As someone originally from Baltimore, I think West's accent is actually pretty good, even in this scene. What most other people are hearing as the Brit in him coming through, sounds to me kind of like he's slurring his words a bit more. Which is a pretty common thing for Baltimoreans. The end result is actually a much more localized accent than say Idris Elba's (though his is good as well).
i remember that red headed d.a., or whatever she was (been a long time since i watched this show). i remember thinking she was very hot, in an understated sort of way
This scene nails what's wrong with most institutions, public or otherwise. People are more concerned with climbing the ladder and making more money than actually doing the job they're supposed to do the way it's supposed to be done.
yeah, he let go more than a little. Still, i think he did a great job. But even an American like me can spot a cockney dialect just as bad. Yeah, Don Cheadle, i'm referring to you.
if i can get the rights at some point int the future i wana use sample of this to start off one of my bands song. in particular the exact bit i wanna use is
"...But no everybody stays friends, everybody gets paid and everybody's got a fucking future!"
"you'll just use anyone won't you"
then BAM into the song.
yeh this was rather a pointless comment but hell im rewatching season 2 now half drunk and it is still amazing
@wizardstf1 wow... at first i was angry at you but... now i just feel sad for you. I can see there is no point using my intelligence to argue with an american. I am actually being serious here mate, I really feel sorry for your family, do they have to put up with this as well? Its okay mate, there are clinics and doctors for people like you. Im genuinly sorry, i didn't realise you were mentally challenged, i'll stop arguing with you now as i see it is going nowhere.
@wizardstf1 All of these are British and Australian actors who do yank accents. And these are just the ones i can think of off the top of my head. Give me ten American actors who can do a proper British or Australian accent.
@wizardstf1 Nicole Kidman (The Interpreter), Liam Neeson (Taken), Michael Gambon (Book of Eli), Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Carribean), Malcolm McDowel (Heroes), Robert Pattison (Twilight), Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare),
@wizardstf1 Gary Oldman (Dark Knight), Christian Bale (Dark Knight), Heath Ledger (Dark Knight), Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker), Russel Crowe (Gladiator), Mel Gibson (Edge of Darkness), Hugh Jackman (X-Men), Jude Law (Repo Men), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (The Black Swan), Cate Blanchett (The Curios Case of Banjamin Button), Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Alex O'Loughlin (Hawaii 5-0), Naomi Watts (The International), Gary Oldman (Pirates of the Carribean)
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters), Dominic West (The Wire), Lennie James (Jericho), Sean Maguire (The Class), Idris Elba (The Wire)
Hugh Laurie (House), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies),.Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers), Minnie Driver (The Riches), Eddie Izzard (The Riches), Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck), Ian McShane (Deadwood), Louise Lombard (CSI), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
@wizardstf1 This is the reason i try not to argue with people from Alabama... Im not even british mate, im australian. And us australians have the decency to not completely fuck up the mother tounge. Im aware that i shouldnt be making fun of people with mental disabilities, but who the fuck let you out of the mental asylum. Are you aware that australia and britain have higher literacy rates than america, probably not because yanks ignore all facts that don't paint them in a good light.
@wizardstf1 Are you simple mate? Take a look at your hollywood celebrity's, at least a tenth of them are british or australian doing american accents in films. You say we butcher your accents, show me three examples when an american has done a good british accent. Americans can't do other accents because they're so self centred and half ot them probably don't even realises that there are other countries in the world apart from america.
@wizardstf1 Its called techspeak yank. You shorten works and misspell them to make it shorter and easier. You should know, you did the same thing with our language
@IHateBarnett, Actually, most British actors tend to do a pretty great American accent. Its the opposite that tends to be more hit-or-miss, Americans playing Brits...
Generally his accent is pretty spot on, he rolls his r's like an american but when he gets irate it becomes very english. You just get used to his character being american that it isn't horribly noticeable. It's curious that an american accent is so hard to do for an english person
@IHateBarnett half the bloody actors in america now are either from the UK or Australia. Brit and aussie actors are great at doing american accents, its the complete opposite for americans. I don't think ive ever heard a american do a decent british or australian accent, they always over do it, which is wat the brits and ozzy's do well, there accent is subtle, not just massive generalisations of the accent
The people here who are saying they can't hear the accent slip have never heard Dominic West talk in his natural, posh British accent. Its totally there. Can't believe I didn't notice it before either....
First time mum saw me watching The wire was when she walked in the room and seen those 2 screwing on my T.v. lol...she thought i was watching porno,brutal :(
are people so fucking dumb that they can't hear the American dialect he is using? I mean yeah you can hear abit of English in there but it's more American than English I'd say. I'm English and it sounds American enough to me. Mcnulty, fucking legend.
I remember watching this scene for the first time and thinking "he sounds British" Growing up in Baltimore, it's definitely noticeable, particularly from :26 to :33. Dominic West still did a terrific job throughout the series, but the title of the video is accurate, especially when this is the only scene throughout the entire series where he sounded British (save for the one "High Class Call Girl" sting)
It is also noticeable in a few other scenes. His most common slip-up is to include an "r" sound after a word that ends in a vowel, an English pronunciation.
