Did you know Rick Springfield is Australian?
I didn't.
Until my friend recently pointed it out to me.
Learn something new everyday.
In honor of my friend, I will try to list some famous Aussie people that might make some of us gasp in shock. (well, at least us Americans)
Please don't freak out about the absence of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. I tried to leave out the obvious ones. I think we all know that Mel Gibson is Australian, just as we all know there really was a Holocaust.
If you look at the above list, it might seem Australia has an awfully small pool of talent. Totally not true. It's just we've been blind to all Australia has to offer. There's a boatload of Australian celebrities that most of us Americans haven't heard of yet. Hey, I'm obsessed with Australia and still feel I've only skimmed the surface when it comes to Aussie talent.
Even for the people on the above list....before they came to America, they did stuff in Australia that most of us Americans haven't heard of.
Before Sixth Sense and Six Feet Under, there was Muriel's Wedding. Watch it and you get to hear Rachel Griffith and Toni Collette with their real accents.
Okay, speaking of accents.....Does anyone else get freaked out when they find out an actor or actress has a different accent than they use in their show/move? My biggest shock lately was with Eli Stone. I saw an interview with the main star....Johnny Lee Miller. "What? He's British????!!!!"
I didn't.
Until my friend recently pointed it out to me.
Learn something new everyday.
In honor of my friend, I will try to list some famous Aussie people that might make some of us gasp in shock. (well, at least us Americans)
- P.L Travers. The author of Mary Poppins.
- Errol Flynn. The wild actor.
- Portia de Rossi. Actress and partner of Ellen DeGeneres. Pretend mother to that evil chick on Nip/Tuck
- Bee Gees. "More than a woman.....More than a woman to me!" born in England. Moved to Australia.
- AC/DC Rock group
- Peter Singer Prominent animal rights activist and ethicist (if you're still a carnivore, it's likely you haven't heard of him)
- Rachel Griffith. Actress from Six Feet Under
- Toni Collette The mom from The Sixth Sense and Little Miss Sunshine
- Isla Fisher. The crazy girl from The Wedding Crashers. And also wife of Borat.
- Naomi Watts. Actress from The Ring. I know she's in other stuff, but all I can think of is The Ring. I can't get that damn movie out of my head.
- Peter Weir. Movie director. Dead Poet's Society. Truman Show
Please don't freak out about the absence of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. I tried to leave out the obvious ones. I think we all know that Mel Gibson is Australian, just as we all know there really was a Holocaust.
If you look at the above list, it might seem Australia has an awfully small pool of talent. Totally not true. It's just we've been blind to all Australia has to offer. There's a boatload of Australian celebrities that most of us Americans haven't heard of yet. Hey, I'm obsessed with Australia and still feel I've only skimmed the surface when it comes to Aussie talent.
Even for the people on the above list....before they came to America, they did stuff in Australia that most of us Americans haven't heard of.
Before Sixth Sense and Six Feet Under, there was Muriel's Wedding. Watch it and you get to hear Rachel Griffith and Toni Collette with their real accents.
Okay, speaking of accents.....Does anyone else get freaked out when they find out an actor or actress has a different accent than they use in their show/move? My biggest shock lately was with Eli Stone. I saw an interview with the main star....Johnny Lee Miller. "What? He's British????!!!!"
Yeah, I knew all that, lol.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Tex is an aussie too.
I believe a lot of the actors from Australia, when they audition in the states, don't actually say they are from Aussie, and put on American accents for the whole audition, because once the potential employer hears the Aussie accent they imagine they can hear it in the way you speak and they listen for it and criticise, whereas if they think you're a seppo then they will put you in any role, rather than as the token Aussie.
Do you know what a 'seppo' is?
Well, NOW I kow what Seppo means. Thanks to Google!!!
ReplyDeleteI never heard of it before.
You got me thinking about the Aussie actor thing.
I understand faking an accent if the role NEEDS to be of a certain nationality.
For example, if an Australian is going to be in a bio-pic about a famous American, it would be a bit weird for them to have an Australian accent.
Or if the movie involves a family. It would be weird if people in the family have different accents.
But if it's a single character, why can't they be Australian?
Why couldn't the mother in The Sixth Sense be Australian-American?
Why can't Eli Stone be British?
Maybe it will change eventually. Or maybe Hollywood will sink and Australia will be the film-making capital. Then Americans will come over and all have to fake Aussie accents.
haha, I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain formulas which constitute how they think it should be done, and that is that.
A bit like how most people live their life I suppose - by having a set of rules they feel safe, even if a lot of the rules are not helpful, sensible or necessary (such as never wear blue and green together, see my latest post).
And of course ACDC, and The Bee Gees (okay they were English and then grew up in Australia and then went back to England but we still claim them!) and Little River Band and Keith Urban and Olivia Newton John (how excited we were to see her in Grease all those years ago) and Greta Scacchi - was raised in Australia and Judy Davis - who is IMHO one of our finest actresses.
ReplyDeleteHey and thanks for the link! :)
Cellobella,
ReplyDeleteThanks! I knew I'd forget some. And some I haven't even heard of....yet.
Oh! Another one. Helen Reddy! I like her.
wow ive just stumbled across you're blog and am quite suprised an American so into our little Australia! I LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI am the opposite and love America :)
Rinniez,
ReplyDeleteHi! What is wrong with you? You love America????
No, I'm joking. It's not TOO bad here.
I'm wondering if you love America as much as I love Australia. Then we should just find one of those Freaky Friday spells and change lives.
Anyway....
It's awesome to "meet" you : )
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I was so suprised to find that dude from Gossip Girl is English. His accent seems pretty flawless to me.
ReplyDelete