the voice accent to end a career

[DigDog]

so i stumbled upon this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbPS7K9falk

that's will smith's latest film (the trailer).

now, i actually know people who speak like that. but why cast someone who everyone - worldwide - has familiarity with, and make them do that ridiculous accent?

again, not ridiculous per se, but because we know it's fake.

i can't think of a single actor pulling off a fake accent that wasn't over the top, silly, purposedly exagerated to make a caricature out of a character.

opinions.. go!

 

[Eug]

so i stumbled upon this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbPS7K9falk

that's will smith's latest film (the trailer).

now, i actually know people who speak like that. but why cast someone who everyone - worldwide - has familiarity with, and make them do that ridiculous accent?

again, not ridiculous per se, but because we know it's fake.

i can't think of a single actor pulling off a fake accent that wasn't over the top, silly, purposedly exagerated to make a caricature out of a character.

opinions.. go!

I'd say it was ok in those clips. And no I don't think the accent is ridiculous. Certainly he looks much more interesting in that clip than in most of his movies. Hopefully they didn't cherry pick his accent clips for the trailer.

BTW, I think the accent in Forest Gump was more out there, but that movie did extremely well as we all know.

 

[Markbnj]

Yeah, I also thought it was ok, not that I have an expert ear or anything. It was at least plausible.

 

[quikah]

Honestly, sounds a bit less ridiculous than the actual accent of the guy he is portraying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOKvhcBelwQ

 

[Crusty]

I recently watched a documentary about this guy and his story about finding CTE, no idea where or what it was called though. It was very compelling though.

 

[DigDog]

well, best of luck to mr smith, i think he needs it. (but MIB 3 was ok)

 

[IGemini]

Smith's accent sounds like it has too much French African quality...which makes it sound pretty caricaturish.

This is an hour-long interview with the real Dr. Bennet Omlau:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...nial/the-frontline-interview-dr-bennet-omalu/

Biggest thing that sticks out to me is Smith still using hard (r) sounds when most of those are replaced with (w) with the doctor's accent. "Amewicah" would've been how the real doctor pronounced it. It doesn't help that their voice qualities are totally different.

 

[mmntech]

The one thing that struck me in this trailer more than the accent is that the Fresh Prince ain't looking so fresh anymore.

 

[DigDog]

well, the guy is 47.

still, it's weird to me that all you guys have no problem with the accent. if the accent is so important to the character, maybe cast someone else? say, someone who actually has that accent, or otherwise someone who we don't know and could pass for having that accent.

i have watched practically every will smith film in the theaters, but somehow i have the idea that if i go see this one, it's gonna be 2 hours of the fresh prince making funny voices.

 

[Aharami]

i can't think of a single actor pulling off a fake accent that wasn't over the top, silly, purposedly exagerated to make a caricature out of a character.

opinions.. go!

lot of british actors fake an american accent and pull it off pretty well

 

[DigDog]

man, and inflection and an accent are not the same thing. pureese. we're talking an english speaking person talking like he was speedy gonzales, that would be a fair comparison.

incidentally, do you remember the massive freakout that hugh laurie (house md) caused when it came out that he sounded british IRL?

same here. an accent won't freak out anyone *unless* they already know how that person speaks.

 

[tortillasoup]

I feel like I'm the only one not bothered by Will Smith's accent. Maybe I see him as an actor who can and be anything he wants and everybody else wants to typecast him.

 

[dethman]

it was fine to me.

 

[smackababy]

No problems with it besides that it will be another terrible film revolving around the NFL.

 

[Printer Bandit]

Bennet Omalu, M.D., M.B.A., MPH, CPE, DABP-AP, CP, FP, NP


damn, look at all those degrees and certs.

 

[Printer Bandit]

i think Forest Whitaker would have been a better fit for this role.

 

[edro]

Sounds fine to me.

 

[ajskydiver]

There's something about Smith that, for me, it's always Will Smith playing <character name>.

I never, ever forget that's Smith.

He's the only actor I have this issue with. Probably just me.

 

[mizzou]

There's something about Smith that, for me, it's always Will Smith playing <character name>.

I never, ever forget that's Smith.

He's the only actor I have this issue with. Probably just me.

No, you just described him as a character actor which is accurate. There are many who are character actors and pretty much stuck always playing the same role.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

meh

 

[sandorski]

Will's accent is certainly different than the Doctors, but it sounded good to me.

 

[purbeast0]

don't have sound here at work, but no fucking way it can be worse than sam jackson's lisp in the kingsman movie.

 

[Aharami]

i think Forest Whitaker would have been a better fit for this role.

agreed

 

[Murloc]

meh it's a bit funny because everyone knows Will Smith's accent.....

but actors routinely do this with english accents anyway.

 

[nakedfrog]

man, and inflection and an accent are not the same thing. pureese. we're talking an english speaking person talking like he was speedy gonzales, that would be a fair comparison.

incidentally, do you remember the massive freakout that hugh laurie (house md) caused when it came out that he sounded british IRL?

same here. an accent won't freak out anyone *unless* they already know how that person speaks.

No. Is there evidence of a "massive freakout"? It sounds made-up.