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A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald 14/6/2009
Americans are notorious for their ignorance of world geography. But it would seem that the screenwriters of Hollywood, whose careers depend on knowing what their audience can and cannot understand, have decided that Australia is now part of the cultural literacy of America. Consider this evidence:

1. In the season final of House last month, Jesse Spencer, the Melbourne-born actor who plays the surgeon Robert Chase, offered this vision of a tenth wedding anniversary to the girl he's going to marry: "Three kids -- they spend their summers in Melbourne and have annoying accents. It's disgusting how happy we are." Nobody felt any need to explain what or where Melbourne was.

2. In the trailer for a new drama series called The Deep End, Ben Lawson, the Brisbane-born actor who plays lawyer Liam Priory, says this when his colleagues enter his office and discover him in his underpants: "Don't you bloody knock? My office, mate. Sorry about the wedding tackle. I was just getting changed for court." Lawson's character was British in the pilot episode, but has been rewritten as an Australian-born Cambridge graduate.

3. In an episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles shown on Fox8 two weeks ago, Stephanie Jacobsen, the Hong Kong born and Sydney educated actress who plays future warrior Jesse Flores, told an American comrade that in Perth she had been eating rabbits. When he asks "Rabbits? I thought Australia was all wombats and wallabies and stuff", Jesse replies: "No. Some wacker brought them over in the 1800s and we've been overrun with them ever since. We tried everything to kill the things. In the 1950s we even introduced a virus to wipe them out. Ten years later Australia was up to its eyeballs in rabbits again."

Her short history of the rabbit plague served as a useful metaphor for the way human beings introduced robots to the earth and then lost control of them - which is the central theme of the Terminator series.

These three occurrences are not coincidence. They suggest that finally Hollywood has decided to let Australians be Australian.

Gone are the days when Perth-born Melissa George needed to sound American to be a spy in Alias, a patient in In Treatment and a bisexual intern in Grey's Anatomy; when Launceston-born Simon Baker had to adopt an American accent to become The Mentalist; when Brisbane-born Miranda Otto and Perth-born Frances O'Connor needed American accents to play lustful businesswomen in Cashmere Mafia; when Adelaide-born Anthony LaPaglia and Sydney-born Poppy Montgomery had to speak American to be cops in Without A Trace and when Rupert Murdoch's Melbourne-born niece Anna Torv had to speak American to be a cop in Fringe; and, going back much further, when the voices of American actors had to be dubbed over the Australian accents in the original Mad Max movie.

We must pay tribute to three pioneers who helped transform the prevailing attitude: Olivia Newton-John, whose Sandy in Grease (1978) was a highschooler who happened to be Australian; Heath Ledger, whose Patrick in Ten Things I Hate About You (1999) was a highschooler who happened to be Australian; and Geoffrey Rush, whose Donovan in Intolerable Cruelty (2003) was a soap opera producer who happened to be Australian.

There's a way to go yet. Can you think of any international movie in which Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Nicole Kidman, Eric Bana, Toni Colette, Russell Crowe, Abbie Cornish or Hugh Jackman were able to speak with their normal accents? From now on, they might.

Go to Comments to discuss other Australian pioneers.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Nice that Aussie actors can keep their accents in present day television shows but it should be noted that thespians such as LaPaglia, Torv, and George (to name a few) were trying out for roles that are written as specifically American (which those actors KNEW those particular roles were created to be Yank parts), therefore the Aussie accent wouldn't do. As for Americans' lack of geographical awareness, it's not a uniquely American trait...I've found people from the world over are ignorant when it comes to the correct location or whatnot of certain landmarks and cities on our part of the planet that we all believe everyone SHOULD know. With the internet ever available and at our fingertips, I think people will become more culturally (and geographically) aware as time goes on. Give it a little time. Cheers.

by Jenni on June 14, 2009 at 12:30 AM

Most of the internationally recognized actors you mentioned have played Australians in films that had worldwide releases. Doesn't that count for something?

