Anyone else not like the actress? She doesn't fit the physical description in the books, and more importantly she's not even a good actress. The scene where she was yelling at Claire was not at all believable! I'll hold out hope that she improves by season 3.
shareYes we've had people here complaining about her acting since the last ep aired. We've seen her in one ep and we don't know how much of the performance is down to Sophie and how much is down to direction she was given. I'm sure she'll improve as the show goes on. I didn't think she was all that bad to begin with.
I wasn't impressed with Cait's acting when show started and look at what a good job she does now.
I have to admit the first 30 minutes of that episode I was not impressed with her at all. But I think as the episode progressed and maybe she got more comfortable in the role she got a little bit better or at least I was less distracted by her acting. By the end of the episode I thought she did well overall.
I too hope that has the show progresses she gets more confident in her role. Although I will say that I loved the actor portraying Roger. He presented him perfectly...funny and charming.
I have to admit the first 30 minutes of that episode I was not impressed with her at all. But I think as the episode progressed and maybe she got more comfortable in the role she got a little bit better or at least I was less distracted by her acting. By the end of the episode I thought she did well overall.
Although I will say that I loved the actor portraying Roger. He presented him perfectly...funny and charming.
I agree. I also watched the episode twice and found I liked her much better the second time.
It's taken me about 3 or 4 times, but I don't find her to be all that bad anymore. Maybe just a line here or there that's an "ugh" moment, but overall, not as bad as I originally thought.
Comparing apples and oranges really (not being snarky btw) RR's been acting for years and Sophie is fairly new to acting.
shareComparing apples and oranges really (not being snarky btw) RR's been acting for years and Sophie is fairly new to acting.
I also agree, but on a show like this, it can't be helped. Veterans and rookies are going to be compared if they are on screen together; it's inevitable.
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"How do you know this?"
"That's what I do... I drink, and I know things."
To be fair, many actors of the series have recieved criticism like that, especially centering around their first appeareance. Might have to do with people having had years to make up their own images of the characters, and now seeing them onscreen can't possibly be satisfying at all, because we all imagined them different. Once we get used to them, however, they kind of start overlapping with our original imagination etc. :)
shareI still think part of the problem is they made Bree so harsh. They added problems in the Claire/Bree relationship that weren't there to begin with so made Bree look even more like a brat. Had we seen the loving relationship first I don't think people would have been so down on Sophie's acting.
shareI still think part of the problem is they made Bree so harsh. They added problems in the Claire/Bree relationship that weren't there to begin with so made Bree look even more like a brat. Had we seen the loving relationship first I don't think people would have been so down on Sophie's acting.
Even DG has said that Bree can be hard to write for or at least was when she first started to write her.
Bree irritates me every so often. I wonder if the dislike people have for Bree in the beginning holds over to later books. Though I have to admit I like Bree best when she's in the past with Roger and her kids.
To be fair, many actors of the series have recieved criticism like that, especially centering around their first appeareance. Might have to do with people having had years to make up their own images of the characters, and now seeing them onscreen can't possibly be satisfying at all, because we all imagined them different. Once we get used to them, however, they kind of start overlapping with our original imagination etc. :)
Normally when I read I don't really envision the characters. I read someplace that most people don't. It's that feel for a character like you said.
I read books 1 - 4 when they came out and then binged all of them through 8 after the show aired. Now I do picture the actors or at least hear them in my head when I read. They get adjusted in my head though. Claire may look like Cait now but she's not as tall. lol
Personally, when I read a book, I don't 'see' the characters physically so much as have a feeling of their personality/character from how they act and what they say. Not sure I am explaining this very well. I have been re-reading the books but don't find that the actors have imposed themselves on my mind.
My problem is I don't like the character in DIA so for me she did a great job in that I didn't like her ??. Therefore I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.
I prefer the character in DOA so ill let you know when I've seen that
I have yet to like the character... I'm nearly finished with DOA. If she continues to be unlikable, then I guess to me, she's doing a good job. 😉
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"How do you know this?"
"That's what I do... I drink, and I know things."
She's terrible.
And for the people defending her, saying she can't be compared to the older actors who have more experience-- what?
She is 20-21 years old. There are plenty of actors that old who are not terrible actors. Any of the child actors from "Stranger Things" was better than her.