@StardustEuphoria actually it sounds english tho, but i find it kinda great, because we all know that when we get upset our accent comes stronger (anyway it is for me), so he really got involved in the scene, better that than a good american accent with some bad acting, but man, you cant tell me the way he says "balls" sounds american ahah xD, and i'm french, so objectivity 100%, meh who cares anyway, Mc Nulty is awesome
I'm pretty critical of actors attempting accents and I gotta say, I don't even know why this clip got titled "McNulty's English Accent." I gave it a couple listen thrus, and I still think it shoulda been titled "Dominic West is a Pretty Bawler Ass Actor." You gotta remember gang, he's not just doing an American accent. He's doing a Baltimore, Maryland accent. It would be shitty if he annunciated everything perfectly.
Having heard Dominic West's real accent (he's very posh) when he hosted "Have I Got News For You", this is completely american to me. I agree though, Elba's is flawless
hahah i think it's great that I didn't look behind the scenes at this show until AFTER I had watched the entire thing, so I had no idea Dominic West was British. This makes his crappy british accent in Season 2, which I thought was a by-product in the writing of his inability to put on the accent, even more hilarious then it already was.
I think the accent is supposed to be a joke! Rather like Tony Curtis's accent in Some Like It Hot. I laughed at the idea of an Englishman with a fake American accent, trying to fake an English accent through that fake American accent. However, if you think of Cary Grant (or Tony Curtis) or Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins) it would probably not be that difficult. I am from London.
I'm English and I can tell he's not a real American,also why do Americans insist on referring to a "British"accent when they mean English.Britain is an island that contains three separate nations England,Scotland ,and Wales.In strict legalistic terms all three are "British".Historically the British were the Welsh,not the English.
@iamyourgranddaddy This is towards the end of the season, not the first episode. They're talking about Lewy bringing in Savino, after the killing of Orlando. Although I've heard Dominic West talking about how he couldn't say "Snot Boogie" in the first scene of The Wire, like he was sounding really British, so maybe you're confusing this scene with that one.
@MattyJames25 Actually the accent that most people associate with American Television is the Midwestern accent. It's not just the accent that foreigners are used to. It's also the one that has been favoured for News Anchors/Presenters. Historically California has a lot of farmer/hillbilly accents. It's only because of the relatively recent influx of people from the Midwest, that some people think that a typical American accent is a Californian accent.
@Gregusse Well, as an American I just want to thank you for clearing up the nuances of our regional dialects for us. I was always confused about the way people spoke in my own country e.g. I never knew that the influx of "Okies" in the 30s constituted "historic" Californian.
BTW- We also love all the illuminating cultural commentary you Brits like to interrupt our evenings with when vacationing in your otherwise lovely country: keep those ignorant, stereotypical and banal observations coming!
@MattyJames25 I apologise. I had indeed assumed that you were British actually. Only because a lot of British (and probably most foreigners) see Californian English as typical American English as it's seen in the media. Although I am not an American, I've lived in North America for several years mostly on the East Coast where I was always intrigued by the variety of accents hence my interest.
@MattyJames25 I was simply pointing out that Midwest English is the accent that most people hear in the media. I didn't mean to offend you at all. I'm not one of those Britons that harbours any particular resentment/envy (or any extreme admiration which strangely enough goes hand in hand with "hatred") against America or Americans. I've lived and worked in Boston and have good memories of the East Coast.
@JekyllBoote The only regional accent that actors with English accents tend to be reasonably good with are certain Southern accents as they have similar features (dropping the r, for example). When it comes to doing any other role, they tend to fall into this typical mumbling/eating your words cliché of an American accent. It doesn't really correspond to any kind of accent an American would typically have but then, there are plenty of people with "strange" accents that don't match any region.
Hah I noticed this. I knew he was English anyway, my auntie met him years ago when she was working in Dublin. Then when The Wire came out she was like.. "OMG HE WAS A CUSTOMER!" Was pretty weird. Small world I guess.
Yeah, I remember this scene. Early on I thought that he was Australian. Its an interesting mix when he starts to slip, but most of the time its dead on.
Yeah, if you listen for it specifically, you can kinda tell. The character himself tends to slip in traces of an irish-american accent, and when you combine that with the very localized baltimore slang and dialect, it's awfully hard to pick up on. It still throws me off when he speaks in his natural voice though.
@Juustokauppias Yeah I always thought he had a bit of an Irish twang in his voice. Actually I thought the guy who played him was Irish, hence why they chose the name Jimmy McNulty. I had no idea he was actually English. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.
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(aka john1boon) He definitely loses US accent here. Anyway I like Dominic's voice. I hate most British accents, particularly where they stress up the words. I like accents that are relaxing on the ear and I find Dominic's accent very relaxing, even when he is not acting. My preferred accent is Canadian - also maybe Boston US. I don't like strong US-accents -Baltimore, Chicago, New York; don't mind Texan; don't like Cocky English, or Home-Counties English, okker Australian, or boer African.