by Keren on June 14, 2009 at 02:23 AM

Didn't Rusty Crowe speak strine in "Proof of Meg Ryan"? He was even called Terry.

by Fabulon on June 14, 2009 at 04:01 AM

I wish the same would happen for Canada. About a quarter of Hollywood movies are made, at least in part, in Canadian locales using Canadian actors and crew. The audiences think the Canadian scenes are actally American.

by realityseeker on June 14, 2009 at 04:13 AM

I always thought that Eric Bana's Hector in Troy would have been a whole lot more believeable if he had been an Aussie backpacker caught up in a fight between two blokes over a hot chick!

by Fearless Phil on June 14, 2009 at 04:52 AM

I lived in California for 10 years, and constantly had to speak "american" to be understood - moreso in conversation with Hispanic people who really had trouble with the Aussie accent. And if they could actually understand my words, half the time they couldn't understand my meaning...

by tim on June 14, 2009 at 05:34 AM

The upcoming movie (will be released in US July 31st 2009) "Funny People" starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen has Eric Bana playing an Australian comedian. Bana mentioned that he decided to make his character an Australian so he could improvise more.

by Aras on June 14, 2009 at 05:39 AM

You forgot one of the earliest pioneers, Rick Springfield as the character Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama General Hospital.

by janama on June 14, 2009 at 05:40 AM

I hope you're right, David when you say Hollywood may let Australians speak Australian. I'm American and I love the Aussie accent. I think it's awful that actors have to lose their accent. I happen to thinks that's part of the Australian charm.

by californiagirl on June 14, 2009 at 06:57 AM

The other thing that no one has mentioned is that we Aussies, knowing an actor is also an Aussie have heard the "American" accent slip on occasions. Probably wouldn't be noticed by the Americans but it's easy to spot sometimes by we Aussies.
I also have to agree about the geographical NON awareness of certain people. Many years ago a friend of mine went to the USA and stayed in a motel in LA California. She was talking to a few of the locals and happened to mention that she was from Sydney. They asked her what side of California that was on???

by Dee on June 14, 2009 at 07:55 AM

I'm an Australian author with a predominately American readership. I have had to constantly argue with my American editor to keep my Aussie heroes and heroines speaking and behaving like Aussies. (In one novel I had to change K-Mart for Wal-Mart which irked me to no end).
I'm glad we Aussies are finally getting recognised in Hollywood. Hopefully this means less arguing for me with my editors and publishers

by Lexxie Couper on June 14, 2009 at 08:14 AM

With all the high profile Aussie actors mentioned, it would be interesting to know how many Americans even realise they are not American. I'm from Wales originally and used to flat-share with 2 American girls and I remember one night having an argument with them debating over whether or not Tom Jones was from America. Nothing I could say would convince them he was from Wales.

by Jono on June 14, 2009 at 08:53 AM

Thought Russell kept the accent on Gladiator...?

DD replies: More English, I thought.

by an on June 14, 2009 at 09:56 AM

I'm born and raised in LA and I want to say Australian accents and slang sound so amazing to me. I would love to hear more of it in movies and on TV. As for many of the prominant Aussie actors mentioned, I'm sorry to say I didn't know many of them were Australian as we rarely get to hear their accents unless they make an apearance on one of the late night talk shows, etc. Hollywood might be a little slow, but hopfully it will continue in the direction mentioned hear.
Also, geographically challenged people exist everywhere.

by LA Woman on June 14, 2009 at 10:07 AM

It was funny last year when I was waiting for a bus in Honolulu. 2 pretty girls walked up, and I immediately asked "Are you 2 Australian?" They were shocked, and said I was the first person who didn't ask if they were British. Americans are so bad and parochial, I told an employee from New York once who was living in Texas and complaining that all the Texans hated him, to simply say that he was from Vermont. Not New York. Which is only 2 hours away. The reason is that most Texans have no clue about any geography except their home state. One idiot asked if Vermont was near Iowa, a thousand miles away. You have the most beautiful country in the world, Aussies....

