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An artist's depiction of Jude Law avoiding getting his boatrace punched in a school fight My wife went to school with Jude Law. She still...

What Every Actor Should Know About Authentic Accent Work You’ve probably heard someone say, “People in that city  speak like this,” or...

Sometimes, actors get cast in sci-fi or fantasy roles that require them to learn constructed languages. I interviewed an actor to find...

As a dialect coach and accent coach for actors, I hear one phrase more than any other: “I’m just not good at accents.” It’s often said with a sense of finality, as if it’s a fixed genetic trait. But in my experience, it’s almost never true. What it usually means is, “I’ve never been shown the right process.” I want to share a story about my client, the fantastic and dedicated actress Kim S Monti , who came to me for help with mastering a Scottish accent for her role as Dunde

(and Take It for a Turn about the Town—a TLT BTS) Image courtesy of wrentheatre.com Every now and then, a coaching project comes along that feels like a real meeting of minds — where the work just clicks. Working with Jessika McQueen on her role as the Marquise de Merteuil in Wren Theatre’s production of Dangerous Liaisons  was exactly that. Jesse reached out a few months before rehearsals began, knowing she wanted plenty of time to really inhabit a British (rather than Frenc

The Trouble With “Authentic” Casting and the Fear of Getting It Wrong As a dialect coach, I get asked a lot about authenticity. It’s become one of those industry buzzwords — meant with good intentions, but often tangled up in fear, guilt, and half-formed ideas about what “real” representation should sound like. Here’s the thing: there’s no neat answer to the question, “When is it not okay to learn an accent?”  But it’s one worth asking — not from a place of outrage or defensi

Because your accent shouldn’t break down just because your character is Let’s face it: emotions are messy. That’s why we love them in a...

When it comes to mastering an accent or dialect, working with a professional online coach can make all the difference.

If you're a North American actor attempting a British accent, chances are you’re making at least a few mistakes that could give you away....

The Many Accents of Great Britain and the Actors Who Have Them An oversimplified map of accent regions in the British and Irish Isles To...

The ethics of accent work are extremely important to navigate in a cultural minefield Ah, accents, the spice rack of language. They can...

For actors, dialect coaches, and linguists, the term “General American Accent” has been the ultimate frenemy: both a handy shortcut and a...

In February 2025, I was approached by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about a conversation I had with fellow dialect coach Grace...

For decades, the Brummie accent was one of the most ridiculed and overlooked accents in the UK. What happened and why?

Many of us are very protective of our accents. They are a major part of who we are. They can hint at many things on our life's journey...