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>> ALL RIGHT.
SAY IT AGAIN.
>> THE RAIN IN SPAIN STAYS
MAINLY IN THE PLAIN.
>> IT'S SUNDAY MORNING ON CBS
AND HERE AGAIN IS CHARLES
OSGOOD.
>> Osgood: PROFESSOR HENRY
HIGGINS HAD TALKING POINTS
APLENTY FORY LIES A DOO
LITTLE.
THAT'S THE 1964 MOVIE "MY FAIR
LADY" WITH REX HARRISON AND
AUDREY HEPBURN AND SOMETHING
VERY MUCH LIKE THAT ON-SCREEN
COACHING GOES ON OFF SCREEN
EVERYDAY.
ERIN MORIARTY OF 48 HOURS LETS
US LISTEN IN.
>> I KIND OF MISS PARTS OF IT
ANYWAY.
PARTS I DON'T MISS.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE TWO
WAYS TO TALK LIKE JIM-BO.
YOU COULD BE BORN IN POINT
CLEAR, ALABAMA.
>> YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER SAID
EVERYTHING OTHER THAN I TALK
SLOW WHICH I THINK EVERYBODY
DOWN SOUTH TALKS SLOW.
>> Reporter: OR YOU COULD HIRE
THIS WOMAN, JESSICA DRAKE.
>> I AM A SPEECH AND DIALECT
COACH FOR ACTORS.
I TEACH ACTORS TO SPEAK WITH
ACCENTS OR WITHOUT THEM.
>> MY NAME IS FORREST GUMP.
PEOPLE CALL ME FORREST GUMP.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHAT TOM
HANKS DID TO PLAY A CONVINCING
FORREST GUMP.
>> MY MOM ALWAYS SAID....
>> LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF
CHOCOLATES.
>> ...LIFE WAS LIKE A BOX OF
CHOCOLATES.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET.
>> Reporter: YOU'VE NEVER SEEN
JESSICA DRAKE IN A MOVIE.
BUT YOU HAVE SEEN OR RATHER
HEARD HER WORK THROUGH THE
LONG LIST OF ACTORS SHE
TRAINS.
LINDSAY LOHAN AS TWINS IN
PARENT TRAP.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN GETTING
MARRIED.
>> Reporter: ONE PERSON THE
OTHER BRITISH.
>> I MEAN BLACK TIE, WHITE
GOWN, THE WHOLE....
>> WHAT?
>> Reporter: STEVE MARTIN'S
INSPECTOR CLOUSSEAU.
>> I'M GOING TO AMERICA.
THAT AMERICAN ACCENT.
>> Reporter: AND AUSTRALIAN
ACTRESS RACHAEL GRIFFITH HERE
WORKING ON A STANDARD AMERICAN
ACCENT FOR THE PLAY.
>> SHE SENT HIM INVOLVING A
CERTAIN....
>> A LITTLE FLATTER.
>> SENT HIM SOMETHING
INVOLVING A CERTAIN KIND OF
PRIME NUMBER.
>> Reporter: USING A COACH TO
PERFECT A DIALECT IS A
RELATIVELY RECENT TREND.
NOT SO LONG AGO, ACCENTS
DIDN'T MATTER.
TONY CURTIS PLAYED A IMMEDIATE
EVIL NIGHT IN THE BLACK SHIELD
OF FALLSWORTH.
>> YOUR MAJESTY, MY GRACIOUS
LORD.
>> Reporter: IF YOU LISTEN
CAREFULLY, YOU MAY HEAR A HINT
OF BROOKLYN.
>> I DO HERE AND NOW DENY THAT
MY FATHER WAS A TRAITOR.
AND I PROCLAIM THAT HIS
ACCUSER, GILBERT, IS A FOUL
AND A TAINTED LIAR.
>> Reporter: AND BRITISH BORN
CARRY GRANT ROSE TO STARDOM
PLAYING AMERICANS.
>> BACK HOME IN OREGON WE
COULD CALL YOU A HEAD STRONG
GIRL.
>> Reporter: BUT MERYL STREEP
CHANGED ALL THAT.
>> AUSCHWITZ.
