From posh British accents to Southern drawls, these performers completely transform their voices for iconic roles! Join us as we explore the incredible vocal talents that brought unforgettable characters to life on television. These actors prove that mastering different accents and dialects is truly an art form.
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00:00But then I thought, okay, maybe I can put a little twist on it so that she's a little weirder.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the actors so good at
00:11manipulating their voices that they sound completely different from their memorable
00:15characters on TV shows. I'm not really an American. That was a deliberate mistake that
00:20I put in there, which I didn't. Number 30, Parker Posey, The White Lotus.
00:25You should have taken malarazapam. I slept like a corpse.
00:30Believe it or not, Victoria Ratliff never actually says,
00:33Piper, no, in season three of The White Lotus. It became an in-joke on set, however. That in-joke
00:38snowballed into a meme that's impossible to say without using Victoria's North Carolina accent.
00:43And Parker's like, ha ha ha, Saxon, oh my god, Piper. Like, she just looks at me,
00:48and she's like, just sit still, look pretty. And then Mike would come over, give a note
00:52to someone else, and then he would just look at me and go, Piper, no.
00:56No. So it was like a whole thing for seven months of Piper, no. So that's where it came from.
01:00Although Parker Posey spent much of her upbringing in Louisiana and Mississippi,
01:04her natural Southern accent isn't as exaggerated. The voice came to Posey as she was reading the
01:08scripts, deciding that Victoria's accent should be as funny and snobby as the dialogue.
01:13I had all these jokes. It was like, okay, how can I, you know, really play it up and really
01:19make a character? This is what I love about the South, because I think the South is full of
01:23self-made characters. As over-the-top as Victoria may seem, Posey received a fair deal of praise from
01:29actual North Carolinians, telling her the accent is, quote, dead on. While maybe not as quotable,
01:35Jason Isaacs also traded in his English accent for a Southern one.
01:38So there were a couple of sounds like the O sound. That's why I was going, Piper, no. And I say,
01:42I love you so much. That's a weird English sound, right? And the O sound is also, but I love an accent.
01:50Succession viewers are often surprised when they hear Sarah Snook's Australian accent.
01:54I try and stay in it a little bit when I'm not doing the scene, as much as I can at least.
01:59But then when we're off, obviously, you know, he's British and I'm Australian. And so I slip into his accent
02:05by accident, not even my own. So it's, I'm doing American and British, but not even Australian on set.
02:09It's arguably even more jarring when people learn that Matthew McFadyen is British and he's also
02:15Mr. Darcy. Where Darcy is reserved, Tom Womsgans won't hesitate to bombard a subordinate with water
02:20bottles while having a hissy fit. This makes it even harder for us to believe that Tom and Darcy's
02:25voices came out of the same mouth. McFadyen wasn't entirely convinced he could pull off an American
02:29accent, saying that he, quote, muddled through most scenes. I still get shocked when I hear a British
02:34accent come out of your mouth. It's, it's more than okay. It's really flattering because it's not,
02:39because it was quite hard to do an American accent. Did you think you had a good one?
02:43Because I think you had a great one. I thought I was just sort of muddling through. Considering
02:46that his transformation won him two primetime Emmys, it's safe to say most of the TV Academy
02:51bought his transformation from cultured Englishman to a bumbling American who's simultaneously powerful
02:56and weak. I will not let you do this to me! I will not let go of what is mine!
03:01Number 28. Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies. This actress is best known for playing Chuck on the all-too-short-lived
03:08Pushing Daisies. Friel infused the character with an American girl-next-door attitude. Indeed,
03:13Chuck and protagonist Ned used to be neighbors. I'm happy that I know I have a mother who's alive,
03:17and not so happy that she can't know I'm alive, but suddenly what was comforting is giving way to
03:21sadness. In reality, Friel and co-star Lee Pace grew up on opposite sides of the pond. Although
03:27Friel was born in Rochdale, England, she refused to use her British accent on the Pushing Daisies set.
03:32Even when the cameras were not rolling, Friel stayed in character. She only reverted to her
03:37natural voice upon receiving a call from her mother, who wasn't a fan of the American accent.
03:41I haven't seen you for about three and a half years, I think.
03:43Yeah, you're still English though, even on the show you're American.
03:46I'm American on the show, yeah. I've been staying in my accent all day long.
