Besides the Empeg guys, of course, ... who's yer favorite Brit superstar?

I'd have to say a couple (4) are at the top of my list...

Anthony Stewart Head
Jason Statham
Vinnie Jones
Malcolm McDowell ....

Not a superstar, but Douglas Adams is probably my favorite well-known Brit.

Mr. Methane

LOL. He is...spectacular.

I once did the sound engineering at a Uni gig that he played and there certainly weren't any special effect tricks. We weren't sure what to do with the microphone afterwards. ISTR that we left in storage until our most hated student band vocalist had their next gig.

who's yer favorite Brit superstar?

Do any of the Python gang count? For me, it'd be a toss-up between Cleese, Idle, and Palin.

Is Alan Rickman from England?

Yup

Besides the Empeg guys, of course, ... who's yer favorite Brit superstar?

Zulu. The Italian Job. Alfie. Educating Rita. The Cider House Rules. Get Carter.

It has to be Michael Caine.

"You're a big man, but you're out of shape, and I do this for a living."

Peter

I'll go along with that, in the 60's, I sold him a set top TV aerial during my sojourn in Selfridges hi-fi department! what a smashing guy, we frequently served celebrities, but not many stopped to chat and remembered the conversation, when he came in again weeks later.
I loved his recent interview where he said: "It's like being a prostitute, being paid for what you enjoy doing" (acting) - then obviously thought that it was politically incorrect and dug himself deeper with: "That's if you're a nymphomaniac, being a prostitute"

I'll second Douglas Adams.

I can only do categories:
Dead TV star - Ronnie Barker and /or Eric Morecombe
Live TV star - Joanna Lumley
Live Movie star - Gary Oldman - he never does the same role type twice

I'll second Douglas Adams.

I agree, but let's add Iain (M) Banks, Terry Gilliam...

Ronnie Barker isn't dead. He has retired, though.

Peter

I'll vote for Alan Rickman. He's so........... evil

You haven't seen enough Alan Rickman, then. He's got quite a range. (Though he does do evil quite well.)

You should check out Truly, Madly, Deeply, which is the first thing I saw him in. It's a romantic drama that shares some similarities with Ghost, but is ... well ... good.

I'll vote for Alan Rickman. He's so........... evil

But he was also a really cool good guy in both Dogma and Galaxy Quest. And he has great comedic timing.

"By Grapthar's hammer.... .... What a savings."

I have that movie and have seen it often. He does play a very selfish guy and that makes him a little evil. He's a terrific actor and does have a very wide range of roles and seems intelligent besides being hot The first time I really noticed him was in "Die Hard".

The first time I really noticed him was in "Die Hard".

I think that's the first time anyone really noticed him. I think "Die Hard" was a great movie, made so both by Willis and Rickman. It's amazing to me how different Willis's character is in that one from most action movies since (including the sequals), and Rickman made such an impression on me that afterwards I tried to see every movie I could with him in it.

I'll still take Douglas Adams, but Rickman is great, even in movies I don't really like.

brit ney spears sweet.LOL

Your Favorite Brit!

[ego] Me! [/ego]

I was going to rush in and correct you, saying don't forget "Truly Madly Deeply", being sure that it was made several years before Die Hard. But then I double checked on IMDB and discovered that Truly Madly Deeply wasn't until 1991 and Die Hard was 1988. I could have sworn Truly Madly Deeply was earlier, it feels so eighties.

I first noticed him in Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves, which, fittingly, he completely stole. I can't remember any of that film except the bits with Rickman in.

Peter

In reply to:

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agree, but let's add Iain (M) Banks, Terry Gilliam...

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Gilliam's an American, isn't he?

I'll second Mr. Banks, though...

Gilliam's an American, isn't he?

Hm, strangely enough, he indeed is. I associate him with Monty Python crew so strongly that I forgot this (besides, his films are far too good for the left side of the pond ). I almost added Stanley Kubrick, too....

You should check out Truly, Madly, Deeply

You know, I think Rickman's great, I first remember him as "the odious slope" in the BBC production of Trollope's Barchester Chronicles - and he's played the same menacing character ever since.
But, Truly, Madly, Deeply: If they show that, I let the wife curl up in front of the TV and don't stop 'till I'm in the next County!
I just think it's the worst in pretentious, cringing, luvvy film making, sorry - but we're all entitled!

Oops! That what I get for emigrating!

I first noticed him in Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves, which, fittingly, he completely stole. I can't remember any of that film except the bits with Rickman in.

Agreed completely. He was fantastic in that role. Too bad the rest of the film was so unwatchable.

Hey, here's a question for you English-types:

Did Costner's awful half-assed attempt at an English accent irritate you guys as much as it did me?

Throughout the entire film, I just kept wishing he'd simply drop the accent and talk in his own voice. It took what could have (in theory) been a good film, and made it impossible to sit through.

I'm wondering if a badly-done impersonation of an English accent irritates Brits as much as it does Americans.

I don't have many examples of the reverse case to draw an inference from. Off the top of my head, I can think of only Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi) in Star Trek: The Next Generation as an example of someone who's got an English accent and is trying to sound more American in the role. She does a pretty good job most of the time, enough to have fooled me for a long time. I had always noticed something a little "off" about her speech patterns, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then I saw her interviewed, and was surprised to hear her "real" English voice. Now, when I see her play the Troi role, I can hear what she's doing and see what it was I couldn't pinpoint before: She deliberately over-emphasizes her R's in an attempt to sound more American.

The thing is, hearing Marina do it, to my American ear, it just makes her sound slightly exotic and not like a person doing a bad accent. But to me, hearing Costner trying to sound English by just refusing to pronounce his R's and nothing else grates like nails on a blackboard.

Anyone else have opinions on this?

I always heard that Sirtis was doing a kinda halfway Spanish accent in order specifically to sound exotic.

And while Costner's ``accent'' was awful, his ``acting'' was worse. On the other hand, I could look at Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for hours on end. Especially in that movie, with the hair extensions and all.

I've also been interested in how well American actors do English accents. It occurred to me again last night when I was watching Alexis Denisof being Wesley on Angel. I know I always find Englishters' attempts at American accents amusing (Peri from Doctor Who always being my prime example). Thoughts?

On one of the Star Trek DVD's Sirtis talks about her accent. She was apparently instructed to come up with something "new" to be a Betazoid accent. Then, of course, Rodenberry's wife showed up as her mother and screwed the whole thing up. But I think the point is that she wasn't trying to sound American.

It used to be common for brits to americanize thier voices for US consumption. Patrick Stewart in ST:TNG also toned down his own (very english) english for the US. Although it must be pointed out that Marina Sirtis own voice is wildly cockney and as such should not be treated as English any more than scouse.

As far as annoying goes, if you though Costner was bad, the award for the most annoying has to go to Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins
Or for a more modern slant, Keanu Reeves in Much Ado about Nothing.
Personally, the bad accents are more funny than annoying.
For a good accent job, check out Rene Zellwegger in Bridget Jones Diary.

The thing I find most annoying is the way Hollywood will rewrite history as pass it off as accurate. Take U571, Braveheart, etc etc even Pocohontas for goodness sake!
{edit}
BTW - Pocohontas died in Endland after being there for seven whole months, not very Disney friendly. http://www.linkline.com/personal/xymox/roh/poca.htm

I first noticed him in Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves, which, fittingly, he completely stole.

True enough. I remember being excited about Robin Hood when I found out he was going to be in it specifically because he was so good in "Die Hard". I was really impressed at the time that that as a bad guy he'd made such a lasting impression; then he did it again in Robin Hood.