@TomMackio Yes, I think you are right. I have been away from England too long. I have lived in Australia for 20 years. The modern Australian accent sounds a little bit like McNulty. I am originally from Rotherham, prep school in Sheffield, and then Epsom College. I started life with a very strong Yorkshire accent, but lost it when I went away to boarding school. Then, it went Cockney in London (Bow for 12 years), and then got an Aussie twang when I emigrated. I am acutely aware of accents.
it's season 1 episode 8, all throughout his accent comes out. the instance i just mentioned and also the part where he tells bunk about his kids spying on stringer bell at the market
noticed another dominic west accent slipup in season 1 where he confronts daniels by an elevator and they argue about the chain of command. it's obvious when his accent comes out because of the way he says the word "colonel"
I didn't hear it the first time and I don't notice it really but I am Irish. One thing is for sure there have been countless English, Irish and Australian actors who have pulled off flawless American accents but when their colleagues from across the pond try, it is truly cringe inducing. (Brad Pitt's mumbling pikey in Snatch aside)
To explain to those Brits (and Yanks) who are deaf to it:- McNulty starts off with a slight Irish accent "bring him in", the lawyer girl comes back with a strong US accent - probably throws him a bit with that. He says a quiet "Fuck you" in a very Upper-Class English way, then he throws in a US-sounding short-vowel ("half") and rolls his Rs in "partners" , "law-firm" and "courthouse", but from then on, it's the phrasing and tone of voice that is definitely English (not SA or Aussie or NZ).
Don't know the show. Yeah, I know, it's suppose to be great - ironically, my friends in the UK are crazy about it. Just don't hear Bawl'more at all in this brief exchange.
@wellesradio Nah, I've seen in at least one episode where Idris' accent came out. Don't remember which episode, but it was in the copy shop. Season 3 I think.
That's hilarious. You can definitely hear his accent leak out when he has to do longer lines. It's amazing how he's able to cover it up as well as he can. And how he covers up his British accept makes him sound fairly authentic Bawlmore.
He is English, so it was bound to happen now and then. Lots of Americans have English ancestry, so the accents don't always have to sound swedish, dutch, german. No.. some Americans sound quite english.
I caught this slip too. Amazing first season on this show! I was constantly hoping for a character with an obnoxious Baltimore accent, but it doesn't show up until the first scene of the second season, with the ferry operator. I guess I'll just have to stick with early John Waters :)
Haha, I didn't notice this the first time around. If you listen to Dominic West giving an interview then it might be clearer to see the accent he lets slip here.
i never noticed this before.. there's this great scene in season 3 i think where for some reason i cant remember right now he has to pose as an englishman and he does this excellent bad english accent.. even hugh laurie isnt so good of an actor that he can do a bad english accent
I don't hear it either... Maybe Americans think when people say "fuckahs" that's where you're hearing the English accent?! West definitely has an accent. But I thought he might be was from Massachusettes or a Maryland accent someplace and had no idea he was British.
He slipped a bit in this scene. The way he says "judges" is clearly British.
I didn't notice the first time I watched it though.
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codycalhoun13 3 weeks ago
As someone originally from Baltimore, I think West's accent is actually pretty good, even in this scene. What most other people are hearing as the Brit in him coming through, sounds to me kind of like he's slurring his words a bit more. Which is a pretty common thing for Baltimoreans. The end result is actually a much more localized accent than say Idris Elba's (though his is good as well).
katimartin91 1 month ago
i remember that red headed d.a., or whatever she was (been a long time since i watched this show). i remember thinking she was very hot, in an understated sort of way
isaachaze1 3 months ago
Wow, I didn't notice it when I originally watched the scene, but that English accent is definitely there. It is still a damn well acted scene though.
Protomang 4 months ago
doesn't even sound British in this scene. he just sounds like an american with no distinctive accent.
1bloodmanchester619 5 months ago
Dominic West's accent is not as consistent as Idris Albas (Stringer Bell) but its still good. I think both are behind Apollo from BSG
CmdrTobs 5 months ago
Yeah, there are lots of places, particularly in the first season, when his American accent is just strange.
YogaforCynics 5 months ago
SHEFFIELD SHEFFIELD SHEFFIELD.........did i mention the guy's from SHEFFIELD
reaney1977 6 months ago
For those who don't know, the guy playing McNulty is from England.
lwong3601 6 months ago
The only accent that ever bothered me on The Wire was Carcetti. McNulty just sounds like he's from McNulty.
mrshfnch 6 months ago 2
This scene nails what's wrong with most institutions, public or otherwise. People are more concerned with climbing the ladder and making more money than actually doing the job they're supposed to do the way it's supposed to be done.
ramonoski 6 months ago
@ramonoski thats bascially the entire point of the show
matand913 6 months ago
yeah, he let go more than a little. Still, i think he did a great job. But even an American like me can spot a cockney dialect just as bad. Yeah, Don Cheadle, i'm referring to you.
elvaelvirababe 6 months ago
british accent starts around 26 seconds, lol @ the damage control
Apolladan 7 months ago
how can it not be an english accent, he is english you moron
keshihead85 7 months ago
this is not an english accent
macarion 7 months ago
Comment removed
mankymonkey389 8 months ago
if i can get the rights at some point int the future i wana use sample of this to start off one of my bands song. in particular the exact bit i wanna use is
"...But no everybody stays friends, everybody gets paid and everybody's got a fucking future!"