03:48The show's English narrator, Jim Dale, assumed Friel was American. It wasn't until hearing her in an
03:53interview that Dale realized Friel was a fellow Brit.
03:56Number 27. Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us.
03:59I was gonna say that I've been thinking about what happened. Nobody made you retest take me.
04:05Nobody made you go along with this plan. You needed a truck battery or whatever and you made
04:09a choice. So don't blame me for something that isn't my fault.
04:14When Bella Ramsey was cast in The Last of Us TV series, many were ecstatic, while others were
04:19skeptical. The young actor had proven to be a powerhouse talent as Liana Mormont on Game of
04:23Thrones, but could they convincingly play an American like Ellie? The moment Ramsey shows up on screen,
04:29we don't just see Ellie, we hear the character as well.
04:32You guys go out there a lot?
04:35I guess.
04:36When was the last time?
04:37Maybe a year, what's it matter?
04:39But you know where to go.
04:41So we're gonna be okay.
04:43Ramsey mastered their American accent by reciting swear words. Fitting seeing how cussing is like
04:48a second language to Ellie, which in turn taught Ramsey how to properly curse. Good thing this is an HBO
04:53show. Ramsey got so into character that even after shooting was over, they'd wake up speaking in an
04:58American accent. However, Ramsey is, quote, determined to stay British.
05:02Were curse words an important part of learning the dialect?
05:05Yeah, because the character that I play in this show, The Last of Us, Ellie, she curses every two
05:10seconds. So that was definitely important. I mean, there's so many.
05:15Number 26. Colin Farrell, The Penguin
05:17The prosthetics have largely dominated the conversation surrounding Colin Farrell's
05:21transformation into Oswald Cobb. Even if you removed visuals from the equation, you would never
05:26guess the Irish actor is behind Oz's voice.
05:28He was a dirty rat. He played his boat for fools. There ain't no change in that.
05:36But he's dead. And I'm here now. And I'm offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. And this first
05:42hit, it's just the beginning. I know a lot more than people think.
05:46While some may debate where Gotham is located, most would agree that a Northeast accent feels
05:51appropriate for this gritty portrayal of The Penguin. To find just the right voice, Farrell's
05:55dialect coach provided him with thousands of recordings. Farrell was drawn to a recording of
06:00a 60-something apartment complex manager from the 80s. This particular voice helped him find Oswald,
06:05with one word standing out. Gefilte fish. Whenever Farrell started to lose the voice,
06:10he'd say gefilte fish, which got him back into character. Penguins love their seafood.
06:14My hands were the only thing that was me. It was a full bodysuit. It was three hours of makeup
06:18in the morning, and about 40 minutes to take it off. So we can see your eyes.
06:22How do you go to the bathroom? Just curious.
06:26I don't eat breakfast or lunch. That's the most civilized way to answer that.
06:31Number 25. Kelly Riley, Yellowstone.
06:34Next weekend, I'm going to fly out. Boyfriends, girlfriends. Same hotel, same room. Drinks will be on me.
06:41If you met Kelly Riley, you'd be amazed how far removed she is from Beth Dutton.
06:46Not only is Riley much friendlier, but she isn't from Montana. She isn't even from the States.
06:51Riley hails from Chessington, beginning her acting career in the English theater.
06:55To perfect her Montana accent, Riley worked with the same dialect coach as Colin Farrell,
06:59Jessica Drake.
07:00I certainly wanted to get that Montana dialect correct. So I worked with Jessica. I'd worked
07:05with her on Flight and True Detective and all these other American accents I'd done.
07:09But for Beth, it was more about the voice.
07:12Riley previously worked with Drake on projects like Flight. When Riley met her fellow Yellowstone
07:16castmates, she addressed them using her American voice. According to co-star Forrie J. Smith,
07:21Riley used her American accent on set for the first week or so. It came as a complete shock
07:26to Smith and many others upon learning that Riley was British.
07:29So I got to sort of hide in her for a minute while I came back to life and I found my own strength
07:35and my own happiness again.
07:36Number 24. Melanie Linsky. Yellow Jackets.
07:40As Shauna Sadecki, Melanie Linsky plays an American housewife trying to keep up a normal facade while
07:45concealing the skeletons in her closet.
07:47Where were you yesterday, Misty?
07:51Excuse me?
