8/23 - Gerard Butler follows in Sheena Easton's footsteps with accent change

[becozy]

from: http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-new...78057-21618021/

Gerard Butler follows in Sheena Easton's footsteps with accent change

Aug 23 2009

HUNKY actor Gerard Butler has admitted he's losing his Scottish accent - just like Sheena Easton.

Paisley-born Butler says he has started picking up an American twang similar to the Nine To Five singer.

The 39-year-old said: "I have to confess I always hated any person from Scotland who went and lost their accent in the slightest.

"When Sheena Easton made it in America and suddenly started talking in an accent, I swore and threw shoes at her on television.

"But I've spent a year and a half now playing roles as an American and I'm not comfortable enough doing those accents only when we film, so I have to keep it up all the time.

"I really hate myself for doing that."

Butler plays a maverick TV star in his current movie, romantic comedy The Ugly Truth.

He said: "Everybody expected me to do it as a Scotsman but the character was American to me, so I played him that way.

[GBPhanatic]

I've noticed he's loosing his accent but I guess that's inevitable as much as he lives over here and does roles without it. I do believe it sounds like he is using an American accent in LAC as well. I LOVE his Scottish accent and I hope he doesn't loose to much of it. Craig Ferguson seems to still have quite a bit of his.

I was wondering what they meant when the said, "Nine to Five singer? The only one I can think of is Dolly Parton! Now there's an accent!

D

Edited August 23, 2009 by GBPhanatic

[Liisa]

I don't think he can lose it totally ever.

My mom & uncle have been in Canada for over 30 years now & they have not lost their's.

It will fade a bit but they will always have it & Gerry does alot of movies with the American accent but who he is will always be there & you can't lose that.

[andrea71]

I adore his accent as well. I think that a regular person-such as me- is unable to loose the accent because we are not actors and don't use dialect coaches. There is no way that I can loose my accent even if I wanted to. My accent fades a little over time though.

It would be easy for him to loose his beautiful accent if he wanted but it is obvious that he does want to keep it.

[Swansong]

He wants the roles, so he's gotta use all the tools at his disposal. He gotten a lot of crap in recent years for his American accent, so I guess he figured it was time to take things seriously. I think he sounds very American in TUT, but even at that, Gerry just has a very unique way of speaking. I find it charming, some people find it annoying...whatever.

I just hope he is considered for more of the prime roles he desires.

Swannie

[andrea71]

It is so charming....

[Lise]

Like Gerry said in his interview with Regis and Kelly~

"They wanted me to play the role with a Scottish accent and I said that I would play the role as an American because the character was inherently an American character, however they thought that I would be more charming as a Scotsman~ I told them ~ " I AM CHARMING" as a Scotsman or as an American, I am just charming period! (Regis and Kelly laugh).

Mr. Gerard James Butler.. You most assuredly are!!

End of story!

We just desire your presence, your intense countenance, However you bring it!

Lis'e

Edited August 28, 2009 by Lise

[framolamdu]

I remember when Sheena Easton came back to play at an open air concert in Glasgow and spoke to the crowd with A US twang she was booed and had bottles flung at her to get off. She has never played in Scotland since LOL :funnyup:

I guess the Scots like their own to feel proud and not try to hide it . Gerry is very proud to be Scottish but if he finds it difficult when making movies to jump in and out of the accent then he has to do what is best as his accent seems to be one of the things that gets him critisism.

Moira

[phoenixgirl]

Gerry has to do what is necessary to get jobs in Hollywood. he will do what's best for him. I love the brogue, no doubt about that! I also adore the way his mouth curls when he speaks. Doesn't matter what the accent is, so long as he keeps working and doing what he loves. Once in a while, after he comes back from visiting Scotland, we get to hear it pretty strrrong again. But he never really loses it completely. I highly doubt he ever will. It's just a part of who he is.

Edited August 24, 2009 by phoenixgirl

[celticwhisper2002]

Well, he's sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place with that...lol. Either they flay him for not speaking American enough in the movies or not keeping his brogue. I sort of agree with that bit about him being charming no matter where he's from

[Rubee815]

Although his accent has Americanized somewhat he will never to lose the Scottish inflection, it will always be there I think. I saw TUT with a friend who did not know Gerry was Scottish and accepted Gerry as an American. I’m sure the minute Gerry spends time with his family or in Scotland the accent comes roaring back full throttle.

A good example for Gerry might be Cary Grant. A working class fellow from Bristol England he modified his accent to the point that he successfully played British and American roles. The trick for GB in his roles might be to suppress his burr just enough but yet keep his unique way of speaking which can’t quite be indentified, so he could be from anywhere, American or not. I miss actors who have distinctive voices and accents, these days everyone sounds alike. And Gerry does have a distinctive voice and manner.

[Poptart]

You're right. Dolly Parton sang "Nine to Five"..Sheena Easton (whom I remember was a very pretty Scottish singer)sang something with the lyrics" I take the morning train.." with perhaps "nine to five" as part of one of the lyrics.

I think she was big in the 70's or 80's....

Betsy

[Songbird]

My baby takes the morning train, he works from nine to five and then

he takes another home again to find me waiting for him

Yep, can't remember yesterday, but those lyrics come right back to me.

