There I was, sitting in a room with my fellow actors awaiting the arrival of the dialogue coach. The film we were involved in required each of us to hold a unique British accent from various regions across the United Kingdom. While we were all Americans, we had all received some training in the past when it came to accents; however, the director required all accents to be accurate and consistent, which is where the dialogue coach comes into play.
As a film actor, you will likely have to work with a dialogue coach at least once in your career. These professionals are responsible for working with you throughout the script to ensure you accurately depict a specific accent or language.
Importance of a Dialogue Coach
One of the most exciting aspects of being an actor is the ability to portray a host of different “people.” Unfortunately, not all of these characters will be based from the same part of the country you were raised in, thus all actors are required to master the art of speaking in accents and languages.
While some actors are naturals when it comes to using accents, others have a difficult time. I like to think I’m in the middle – I can successfully portray certain American and British accents while others are completely foreign to my tongue.
Whenever a film require an accurate accent portrayal, the dialogue coach is called in. The dialogue coach will work with actors throughout the course of preproduction and production to ensure the actors speak their lines with 100 percent accuracy (within the realm of accents).
Working with a dialogue coach is challenging and thrilling at the same time. The challenge comes from teaching yourself how speak words in an “unnatural” way. During the beginning stages of working with a dialogue coach, he will sit you down and go over the basics of an accent and teach you how to speak according to the geographical area your character comes from. Then, he will work with you line-by-line on your script to ensure you perform the correct accent. This can be challenging when on set as highly emotional scenes often cause actors to lose their “accent.”