07:52Should be a pretty easy answer if the truth isn't pushing Lottie down the stairs.
07:58Linsky's biggest secret is that she's actually from New Zealand. We suppose that's not exactly a secret,
08:03but even numerous people in the industry are taken aback when they hear Linsky in her native tongue.
08:08In fact, when she auditioned for Up in the Air, Linsky avoided speaking to director Jason Reitman
08:12in her New Zealand accent, knowing he wanted an American for the role.
08:16When I first came over here, obviously I didn't have any money or anything.
08:20So all I did was just watch movies, like get movies from Blockbuster and just watch.
08:27That's how you learn?
08:27When Linsky started living in LA, she learned an assortment of American accents by watching
08:38movies. While Yellow Jackets has significantly raised Linsky's profile, people still forget
08:43that she's a proud Kiwi.
08:44People always forget I have an accent and people are very confused and like,
08:49what is she doing? I'm from New Zealand.
08:51Okay, oh! That's nice. That's a nice response.
08:55Number 23. Alan Cumming, The Good Wife.
08:58If you watch The Traitors, you know that Alan Cumming is Scottish.
09:01In the words of Macbeth, it was a rough night.
09:05Yet those who were introduced to him through the Good Wife franchise can't help but expect
09:09Eli Gold's voice to emanate from his mouth. Like Rahm Emanuel, who partially inspired the
09:14character, Eli is Jewish, from Chicago, and has a political background. Conversely, Cumming is an
09:20atheist, from Perthshire, and probably wouldn't work for someone like Peter Florek.
09:24Like Eli, though, Cumming wears many different masks. By the time he joined The Good Wife cast,
09:29Cumming was already used to doing accents.
09:30But the one thing I hate is amateurs.
09:35He completely escaped into the character, although some pronunciations proved more challenging
09:39than others. On one occasion, Cumming recalled having to redub the word amateur after multiple
09:44failed attempts.
09:45I actually said amateur, and I had to go and re-voice it. Because sometimes, like, in American,
09:49when I'm playing Americans, I say the, I do the accent, but I get the pronunciation of
09:54the word wrong. Like when I say adult instead of adult, or, you know, those sorts of things,
09:58I say advertisement instead of advertisement. But nobody told me, and I had to go, I was so
10:03furious, nobody told me.
10:05Number 22. Simon Baker, The Mentalist.
10:07On this crime drama, Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, a psychic medium who's truly a fraud.
10:13That doesn't mean he hasn't picked up a few skills useful in a police investigation.
10:17Just as Jane tricks people into believing he's a psychic, Baker managed to keep up the
10:20ruse that he was an American for seven seasons.
10:23Well, there's another very good reason why we should have loved it.
10:26Killer is apparently still alive, and he's mad at me for some reason.
10:30In reality, Baker is Australian. It wasn't quite a ruse, seeing as how Baker closed out episodes
10:35saying stay tuned in his natural voice. Still, every time we hear Baker go down under,
10:40it's as if he's living a double life. Baker doesn't have trouble maintaining an American
10:43accent, except when he gets an Australian director, which can accidentally bring out
10:48his real voice.
10:53James Marsters broke out playing the bleach blonde British vampire Spike. Well, we have
11:17three bombshells. One, Marsters was born and raised in California. Two, his natural hair
11:22color is closer to brown. Three, he isn't a vampire.
11:25Okay, that last one isn't a shocker, but we're still processing that first revelation.
11:29Well, I owe my career to you because you went over on Angel.
11:33Wow.
11:33I was supposed to be on Buffy. I was supposed to be the new Cordelia. I was supposed to be...
11:37Why thought that was Emma?
11:38Well, because I didn't work out. I was supposed to be the character that tells Buffy,
11:42you're stupid and we're all about to die.
11:43When Marsters auditioned for Spike, he floated the idea of using a Southern dialect,
11:47having recently done a play with a Louisiana accent.
11:50Do I know you?
11:51Me? No. No, sir. I'm just an old pal of Xanders here.
11:57Joss Whedon wanted an English vampire, though, which Marsters was thankfully capable of.
12:01Marsters got the London accent down with help from co-star Anthony Stewart Head,
12:05a legitimate Brit. After Marsters struggled with one-line delivery, Head pulled him aside,
12:10insisting that he tutor him.
12:11Spike wants Angel so badly to say,
12:14Oh, you're cool, too.
