'True Blood' Accents: True to Form or Bloody Bad?

By Jason Cohen Posted Sep 10th 2009 04:15PM

Admit it: You think True Blood is as addictive as a drop of "V." You've stayed at home most every Sunday and you're upset about the Alexander Skarsgard/Evan Rachel Wood rumors (though you have never said or written the word "ASkars"). But there's still one little problem: certain actors make you cringe. Not sassy Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), of course. And certainly not William "and my other brother Darryl" Sanderson (Sheriff Dearborn), though he had more to do on 'Deadwood.' New Orleans native Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) speaks in his own accent well enough, even if he might be one of those actors who won't answer if his character does not have the same name as him.

No, the problem starts with Bill and ends with Sookie. Hear Audio Proof After the Jump.

Now, one could make the case that Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin are simply giving the performance that creator Alan Ball desires. Charmless monotone? Incredulous Louisiana accents? Under-emoting in a death battle with over-emoting? All part of the show's comic booky, melodramatic, R-rated soap opera charm.

Besides, there is a simpler explanation: it's because they're foreigners. And Meryl Streep they're not.

Nearly every foreign actor on TV, from Hugh Laurie to Anna Torv, talks American in something much like the "Mel Gibson voice" - flattened, cool and clenched, like they are biting on a tongue depressor, or perhaps in need of some Immodium. What, you thought Stephen Moyer was so pale and wooden 'cause he plays a creature of the night? He's straining so hard to hide his British accent he's got nothing left to give to the performance!

The Swedish Skarsgard, who comes from solid thespic stock, fares a whole lot better, especially since flatness really is meant to be part of the vampire speech pattern, while New Zealander Paquin and Australian Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse) get to hide behind their outsized drawls, Kwanten with the most success. In fact, he just might give the best performance on the show, and I don't mean with his pecs - his Jason is the male equivalent of Anna Faris's work in The House Bunny.

So, as you prepare for Sunday's Season Two finale, watch these clips of the four True Blood actors talking in their actual voices, and perhaps you'll feel like cutting them some slack. Or not.

Hear Their 'Blood' Accents Compared to Their Pre-'Blood' Talk

'Blood' Talk

Paquin on 'Blood'

Moyer on 'Blood'

Skarsgard on 'Blood'

Kwanten on 'Blood'

Pre-'Blood' Talk

Paquin's Oscar Speech

Moyer interview

Skarsgard in 'Jarnets Anglar'

Kwanten in 'Summerland'

Tags: anna paquin, AnnaPaquin, stephen moyer, StephenMoyer, true blood, TrueBlood

Comments

(41)

Saturday 12 December

By jessesgirl

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Alexander Skarsgard has no accent at all, he speaks better american than most americans (what we speak is definitely not proper English). Have you not seen him in Generation Kill? He was so totally fantastic and no hint of an accent. Actually I watch the videos of his Swedish films on YouTube and love to listen to him speak his native language, I don't even care what he is saying his voice is so soft and angelic. I wish he did have more of an accent in american shows cause he sounds so gooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!

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