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Fellow voice actors, we need to talk about accents.

Many times an audition will come up and the client will be looking for an Irish accent or an Australian accent, Boston/Harvard, whatevuh.

Chances are you think you can nail it.

Sure, just go to Youtube, watch a couple videos and you're good, right?

Nah.

Look, I've been guilty of it too. The audition says 'irish accent' so you put on your best 'don't steal me pot of gold,' borderline offensive gaelic accent.

But the reality is, there's SO many different types of accents within each culture. The Irish alone have over 15 different accents . Don't get me started on the accents in Africa.

Think about the United States. There isn't just a 'southern accent,' there's a Texas accent, Creole accent, Georgia accent, Mississippi accent and probably even more variations WITHIN EACH ONE!

So imagine you're on the other end of the audition and you're (probably) someone who knows what the accent is supposed to sound like and here comes an audition from a guy who sounds like he's doing the Lucky Charms guy on crack.

When all he wanted was a decent Drogheda accent.

Bottom line. Don't do the accent unless you meet either of these two criteria:

  1. You were born and raised in that accent or have lived in it for a while. or..
  2. You have taken a class/workshop on how to do that accent.

Cause if you can't fulfill either of those you're just going to offend the client and probably never see work from them for anything in the future.

Plus, you sound like and arse.

And that's not what you want to sound like as a voice actor, is it?

Nyet. (sorry)

Happy Saint Patty's Day!

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