From Deseret News archives:

Foreign legions: Actors from abroad are invading American TV

Published: Friday, Aug. 10, 2007 12:05 a.m. MDT
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"I think that British performers have really nailed the craft of an American accent, and they are sounding effortlessly American," said "Bionic Woman" executive producer David Eick. "And ... I think that's made it easier for American casting directors and producers to take that leap of faith."

Some actors have to work at it.

"The step into the American dialect is a hard one, but it just takes work and perseverance," said "Journeyman" star McKidd.

And "New Amsterdam" star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau "studied a lot" to get accents right and did a lot of homework.

"When I moved to London, I stayed with my sister, and ... I didn't allow her to speak Danish to me because I wanted to perfect the English," Coster-Waldau said.

But it's easier for others.

"I like to have a couple of dialect lessons just before I start, but after that, I find it's very easy," said "Life" star Damian Lewis.

It's become so commonplace for non-American actors to play Americans that producers barely give it a thought anymore.

"It seems like the actors from Britain and Australia just kind of effortlessly do these American accents to the point where you're like, 'Well, who can't?"' said "Cashmere Mafia" executive producer Darren Star. "They fall into it so naturally that it doesn't present an issue."

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"I was working on an American accent a few years ago because I always hoped I would have an opportunity over here," said "Bionic Woman" star Michelle Ryan.

Film industry

Making it in Hollywood, which exports TV shows around the world, is like winning the lottery for any actor. Sophia Myles was thrilled to be cast in "Moonlight."

"It was like finding a golden ticket in a Wonka Bar. I couldn't believe it," she said. "And I'm just in a kind of haze."

The chance to play on the world's biggest stage is why so many non-American actors come to America.

"Why are there a lot of Brits over here? Because you keep asking us. Thank you very much," Lewis said. "And it's the center of the world's film industry."

"And a lot of Australians are coming here for that reason because Australia is dying a little bit," said "Chuck" co-star Yvonne Strzechowski.

It's the same in the U.K., Myles said.

"The thing is in England at the moment our government isn't putting any money into the film (industry). We don't really have an industry in England anymore," she said.

Quality of American TV

According to the actors, it's not just the quantity of work in America, it's the quality.

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Robert Voets, CBS

Aussie Hugh Jackman, left, and Brit Lloyd Owen, star in "Viva Laughlin."

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