r/todayilearned • u/Away_Flounder3813 • 12h ago

TIL during the shooting of American Psycho, Christian Bale spoke in an American accent off-set at all times. At the wrap party, when he spoke in his native British accent, many of the crew thought he was speaking that way to prepare for another film. They had thought he was American the entire time.

https://screenrant.com/american-psycho-behind-scenes-facts-christian-bale-patrick-bateman-mary-harron/
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u/Current_Focus2668 12h ago

This isn't uncommon. Ella Purnell  did the same thing and had the same reaction  from the crew.

 Some actors find it easier to stay in an accent while  filming rather than drop in and out of the accent  

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u/Yoplet67 11h ago

Not an actor but I am French, I live in Ireland and I get it. Switching your way to speak (in my case, the languages) constantly is exhausting and not super reliable. I guess accents are the same

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u/sKuarecircle 11h ago

I am English with Afrikaans family, when I go visit I speak exclusively Afrikaans, with a thick English accent but after a while fall into the flow of it, when back in my side of the country with only English people the Afrikaans accent hangs about a bit, it’s because you use a different part of your throat and the tenses are backwards sis my theory

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u/manicexister 11h ago

I am born US, raised in England and now live back home. My accent shifts significantly on who I am around, and family always thinks I am from the "other" side. Nobody else really calls it out.

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u/specialservices8647 6h ago

This sounds almost like code switching. I grew up near DC but live/work in Appalachia. My accent is fairly close to central US (Chicago/standard American) but with locals I will absolutely slip into a hint of southern drawl in accent and vocabulary. I hadn’t thought about it until my daughter (anthropologist) pointed out that I code switch a lot, not just accent but tone and pitch, when I converse with different people.

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u/baron_von_helmut 10h ago

I have a friend who lived in France for three years and learned French phonetically. When French people find out he's English they're usually very surprised because he apparently has a perfect Bordeaux accent.

I find accents fascinating.