12:16You know, but I don't think he ever said...
12:17Maybe he did. I don't know.
12:19Number 20.
12:20Yael Stone
12:20Orange is the New Black
12:22Orange is the New Black's Yael Stone brought to life the quirky character of Lorna Morello.
12:27They let you drive?
12:28Who else is gonna do it?
12:30We do everything around here.
12:32The character's thick, high-pitched Boston accent is iconic.
12:35But in real life, Yael Stone's voice is quite different.
12:38She has an Australian accent and a grounded demeanor, with a more serious tone than the character she portrays.
12:44Heated looking at phone, looking up, looking down, looking up, more perturbed, looking down, and then weird smile.
12:51Hearing her natural voice goes to show how versatile Stone is as an actress,
12:55and makes you appreciate the incredible amount of effort and talent that she put into portraying Lorna.
13:00I don't know if there's anyone that talks like this.
13:03It's a crazy thing. I'm not sure.
13:05I don't know.
13:06There may be a little of, uh, maybe Adelaide from Guys and Dolls in there.
13:11Number 19.
13:13Matthew Rhys
13:13The Americans
13:14Matthew Rhys is a talented Welsh actor,
13:17with a portfolio of compelling performances in American television.
13:20He gained widespread acclaim for playing Philip Jennings on The Americans.
13:24That's against spies, right?
13:25Exactly.
13:27Hmm.
13:28Have to make sure I don't do any spying around here.
13:30Oh, you better not.
13:31Especially for those Russians.
13:33Oh, yeah. They're the, they're the worst, right?
13:35The Soviet spy really had to perfect an American accent to blend into the 1980s Washington, D.C. suburbs.
13:41Not only is Rhys' accent captivating,
13:44but so is his ability to portray the morally complex character.
13:47I don't know why you should trust me.
13:50You should hate me.
13:52You should probably shoot me.
13:57But we're getting in that car.
13:59To the surprise of a lot of fans, his voice is nothing like Philip's.
14:04He has a rich and melodic natural Welsh accent,
14:06which makes him sound distinctly charming.
14:09Philip is often stoic and brooding,
14:11but in interviews, Rhys appears relaxed and humorous,
14:14showcasing just how phenomenal his acting talents are.
14:17Whether you're watching rugby or singing songs or, you know,
14:22tearing up at Tom Jones,
14:24that is unwavering in me,
14:27which is great for, you know, what I do,
14:29which is, you know, running away in flights of fancy.
14:32Number 18, Dominic West, The Wire.
14:35You do any accents?
14:37English, British, Scottish, something like that.
14:39Crikey.
14:39I was looking to get a little hanky-panky,
14:44and this one bloke gave me this number to call when I got across the pond.
14:49Word got it, sir. Word got it.
14:51After watching The Wire, many people will believe Dominic West,
14:55the actor behind Detective Jimmy McNulty, was a Baltimore local.
14:59If you've ever heard him speak in real life,
15:01you'll know he sounds nothing at all like his character.
15:04Whenever I open my mouth, I'm in a room full of wire fans.
15:07I'm conscious of a sort of rather deflation of,
15:11oh dear, he's not McNulty.
15:14In reality, he has a charming English accent,
15:17with a refined tone that majorly contrasts with McNulty's manner of speaking.
15:21Beyond The Wire, West has shown versatility in a variety of roles,
15:24such as his portrayal of Prince Charles on The Crown.
15:27West masterfully embodied Jimmy McNulty,
15:30a flawed but captivating protagonist.
15:32But his real-life persona is far removed
15:35from the gritty world of Baltimore's crime-riddled streets.
15:38With Snap Boogie, you always stole the money.
15:40Why'd you let him play?
15:43God, this America, man.
15:46Number 17, Jodie Comer, Killing Eve.
15:49Fans of the hit series Killing Eve
15:51will quickly become familiar with Jodie Comer's character Villanelle.
15:54She's a stylish Russian assassin,
15:56with ruthless efficiency and playful charm.
15:59Aren't you always a different person?
16:01Aren't you?
16:02At least I'm good at playing someone else.
16:04Well, not that good, obviously.
16:07Don't speak to me like that, Eve.
16:12I like you, but I don't like you that much.
16:15Comer's portrayal is chillingly intense,
16:17and one of the most memorable characters on television.
