Talk Like an American

Many actors come to Los Angeles with regionalisms, foreign accents, and the belief that their speech is the only thing holding them back from having the careers they deserve. We beg to differ – speech is important, but up to a point. Certainly there are many actors who have achieved a great deal of success in Los Angeles in spite or even because of their accents (imagine Schwarzenegger without his signature dialect) and the reason for this is that casting depends more on commercial acting ability than a perfect American accent. Think of all of the actors who DO speak unaccented American English, are they ALL stars? Hardly.

Point is, you will be cast for who you are, at first. Yes, in time, you will be asked to play an American accent, and you should be able to do that. To that end, our Talk Like An American class, where instead of losing your accent, you learn a true Standard American accent. Yes it will take work, and daily practice, but it is possible – I've done it.

By gaining a basic understanding of all accents, how they pertain to communication, and how accent work must be built into your repertory of effective performance skills, this class will help you incorporate accents into your life and acting work. All class participants will learn the essential sounds of Standard American English speech, how to listen for and use speech sounds, how to master the physical actions of speech, and most importantly, how to speak like an American. In addition, all students will get individual analysis and assignments based on their particular needs, including a timeline and action plan to reach speech and accent goals. Real progress is possible and attainable if you put in the work. It's 2012 after all, what are you waiting for?

Eugene Buica
Artistic Director
The Acting Corps