"you'll just use anyone won't you"
then BAM into the song.
yeh this was rather a pointless comment but hell im rewatching season 2 now half drunk and it is still amazing
perediam 8 months ago 2
@perediam that would be a badass sample. Anything Rawls says would sound good as an intro also.
kerimh 8 months ago 3
@kerimh
yeah lol
"you mcnulty are a gaping asshole...we both know this"
perediam 8 months ago
@kerimh
even better: 'SHHHHHEEeeeeeeeeitt!!!'
warrenvazquez 4 days ago
@perediam
sorry man don't mix this great show with your shitty bands
gauchebag 7 months ago
@gauchebag
how didyou know my band was crap
ARE YOU PSYCHIC ?!?!
REVEAL YOUR SECRETS WIZARD!!
perediam 7 months ago
@gauchebag
oh can i add fuck off
i said one of my bands songs meaning im a band not numerous bands
next thing your gonna tell me you didn't realise idris elba was pure british
if your gonna troll then fuck off to 4chan
perediam 7 months ago
Baltimore Not English.
carlosgodoy1 8 months ago
@wizardstf1 you need to get laid angry man. Typical joyless plank.
EliteMagnifique1 9 months ago
yeah the accent is hard to hear but it s at the 34 second mark
eboooo 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 wow... at first i was angry at you but... now i just feel sad for you. I can see there is no point using my intelligence to argue with an american. I am actually being serious here mate, I really feel sorry for your family, do they have to put up with this as well? Its okay mate, there are clinics and doctors for people like you. Im genuinly sorry, i didn't realise you were mentally challenged, i'll stop arguing with you now as i see it is going nowhere.
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 All of these are British and Australian actors who do yank accents. And these are just the ones i can think of off the top of my head. Give me ten American actors who can do a proper British or Australian accent.
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 Nicole Kidman (The Interpreter), Liam Neeson (Taken), Michael Gambon (Book of Eli), Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Carribean), Malcolm McDowel (Heroes), Robert Pattison (Twilight), Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare),
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 Gary Oldman (Dark Knight), Christian Bale (Dark Knight), Heath Ledger (Dark Knight), Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker), Russel Crowe (Gladiator), Mel Gibson (Edge of Darkness), Hugh Jackman (X-Men), Jude Law (Repo Men), Sam Worthington (Avatar), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (The Black Swan), Cate Blanchett (The Curios Case of Banjamin Button), Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Alex O'Loughlin (Hawaii 5-0), Naomi Watts (The International), Gary Oldman (Pirates of the Carribean)
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1
Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters), Dominic West (The Wire), Lennie James (Jericho), Sean Maguire (The Class), Idris Elba (The Wire)
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1
Hugh Laurie (House), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies),.Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman), Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers), Minnie Driver (The Riches), Eddie Izzard (The Riches), Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck), Ian McShane (Deadwood), Louise Lombard (CSI), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 This is the reason i try not to argue with people from Alabama... Im not even british mate, im australian. And us australians have the decency to not completely fuck up the mother tounge. Im aware that i shouldnt be making fun of people with mental disabilities, but who the fuck let you out of the mental asylum. Are you aware that australia and britain have higher literacy rates than america, probably not because yanks ignore all facts that don't paint them in a good light.
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
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@wizardstf1: Where is your proof :D
Aishiteru1902 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 Are you simple mate? Take a look at your hollywood celebrity's, at least a tenth of them are british or australian doing american accents in films. You say we butcher your accents, show me three examples when an american has done a good british accent. Americans can't do other accents because they're so self centred and half ot them probably don't even realises that there are other countries in the world apart from america.
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1 Its called techspeak yank. You shorten works and misspell them to make it shorter and easier. You should know, you did the same thing with our language
lockstocksnatchrofl 9 months ago
@wizardstf1: I did :))
Aishiteru1902 9 months ago
I imagine this might be really noticeable if you were from Baltimore, but I'm British and didn't think it sounded like a British accent at all.
DontGoQuietly 10 months ago
yea, im English and that accent is SOOO English
tiddlywinks98712 10 months ago
That's a Baltimore accent.
