Press Assoc. - 19 minutes ago

Michelle Ryan's turn as the Bionic Woman has won her top place in a poll of the worst attempts at US accents.

The former EastEnder, 24, starred as Jaime Sommers in last year's remake of the 1970s cult series before it was cancelled because of the US writers' strike.

Eddie Izzard made second place for his role as Wayne Malloy in The Riches.

Anna Friel was next for her performance as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, who comes back from the dead in Pushing Daisies.

Fourth place went to Hugh Laurie in his Golden Globe-winning role as Dr Gregory House in House.

Lancashire-born Ian McShane is next for his role as Al Swearengen in Deadwood.

The top 10 was completed by Essex-born Sean Maguire in The Class, Minnie Driver in The Riches, Joely Richardson in Nip/Tuck, Louise Lombard in CSI; Crime Scene Investigation, and Dominic West in crime drama The Wire.

Helen Hackworthy, the editor of RadioTimes.com, which carried out the poll, said: "Just as Dick Van Dyke struggled with his English accent in Mary Poppins, so too are some Brits failing to pull off convincing American accents."

Just over 3,000 fans were polled on the Radio Times website.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080526/ten-michelle-ryan-has-worst-us-accent-5f8abb3.html

I thought Michelle Ryan's & Anna Friel's American accents were ok.

I thought Michelle Ryan's & Anna Friel's American accents were ok.

I had no idea who Anna Friel was before Pushing Daisies, so when I looke up her bio on IMDB, i was shocked to learn she was British!

Her "American" accent is very good.

Hugh Laurie should be on the top of this list every year. His attempt at an American accent is horrible.

Hugh Laurie should be on the top of this list every year. His attempt at an American accent is horrible.

:lol: I was just going to say that I thought he did pretty well. I just watched parts of Stuart Little 2 and I thought he did a convincing middle America accent.



As far as Louise Lombard...had no idea she was English, but that explains why I always thought she talked funny.

Check any movie in which Colin Farrell plays an American.

He is constantly in and out of the accent.

"Phone Booth" is particularly bad.

Did any UK actors make the best accent list, as the worst list seems to include practically all UK-based actors currently working on American television! :lol:

Did any UK actors make the best accent list, as the worst list seems to include practically all UK-based actors currently working on American television! :lol:

yes there were some: here's the top 20 best, according to the readers of radio times magazine

Who has the best American accent?

1. Hugh Laurie (House)
2. Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies)
3. Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman)
4. Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers)
5. Minnie Driver (The Riches)
6. Eddie Izzard (The Riches)
7. Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck)
8. Ian McShane (Deadwood)
9. Louise Lombard (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
10. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
11. Lena Headey (Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
12. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
13. Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
14. Dominic West (The Wire)
15. Lennie James (Jericho)
16. Sean Maguire (The Class)
17. Idris Elba (The Wire)
18. Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
19. Other
20. Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)

http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/us-accents-results/

i don't know what the hell 'other' is supposed to represent. looks like a typo mistake to me

Check any movie in which Colin Farrell plays an American.

He is constantly in and out of the accent.

"Phone Booth" is particularly bad.

the thing is though the majority of those actors on the worst list were born in england. colin farrell however was born in ireland, which is just outside the UK, and so really he doesn't count as being 'british'

yes there were some: here's the top 20 best, according to the readers of radio times magazine

Who has the best American accent?

1. Hugh Laurie (House)
2. Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies)
3. Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman)
4. Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers)
5. Minnie Driver (The Riches)
6. Eddie Izzard (The Riches)
7. Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck)
8. Ian McShane (Deadwood)
9. Louise Lombard (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
10. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
11. Lena Headey (Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
12. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
13. Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
14. Dominic West (The Wire)
15. Lennie James (Jericho)
16. Sean Maguire (The Class)
17. Idris Elba (The Wire)
18. Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
19. Other
20. Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)

http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/us-accents-results/

i don't know what the hell 'other' is supposed to represent. looks like a typo mistake to me

Other? I love his work. Or is it her work?

Jamie Bamber and Lena Headey do a great job of mimicking the American accent. Bamber was another actor I though was American!

yes there were some: here's the top 20 best, according to the readers of radio times magazine

Who has the best American accent?

13. Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)

16. Sean Maguire (The Class)
http://www.radiotimes.com/content/features/us-accents-results/



Matthew Ryhs is very good i think, he really sounds American, whereas Sean Maguire was horrendous, he should be number 1

Matthew Rhys is very good i think, he really sounds American, whereas Sean Maguire was horrendous, he should be number 1

and yet he has been a success in america, nonetheless. i tried searching for clips of sean in the class on you tube but he's not in any of them. i'm probably wrong on this

and yet he has been a success in america, nonetheless. i tried searching for clips of sean in the class on you tube but he's not in any of them. i'm probably wrong on this
I don't even remember which one he was.

I don't even remember which one he was.

according to IMDB, he played kyle lendo in the show and in off centre he played a guy named euan pierce

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0536630/

according to IMDB, he played kyle lendo in the show and in off centre he played a guy named euan pierce

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0536630/
He did a convincing accent! So does Hugh Laurie!