Cage: We shouldn't do Shakespeare

Corelli · 12:12 PM, 10/10/09

RE: Cage: We shouldn't do Shakespeare

alienplayground · Junior Member

Thank you for the input, Corelli. It may sound good to me, but what do I know? Growing up in the cold war era, I am used to the USSR being the bad guys. Now I am looking hard for some bad Brits! I have to admit, I do like the bad guys, though.

Corelli · 4:44 PM, 10/09/09

alienplayground wrote:
Very interesting topic! I agree with Nic that Americans should not do Shakespeare. I do not have a problem with actors crossing the pond, though. If you watch HBO's True Blood, the main characters have pitch perfect accents. I thought Renee Zellwegger did great as Bridget Jones, but would love to hear the opinion of someone who knows what she is supposed to sound like. The nuances would be lost to my American ear. Maybe she was horrid. Anyone have an opinion? As for British actors playing the bad guys, I hadn't noticed, but will start to pay attention.

          As a Londoner born and bred I think Rene Zellweger's British accent as
          Bridget Jones is good.
          If I never knew Rene was an American I'd have thought she was English.
          Her Bridget Jones accent is more middle class London than working class
          London which is known as C*ockney! biggrin

alienplayground · Junior Member

Very interesting topic! I agree with Nic that Americans should not do Shakespeare. I do not have a problem with actors crossing the pond, though. If you watch HBO's True Blood, the main characters have pitch perfect accents. I thought Renee Zellwegger did great as Bridget Jones, but would love to hear the opinion of someone who knows what she is supposed to sound like. The nuances would be lost to my American ear. Maybe she was horrid. Anyone have an opinion? As for British actors playing the bad guys, I hadn't noticed, but will start to pay attention.

Corelli · 3:55 PM, 09/21/09

Talking of Americans and Shakespeare etc...the thing that annoys me is when they get American actors to play British/English characters and British/English actors to play American characters. hmm

I can never understand that...if they want an American character have it played by an American actor and if they want a British/English character have it played by a British/English actor.
That's what I didn't understand with NT2...they made 'Ben Gates' mum American played by English actress Helen Mirren.
Why not make 'Ben Gates' mum English or get an Amercan actress to play the character. biggrin

Also...why are baddies in American films always played by British/English actors?
Are American actors pulling their punches and refusing to play baddies? hmm

scorpiolady · Superstar

Very interesting, glad to see why Nic agrees that Americans should never try to act out shakespear, being that Shakespear was one of the greatest english poets/writers around, it just wouldn't sound right, that much i do agree.

That's why we only have british actors play Bond, wouldn't sound right with any other accent. hmm

Corelli · 2:02 PM, 09/18/09

Interesting article on why Nic thinks Americans shouldn't do Shakespeare! smile

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gJnCdABIAJdxWctVECVtdmGXqoHg

Cage: We shouldn't do Shakespeare

(UKPA) 2 days ago

Nicolas Cage won't be donning the tights and treading the boards at the Globe any time soon, it would appear.

The 45-year-old actor spoke of his distrust of Americans attempting to do Shakespeare.

According to the action star, it just doesn't sound right.

In Toronto to promote new movie Bad Lieutenant, Nic said thesps from the wrong side of the pond shouldn't even attempt the bard's work.

He said: "I'm one of those people that feels Americans should not do Shakespeare.

"There is something about it. I feel the rhythm of the English language and manner of English speech seem to work effectively with William Shakespeare but when Americans do it, something seems stuck."

But he didn't completely rule himself out of contention for a Shakespearean role in the future, as long as the production was bang up to date.

"It would have to be kind of a modernised version of it for me to really explore that," Nic said.

-- Edited by Corelli on Friday 18th of September 2009 02:05:06 PM