReplyDeleteI could go on and on but the point is this: THESE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS. IT WILL BE OK. And if they go with a JAMMF who doesn't bleed whisk(no e)y, there's a really large chance that the decision won't suck. Really. Truly.
I leave you with this little anecdote: years ago, my lil Italian Irish Catholic azz played a Polish Holocaust survivor in a local production of a play called A Shayna Maidel. My Yiddish accent rocked, if I do say so myself. Sometime after that, I was on a local cable show to promote some other play I was doing, and the host happened to be looking through my credits and was like, "A Shayna Maidel? With a name like Randinelli?" And I looked him straight in the eye and said--with the camera rolling--"Um, it's called ACTING."
It'll all be ok.
I am looking for the 'like' button. :D
DeleteYou're absolutely right- the only thing that matters is the end result. After all, they filmed the recent "Hatfield & McCoys" miniseries in Croatia, if I remember correctly. And they used actors of many different countries, but I will tell you that, as a native West Virginian, they had the accents spot-on. It doesn't matter if they cull the actors from Mars as long as they can play the parts!
ReplyDeleteKeep
ReplyDeleteCalm
and
Dinna Fash
Sassenach
This has been my mantra, truth is they will never cast MY Jamie. If I could pull a Weird Science experiment to create him I would. (and wouldn't share him with anyone... LOL)
Going through the same issue with my Christian Grey. Just not a Bomer advocate, but that's a whole different issue.