There’s something near-sorcery to seeing an actor get an accent so spot-on that you don’t even remember who they actually are. For film and television enthusiasts, the game is part of the enjoyment: noticing that the American character you think you’ve seen is performed by an actor from London—or that a refined British blueblood is actually an LA star. Accent work is not a performance gimmick—it’s a skill that takes study, patience, and monumental commitment. Some actors keep it so natural, fans are amazed when they finally get to hear their real voice during interviews.
Below are 10 of the most astonishing accent makeovers that demonstrate just how much training and talent can do for a performance:
10. Emily Blunt
London-born Emily Blunt is among the finest at becoming invisible in a part. Her American drawl in The Devil Wears Prada, Sicario, and A Quiet Place is so good that many of her fans are floored to learn she’s actually British. And when she took on Mary Poppins with her proper, clipped English accent, it demonstrated how well she could slip between worlds.
9. Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie’s American accent is so good that even Australians sometimes forget she’s from their own country. At The Wolf of Wall Street and I, Tonya, Robbie glides into characters so effortlessly that it’s disorienting to hear her normal Australian accent afterwards. One fan even quipped that her natural voice sounds “fake” after listening to her play American for so long.
8. Daniel Kaluuya
Born in London, Daniel Kaluuya stole attention in Get Out, where his perfect American accent made viewers forget where he was born. His roles in Judas and the Black Messiah and Queen & Slim only solidified him as a voice transformation master.
7. Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield enjoys the special blessing of being born in Los Angeles but brought up in the UK, and thus, he naturally can slide between accents. Whether performing an American in The Social Network and The Amazing Spider-Man or accessing his British roots, Garfield’s flexibility has had everyone wondering where he comes from.
6. Millie Bobby Brown
Recognizable by everyone as Eleven of Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown grew up in England but keeps her British accent so subtle on screen that audiences don’t even know it until they see her interviewed. Her skills at being so convincingly American at her young age have made her one of the most notable breakthrough stars in accent work.
5. Christian Bale
Christian Bale, born in Wales, has made a living out of becoming somebody else, and his accent is a big reason why. His spine-tingling, accurate American accent for American Psycho and his growly voice as Batman in The Dark Knight series are so convincing that fans often forget he’s British the moment he opens his mouth in public life.
4. Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet’s accent ability is the stuff of legend. Her American performances in Titanic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind were seamless, and her performance in Mare of Easttown, in which she nailed the famously difficult Delco accent, earned widespread praise. Winslet can eliminate any hint of Reading-born origins whenever a character calls for it.
3. Tom Holland
Marvel enthusiasts can recognize him as Spider-Man, but few know that Tom Holland actually hails from Kingston upon Thames, England. His Queens accent as Peter Parker is so convincing that even fans long accustomed to seeing him in interviews are shocked when they catch a glimpse of his British voice. Holland will often flip back and forth between the two with carefree ease, revealing just how relaxed he is with both.
2. Hugh Laurie
To American viewers, Hugh Laurie is and forever will be Dr. Gregory House. His American accent in House was so good that even the producers didn’t know he was British, it’s claimed, during his audition. Given Laurie’s upper-crust Cambridge background, his verbal conversion to a cranky New Jersey physician is truly astounding.
1. Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis operates on a different plane. The London-born thespian’s accent work is the stuff of legend, from his Oscar-winning performance as Abraham Lincoln to his chilling turn as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. Famous for remaining in character for months on end, he even continued to use Lincoln’s voice off-screen. His dedication to accent realism is part of the reason he’s so frequently regarded as the best actor alive.
Of course, this is not exclusively a British-to-American trend. American thespians have likewise amazed viewers with their performance of appearing as though born on the other side of the ocean. Meryl Streep has seamlessly transitioned into British, Polish, and Danish accents; Michael C. Hall amazed UK viewers with Safe; and actors such as Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) and Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) have likewise received credit for their acting.
The trick? It’s not all about raw ability. Most of these actors work with dialect coaches, listen to recordings, and rehearse ad infinitum until each vowel and cadence feels true. As Michael C. Hall once divulged, he worked with the same dialect coach who instructed The Crown cast on how to nail it. Ultimately, what makes these makeovers so iconic is the complete immersion. When an actor’s voice is so convincing that you totally forget where they came from, that is movie magic at its best.