WillMillion15 10 months ago
@IHateBarnett, Actually, most British actors tend to do a pretty great American accent. Its the opposite that tends to be more hit-or-miss, Americans playing Brits...
maestrodagod 10 months ago
How is it British? :|
Aishiteru1902 10 months ago
this guy is from the steel city of SHEFFIELD
reaney1977 11 months ago
Generally his accent is pretty spot on, he rolls his r's like an american but when he gets irate it becomes very english. You just get used to his character being american that it isn't horribly noticeable. It's curious that an american accent is so hard to do for an english person
IHateBarnett 11 months ago
@IHateBarnett watch Flashforward sometime. half the actors in that are from england with american accents
MiketheMadness 10 months ago
@IHateBarnett half the bloody actors in america now are either from the UK or Australia. Brit and aussie actors are great at doing american accents, its the complete opposite for americans. I don't think ive ever heard a american do a decent british or australian accent, they always over do it, which is wat the brits and ozzy's do well, there accent is subtle, not just massive generalisations of the accent
lockstocksnatchrofl 10 months ago
The people here who are saying they can't hear the accent slip have never heard Dominic West talk in his natural, posh British accent. Its totally there. Can't believe I didn't notice it before either....
maestrodagod 11 months ago 2
"no one talks like that"
ajuk1 11 months ago
I think it was intentionally dropped to make a point. That peice of dialogue wasn't an act, it was what david simon stating truth.
cbizrap 1 year ago
First time mum saw me watching The wire was when she walked in the room and seen those 2 screwing on my T.v. lol...she thought i was watching porno,brutal :(
BurlesqueeBunny 1 year ago
didnt sound like an english accent to me , just a slightly educated american accent
takematt 1 year ago
He slips a bit, but most words are prounounced american-style.
Liface 1 year ago
I'd use her too, if you know what I mean.
janissary101 1 year ago
He's doing a Baltimore accent. It's not great but it's not bad either.
burhanb 1 year ago
are people so fucking dumb that they can't hear the American dialect he is using? I mean yeah you can hear abit of English in there but it's more American than English I'd say. I'm English and it sounds American enough to me. Mcnulty, fucking legend.
StardustEuphoria 1 year ago 38
@StardustEuphoria the point is thats the only part where you hear him slip, you can clearly hear it a couple of times
Athenaze 11 months ago
@StardustEuphoria
It's not being dumb, but in this scene it's obvious his accent's slipping.
HoboZombie 11 months ago
@StardustEuphoria
I remember watching this scene for the first time and thinking "he sounds British" Growing up in Baltimore, it's definitely noticeable, particularly from :26 to :33. Dominic West still did a terrific job throughout the series, but the title of the video is accurate, especially when this is the only scene throughout the entire series where he sounded British (save for the one "High Class Call Girl" sting)
mdbum 10 months ago 2
@mdbum
It is also noticeable in a few other scenes. His most common slip-up is to include an "r" sound after a word that ends in a vowel, an English pronunciation.
prokrastinatorSF 9 months ago
@StardustEuphoria actually it sounds english tho, but i find it kinda great, because we all know that when we get upset our accent comes stronger (anyway it is for me), so he really got involved in the scene, better that than a good american accent with some bad acting, but man, you cant tell me the way he says "balls" sounds american ahah xD, and i'm french, so objectivity 100%, meh who cares anyway, Mc Nulty is awesome
Maho2109 5 months ago
@StardustEuphoria Compared to his normal accent its is as american as it gets!
Carfer22 3 months ago
I'm British and it wasn't until the end if season five that I realised Dominic wasn't American. Convinced me
knifesedge 1 year ago
You notice his accent because someone pointed it out. I didn't notice it when I first watched this episode.
JeffWithAnF 1 year ago
@JeffWithAnF Same.
FinbarFinbarFinbar 1 year ago
Definitely not Baltimore.
Brenda2OOO 1 year ago
i definitely heard his British accent
pockmarkedbuttocks 1 year ago
I'm pretty critical of actors attempting accents and I gotta say, I don't even know why this clip got titled "McNulty's English Accent." I gave it a couple listen thrus, and I still think it shoulda been titled "Dominic West is a Pretty Bawler Ass Actor." You gotta remember gang, he's not just doing an American accent. He's doing a Baltimore, Maryland accent. It would be shitty if he annunciated everything perfectly.
w122ajs 1 year ago 21
@w122ajs his attempted brooklyn accent in the punisher was awful
poopmcscoopface 6 months ago
I rationalized this accent issue as follows: it's what McNulty sounds like when he's had a few. And that's pretty often.
Irrenmann 1 year ago
i can hear his english accent... it makes him say his words weird
fredcyrdawsontheoran 1 year ago
I remember hearing it sporadically through the series.
larkin78 1 year ago
"Ooh me accent's slipping.."
Pwntz0rz 1 year ago
@Pwntz0rz that would be irish, dominic west is english.
IrishGodThe4th 1 year ago
@IrishGodThe4th a me instead of my does not make it Irish, a Londoner is just as likely gonna use me instead of my.
theblahman 1 year ago
@theblahman I have English relatives from London and ive never heard em do that
IrishGodThe4th 1 year ago
@IrishGodThe4th good for u, but Im Irish and noone fuckin says that
theblahman 1 year ago
Having heard Dominic West's real accent (he's very posh) when he hosted "Have I Got News For You", this is completely american to me. I agree though, Elba's is flawless
PIPPIN542 1 year ago
I think they might have dropped the accent on purpose. Can't figure out why...
cbizrap 1 year ago
Hes not only english, he is SO english. Both west and Elba have fantastic accents in this, its so hard to tell.