by Robert Duggan on June 14, 2009 at 10:18 AM

I think we've finally got the attention of the teacher when Americans play Australians and take the piss out of them like Robert Downey Jr in "Tropic Thunder" - "a dude playing a dude who's playing another dude" - I assume this was a tribute to Russell Crowe!

by Once-a-traveller on June 14, 2009 at 10:22 AM

Whenever I hear an Aussie accent on TV, I search for who said it. I first noticed Australian accents in movie and TV Sci-Fi, I suppose the aussie accent was alien enough to be credible. I would offer actress Claudia Black and the Aussie made TV series Farscape as vanguards as well. They gave global sci-fi audiences weekly doses of aussie accent for four seasons and a movie. One thing I really notice is a fake Aussie accent and I often wonder if the americans can detect when our actors put on a yank accent?

by Private Citizen on June 14, 2009 at 10:25 AM

I do recall Rusty speaking in "oz" in gladiator......a refined version of our accent, but our accent nontheless.

by Andrew on June 14, 2009 at 10:25 AM

It will however be a long journey. I recall standing in line at Universal Studios waiting for an attraction chatting to a German collegue. A guy who confessed later at being an actor who had done a little work in Australia asked me if my accent was from South Carolina.....i told him that I was from further south....
The accent is just not ofter heard in the USA so becomes hard to distinguish.

by Andrew on June 14, 2009 at 10:30 AM

I recently saw Errol Flynn in a (I think 1936) movie Four's a Crowd" and he used his Australian accent, in fact I think he hardly ever DIDN'T do so.

by Hannah Houston on June 14, 2009 at 10:42 AM

See the trailer for Eric Bana's new movie Funny People also starring Adam Sandler and Seth Roger. That character is as Australian as you can get, he even has St.Kilda merchandise hanging on the wall.

by Robert on June 14, 2009 at 10:48 AM

i am an teenage expat living in Beijing and still none of the students at my international school understand me. i have now unintentionally adopted an American/British accent and have discovered i am now taken a lot more seriously. love heath ledger in 10 things i hate about you!

by m on June 14, 2009 at 11:14 AM

I am an Australian comedian and actor living in LA and people love my accent over here, I perform in sketch comedy and improv shows here and I have played all sorts of roles with an Australian accent, they love it. oh and most Americans know way more about Australia than you'd expect

by David on June 14, 2009 at 11:18 AM

Crowe didn't have to change his accent in Gladiator. Some US audience found him hard to understand. But, I guess the director kept everyone's native accents to emphasize the extend of the Roman empire.

by pacpac on June 14, 2009 at 01:05 PM

Just stop "The Simpsons" from doing Australian accents. It's AWFUL!!!!!

by Mintpatty on June 14, 2009 at 01:14 PM

I actually thought that Russell Crowe's character in 2000's Proof of Life was one of the groundbreaking roles in this respect. Here's what IMDB says about it:
In a mountainous South American country, drug-dealing rebels kidnap Peter Bowman, a US engineer who works for an oil company's subsidiary. The company calls in a negotiator, Terry Thorne, an Aussie ex-soldier based in London.

by Bear on June 14, 2009 at 01:33 PM

You're dreaming aren't you? Your paragraph starting with 'Gone are the days' is rubbish - they are all current shows! More to the point is the farcical scene at the start of Frost/Nixon where the execrable fake caricature accent beloved of poms filmmakers in the 60's is employed - with all the Aussie talent that you have listed, they could not find a genuine Australian for a short, genuine Australian part. Pffft!

by Grant on June 14, 2009 at 02:21 PM

fairbloodydinkum!....and it's a bout time we got in some new aussie actors....every time a new show or movie comes out..it's all the same actors each time....little bit hohum chaps...

by fairbloodydinkum on June 14, 2009 at 02:46 PM

Seems we've already forgotten Bryan Brown, who always spoke Australian and who in F/X (1986) when ask where the best pizzas were from answered "Bondi, but that was a bit too far".

by Paul on June 14, 2009 at 03:06 PM

Rusty, Nic, Eric et al could refuse to sound American and fight it out for all those Aussie roles in mainstream American films and TV, but I think they'd be working a little less.