16:20But in real life,
16:21Jodie Comer has a strong yet soothing Liverpool accent.
16:24A lot of people just look at me and think,
16:26is it her?
16:27But I had one recently that was really strange.
16:30Someone asked me for a photograph.
16:32That is a big contrast from Villanelle's Russian brogue
16:35and distinctly theatrical tone.
16:37Comer's natural Scouse dialect is warm and friendly,
16:40unlike the sinister tones of the ruthless killer.
16:43She has an unparalleled ability to switch between accents,
16:47which is a testament to her talent.
16:49She's just arrived from New York
16:51after one too many nights on the wrong side of the bridge,
16:54and she has a really, really, really annoying accent.
16:59I like her accent.
17:08Niles is a witty and sophisticated butler,
17:10portrayed by Daniel Davis on the popular 90s sitcom The Nanny.
17:14Niles is famous for his dry humor,
17:16sharp wit, and loyalty to the Sheffield family.
17:19Mind you, when it's fine in the tournament,
17:20you'll have to take care of the children.
17:22Oh, that sounds like fun.
17:24Oh dear, I think I'm coming down with something.
17:29Oh, it's getting worse.
17:33His one-liners are some of the best in the show,
17:36with impeccable timing.
17:37Davis brought this character to life in such a way
17:39that fans still adore him more than 20 years later.
17:42Oh, I'm dating myself.
17:44Dating yourself? That's pathetic.
17:46Even you can do better than you.
17:48His distinct English accent is also iconic,
17:51but he's really from Arkansas.
17:53Beyond The Nanny, Davis has had a diverse career,
17:56where he effortlessly shifts between characters
17:58and rarely speaks in his laid-back and relatable true voice.
18:02I brought a pretty good range,
18:05having done a lot of classics, a lot of Shakespeare.
18:08And having grown up in Arkansas,
18:10I did not have the southern accent.
18:13Number 15.
18:14Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek.
18:16A former wealthy soap star,
18:18Moira Rose still has the sensibilities of a one-percenter,
18:21despite having lost all her money.
18:23This wine is awful.
18:25Give me another glass.
18:27Her usual manner of speaking is noticeably deeper
18:29and more prim and proper than Catherine O'Hara's.
18:32This adds to the character's eccentricities,
18:34since it gives the impression that her voice is an affectation,
18:37even when she's trying to appear warm and friendly.
18:39You've all so graciously welcomed us into your heavenly hamlet.
18:44O'Hara, on the other hand,
18:45comes across as super approachable and down-to-earth.
18:48I'm sorry I wasn't named-drapper,
18:49I was just telling the truth.
18:50The fact that she can sell this snobby, upper-class character so well
18:53is just proof of her greatness.
18:55Let's go.
18:57I've had enough waking hours for one day.
18:59Number 14.
19:00John Barrowman, Doctor Who, and Torchwood.
19:03If you've only seen American interviews with Barrowman,
19:05you might be wondering why he's on this list.
19:08His best-known character, Captain Jack Harkness,
19:10might be a product of British television,
19:12but he sounds decidedly American.
19:14Woke up in bed with both my executioners.
19:17Hmm.
19:18Lovely couple.
19:18They stayed in touch.
19:21I can't say that about most executioners.
19:23And so does Barrowman.
19:24Most of the time.
19:25Although he was born in Scotland,
19:27he moved to the States when he was only eight years old,
19:29and his typical accent is an unremarkable Midwestern one.
19:33So, Captain Jack changed my life.
19:35It was also a character who changed the face of television.
19:39As a result, however,
19:40when he finds himself among his fellow Scots,
19:43he reverts to his native Scottish dialect,
19:45and the difference is stark.
19:46This is how I speak at home.
19:48Yes.
19:48When I'm with other Scottish people,
19:50it just happens.
19:51It's like being bilingual.
19:53This is a phenomenon referred to as being bi-dialectal,
19:56which is when someone who grew up around two different accents
19:59can switch between them depending on which one they hear.
20:01And it's very cool.
20:02I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now.
20:04Number 13.
20:06Idris Elba.
20:07The Wire.
20:07Your American accent has not always been that good.
20:12Mm-hmm.
20:12Mm-hmm.
20:14I revert to...
20:14My insides are constricting for you right now.
20:16I don't know what's going on.
20:18Oh, you do.