Staff777 1 year ago
now that they want to fuck each other mutually, why don't they just do it on street, so that all the pedestrians can get an eyeful.
taking000piss 1 year ago
Slips up from 0:40 to 0:48 . Lol.
SpectralViral 1 year ago
Never noticed or knew he was a Brit until recently.
twobitsworth 1 year ago
hahah i think it's great that I didn't look behind the scenes at this show until AFTER I had watched the entire thing, so I had no idea Dominic West was British. This makes his crappy british accent in Season 2, which I thought was a by-product in the writing of his inability to put on the accent, even more hilarious then it already was.
AtotheDamn 1 year ago
I think the accent is supposed to be a joke! Rather like Tony Curtis's accent in Some Like It Hot. I laughed at the idea of an Englishman with a fake American accent, trying to fake an English accent through that fake American accent. However, if you think of Cary Grant (or Tony Curtis) or Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins) it would probably not be that difficult. I am from London.
Zizourian 1 year ago
it's not really his english accent. he just does a really good job with the baltimore accent
dshaps10 1 year ago
@dshaps10 Definitely, Baltimore's accent in some forms isn't too far removed from a good ol' cockney accent.
theintangiblewun 1 year ago
For those of you can't hear it, it starts at 0:28
especially "e-ttourneys" and "jodges".
tjsbigidea 1 year ago
This reminds me of Colin Farrell in the Miami Vice remake...Crockett's "irishness" comes out when he yells in anger
tabbypappy 1 year ago
whats the point ? XD lool
joniqitu 1 year ago
Point taken heavyonit,I thought it best to restrict it to the geographic unit of GB just in case it confused the Americans.
evajom1 1 year ago
I'm English and I can tell he's not a real American,also why do Americans insist on referring to a "British"accent when they mean English.Britain is an island that contains three separate nations England,Scotland ,and Wales.In strict legalistic terms all three are "British".Historically the British were the Welsh,not the English.
evajom1 1 year ago
@evajom1 Don't forget northern ireland brah
heavyonit 1 year ago
@heavyonit That's not part of Britain
petma 1 year ago
@evajom1 probably because both America and England speak "english." so its called a "british" accent so there isn't confusion. Just an idea
goceltics339 1 year ago
British people don't have accents.
telkevolon 1 year ago
@telkevolon I am British, trust me we have too many accents just only one ever gets used in tv cause its a part of our stereotype
buk1237 1 year ago
This was the first episode. His American accent was perfect after this.
iamyourgranddaddy 1 year ago
@iamyourgranddaddy This is towards the end of the season, not the first episode. They're talking about Lewy bringing in Savino, after the killing of Orlando. Although I've heard Dominic West talking about how he couldn't say "Snot Boogie" in the first scene of The Wire, like he was sounding really British, so maybe you're confusing this scene with that one.
LamarMatic 1 year ago
Game is the game, yo.
skydark 1 year ago
I'm English and he didn't even sound like he was trying to be American.How did he get the part?
JekyllBoote 1 year ago 2
@JekyllBoote im american and he sounds dead fucking center american. i was shocked as hell when i learned the actor was british
IndianaDylan 1 year ago
@JekyllBoote America has many different accents - I'm sure you are only familiar with the standard Californian like most Europeans.
MattyJames25 1 year ago
@MattyJames25 Actually the accent that most people associate with American Television is the Midwestern accent. It's not just the accent that foreigners are used to. It's also the one that has been favoured for News Anchors/Presenters. Historically California has a lot of farmer/hillbilly accents. It's only because of the relatively recent influx of people from the Midwest, that some people think that a typical American accent is a Californian accent.
Gregusse 1 year ago
@Gregusse Well, as an American I just want to thank you for clearing up the nuances of our regional dialects for us. I was always confused about the way people spoke in my own country e.g. I never knew that the influx of "Okies" in the 30s constituted "historic" Californian.
BTW- We also love all the illuminating cultural commentary you Brits like to interrupt our evenings with when vacationing in your otherwise lovely country: keep those ignorant, stereotypical and banal observations coming!
MattyJames25 1 year ago
@MattyJames25 I apologise. I had indeed assumed that you were British actually. Only because a lot of British (and probably most foreigners) see Californian English as typical American English as it's seen in the media. Although I am not an American, I've lived in North America for several years mostly on the East Coast where I was always intrigued by the variety of accents hence my interest.
Gregusse 1 year ago
@MattyJames25 I was simply pointing out that Midwest English is the accent that most people hear in the media. I didn't mean to offend you at all. I'm not one of those Britons that harbours any particular resentment/envy (or any extreme admiration which strangely enough goes hand in hand with "hatred") against America or Americans. I've lived and worked in Boston and have good memories of the East Coast.
Gregusse 1 year ago
@JekyllBoote The only regional accent that actors with English accents tend to be reasonably good with are certain Southern accents as they have similar features (dropping the r, for example). When it comes to doing any other role, they tend to fall into this typical mumbling/eating your words cliché of an American accent. It doesn't really correspond to any kind of accent an American would typically have but then, there are plenty of people with "strange" accents that don't match any region.
Gregusse 1 year ago
@JekyllBoote wow your a gump you dont even know whats good
Notasheep187 1 year ago
@JekyllBoote Can't blame the actor entirely... getting the accent right is a dual responsibility for the actor and the speech coach.
FinbarFinbarFinbar 1 year ago
wheres the english accent?
drrrerr 1 year ago
He does have some very slight slips, but you honestly need to be looking/listening for them intently to find them.
And Idris Elba absolutely blew my mind when I found out he was British.
cthomer5000 1 year ago 2
Ok, i've never watched the Wire, but this one clip has made me want to go out and get the boxset immediately!
Shame I've got sod all money for it! Goddamn unemployment!
DoctorDodge 1 year ago
@DoctorDodge for situations like that you need bit torrent.
xtcongo 1 year ago
Sound's American to me. Plus Englishmen don't tuck their shirt's into their jean's. If dominic used to e English then he isn't anymore clearly.
ChaitorPick 1 year ago
@ChaitorPick neither do americans, but the dude just came out of a courthouse...
hmunkey 1 year ago
Hah I noticed this. I knew he was English anyway, my auntie met him years ago when she was working in Dublin. Then when The Wire came out she was like.. "OMG HE WAS A CUSTOMER!" Was pretty weird. Small world I guess.
Deathtez88 1 year ago
has anyone actually heard dominic west's normal voice? it's not his fault he's the most english person ever
LordSquawk 1 year ago
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LordSquawk 1 year ago
Yeah, I remember this scene. Early on I thought that he was Australian. Its an interesting mix when he starts to slip, but most of the time its dead on.
newagereactionary 1 year ago
i hear no accent
pacmanlegend 1 year ago
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Sesquipedaliantique 1 year ago
i think his accent is fine
TheToolUnit 1 year ago
He knows how to do it but the director wanted us to remember his origins are european. When he calls as the psycho, he makes a good american accent.
Alexsobre 1 year ago
Yeah, if you listen for it specifically, you can kinda tell. The character himself tends to slip in traces of an irish-american accent, and when you combine that with the very localized baltimore slang and dialect, it's awfully hard to pick up on. It still throws me off when he speaks in his natural voice though.
cigansky 1 year ago
Charlie Hunnam slips in SOA too.
closer9999999 1 year ago
Dominic West is notorious for slipping with the accent. "Chain of Come'ond" "I con't"
closer9999999 1 year ago
I also get a hint of Irish in the voice, like when he says 'future'. But nevertheless the wouldn't be The Wire without Dominic West.
Juustokauppias 1 year ago
@Juustokauppias Yeah I always thought he had a bit of an Irish twang in his voice. Actually I thought the guy who played him was Irish, hence why they chose the name Jimmy McNulty. I had no idea he was actually English. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.
iamthestigsixsixsix 1 year ago
hows that fucking english
Bora199420 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
(aka john1boon) He definitely loses US accent here. Anyway I like Dominic's voice. I hate most British accents, particularly where they stress up the words. I like accents that are relaxing on the ear and I find Dominic's accent very relaxing, even when he is not acting. My preferred accent is Canadian - also maybe Boston US. I don't like strong US-accents -Baltimore, Chicago, New York; don't mind Texan; don't like Cocky English, or Home-Counties English, okker Australian, or boer African.
johnboon49 1 year ago
@johnboon49 Perhaps a little too much information?
AngryPrawn 1 year ago
@johnboon49 Dominic West's accent is a home counties accent.
TomMackio 1 year ago
@TomMackio Yes, I think you are right. I have been away from England too long. I have lived in Australia for 20 years. The modern Australian accent sounds a little bit like McNulty. I am originally from Rotherham, prep school in Sheffield, and then Epsom College. I started life with a very strong Yorkshire accent, but lost it when I went away to boarding school. Then, it went Cockney in London (Bow for 12 years), and then got an Aussie twang when I emigrated. I am acutely aware of accents.
johnboon49 1 year ago
omg i see it now
TheLSparrow 1 year ago
I think his American accent is pretty solid throughout the series, and I knew he was english from the get-go.
aestusmaris 1 year ago
bloody hell his english accent is so evident i cant believe i didnt pick up on it before! shows how amazing the dialogue is
Lookaloop 1 year ago 9
I never noticed when I watched the show :P
sv3rige 1 year ago
I cant hear it and im english
zaco53 1 year ago
it's season 1 episode 8, all throughout his accent comes out. the instance i just mentioned and also the part where he tells bunk about his kids spying on stringer bell at the market
gauchebag 1 year ago 2
noticed another dominic west accent slipup in season 1 where he confronts daniels by an elevator and they argue about the chain of command. it's obvious when his accent comes out because of the way he says the word "colonel"
gauchebag 1 year ago
definatly noticed it on this video but never did when I watched the show
gauchebag 1 year ago 2
they might have been better off giving him a rhode island accent.. seein as tho its half English pronunciation anyways..