Is it unreasonable to expect American TV to contain mostly Americans? It's not like we're any different: I don't think we'll even let an American run a telco for quite a while, let alone be in a drama.

by pg on June 14, 2009 at 03:50 PM

Ah but you forget - Hugh Jackman got to speak Australian in what other movie but "Australia"

by CP on June 14, 2009 at 04:03 PM

When we comment that we'd like to hear more Australian being spoken, of course we mean Australian English in all its splendour, not the excruciating rendition from the Simpsons. We may hear the almost natural rolled American "rs" from our bevy of successful actors in Hollywood, but listen attentively and you can't miss those lengthened vowel sounds that are so much a part of us. You can put the Hughs, Erics, Poppies etc in Hollywood, but deep down, we know where they've come from. It's when actors give up their Oz accents in real life that irks me.

by enide on June 14, 2009 at 04:06 PM

Sort of off-topic, biut the rabbit reference in "Sarah Connor" was actually a metaphor for how resilient humans were because the cyborgs had introduced a virus to wipe them out. The humans found a cure and continued the fight.

by Yuri on June 14, 2009 at 04:08 PM

This may be slightly off to the side - topic wise, but Britain certainly hasn't changed in it's attitude to our actors. Friday night's episode of "Silent Witness" included a story line about Aussies on gap year in the UK. The accents ranged from NZ to South African. The only Aussie sound came from the actor playing the dead girl's mum. If they can't find Australian actors in Britain (WTF) then at least get the accent right.

by Christine on June 14, 2009 at 04:11 PM

I've lived in the US for a while and have noticed the recent rise in Aussie actors, however I don't really think there's been an increase in parts written for Aussies any more so than American TV and movies are generally more international these days, both in terms of content and global marketing. A good example is 'Lost' which has an Aussie as well as many nationalities.
Some other notable Aussies on TV are the Wiggles, the Koala Brothers, the Saddle Club, and of course the late Steve Irwin - in many ways kids TV in the US has been far beyond adult TV for many years in terms of the number of Aussie accents.
There's also several other examples of Aussie accents being 'allowed' to stay as parts of characters, Naomi Watts in Tank Girl, a few characters in Matrix triology, as mentioned Farscape, also Kiwi in Star Wars' Jango Fett and hence all the clone troopers - since you're including Russell Crowe I figure this deserves a mention.
Interestingly, I think female Aussie actors have had better success at doing American accents than their male counterparts. Lapaglia cannot hide his neither can Weaving in the Matrix - although its hard to say what he was trying to sound like in that one. But he redeemed himself with a great Elfin accent in LOTR.
Lastly, one funny thing you see is some Aussie TV personalities keep their accents in promo work and others don't. But when they do lose the American, they still speak with excellent Commonwealth elocution - otherwise the yanks just wouldn't understand.

by Nathan on June 14, 2009 at 04:11 PM

I'm glad they're finally catching on to our Aussie vernacular! Bout time too!
Does it grate on anyone else when they watch a show with an Aussie in it and their accent is so changed that you can't tell where they're from - they just sound deadset weird! Nicole Kidman always sounds fake no matter what accent she's trying on for size, including ours! And that guy who's in packed to the rafters -the husband - his accent drives me barmy - it's kind of Ameribritzealssie. I hate it so much, I can't bear to watch any of the shows he's in. Awful! The Aussie accent is beautiful simply for it's uniqueness. So glad we don't have to pretend to be yanks anymore :-)

by Juliet on June 14, 2009 at 04:22 PM

sorry guys.....in all my travels so far, i found americans to be by far the most globally ignorant. individually?....lovely lovely people.... collectively? idiots....
example - in paris not too long ago, the yha i staying at, was in the centre of a residential district with all sorts of fabulous local crepe bars, cafes and kebab shops all around. when i asked the 2 californian sisters in my room (wearing matching pink jumpsuits saying paris) where to get some dinner they said there was nowhere around and had been eating a macca's! sweetest girls, but both school teachers and even admitted themselves they knew nothing of the world generally. seems they weren't too willing to explore it either??