20:18Dominic West isn't the only Brit pretending to be a Baltimorean on The Wire.
20:22By now,
20:23Idris Elba is famous enough that most people probably know
20:26he sounds nothing like his character Stringer Bell in real life.
20:29But when The Wire first hit airwaves,
20:31Elba wasn't such a big name,
20:33and many fans had no idea that his native dialect
20:35is quite different from the ruthless Baltimore crime bosses.
20:38We got bosses that wouldn't know police work if it bit him in the ass.
20:41Elba actually grew up in an inner borough of London,
20:44and his natural English accent has been said to be almost close to Cockney.
20:48Of course, his Baltimore accent is no less commanding.
20:52It's like a 40-degree day.
20:55Ain't nobody got nothing to say about a 40-degree day.
20:57Number 12.
20:58Jaleel White.
21:00Family Matters.
21:00Family Matters featured the unforgettable character Steve Urkel,
21:04portrayed by the legendary Jaleel White.
21:06White became a household name for this role,
21:09known for his suspenders, nerdy glasses, and his iconic catchphrase.
21:13Did I do that?
21:15Urkel was a clumsy but lovable character,
21:18who became a cultural icon.
21:20In reality,
21:21White sounds completely different from the character who made him famous.
21:24There is no Steve here.
21:26I'm Stefan, sweet thing.
21:28Stefan Urkel.
21:34Urkel has a high-pitched and exaggerated voice,
21:37with quirky mannerisms and hilarious delivery.
21:40White's natural voice is much deeper,
21:42and sounds significantly more mature.
21:44This makes you appreciate Urkel even more,
21:47as it showcases just how much talent Jaleel White brought to the table.
21:50Yo, sweet thing.
21:52Wow, mama!
21:55Are you okay?
22:06No sweat, my pet.
22:07Number 11.
22:09Stephanie Beatrice.
22:10Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
22:11Rosa Diaz is the quintessential no-nonsense, hard-nosed detective.
22:15Many of her colleagues are intimidated by her,
22:17and she has a somewhat deep, serious voice to fit her personality.
22:21Plans are plans.
22:22I'm a badass, not an anarchist.
22:23Stephanie Beatrice's natural pitch, on the other hand,
22:26is much more high to moderate.
22:28I really loved the character.
22:29I wore all black.
22:30I wore my black leather jacket.
22:31I wore my black boots.
22:32But diehard fans might have noticed that Rosa's voice evolved over the course of the series.
22:37In season one,
22:39it was only slightly deeper than Beatrice's ordinary speaking voice.
22:42Looks like the perp stole a computer, a watch, and a jamon iberico ham,
22:47valued at, what, $6,000.
22:50In later seasons, her pitch dropped considerably,
22:53to the point that by the show's end,
22:55Beatrice and her characters sound like completely different people.
22:57Yeah, we know that.
22:58We're surprised that you know that.
23:00Number 10.
23:00Rose MacGyver.
23:01Ghosts.
23:02Samantha Arendaker is a cheerful young woman,
23:05despite being haunted by quirky spirits on the popular comedy series Ghosts.
23:08They're not gonna find anything because I now know there's nothing wrong with me.
23:12Okay, but the doctor said...
23:13That was the living doctor.
23:15Of course she thinks I'm delusional.
23:16She's not trained for this, but the ghost doctor...
23:18Okay, that's where you start to lose me.
23:20Actress Rose MacGyver does a masterful job at making Sam warm,
23:24relatable, and hilarious, with a light American accent.
23:27In fact, MacGyver is from New Zealand,
23:29and has a fairly deep tone compared to Sam's upbeat and bubbly personality.
23:33None of these have been shows that people kind of just disengage,
23:37you know, watch, and kind of leave afterwards.
23:39It seems to kind of build this collective, creative thing that happens out of them.
23:45MacGyver has refined this accent across a variety of American roles,
23:49most notably starring as the undead Liv Moore on iZombie.
23:52No matter how dark the subject matter,
23:54her versatile voice always brightens things up.
23:57They say you're welcome.
23:58They?
23:59There's two of them?
24:01Yep.
24:03Are we done here?
24:04Number 9.
24:05Lucy Lawless.
24:06Xena, Warrior Princess.
24:07So what do you guys think of the show?
24:10I like the one who plays me.
24:12She's kind of sexy.
24:13Lucy Lawless is synonymous with Xena,
24:16the heroic lead on the beloved fantasy action series Xena, Warrior Princess.
24:19Her commanding presence captured the hearts of fans globally,
24:22making her an icon.
24:24That was me once.
24:27And then...
24:28The water ripples and churns.
24:37That's what I became.
24:39Lawless played the role with remarkable strength,
24:42resilience,
24:42and a rather arbitrary American accent.
24:45In reality,
24:46the actress hails from New Zealand,
24:48and has a much softer and more relaxed voice than the tough, bold warrior princess.
24:52Never done any kung fu,
24:53really no sports at all.
24:55And I had thought I was going to do Shakespeare.
24:59You know,
24:59I thought I was going to go to England and study theater.
25:03Lawless's real-life personality is far removed from the mythological epic battles that Xena is known for,
25:09bringing further attention to her stunning range as an actress.
25:12Number 8.
25:13Pedro Pascal, Game of Thrones.
25:15Many people assume that the Chilean-born actor naturally speaks with a Spanish accent.
25:19It's not an absurd idea,
25:20considering that he sometimes uses one.
25:22But Pascal actually grew up in California and Texas,
25:26and his native accent is pretty standard American.
25:29Yeah, I feel kind of Texan, actually.
25:31Oberyn Martell was the first Dornish character to appear on Game of Thrones,
25:35so Pascal played an important role in determining what the people of the fictional Dorn would sound like going forward.
25:41And after I turn set,
25:43I grow angry.
25:45Since he grew up in a family of Spanish speakers,
25:47it makes sense that this accent is the one that comes easily to him.
25:51It is a big and beautiful world.
25:54Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it.
26:01I don't want to be most of us.
26:03Number 7.
26:04Maggie Wheeler, Friends.
26:06Oh.
26:07My.
26:08God.
26:08If you know Friends,
26:10then you know Janice,
26:11Chandler's mostly ex-girlfriend,
26:13whose surprise reappearances eventually become a running joke.
26:16Oh.
26:18My.
26:19God.
26:20Janice's most distinctive feature is her voice.
26:22Loud,
26:23nasally,
26:24and extremely New York.
26:25It'd probably be pretty grating to listen to in real life,
26:28but her voice,
26:29along with her famous catchphrase,
26:31made her into one of the most beloved recurring characters on the series.
26:34Okay, I'm gonna need a comforter,
26:36but do you have a hypoallergenic one?
26:38Because otherwise I get very nasal.
26:40Although Wheeler drew inspiration for Janice from the New Yorkers she grew up around,
26:43her real voice couldn't be more different.
26:46Really, I heard her.
26:47I knew who she was to me.
26:49It's almost jarring to hear it coming out of that familiar face.
26:52That's fine.
26:57It is?
26:58Mm-hmm.
26:59Because I know that this isn't the end.
27:04Number 6.
27:04Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things.
27:07Eleven from Stranger Things is a young girl with peculiar psychokinetic powers and a hidden past.
27:12She's one of the show's central characters and was superbly portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown.
27:17Mike.
27:18Yeah?
27:20Friends don't lie.
27:21Her performance is powerful and the character is known for speaking in a soft, childlike American accent.
27:27Brown, on the other hand, naturally has a strong, confident, and expressive English dialect.
27:32Granted, it has thinned from her growing up in the States.
27:35I hate finger sandwiches.
27:38And I'm gonna just say that.
27:40Now, cold sandwiches are my dad and I's least favorite thing ever.
27:44Now, scones are delicious.
27:46Scones.
27:47I don't say scones.
27:48I actually say scones.
27:49Beyond Stranger Things, Brown has taken on many other roles with a great variety of accents and voices.
27:55Brown's true voice and personality are a strong reminder of how dynamic her acting truly is.
28:00I can fight.
28:03Better than any of us.
28:04Number 5.
28:05Melissa Rauch, The Big Bang Theory.
28:08Bernadette Rostenkowski-Walowitz's high pitch and usually sweet intonation seem to fit with Rauch's diminutive stature.
28:13Gosh, Amy, I'm sensing a little hostility.
28:16Is it maybe because, like Sheldon's work, your sex life is also theoretical?
28:20That's one reason it's always surprising and hilarious when she suddenly belts out a line like Howard's mother.
28:26Does he like the pancakes?
