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What's the deal with the British accent? I gotta problem...


J0nny Ling0
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Jonny Lingo:

"Jean Luc Picard", a decidedly French name, but with a very nice, what is it Tref, a Scottish accent?"

I once worked for a guy: Pierre Flores. French first name, Spanish last name, he is a British Citizen [born and raised in the UK], and when I knew him a senior chief in the US Navy, serving in Italy.

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Jean Luc does indeed have a classic RADA cultured accent. Why is a good question especially as I seem to remember a scene with his mother who speaks with a French accent.

No it's not a scottish accent Jonny though I expect Mr Stewart can do one, unlike "Scotty" (James Doohan) lol wink2.gif;)-->

In fact several TNG cast members are Brits but they try to speak "merykan" icon_biggrin.gif:D--> .

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So Trefor,

just what exactly is RADA? Is that an acronym for something? Enlighten me please...

And Galen,

I can certainly see that in real life, but if the Next Generation bunch decided that the Captain of the Enterprise would have a very French sounding French name, then why the proper or RADa British accent?

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quote:
Jean Luc does indeed have a classic RADA cultured accent. Why is a good question especially as I seem to remember a scene with his mother who speaks with a French accent.

Yup, sho nuff, and he called her "maman" (mah-maw, roughly) which is French for mama.

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I had always assumed that most European folks who learned the English language would automatically learn it with a British accent, because of the nearness and colonialism of the Brits. I mean, before the world became the small place it is now, with everyone getting media from everyone else. I've met folks from India, Africa, etc. who certainly speak with a British accent. Am I wrong in my assumption?

Funny, I never noticed the different accents thing in STNG... didn't Jean Luc's brother have a French accent as well? I guess I have learned to expect a mix of accents in my movies. And I'd DEFINATELY rather listen to the wrong accent than a badly done one (aka Harrison Ford, etc.)

Does anyone know if Patrick Stewart's (Jean Luc) accent is natural or learned? I know he was trained as a Shakespearian performer. He may be one of those people who just don't have an ear for different accents. I can't remember ever seeing him in anything where he didn't sound like himself.

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I think we're confusing things with Harrison Ford:

Harrison Ford was TRYING to do a bad accent, and he succeeded. Indiana Jones (the character, not the actor) was TRYING to do a good accent, and failed. I don't fault Harrison Ford on that one. He did exactly what he was supposed to do.

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quote:
Originally posted by Trefor Heywood:

Jean Luc does indeed have a classic RADA cultured accent. Why is a good question especially as I seem to remember a scene with his mother who speaks with a French accent.

I saw an episode where he returned to France to see his brother who had a winery, where he considered quitting as captain or something.

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That was the point I was trying to make here, Raf...

quote:
Originally posted by WordWolf:

quote:
Originally posted by Trefor Heywood:

And Harrison's absolutely terrible Scottish accent when in Last Crusade when he enters the German castle! banghead.gif

But that was the POINT. He was faking an accent he didn't have, and

trying to pass for Scottish-unsuccessfully.

I bet Ford can do a CONVINCING Scottish accent when he wants to,

and had to practice doing a BAD one.

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WW,

I understand, but since you wrote that, Tref countered and Highway's comment seemed to kind of presume that the actor tried for a good accent. So I tried to clarify between the character and the actor. But yes, in essence, I did repeat what you already writed.

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I would have no problem understanding Patrick Stewart doing a Yorkshire accent and I can tell the world of diffence between an Indian English Accent and an African one just as maybe we don't get all the subtle nuances between American accents unless they are really blatently different.

I would find it strange that an actor like Harrison Ford would not try do do his character justice by doing a real as opposed to fake accent - guess we will have to wait for his next "kilted" performance! icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

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quote:
I would find it strange that an actor like Harrison Ford would not try do do his character justice by doing a real as opposed to fake accent - guess we will have to wait for his next "kilted" performance!

Simple: If you're playing a character who can't speak with a Scottish accent, then you have to botch the Scottish accent. It's not that he's NOT doing his character justice. It's precisely the opposite. If I were to play someone who's never spoken Spanish before, but in playing that person, I spoke Spanish with ease and fluidity, I would NOT be doing that character justice. I would have to intentionally botch my Spanish in order to do the character justice, even though my Spanish accent is pretty good (vocabulary and grammar could use some help, but I know how it's supposed to sound).

Clearer?

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It's one of those legends based upon the ancient highlanders and thier feile mhath (great kilt one piece plaid) and the modern feile beagh (little kilt which covers the loins only and is already pleated). I believe the tradition is still enforced in Scottish regiments but with everyone else you end up guessing! icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

(unless you know them well anyway)

Raf - if you have seen the Young Indiana Jones chronicles you will know that Indy is multi lingual and can speak each tongue with a perfect accent and diction. Somehow that kind of militates against your argument, although I can understand your reasoning, icon_razz.gif:P-->

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You are correct: that weakens my argument. However, you presume that producers and directors are consistent with their material. Sometimes they forget (for example, Khan never met Chekhov, but that didn't stop him from remembering Chekhov in Star Trek II; speaking of Star Trek II, Saavik, a Vulcan, cries at Spock's funeral).

You may be right in that the Indiana Jones character should have done a fine job; but someone forgot to tell Spielberg and Ford. They played the scene for laughs, continuity be damned.

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quote:
Originally posted by Raf:

speaking of Star Trek II, Saavik, a Vulcan, cries at Spock's funeral).

Raf, I believe according to Trek canon (and the Trek experts can correct me if I'm wrong) Saavik is half-Romulan and spent some of her childhood in a rather harsh non-Vulcan setting, so she might not feel completely bound to the emotion-suppressing disciplines.

And neither of her two incarnations had a British accent (had to re-rail this somehow! icon_smile.gif:)--> )

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Kev,

That was a CYA for the blunder of having her cry. There's just nothing in the movie whatsoever to lead anyone to think she's anything but Vulcan, and nothing in any subsequent movie to address it. It was a blunder, pure and simple.

Pip pip!

Correction: I learned I was mistaken. There was a line of dialogue cut from STII establishing that Saavik was half-Romulan. Even though it was cut, it established that the producers did have this information. I still think it's a blunder, but there's evidence I was wrong.

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Just because Chekov isn't shown in Space Seed doesn't mean he wasn't on the Enterprise at the time and that he didn't therefore encounter Khan "offscreen." You don't see some of the leading characters in every episode do you? confused.gif

And Vulcans are capable of emotion even if they seek to suppress it with logic as even Sarek admits.

I read an interesting book about the bloopers and errors of every single episode of the original series - and boy do you have to be quick to actually spot some of them! wave.gif:wave:-->

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All HAIL to Trefor!

Long live the biggest geek here on GSC (that I know of...)

(I mean, you READ a BOOK about ST blunders... good grief....)

(Now if you tell me you own Leonard Nemoy's record album where he does the song about the Bilbo, I'll really be impressed!)

Here! Here! Ol' Chap!

Dal ati!, Daliwch ati!

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