by max on June 14, 2009 at 04:39 PM

Get over yourself Aussies. The Americans think you guys sounds like Kiwis first and foremost. Kiwis sound better than the ocker you aussies speak. Cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it!

by Kiwi Jim on June 14, 2009 at 05:14 PM

Regarding the geographical and cultural awareness of Americans, I think that this is compounded by
1. A lack of publicly-funded public broadcasters � thereby driving national interest (and therefore ratings) in whatever is being reported on the news
2. The sheer size of the US media market
and the resultant fact that other countries just don�t rate as a result.
And we are not immune to this here in Oz.
Regarding point 1, just look at any news report about any disaster in the world along the lines of �2 Australians were slightly injured in the earthquake that killed 30,000 in nation x�
Regarding point 2, I challenge any Australian to name any detail of our South Pacific neighbours � such as, say, the capital city of the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu.
I have lived for short periods in the US (up to 3 months) and find that if I slow my speech down a wee bit and use the vocabulary of US English (cellphones, pavements, ER rooms, &c) then things are clear. After all, I *am* in their country.

by Redmond Herring on June 14, 2009 at 05:26 PM

"Americans are notorious for their ignorance of world geography"
Agreed, but there are one or two around here that could do with a little more education

by jAYbEE on June 14, 2009 at 06:00 PM

I think the media is forgetting that these Australian actors had to leave Australia to gain recognition and support for their years of hard work. The media is happy to claim them as Australia's own when it suits them, and in this case, complain about the US film (and arts) community, but when it comes to supporting them developing their careers, forget it. The support they, and other artists receive here, is pathetic.

by Anon. on June 14, 2009 at 06:28 PM

Does it not strike you that actors should speak in the accent of the part they play?
It is not a right to speak your own accent in a movie, you are merely playing a part. Pretty simple to me. Why would you bother writing an article about this?

DD replies Just to annoy you, I suppose.

by Todd on June 14, 2009 at 07:04 PM

Which begs the question: why? Really. As an American ex-pat, Aussie citizen, it is bewildering to see Aussie actors put-on Yank accents (which they do better than anyone in the world) in film, but then also in interviews. Question: has anyone a clue as to whether or not Mel Gibson puts on an American accent for the public, or has he perhaps lost is Australian dialect after 30+ years? I am patently ashamed that Hollywood reinvents Anglo actors as north-American for their unspeakably narrow mindedness. The most glaring recent example is New Zealand actor, Karl Urban on the "Star Trek" junket putting on a North American accent for no apparent reason than some publicist thinking it was a good idea. Or maybe it was his idea. For those such as Rachel Griffiths, Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving and so many others (ok, Cate Blanchett but why state the most obvious), good on ya for being yourselves. There are reports of actors such as Charlize Theron working actively, training to lose their South African accents. What's the point? I will agree that most Americans are pin-heads (yes, self-loathing here), but many are more impressed with an off-shore foreign accent. To Yanks, what appears "British Sounding" translates as "smarter".

by jakeslatnesky on June 14, 2009 at 07:57 PM

Realityseeker, please understand that Canada IS an American location ... North American! It just happens not to be part of the USA.

by Josh Canfield on June 14, 2009 at 08:13 PM

Saw a trailer for "Funny People" starring Eric Bana today. Was great to see, or should I say, hear Bana speaking in his Aussie accent. As much as I loved him in the new Star Trek, he seems so much more charming when he gets to play an Australian character. Even if our accent does sound a little too relaxed alongside that garish American!

by Sim on June 14, 2009 at 09:12 PM

It's fine of they can build the accent appropriately into the storyline but if not it sticks out like a sore thumb. A lot of the accents now in films are fairly neutral anyway so it doesn't matter where the actors are from.
If you want guaranteed Australian English accents watch Australian productions. If not the guys paying the bills will decide I guess.

by David on June 14, 2009 at 09:35 PM

do you people have nothing else to worry about?

