Alexander Skarsgård and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

[Viceroy Slim]

Brits usually do it up pretty good, except when they're on fox. Greg House and Sarah Connor both talk like Gladys Ormphby.

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[Days of Se7en]

As an Australian who almost never performs in her native accent, Nicole Kidman does a damn good job with this, most of the time.  (We'll get to hear her natural voice this fall in Baz Luhrmann's Australia)

[Gibby]

I always felt that Dominic West occasionally wavers in The Wire, though not enough to care. Idris Elba however is incredibly convincing, especially if you hear his day to day voice, which is about as London as it gets.

The guy who plays Marty Crane (John Mahoney) in Frasier; I didn't know he was British until this year! He's from about 20 miles from where my parents live. Conversely, Daphne's 'Manchester' accent sounds nothing like anyone from round here except the students from down south.

[Sarah]

I had no idea he's English, either.  But my in-depth research (IMDb) suggests he always speaks American, rather than reverting to his regular accent when he's not playing a role.  This makes his achievement less remarkable to me.

That new True Blood series (speaking of Alexander Skarsgård) appears to be full of Australians and Brits.

[masterofsparks]

Wow, I had no idea John Mahoney was British either. That makes his performance as the Southerner/Faulkner stand-in in Barton Fink even more impressive to me.

[Sarah]

But, again, it seems he lost his accent when he was a kid in the army; it's not as though he normally speaks with a British accent. 

[senorcorazon]

I have been told by Wife that I am to mention Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones Diary. Apparently she was so good that she got a job in London and passed for a few months before the people in her office realized that the "new girl who looks like Renee Zellweger" really WAS Zellweger.

[todd]

I have been told by Wife that I am to mention Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones Diary. Apparently she was so good that she got a job in London and passed for a few months before the people in her office realized that the "new girl who looks like Renee Zellweger" really WAS Zellweger.

Am I dumb or does this story make no sense? Why was Renee Zellweger working an office job in London?

[daveB from Oakland]

I have been told by Wife that I am to mention Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones Diary. Apparently she was so good that she got a job in London and passed for a few months before the people in her office realized that the "new girl who looks like Renee Zellweger" really WAS Zellweger.

Am I dumb or does this story make no sense? Why was Renee Zellweger working an office job in London?

It was undercover method actorish stuff ...

During casting Zellweger was told she was too skinny to play the chubby Bridget, so she very quickly embarked on gaining the required weight. She gained 20 pounds in order to complete her transformation to Bridget Jones.[10] Her dramatic weight fluctuations became the subject of much media interest. Her performance as Bridget received praise from critics, with Stephen Holden of The New York Times commenting, "Ms. Zellweger accomplishes the small miracle of making Bridget both entirely endearing and utterly real."[10] Along with receiving voice coaching to fine-tune her English accent, part of Zellweger's preparations involved spending three weeks working undercover in a "work experience placement" for British publishing firm Picador in Victoria, London.[11][5] As a result of her considerable efforts to effect author Helen Fielding's character, Zellweger caught the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and received her first Best Actress Academy Award nomination.[5]

I don't care how brilliant she may be, I still can't stand Squinty Zellweger.

[Gibby]

The woman who plays Viv in Without A Trace is a highly respected British actor of some gritty, well-made films, but her US accent in this show absolutely stinks. It's not like a) she's a star or b) it's a show that demands a high level of acting talent, so you'd think they'd cast a local.

[senorcorazon]

I don't care how brilliant she may be, I still can't stand Squinty Zellweger.

Agreed - but she did provide for one of my favorite moments on the Chappelle Show.