28:29He didn't try them yet!
28:31In fact, the voice and the character have become so intertwined that fans sometimes don't recognize the actress when she's speaking in her natural tone.
28:38Bernadette's voice is very similar to my mother's, except without the Jersey accent.
28:43It turns out that Rauch is a bit of a vocal chameleon.
28:46She's done voice work for a number of animated shows and films, and even brought Harley Quinn to life alongside the incomparable Kevin Conroy.
28:54Harley, there are lives at stake!
28:56Oh my god!
28:58Yeah, yeah, the whole world's gonna plop, so I get it, I get it!
29:01Number 4.
29:02Killian Murphy, Peaky Blinders.
29:04Like I said about reprising characters, I've never done that before, but to have these roles that are extraordinarily written in such great detail,
29:10and to be able to go back to them season after season, it's been a real gift for me.
29:15Peaky Blinders focuses on the exploits of Thomas Shelby, leader of the Shelby crime family in 1920s Birmingham.
29:21Shelby is a cunning and ruthless character with a gritty working class Brummie accent.
29:25The only difference between you and me, Freddie, is that sometimes, my horses stand a chance of winning.
29:33In actuality, Murphy is from Ireland, and possesses a soft, melodic-speaking voice with a soothing and charming affect.
29:40This is in stark contrast to Shelby's harsh voice, which has become as iconic as Murphy's performance.
29:46Birmingham's is considered one of the most difficult English accents to pull off,
29:50but Murphy makes it look as effortless as every other accent he's adopted in his distinguished career.
29:55Would you like to see my mask?
29:59I use it in my experiments.
30:00Number 3. Hugh Laurie, House.
30:03Laurie became fairly well-known on the British comedy scene as part of his two-man act with Stephen Fry in the 80s.
30:09Some of you may be wondering how my colleague came by this bandage upon his head.
30:14It's very simple. A nurse put it on.
30:16But many Americans were first introduced to him as the brilliant yet caustic Dr. Gregory House.
30:21I think your argument is specious.
30:23I think your tie is ugly.
30:24He might be humble about his talent, but Laurie pulls off an American accent so flawlessly that lots of fans were shocked to discover he's actually British.
30:32House's voice is almost gravelly, while Laurie is a bit more soft-spoken with a polished and proper British dialect.
30:39I just felt like it had to be, you know, it had to be right.
30:42Yeah.
30:43Because it would get in the way if it wasn't right.
30:45It's almost hard to believe that both voices come from the same man.
30:49You can fake sincerity. You can fake pretty much anything.
30:51Number 2. Andrew Lincoln. The Walking Dead.
30:55If you had told us in 2009 that Mark from Love Actually would totally nail the role of a Kentucky lawman in a gory zombie apocalypse show,
31:02we probably wouldn't have believed you.
31:04And yet that's exactly what happened.
31:06To portray Rick Grimes, Lincoln takes on an American accent with a light but noticeable twang,
31:12completely unlike his usual posh English speech.
31:15I would say it's a work in progress, but it's a work in progress, apparently.
31:19Rick's voice also gets progressively more gruff over the course of the series, reflecting the trauma and violence he's lived through.
31:26Lincoln disappears so completely into the part, it's easy to forget what he really sounds like.
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31:51Number 1. Megan Mullally. Will & Grace.
31:54Her name might not have been in the title, but Karen stole this show so many times, maybe it should have been.
31:59He's a little nervous, he's a little nervous. Oh hell, I'm a little nervous.
32:04Thanks to Mullally's over-the-top performance and that impossibly squeaky voice,
32:07some of the funniest and most memorable moments come from when she's on screen.
32:11Oh my god. It's the end of me. I don't think I can go on.
32:17Of course, her real voice has a much more reasonable tone.
32:20Mullally admits that her risky acting choices haven't always paid off in the past.
32:24Either I would come in with this crazy character, with a crazy character,
32:28and I'd either not get cast, or I'd get cast and then get fired, or almost get fired, or, you know.
32:36Playing Karen with that absurdly high pitch was certainly taking a chance,
32:39but in the end, it's one of the things that made the character downright iconic.
32:43Hi, my name is Karen Walker.
32:45How do I feel? How do I feel?
32:48Oh my god, that voice is ridiculous.
32:49Which actor impressed you the most with their range?
32:52Let us know in the comments.