As a rule, the more
versatility an actor has can only provide him/her with more
opportunities. A fruit vendor that only sells bananas would most likely
increase his income if he sold other fruits as well. You certainly can get work
with an accent, but it will limit the jobs you can get. There are only a few
movie stars that have done quite well with an accent, such as Antonio Banderas,
Penelope Cruz, Sofia Vergara, Holly Hunter, Charo. These actors started their
careers off with their own accents. For
them, it wasn’t necessary to “lose” their accents because they quickly
established their careers with their accents.
The odds are that most actors with accents won’t be as lucky as this
group of stars, so it makes sense to “lose” your accents in the beginning of
your career to afford you more opportunities. I’m not saying hide it forever;
you can still continue to audition for parts that have your native accent.
In general, it helps to be able to learn to speak without accents or regionalisms (such as a Southern, a Boston, New York or Midwest American regional accent). Anna Torv and John Noble, the two leading actors on the J.J. Abrams series "Fringe", are both from Australia, yet they speak with neutral American accents on the show. Since they haven’t made a career out of using their native accent like the actors I mentioned above, it was important to them to speak without an accent to increase their job opportunities - and a good thing they did, or they wouldn’t have starred on this cult classic series.
In general, it helps to be able to learn to speak without accents or regionalisms (such as a Southern, a Boston, New York or Midwest American regional accent). Anna Torv and John Noble, the two leading actors on the J.J. Abrams series "Fringe", are both from Australia, yet they speak with neutral American accents on the show. Since they haven’t made a career out of using their native accent like the actors I mentioned above, it was important to them to speak without an accent to increase their job opportunities - and a good thing they did, or they wouldn’t have starred on this cult classic series.
For those of you who
want to learn to speak without an accent, there are many Speech Coaches that
specialize in this area. There are also a
number of online sites that can also help you learn to speak with any
regionalisms.
If you have trouble learning other dialects, or if you are just passionate enough about your own heritage and do not wish to explore neutral accents, I say good for you, nothing wrong with that, and now you know the limitations you are faced with. Just remember: if you choose to move forward with your accent, DICTION is the important thing to remember. If you have an accent, we MUST understand everything you say! The Casting Director or Director will appreciate it, as well as the author whose words you are saying!
Remember, just because you have learned to speak without an accent doesn't mean you must live the rest of your life without it. Use it at home, use it with your friends, but leave it at home when auditioning for roles that don’t require one.
If you have trouble learning other dialects, or if you are just passionate enough about your own heritage and do not wish to explore neutral accents, I say good for you, nothing wrong with that, and now you know the limitations you are faced with. Just remember: if you choose to move forward with your accent, DICTION is the important thing to remember. If you have an accent, we MUST understand everything you say! The Casting Director or Director will appreciate it, as well as the author whose words you are saying!
Remember, just because you have learned to speak without an accent doesn't mean you must live the rest of your life without it. Use it at home, use it with your friends, but leave it at home when auditioning for roles that don’t require one.
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