Sounds South African when he speaks

Please tell me that you are not English and then I can forgive this crazy statement! He sounds like he comes from Northern England which he does LOL.

I'm from Durban, South Africa and Jamie speaks like a Durbanite apart from a few words he pronounces to what sounds American.

Just to check my ears weren't tricking me I played the recording to my friends blindly and they all agreed he sounds South African.

Usually actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Taylor Kitsch and Thomas Jane too name a few) are HORRENDOUS at doing the accent and do a cross that sounds like a bit Australian, a bit English.

I guess a Northern England accent sounds similar to Durban accents which makes sense because some (rich) Cape Townians sound English when they speak. And I'm talking proper, Eton scholar, Queen's English.

I now want Jamie to play a role where he acts South African.

Well, I am a Scot, have lived for almost a year in NE England many years ago, worked with a South African Boss (from Pt. Elizabeth) for many months,and I just don't hear any South African drawl in his accent. What I hear is standard English, with some Co. Durham of course, and some hints of American, where he mostly lives these days. It's what we call "mid-Atlantic" in UK these days.

Port Elizabeth is in the Eastern Cape. Someone once said in one of the forums:

There are a number of different regional accents in South Africa, an English speaker from Johannesburg sounds distinctly different to one from Durban as they both do to one from Cape Town. Of the main tribal language groups each would speak English with a different accent.


And my personal favourite;

The accent sounds like an Australian impersonating an Englishman impersonating an Australian.

South Africans not from Durban say we have a 'chilled' manner of speaking and dialect that differs from the rest of the country.

I worked on Billy Elliot with Jamie, he is from Billingham, North England. im guessing living in the states and the Northern English twang makes him come across that way.

Has his accent changed from the time he was in Billy Elliot to now. The interview I saw was a behind the scenes promo for Filth.

Yes, his accent has changed since "BE". I saw him in The Eagle and heard the difference and also saw him interviewed on British tv some months ago and heard the American influence (not strong)on his NE English accent. Not an unpleasant mix.

Ha! As a South African (From Cape Town!!) I can only agree his vowels are a bit flat and he sounds like a Joburger.

And he tends to speak a bit fast as well so his English accent kinds gets lost and all you hear is a typical white South African guy.