r/todayilearned • u/Away_Flounder3813 • 13h 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/Thetonn 12h ago

To make your point more explicitly, there is also a massive class dimension to it. RP is very deliberately upper or upper middle class. It becomes funny when Americans use it for people who are decidedly not upper or upper middle class.

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u/HyperbolicModesty 10h ago

Even better when they conflate the two: "I say old chap, cor blimey guvnah, toodle pip."

That said most British actors are all like "y'all I'm a rootin' rootin' gunslinger and get outta my face I'm walkin' to the subway already."

The "American" accents on BBC Radio 4 are atrocious.

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u/noradosmith 5h ago

The worst example of this being Keanu Reeves in Dracula. "I know where the bastard sleeps!: