Category Archives: Hollywood

UK Invasion in US Television

If I had £1 for every time I pulled up IMDB on my phone to figure out where I know a particular actor from, I would be really well off.  I am just glad that the website does not charge you to use it.  It is no secret that there are a lot of actors out in Hollywood and that not all of them come from the mainland USA.  However in the past year I find my self constantly wondering why I am surprised to find out a certain actor hails from this side of the pond. Two nights ago I gave my husband and I the challenge to come up with ten actors who play ‘Americans’ but are really from the United Kindgom and Ireland.   We came up with not just ten, but fourteen! I am certain that there are far more that could be considered for this list and many more if we had included film. However these are the ones we came up with from the shows we have watched.

In no particular order:

1. Sam Palladio (English) in Nashville (USA) and the Hour (UK)
2. Dominic West (English) in the Wire (USA) and the Hour (UK)
3. Georgia King (Scottish) in the New Normal (USA) and Merlin (UK)
4. Idris Elba (English) in the Wire and the Office (USA) and in Dangerfield (UK)
5. David Harewood (English) in Homeland (USA) and Doctor Who (UK)
6. Damien Lewis (English) in Homeland (USA) and Band of Brothers (USA/UK)
7. Ed Westwick (English) in Gossip Girl (USA) and Casualty (UK)
8. Stephen Graham (English) in Boardwalk Empire (USA) and Coronation Street (UK)
9. Andrew Lincoln (English) in The Walking Dead (USA) and Love Actually (UK)
10. Kevin McKidd (Scottish) in Grey’s Anatomy (USA) and Rome (UK)
11. Joely Richardson (English) in Nip Tuck (USA) and the Tudors (UK)
12. Chris O’Dowd (Irish) in Girls (USA) and the IT Crowd (UK)
13. Hugh Laurie (English) in House (USA) and Jeeves and Wooster (UK)
14. Stephen Moyer (English) in True Blood (USA) and Castles (UK)

Heres a question.  They remake so many shows from England in the USA with american actors.  Have any of our hidden UK citizens acted with an american accent in those shows?