>> Reporter: AFTER WINNING AN
OSCAR FOR HER INCREDIBLY
CONVINCING PORTRAYAL OF A
POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMP
SURVIVOR IN SOPHIE'S CHOICE...
THERE WAS A SUDDEN DEMAND FOR
REALISM IN FILM.
SO WHEN JESSICA DRAKE WAS
HIRED TO WORK ON FORREST GUMP,
SHE INTERVIEWED ALL KINDS OF
FOLKS IN MISSISSIPPI AND
ALABAMA BEFORE GETTING HOOKED
ON FISHERMAN JIM-BO'S CADENCE.
>> SHE WANTS TO RETRIEVE A
DUCK.
THESE A RETRIEVING DOG.
>> I THOUGHT IT'S GOING TO
WORK.
IT SURE DID.
>> I THINK YOU SHOULD GO HOME
TO GREEN BOW, ALABAMA.
>> Reporter: THESE.
>> THESE ARE CHOP STICKS.
>> Reporter: SOME COACHES LIKE
BETH MAGUIRE USE TOOLS TO HELP
ACTORS MASTER PARTICULAR
SOUNDS.
>> I HAD THEM LITERALLY DO
SORT OF TONGUE-UPS, MIDDLE OF
THE TUN, TONGUE-UPS WHERE I
WOULD HERE'S MY MOUTH.
TOUCH THE MIDDLE OF YOUR
TONGUE.
NO, TOUCH THOSE TWO THINGS
TOGETHER AND KEEP THAT CHOP
STICK IN THERE.
THAT'S THE MIDDLE OF YOUR
TONGUE.
THAT'S MORE TOWARDS A SOUTH
AFRICAN ACCENT.
>> OTHER THINGS WHICH ARE
EXTREMELY HARMFUL.
>> Reporter: EVEN AN ACTOR
WITH A NATURAL EAR STILL NEEDS
COACHING.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
ACCENT IN MARGOT AT THE
WEDDING?
>> IN NEW YORK IT'S SORT OF A
STRAIGHTFORWARD NEW YORK, I
SUPPOSE, INTELLECTUAL ACCENT.
>> I HOPE YOU'RE NOT
INTERESTED IN THAT GIRL.
SHE'S UNSUFFERABLE.
>> WHAT'S THAT MEAN?
>> IT MEANS I CAN'T SUFFER
HER.
>> OBVIOUSLY NOT YOUR NATURAL
ACCENT.
>> NO.
I'M AN AUSTRALIAN.
>> Reporter: WHAT NICOLE
KIDMAN MADE LOOK SO NATURAL ON
THE SCREEN ACTUALLY TOOK A LOT
OF TRAINING.
>> TODAY....
>> Reporter: SHE ALSO PLAYED A
RUSSIAN MAIL ORDER BRIDE IN
BIRTHDAY GIRL.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Reporter: AND A 19th
CENTURY AMERICAN SOUTHERNER IN
COLD MOUNTAIN.
>> IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A GLASS
OF SIDER, YOUR FRIENDS MIGHT
STOP STARING.
>> Reporter: LIKE MANY ACTORS,
SHE'S RELUCTANT TO TALK
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW SHE
CREATES A CHARACTER.
>> THERE'S A MYSTERY TO ACTING
WHICH SHOULD STAY A MYSTERY.
>> Reporter: BUT IT IS NO
MYSTERY TO LIZ HIMMELSTEIN WHO
COACHED KIDMAN IN ALL THOSE
FILMS WORKING WITH HER AS SHE
MIGHT A SINGER.
>> WORKING THE MUSCLES IN THE
FACE AND IN THE MOUTH.
SMILING AND PUCKERING AND
DOING, YOU KNOW, TONGUE
TWISTERS.
PETER PIPER PICKED A PECK OF
PICKLE PEPPERS, ALL OF THAT,
JUST GETTING ALL OF THAT
MOVIE.
>> Reporter:.
>> IT PUTS ME IN A CRUMMY
SITUATION.
>> Reporter: HIMMELSTEIN CAN
SPEND MONTHS HELPING AN ACTOR
GET A PART JUST RIGHT.
>> YOU'RE MAKING ME THE
AGGRESSOR.
