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From Playground Fights to Awesome Accents: Jude Law’s Early Instincts
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...

Mark Byron Dallas
Sep 20, 20252 min read


The Way you Think about Accents is Wrong
What Every Actor Should Know About Authentic Accent Work You’ve probably heard someone say, “People in that city speak like this,” or...

Mark Byron Dallas
Apr 7, 20254 min read


Speaking in Tongues: How Actors Learn Constructed Languages
Sometimes, actors get cast in sci-fi or fantasy roles that require them to learn constructed languages. I interviewed an actor to find...

Mark Byron Dallas
Apr 2, 20255 min read


“I’m Just Not Good at Accents”: The Myth and the Method
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

Mark Byron Dallas
Nov 11, 20254 min read


Helping the Marquise Find Her Voice
(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

Mark Byron Dallas
Oct 27, 20252 min read


When Is It Not Okay to Learn an Accent?
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

Mark Byron Dallas
Oct 19, 20255 min read


How to Maintain Your Accent Through Emotional Scenes
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...

Mark Byron Dallas
Apr 15, 20252 min read


What to Look for in an Online Dialect Coach
When it comes to mastering an accent or dialect, working with a professional online coach can make all the difference.

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 31, 20253 min read


10 Common Mistakes North Americans Make When Doing a British Accent
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....

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 27, 20254 min read


The Colourful World of British Accents
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...

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 26, 20255 min read


The Ethics of Accent Work: A Guide to Not Getting Cancelled
The ethics of accent work are extremely important to navigate in a cultural minefield Ah, accents, the spice rack of language. They can...

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 21, 20254 min read


General American Accent Revisited: A Myth, a Model, or Something Else?
For actors, dialect coaches, and linguists, the term “General American Accent” has been the ultimate frenemy: both a handy shortcut and a...

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 19, 20253 min read


Mark on AI: The Full Interviews
In February 2025, I was approached by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about a conversation I had with fellow dialect coach Grace...

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 18, 20253 min read


Brummie: The Birmingham Accent’s Rags-to-Riches Story (And My Role in It)
For decades, the Brummie accent was one of the most ridiculed and overlooked accents in the UK. What happened and why?

Mark Byron Dallas
Mar 12, 20253 min read


I Have an Accent, but it's Not My First!
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...

Mark Byron Dallas
May 12, 20204 min read
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