Well, his basic accent is Yorkshire, but filtered through two decades in the RSC.
Was Ricardo Montalban really the right actor to play Khan?
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Well, his basic accent is Yorkshire, but filtered through two decades in the RSC.
I believe Charisma was the overriding factor.
While I'm willing to overlook the incongruity of Picard's accent given that it's just a TV show, I do wonder why they didn't just change the character's backstory when Patrick Stewart was cast. The captain was originally supposed to be played by a French actor. When they decided upon the British Stewart, would it have been that hard to say he was from England instead of France?
^It's the 24th century. Why assume that present-day national and cultural boundaries even still exist? Heck, even today, Europe is becoming more unified by the year. By the 2300s, England and France may be merely states within a single nation and society called Europe.
Besides, with transporters in routine use, why couldn't Picard have lived in Labarre and gone to school in Yorkshire?
Of course, realistically, there is zero chance that the English or French accent 400 years from now will sound anything like the current version. I've heard reconstructions of the London accent from Shakespeare's day, and it sounded more like a cross between a heavy Irish brogue and a stereotypical pirate accent. For that matter, even the English language of the 24th century will probably be as alien to our ears as ours would be to Shakespeare. So having the characters speak English in modern accents is an artificial conceit to begin with. What difference does it make, therefore, which modern accent they use?
Besides, with transporters in routine use, why couldn't Picard have lived in Labarre and gone to school in Yorkshire?
Of course, realistically, there is zero chance that the English or French accent 400 years from now will sound anything like the current version. I've heard reconstructions of the London accent from Shakespeare's day, and it sounded more like a cross between a heavy Irish brogue and a stereotypical pirate accent. For that matter, even the English language of the 24th century will probably be as alien to our ears as ours would be to Shakespeare. So having the characters speak English in modern accents is an artificial conceit to begin with. What difference does it make, therefore, which modern accent they use?
^ The only difference it makes it that the reality is they are producing these shows for a modern-day audience, and to have a character described as French but using a British accent seems confusing to a modern-day audience.
Also, I know that we've at least heard France referred to on several occasions, so I'm pretty sure there's no single "Europe" without a distinct France still in existence.
Also, I know that we've at least heard France referred to on several occasions, so I'm pretty sure there's no single "Europe" without a distinct France still in existence.
Edward James Olmos said in a bsg interview that he was offered the role before Patrick was. Would any of you have bought Edward as a frenchman?
Bri
As much as I love Edward James Olmos, I'm glad he passed on this; I wonder if he'd have been interested in the role of Adama after a decade of playing Picard?
Why? It's not as if modern-day people never leave their home countries or go to school in other places. Heck, I once knew a girl who had a gorgeous English accent even though she was from Baltimore (or somewhere around there). She'd been raised by an English nanny.
Then there's the fact that in a lot of historical or fantasy movies, an English accent is pretty much the default for anyone from any "exotic" country. In the universe according to Sam Raimi, Ancient Greece was populated entirely by people with New Zealand accents, American accents, or New Zealand-pretending-to-be-American accents.
There's a single United States, but Ohio, New York, Maryland, etc. are still in existence. I never said France had ceased to exist, merely that it had become a unit within a greater, more unified whole. Which has actually already happened with the emergence of the European Union. All I'm suggesting is a continuation of what's already occurred.
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Thank you for steering right into stereotype central.
Stereotypical humor, when done without malice, CAN be funny...Thank you for steering right into stereotype central.
If PS played Adama, that means they would have had to cast someone else as Colonel Tigh... can't have two bald white guys running the ship together.
This, I would have loved!
What about John Wayne as Gengis Khan?
"I feel this Tartar woman is fer me, and my blood says, 'TAKE HER!'"
So to solve the problem that "Stewart isn't frech' people would have rather had another actor play Picard?
Even though Stewarts acting chops and charisma were what basically saved the show during the first two years and made the series a hit overall.
Look at the history of Trek. Virtually all of the countires of Earth have assimilated into a 'one-world' type of culture. Almost all speak unaccented English.
I just saw a report about Vietnam---virtually every student in the country speaks good English--in 2009. In Indonesia, they are trying to get kids to speak their native language in school and they are rebelling because they want to speak english in class. They say it works better for modern computor classes, etc.
Add 4 more centuries of english becoming the universal earth language and it makes perfect sense that he might have an english accent. He could love french cuisine and french poetry and the lifestyle and heritage but speak with an english accent.
Even though Stewarts acting chops and charisma were what basically saved the show during the first two years and made the series a hit overall.
Look at the history of Trek. Virtually all of the countires of Earth have assimilated into a 'one-world' type of culture. Almost all speak unaccented English.
I just saw a report about Vietnam---virtually every student in the country speaks good English--in 2009. In Indonesia, they are trying to get kids to speak their native language in school and they are rebelling because they want to speak english in class. They say it works better for modern computor classes, etc.
Add 4 more centuries of english becoming the universal earth language and it makes perfect sense that he might have an english accent. He could love french cuisine and french poetry and the lifestyle and heritage but speak with an english accent.
Or rather, they speak American-accented English.
ScatmanRescueMe
Lieutenant Commander
American-accented english IS becoming the norm.
When I hear most people speaking english as a second language they are speaking it with an 'American' accent. I think that trend will continue.
Most scandinavians speak english with an american accent and they are right next to Britain.
When I hear most people speaking english as a second language they are speaking it with an 'American' accent. I think that trend will continue.
Most scandinavians speak english with an american accent and they are right next to Britain.
