Top 10 Actors Who Are Great at American Accents
#10: Margot Robbie
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If you were a fan of Australian soap operas in the late 2000s and early 2010s then you’ve always known that Margot Robbie was Aussie born and raised. However, the odds are that most people who know Robbie from her breakthrough role as Naomi Lapaglia in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and as Harley Quinn in a number of DC films, weren’t watching “Neighbours” in 2008. And not only did Robbie have many of us thinking she was born in the USA, but her range of American accents is even quite impressive. Lapaglia doesn’t sound like Quinn, and neither sound anything like Tonya Harding either.
#9: Millie Bobby Brown
There are probably stranger things, but for fans of the hit Netflix show, hearing Millie Bobby Brown speak in her natural British accent in interviews or in the “Enola Holmes” films is probably still pretty weird. Of course, that just speaks to how solid her American accent chops are. From “Stranger Things” to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” Brown’s ability to come across as American is impressive, especially at such a young age. How young? Go back to 2015 when an 11-year-old Brown put her British voice aside to appear in an episode of “Modern Family.”
#8: Andrew Lincoln
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Doing a generic American accent is hard enough for some people, but for his role as Rick Grimes in “The Walking Dead,” Andrew Lincoln needed to get quite specific in his speech. The series starts off in Atlanta, Georgia - which means Lincoln, as Grimes, didn’t just need to lose his British accent, but he also needed to add a little southern drawl to his American voice. To maintain the accent Lincoln would keep his American voice going during filming - even when the cameras weren’t rolling. In fact, he told the Independent back in 2013 that he was speaking in an American accent so much that his English accent didn’t even feel natural anymore.
#7: Damian Lewis
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Damian Lewis’ first break came when Steven Spielberg cast him as U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the 2001 miniseries, “Band of Brothers.” It was also the first role that required him to speak with an American accent - and thankfully he was quite good at it. He’s continued to show off his American voice on the small screen in high-profile series like “Homeland” and “Billions.” And on the big screen he’s shown some variety, even being able to tweak his standard American accent to do a pretty convincing Steve McQueen in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
#6: Christian Bale
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Christian Bale was born in Wales, but grew up most of his life in England. Either way, an American accent would seem to be the farthest thing from this guy's natural voice. And yet, can you remember the last time you saw Bale in a movie not speaking with an American accent? From Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” to Batman, Bale’s made his living with his ability to transform himself and his voice for a role. And real-life portrayals haven’t scared him either - just look at and listen to Bale as investor Michael Burry in “The Big Short” and vice president Cheney in “Vice.”
#5: Florence Pugh
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2019 was kind of like Florence Pugh’s American accent coming out party. Early in the year the English Pugh made some waves playing the wrestler Paige in “Fighting with My Family,” but she used her natural British accent for that role. However, with the release of “Midsommar” and “Little Women” later in 2019, Pugh gained even more acclaim for her acting chops in two roles that both required her to sound American. And in case you were worried she couldn’t do it again, well, “Don't Worry Darling” because she can and she did.
#4: Toni Collette
Toni Collette broke out playing the lead in the film “Muriel's Wedding” from her native land of Australia. However, while Collette might have grown up and began her acting career down under, she’s definitely made a name for herself stateside. And much of it has been thanks to her ability to sound like she was, to quote Bruce Springsteen, born in the USA. Think “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Krampus.” In both films Collette performs without even a hint of her Aussie roots coming through. She can even add a little rich-person attitude to the accent if need be - as she did wonderfully in 2019’s “Knives Out.”
#3: Daniel Day-Lewis
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To say that Daniel Day-Lewis is great at doing American Accents is quite possibly the understatement of the century. Day-Lewis didn’t just put on a generic American accent for his roles that required it, he created a specific voice for each character. Bill "the Butcher" Cutting in “Gangs of New York” had a brash and bold New York voice. Daniel Plainview is just as powerful, but with an accent that stems from a very different region of the country. Then, of course, there was Abraham Lincoln himself. The most powerful and important of them all, and the one that was the most crucial to get right.
#2: Daniel Kaluuya
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If you told fans of Jordan Peele movies that Daniel Kaluuya was British, they would probably respond with, “Get Out! Nope, he isn’t.” But it’s true. Born and raised in London, an American accent doesn’t come naturally to Kaluuya - but it sure sounds like it does. Whether it’s playing fictional characters in the Jordan Peele films or embodying the deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Kaluuya nails it perfectly. They may have slightly different sounds and different tones, but they’re definitely all American!
#1: Hugh Laurie
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They say that the house always wins, and in this case we have to agree. Just think about it. Can you believe that the British guy sitting next to Rachel on the plane in the season 4 finale of “Friends” is the same guy who played American Dr. Gregory House for 8 seasons? In 2011 Laurie was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as the most watched leading man on television - so for many of us Laurie’s voice is that of Dr. House. But as flawless as Laurie’s American accent is, there’s one phrase that scares him - a phrase that he will try to avoid at all costs. Maybe that’s why he’s never been cast as Frank Sinatra in a movie.