thepissflap 1 year ago
I didn't hear it the first time and I don't notice it really but I am Irish. One thing is for sure there have been countless English, Irish and Australian actors who have pulled off flawless American accents but when their colleagues from across the pond try, it is truly cringe inducing. (Brad Pitt's mumbling pikey in Snatch aside)
dickydoctor 1 year ago
I can't hear the 'slip'
Homer20065305111 1 year ago
me neither really,and even so who gives a fuck.look was john1boon wrote the fucking quere
sunsprie 1 year ago
To explain to those Brits (and Yanks) who are deaf to it:- McNulty starts off with a slight Irish accent "bring him in", the lawyer girl comes back with a strong US accent - probably throws him a bit with that. He says a quiet "Fuck you" in a very Upper-Class English way, then he throws in a US-sounding short-vowel ("half") and rolls his Rs in "partners" , "law-firm" and "courthouse", but from then on, it's the phrasing and tone of voice that is definitely English (not SA or Aussie or NZ).
john1boon 1 year ago
and what makes you an expert? John Fucking Boon ? What a cunt
dickydoctor 1 year ago
@john1boon oh really cuntface?
martyboi000 1 year ago
Wow I cant believe they allowed that into the final cut. Its pretty blatant.
KungFoo1 1 year ago
Don't know the show. Yeah, I know, it's suppose to be great - ironically, my friends in the UK are crazy about it. Just don't hear Bawl'more at all in this brief exchange.
imaof4 1 year ago
This never would have happened to Idris Elba.
wellesradio 1 year ago 12
@wellesradio Nah, I've seen in at least one episode where Idris' accent came out. Don't remember which episode, but it was in the copy shop. Season 3 I think.
oRuTRa45 1 year ago
@wellesradio I've heard Elba's accent come out before but not to this magnitude.
illouie 1 year ago
That's hilarious. You can definitely hear his accent leak out when he has to do longer lines. It's amazing how he's able to cover it up as well as he can. And how he covers up his British accept makes him sound fairly authentic Bawlmore.
arcurlyq 1 year ago
He is English, so it was bound to happen now and then. Lots of Americans have English ancestry, so the accents don't always have to sound swedish, dutch, german. No.. some Americans sound quite english.
kingstonlj 2 years ago
I'm surprised I didn't catch it the first time.
sandman9r 2 years ago 3
cant hear it
ab2ghu 2 years ago
I can hear it, it's true! I can't believe they cast british actors to play really urban american characters. It's really strong after 0:40.
Renegen1 2 years ago
I caught this slip too. Amazing first season on this show! I was constantly hoping for a character with an obnoxious Baltimore accent, but it doesn't show up until the first scene of the second season, with the ferry operator. I guess I'll just have to stick with early John Waters :)
MEpianist 2 years ago
00:37 You have to be deaf to not hear that.
Mojito133 2 years ago
Dominic West came into my Film Academy class the other day lol, he was talking to us all about stuff hes done.
riazomonero 2 years ago
I don't hear it. I think he does a pretty good job, especially considering how posh his real accent is.
Then again, I'm English, so all I can hear is the American in his accent.
evildave9000 2 years ago 19
@evildave9000 all i can hear his british accent it makes him say his words weird
fredcyrdawsontheoran 1 year ago
@fredcyrdawsontheoran All I can see is a badly formed sentence.
evildave9000 1 year ago
Haha, I didn't notice this the first time around. If you listen to Dominic West giving an interview then it might be clearer to see the accent he lets slip here.
samusarmada 2 years ago
i never noticed this before.. there's this great scene in season 3 i think where for some reason i cant remember right now he has to pose as an englishman and he does this excellent bad english accent.. even hugh laurie isnt so good of an actor that he can do a bad english accent
bakayurei 2 years ago
around 0:27 you can hear the english accent...you probably gotta be good with accents to hear it slip through but I heard it straight away.
Alkemy007 2 years ago
i hear it- how he says "if only half", and "judges" and "partners", between :27-:35
bypassomega 2 years ago
I don't hear it either... Maybe Americans think when people say "fuckahs" that's where you're hearing the English accent?! West definitely has an accent. But I thought he might be was from Massachusettes or a Maryland accent someplace and had no idea he was British.
sorryilreadthatagain 2 years ago
it's nearly the whole time. wild.
Foundation4life 2 years ago
Definitely hearing the English accent showing through near the end haha
1timealco 2 years ago
i dont hear any overt british accent,
what time are talking abt?
thegreenblazer1 2 years ago 3
i love dominic
FreneticKey 2 years ago
good ears catching that, well done kerimh - I am surprised the director let this slip past
M60A3commander 2 years ago 4