William Shatner's lack of accent

[Kor]

Different parts of the province have varying degrees of French-ness.
Quebec City is much more linguistically french (and you better be able to speak it if you visit), whereas, in Montreal, English is very common.

Another Quebecker who doesn't have a French accent when speaking English (and whose French is passable but not too great) is the legendary singer-poet Leonard Cohen, who grew up in an English-speaking area.

Kor

 

[Warped9]

I think the attitude in Quebec City is changing due to them doing evermore business outside of the province. When you go ahead a build a new and impressive arena to win a NHL franchise (to resurrect the Nordiques) as well as attract performers and events from outside the province you had better be more receptive to English being spoken in your city.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

He was born in Quebec and lived there all throughout his school years. So why doesn't he have a French-Canadian accent? Celine Dion is also from Quebec and her accent is very prominent. Just a thought I had.

His family isn't French-Canadian is all I can think off. He was probably raised in an English speaking household, while Dion was raised in a French speaking one. Wikipedia lists the two high schools he attended as English speaking.

His family is Jewish-Canadian, and he was most likely raised with a Jewish Canadian accent similar to the kind you'd visualize in the novel The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz (he went to the school that was the basis for Fletcher's Field High in the book, Baron Byng), which I'll bet became a regular WASP Canadian accent over time.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

William Shatner as Captain Kirk has quite a few British elements in his elocution. For one thing, he floats over most of his R's, and particularly his final R's. Listen to how he pronounces "warp" in most TOS episodes (and "quarter-speed" in "The Doomsday Machine"). For another thing, he says "business SYOOT", "purSYOOT" and "preSYOOme" in the British way. (I know there are other examples; I just can't recall them off the top of my head.) Whether Shatner's British inflection is due to the old-fashioned custom of actors speaking with a midatlantic accent on purpose, I'm not sure.

Interesting.

 

[Kirby]

I'm now thinking how much more fun Trek would be if Shatner spoke like Bob and Doug MacKenzie.
"Oh cripes, I need those whales, eh?"

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

William Shatner as Captain Kirk has quite a few British elements in his elocution. For one thing, he floats over most of his R's, and particularly his final R's. Listen to how he pronounces "warp" in most TOS episodes (and "quarter-speed" in "The Doomsday Machine"). For another thing, he says "business SYOOT", "purSYOOT" and "preSYOOme" in the British way. (I know there are other examples; I just can't recall them off the top of my head.) Whether Shatner's British inflection is due to the old-fashioned custom of actors speaking with a midatlantic accent on purpose, I'm not sure.

Interesting.

I've never heard anything remotely British in his speech.

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

 

[LadyT'Anna]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

Hoo boy--in Birmingham, AL, that would have raised quite a few eyebrows.

Relatedly, it's amusing to hear Shatner sounding more and more Kirk-like as his "Columbo" episode progresses.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

Yeah, but which accent, Estuary, Cockney, Birmingham, Dudley, Leicester, RP...?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

When Shatner grew up, Montreal had a strong Anglophone enclave that dominated city politics. Policies were designed to preference English above French in order to counteract the strong presence of Francophone speakers in the province. Immigrants to the province generally settled in Montreal as the major city and, subsequently, integrated into the city's (and the nation's) English culture. Now that Quebecois politics is more prominent, it would be more likely that Shatner would have an education in French, but that might not affect how he speaks English.

 

[stardream]

I have a good friend who happens to be French Canadian. Her English has no underlying accent. She sounds like an English speaking North American. Her French though has that Canadian French accent that I cannot describe although I recognize it when I hear it. I studied French for several years in high school and college. Her French is deeper...more...throaty or something. As I said I can't really describe it.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

You would have thought that he'd emphasise the 'ham'!


I feel the urge to post this...

Absolutely not a single trace of irony.

[yt]v=GxZ1xn2ml10[/yt]

 

[LadyT'Anna]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

Yeah, but which accent, Estuary, Cockney, Birmingham, Dudley, Leicester, RP...?

Good point. Based on his TOS delivery, I'd say RP, aka the Queen's English.

You would have thought that he'd emphasise the 'ham'!

Speakers in the American South would indeed emphasize the "ham."

What an ironic vein this conversation has taken.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have a good friend who happens to be French Canadian. Her English has no underlying accent. She sounds like an English speaking North American. Her French though has that Canadian French accent that I cannot describe although I recognize it when I hear it. I studied French for several years in high school and college. Her French is deeper...more...throaty or something. As I said I can't really describe it.

Russell Martin (the catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays) is from Montreal and has no detectable French in his accent either. I think Eric Gagné (the pitcher - "Game Over") did, though - in fact he spoke only French until college.

Regarding acting, though, isn't there a VERY high percentage of Canadian actors working in Hollywood who have absolutely no trace of any accent (and thus nobody has any idea they are Canadian)? IIRC it's at least 25% of them.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

Regarding acting, though, isn't there a VERY high percentage of Canadian actors working in Hollywood who have absolutely no trace of any accent (and thus nobody has any idea they are Canadian)? IIRC it's at least 25% of them.

Where'd you find that statistic, George? Wow . . .

 

[Bagofmostlywatr]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

Yeah, but which accent, Estuary, Cockney, Birmingham, Dudley, Leicester, RP...?

Dudloi actuloi, so it's pronounced biyeurminumm.

 

[eyeresist]

When Shatner used to do TV ads for a Birmingham, AL, attorney, he used the British pronunciation of "Birmingham".

Yeah, but which accent, Estuary, Cockney, Birmingham, Dudley, Leicester, RP...?

Good point. Based on his TOS delivery, I'd say RP, aka the Queen's English.

Shatner did a lot of Shakespeare when he was young, which is probably where he picked it up.

 

[T'Girl]

Kirk: "Fire phasers ehh."

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well, we have at least two confirmed Canadian characters onscreen (Sam Lavelle from TNG and Eddington on DS9) and neither of them had an accent, did they?

 

[Captain Rob]

The most obvious answer to the OP is that, contrary to some evidence otherwise, Mr Shatner is a professionally trained actor.