Sheena's song and Dolly's Nine to Five came out about the same time, so they changed Sheena's song title to Morning Train.

[Paisleyscot]

I don't think he'll ever "loose" his accent. I think it will get easier for him to use an American accent though as he continues to live here and use it in roles he plays.

He'll get better at switching it on and off.

I just love the way he speaks whether it's in a Scottish accent or American.

Cheryl

[GBPhanatic]

I remember when Sheena Easton came back to play at an open air concert in Glasgow and spoke to the crowd with A US twang she was booed and had bottles flung at her to get off. She has never played in Scotland since LOL

Is that true? That's terrible! She is such a little doll! We went to see her in an open air concert once and everyone loved how she called the bugs flying around the foot lights, "beasties"! Why would people be so mean to her?

I adore Gerry's voice! He's got a very distinct "timbre" to it! I think it ranks up there with James Earl Jones and Barry White! Not to mention, it's so sexy and sends a delicious tingle up my spine upon the sound of it, accent or not!

D

[Liisa]

Like Gerry said in his interview with Regis and Kelly~

"They wanted me to play the role with an Scottish accent and I said that I would play the role as an American because the character was inherently and American character, however they thought that I would be more charming as an Scotsman~ I told them that~ " I AM CHARMING" as a Scotsman or as an American, I am just charming period! (Regis and Kelly laugh).

Mr. Gerard James Butler.. You most assuredly are!!

End of story!

We just desire your presence, your intense countenance, However you bring it!

Lis'e

Omg finally something about the R&K interview.

Is there anywhere I can see this please, I can't find it online & missed it when it aired?

Thanks!

[ladyfran]

Didn't Sean Connery always have his Scottish brogue in all his movies ...American and all?? I would have loved it if Gerry would have used his own accent in TUT! Also, if he loses it too much what will he have to do if he does do Burns?? He'll have to go back home for a wee while to get it back!

Frannie

[Swansong]

Just read this in trending topics on Twitter: @LewisCorner "watched Beowulf and Grendel. Best bit was Gerard Butler trying to put on a convincing Scottish accent."

OMG, the guy thinks Gerry is an American! Too fookin funny!

Swannie

[phoenixgirl]

Just read this in trending topics on Twitter: @LewisCorner "watched Beowulf and Grendel. Best bit was Gerard Butler trying to put on a convincing Scottish accent."

OMG, the guy thinks Gerry is an American! Too fookin funny!

Swannie

That's hilarious! I guess he did a good job of it.

[Rendita]

Just read this in trending topics on Twitter: @LewisCorner "watched Beowulf and Grendel. Best bit was Gerard Butler trying to put on a convincing Scottish accent."

OMG, the guy thinks Gerry is an American! Too fookin funny!

Swannie

Yes, I thought he did an excellent job w/ the Scottish accent!

Ren

[AbandonThought]

I was a little sad when I read this article. I am so in love with Gerry's accent... At the same time, I recognize that it's just because of the roles he's doing right now, and that it's difficult for him to switch the American on and off. Even if he's deliberately speaking like an American in everyday life for awhile, he'll never forget how to speak in his native Scottish!

Is anybody else itching for another role where we get to hear his beautiful natural accent?

And yeah, it seemed like Sean Connery always spoke naturally, but 1) it just sounded odd sometimes (like in Hunt for Red October when he's supposed to be Russian?), 2) I would guess he missed out on some roles because of that, and 3) I don't think he's an actor of Gerry's caliber!

Gerry always talks about abandoning himself to his roles... I suppose abandoning his accent is the first step when playing a character that isn't Scottish. *Sigh*. We will endure.

Stephanie

[discoveringme]

Omg finally something about the R&K interview.

Is there anywhere I can see this please, I can't find it online & missed it when it aired?

Thanks!

Here are the links to the interview! We have LOTS of fun stuff in our Multi media section

Have fun!

Regis and Kelly Part 1

Regis and Kelly Part 2

Regis and Kelly practice dancing

[lopes1956]

Gerry's accent is his job, not Gerry. If he stays in the States and works with Americans the American accent can become second nature to him. When and if he returns and lives in Scotland the Scottish accent will return too. When I travel I start to pick up the accent of the local I am in. Being an actor Gerry is tuned into his surroundings, peoples voices are important to his craft.

[Sasharose]

I thought it was such a coincidence this morning when I read the bit about GB losing his accent, because last night I had watched an interview segment on my Dracula 2000 tape where Gerry kids about not realizing most of the filming would be done at night! Anyway, it struck me as to how thick his Scots accent was at the time and how much of it he has since lost. Then to read that article today was quite a hoot.

Speaking of that interview...my goodness the boy was simply beautiful back then. (Not that I don't adore his more rugged masculine persona of today.) But, that long black hair and those huge green eyes. Oh my. He was a piece of work as a relative baby.

Did anyone note that one headline about his losing the accent referred to him as 'Ged.' There's a new one for me.

[Miss S]

Mr. G will always be Mr. G to me. There's something in his voice that he'll always have that I recognize as being distinctly his. ( if one has been listening to a voice off & on over the last 8 years...one gets familiar with said voice. ha ha ) No worries ladies. The true Mr G will always be with us!!!

The Divine Miss S