Gillian hosting MPT video

I was out when this came on at 8 so I caught the intro at midnight at work. In everything I've seen of her lately she's had an English accent and so I was actually getting used to it. I was wondering what she'd sound like when she did this. I love her either way but hearing her American voice just heightens my exictement for the XF2 countdown. She almost sounded like she did before but she was speaking slowly...carefully, like she's getting used to it again. The way she said some things, though, like "fortune", sounded English. Her hair looked so RED! I wonder when this was recorded???

It actually sounded as though she had to stop and think before she said anything. Wouldn't it be easier for her to just pick an accent and stick with it? Like Hugh Laurie who uses an American accent on his show but speaks in his native tongue otherwise. In the long run this could actually cause her trouble I'd think. This makes no sense at all.

Since Masterpiece Theater has been always been an American television show, maybe that influenced GA's choice of dialect for the show. Whatever the reasoning, I'm sure the majority Philes here will agree that she was an excellent choice for the series.

Like Hugh Laurie who uses an American accent on his show but speaks in his native tongue otherwise. In the long run this could actually cause her trouble I'd think. This makes no sense at all. I'm sure Mr. Laurie might have very different circumstances regarding his accent. GA has had a unique upbringing to say the least. And perhaps, the Masterpiece Theater execs wanted her using an American accent. If she hasn't had to in awhile, then that could explain her apparent cautiousness. For all we know, she could be facing similar obstacles right now on the set of XF2 for all we know. I have known people that grew up and/or lived in a place, then move away for whatever reason, often for a long time. Upon returning, their "accent" or dialect comes back. In fact, while being born in AZ, and living there my first 11 years, my family moved to UT for 5 years, before returning to AZ. I never thought about it at the time, but upon returning amongst my "native" people, I noticed differences in my dialect, and that was only having lived there for 5 years. It might be strange, but it definitely happens. :)

People can have more than one natural accent. I had a friend who grew up both here and over there, and when he was talking to us he would sound American, and when he would talk to other English people he would sound English (it was really cute, he was from Liverpool, so he sounded kinda like a Beatle), and he would make the switch completely without thinking about it.

It's hard to explain maybe, if it's never happened to you. But I remember how weird I sounded when I moved back to AZ from UT, the different sounding dialect as well as phrases that are commonplace in UT but mean nothing in AZ. She's probably one of those people who will pick up the accent of the people she is around. (I can be that way too. If I'm watching a lot of Harry Potter, for instance, I'll walk around the house for hours afterwards speaking in an English accent- and no, I'm not from there, nor did I ever live there, but I'm not doing it on purpose, it just comes out that way after hearing it for so long. I've heard that quite a few others are that way, too, so that's probably how GA is too. Add that to the fact that she's lived in both UK & the US for extended periods of time, she's probably got it doubly so than most. I don't know if that makes any sense to you. I rarely seem to articulate myself correctly anymore, but hopefully that helps!) :D

What i mean is if she has more an English accent then when she is here in America just talk like she does in England. Its one thing to change accents when acting. Its another to do it in real life. What would be the reason do do that?I believe that she changes her accent when speaking to an American audience purposefully because otherwise people will make snarky comments that she is using a "fake" Brit accent like Madonna which is not the case. Plus, most Americans have no idea what she has been up to and would be shocked to her the Brit accent. Plus, she has said numerous times that due to having lived in both places her accent just switches back and forth depending on whether she is talking to Americans or Brits. The diff b/w GA and Laurie is that he did not move to the US while still quite young and purposefully try to speak like an American to fit in like she did.

What would be the reason do do that? Why is it that you feel GA needs a reason to do the things she does when you never seem to need one to second guess the things she does?

I thought Gillian's accent was some what like the one she used for the radio play on Christmas. Gillian's American accent may not sound the same as she did during the X-files show because of the time she has spend in England or she might be able to get the same accent that she used then. It will be some thing to look forward to when the movie does come out.

I loved her accent from the show (XF, not MPT), it was different...at least the first few seasons :lol: It's like...it wasn't one you could pin to anywhere in particular - at least I couldn't. I used to try & mimick it in middle school...very unsuccessfully ;) She still kept it through most of the show, but not as noticeably...or maybe I just got so used to it I didn't notice? Then she would sound completely different in interviews, so...it became more of Scully's own acecnt, not GA's :D I want that one back! Anyone else notice that? ...I know it's not related to MPT, but...well, since this has all mostly been about accents anyway.

What i mean is if she has more an English accent then when she is here in America just talk like she does in England. Its one thing to change accents when acting. Its another to do it in real life. What would be the reason do do that? I didn't really mean to start a huge accent discussion, but it just facinates me sometimes. I think the whole act of "changing an accent" is a lot less intentional than some people might think. I'm sure many of you have had the experience of being in a different region for a period of time and before very long felt like you were taking on or mimicking the way other people were talking. People who have grown up with more than one accent almost automatically fall into one or another when they're talking to people of a similar accent. GA has said that before. It might be really DIFFICULT for her to use an English accent while in America. I have a theory, though. In GA's case, depending on how long she had been in the states, giving that little speech on Masterpiece might have been difficult because she wasn't talking WITH anyone. I have a feeling that while in Vancouver, talking to people every day (especially people she knows), and acting in a role she's familiar with, we'll get a fluid Scully accent. When she's not Scully, though, I don't really care which accent she uses because they both sound great.

Here, here, Tea! I agree! :)

Ha! I remember mi hermana being all upset about that one time Tea! She went on a band trip to Georgia or something like that, and her & her friends were going around with these fake Southern accents. They got so into it though, when she got home, she couldn't shake it off. :giggle: I had fun teasing her about it for a few days before it finally wore off.

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