DD replies: You are the one who took the trouble to write to a blog and say nothing.

by barb on June 14, 2009 at 09:55 PM

If you want to go back to the history of accents, you can go back to the bad Aussie guy in Schwarzenegger's Commando with his godawful accent!
Personally i think the accent needs to suit the part. Jesse spencer it works for, whereas hugh laurie's has to put on a fake us accent for a lead role. Same as Christian Bale, his welsh accent is lost when he gets major parts. Maybe that's the rule, major part then fake american, minor parts you can get away with Australian.

by nick on June 14, 2009 at 10:16 PM

Being unhappy about seeing your Australian actors hide their accents is understandable in some circumstances, but why all the coments calling us (Americans) idiots? Let me remind some of the few ignorants here that idiots and ignorants exist everywhere. Spouting off cultural cliches only makes you look like an idiot. Americans lead on many intellectual fronts. Some of us love learning about other cultures. To the few here who have done so, chill out with your stereotypes and insults.

by LA Woman on June 15, 2009 at 10:09 AM

Quoth Mr Dale: "Can you think of any international movie in which Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Nicole Kidman, Eric Bana, Toni Colette, Russell Crowe, Abbie Cornish or Hugh Jackman were able to speak with their normal accents?"
And I say: "Finding Nemo". Australian accents in all their beauty, from Geoffrey Rush, Eric Bana, Bruce Spence, and Bill Hunter (can anyone even imagine him not speaking with an Australian accent?).

by tqd on June 15, 2009 at 01:34 PM

so many comments and yet so few listings of Oz accents.
Transformers used a girl as a tech head. Rachael Taylor, I head jerked a bit when she started speaking, whoa, Ozzie accent ?? nice

by Dave Rave on June 17, 2009 at 03:30 PM

Chips Rafferty, Rod Taylor, Bud Tingwell and Robert Helpman spring to mind as aussies who spoke in movies with nothing more than aussie accents. They may have been slightly modified (anglicised), but definitely NOT american.

Ah the joys of Old Age LOL

by Furlozza on June 18, 2009 at 05:42 PM

The Star Trek TNG episode "Lessons" featured Wendy Hughes as Capt Picard's love interest and using her natural Aussie accent.

by Jason on June 22, 2009 at 11:58 AM

What about Frank Thring? And didn't Annette Kellerman speak with an Aussie body if not a voice? All this stuff about "actors speaking in their own accent"... What were they doing at acting school then? I thought most actors learned the craft of acting - despite the modern penchant for "discovering untapped and untrained talent" and lauding it for it's "freshness". Voice training, projection and vocal control were things I was led to believe most competent character actors attempted to be good enough at that they might get work.

Isn't the job of an actor to entertain? If the accent they must work with to be able to entertain isn't one that we would like them to use because of some misplaced National pride on our part, it still shouldn't diminish their performance, especially if; like Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and James Cromwell in L.A. Confidential did so well, the performances transcend where we know the actors were born and raised.

Mind you, I do agree with Juliet about Erik Thompson's accent in "Packed to the Rafters". Come to think of it; the thing that's more annoying to me than hearing Aussie accents butchered in foreign productions, is hearing the number of Kiwi or slightly modified Sth African accents being palmed off as Aussie ones in our advertising as well as our various TV productions.

I empathise with the Yanks if the numbers of Aussie accents that are manifesting in their TV shows is happening faster than mushrooms grow on moist cow pats, because it'd be just like the growth in Kiwi/Sth African accents on TV and radio here.

Lets hear some more Jamaican, New Guinean or Singaporean accents please!!

by Steve C on June 22, 2009 at 04:10 PM

Does animation count? Finding Nemo used the Aussie accents of Barry Humphries, Eric Bana, Bruce Spence as the sharks and Bill Hunter as the Dentist.

by J Bar on June 26, 2009 at 02:08 PM

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