>> Reporter: SO IT'S MORE
IMPORTANT NOW THAN IT USED TO
BE.
>> MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.
CNN REALLY CHANGED EVERYTHING
BECAUSE YOU NOW HEAR
EVERYBODY'S ACCENTS.
>> WHAT YOU GOT THERE.
>> Reporter: WHO CAN FORGET
THE CHARACTERS.
>> THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NEED A
LITTLE WARM-UP.
>> THANKS A BUNCH.
>> Reporter: AND THEIR
MINNESOTAN VOICES THAT LIZ
HIMMELSTEIN HELPED CREATE IN
THE NOW ICONIC FILM FARGO.
>> THE ONE SOUND THAT COMES
FROM THE NORWEGIAN, THE
SWEDISH INFLUENCES, YOU KNOW,
THE O, GEEZ.
>> Reporter: GIVE ME MORE OF A
SENSE OF WHAT THAT ACCENT IS.
>>ER IN, YOU'RE SO NICE.
YOU'RE SUCH A NICE WOMAN.
OH, JEEZ, YOU'RE NICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Reporter: (LAUGHING) WHEN
YOU DEFINE THAT, WHAT IS THAT?
>> DO YOU HAVE BREAKFAST HERE.
>> ONE THING WE DISCOVERED IS
BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD UP THERE,
WE FOUND THE JAW IS VERY, VERY
TIGHT.
IF YOU JUST TIGHTEN EVERYTHING.
>> Reporter: OH, GEEZ.
>> GOOD.
THAT WAS GOOD.
OH, GEEZ.
EXCELLENT.
>> PARTNER, ALARM.
>> Reporter: WITH MORE AND
MORE FOREIGN ACTORS VYING FOR
PARTS IN THE U.S., TEACHING
DIALECTS HAS BECOME A BOOMING
BUSINESS.
>> A LONG LINE OF PALMS STOOD
AS IF GUARDING THE PARK.
>> THAT IS PERFECTLY AMERICAN.
>> THE MAJORITY OF ROLES THAT
I'M COMPETING FOR ARE AMERICAN
CHARACTERS.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY VITAL THAT I
CAN DO A CONVINCING AMERICAN
ACCENT.
>> Reporter: 21-YEAR-OLD
ALEXANDRA BARD, YET ANOTHER
ACTRESS FROM AUSTRALIA, IS
WORKING WITH COACH SAM SCHWA
IN NEW YORK TO SOUND
COMPLETELY AMERICAN.
>> BARD, HARD AND PART.
>> THAT IS PERFECT.
>> Reporter: WHILE SAM HAS
COACHED SOME OF THE GIANTS....
>> ROBERT DeNIRO, JULIA
ROBERTS,.
>> Reporter: YOU'D BE
SURPRISED BY HOW MANY ORDINARY
FOLKS TURN TO HIM TO AVOID
BEING STIGMATIZED BY THE WAY
THEY SPEAK.
>> THERE'S A POPULAR MYTH IN
THIS COUNTRY THAT THE LEVEL OF
YOUR SPEAKING ABILITY
CORRELATES WITH WHAT YOUR
INTELLIGENCE.
>> Reporter: GIVE ME EXAMPLE.
>> SOME PEOPLE STIGMATIZE
BASED ON THE REGION YOU SEEM
TO COME FROM.
FAST-TALKING NEW YORKERS
OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK, SLOW-
SPEAKING SOUTHERNERS OUTSIDE
OF THE SOUTH.
GERMAN ACCENTS IN PARTICULAR
PLACES.
ENGLISH ACCENTS, OF COURSE, A
VERY WELL REWARDED.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN
VERY WELL REWARDED?
>> DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEY'RE
SAYING.
IT SOUNDS ELEGANT.
>> PARK WAY.
TARDY.
DARLING.
>> Reporter: AS FOR AUSTRALIAN
ALEXANDRA BARD, PUTTING NEW
WORDS IN HER MOUTH IS PAYING
OFF.
SHE RECENTLY WON A PART OVER A
NUMBER OF AMERICAN ACTORS.
>> FARMER.
>> Reporter: AND HOW DID YOU