Another Voice

I don't watch may US television programs, I mostly watch movies and Japanese anime. One of the shows I do watch though is the medical drama House MD, starring Hugh Laurie playing the doctor of the shows namesake.

One of the more intriguing things to me, however, is off the camera. Hugh Laurie is British, but he is playing a character that is American, so he has to alter his speech to mask his accent. I had never heard of him before House, and I wasn't aware of this fact... Until I saw him in passing on one of the late night talk shows, where he was talking as he would normally. It sounded, honestly, like it was someone else entirely. Not only was the accenting on the vowels different, but the way his consonants are pronounced as well, and even the normal pitch of his voice was different than as Gregory House. It was very surreal the first time, and honestly didn't sound like the voice was coming from Hugh at times.

If you're wondering, here's a link to him talking to Dave Letterman. It's quite interesting the way accenting can be affected and masked.