For whatever reason, she delivered a stilted, wooden, mechanical performance.
The only "plus" was that her accent was believable: I assumed the producers imported a bad American actress, not that they cast a bad British actress.
Why didn't the producers hire an actual American actress to play the role? It would be the least the British could do considering the vast number of roles they're offered in America (including leading roles playing Americans).
As a frequent viewer of British tv, I've noticed that the acting jobs trade is definitely a one-sided affair. Aside from the "Americans can't act" false narrative, what's the biggest reason behind this? Are producers worried that Americans will grow tired of the travel and try to wiggle out of their contracts when asked to fly back for future seasons?
With regard to Brianna and without knowing who the actress was or where she was from, I knew immediately she lacked the Boston accent her character is supposed to have. Also, her American accent may be good by non-tv standards, but clearly not good enough for tv. Nothing against the girl personally, but I just found her distracting.
Should've hired an American.
For some reason they can't hire SAG actors according to Maril Davis. No idea why.
Bree, iirc, doesn't have a Boston accent in the books, so wouldn't have one for the show. Plus unless you can do a great Boston accent it is worth doing. Generic American is better than bad Boston.
Can't hire SAG actors? That's odd and seems like an unfair practice, but if you want to get the character right, why should that alone stop them from having casting calls in America? In Brianna's case, an amateur actor with a true American accent would've been an upgrade.
Book origin or not -- being from Boston and not having a Boston accent is an oddity that viewers picked up on right away. Which is why they had to absolutely nail the generic American accent, imo.
With two Brit parents Bree wouldn't necessarily have had a Boston accent.
I still don't understand why they can't hire American actors but they can't or won't.
Immigrant children virtually always pick up their local accent unless they live in a community of expatriots. In Mexican-American expat communities you'll hear children speaking with foreign accents, but that's because everyone around them speaks the same way.
Unless home schooled, two Brit parents won't likely have an effect on their child's accent as long as everyone else around them speaks Bostonian English -- their peers in particular. Three examples I can name off the top of my head:
John Barrowman, Mila Kunas, and Maria Sharapova.
Not only did all 3 pick up their local accents, but they did so only after moving to the US in grade school. Thus, they had to learn English as a second language. IIRC, Brianna was born and raised in Boston, so she should speak Bostonian from the get go. It's highly unlikely to grow up around two British parents with Boston accents everywhere else, yet not pick up either accent.
I think you are making rather a wide assumption here that everyone always picks up a local accent. There are exceptions. Both my children were brought up in Scotland, my husband and I have English accents, although my mother was Scottish. My daughter picked up the local accent, my son did not. Who knows why? People are different.
shareMy own kids have never picked up a southern accent even though they came here as young kids 20 years ago. And that's with me having a bit of a southern accent all my life, so obviously all theirs.
Barrowman developed an American accent because he didn't like being made fun of in school.
They looked in the US . They couldn't find one American actress that fit the profile or agree to the terms of the contract. It was actually in the case of Bree a worldwide cast call, not just the UK. In order to play Bree , the actress had to agree to be in only one episode in season 2 , probably no more than 2 for season 3 . It may have been difficult to find an actress that was physically Bree that would wait 2 years to be a regular on a show , that may or may not be renew by then.
shareThanks for the info.
I still don't fully understand why Americans have so much trouble appearing on British tv. Travel willingness\availability could explain some of it, but for many a tv show like Outlander would be a breakthrough opportunity -- a dream come true. You use the "I'm busy that day" excuse for when a friend is bugging you, not with a tv producer.
So, what you are saying is, in the entire worldwide casting call which would include New York, LA, Chicago and Toronto (big movie and stage towns),actresses who are working as waitresses and bartenders who would sell their mothers for a chance or even a promise to play in a hit cable drama, Outlander casting could not find a single competent tall, red haired, blue eyed American or Canadian actress? That Sophie Skelton (yes,she is lovely)who put on a very fake American accent and a wooden,flat, "high school recital" performance was the best they could do?
shareI think Karen Gillan would be a good pick for the role. She's tall, red-haired, blue-eyed, and can do an American accent.
shareI liked her and Rory on Doctor Who, but as we do with British roles in the States, just hire a Brit and be done with it. It's perfectly logical and really not that difficult.
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If cost cutting was such a priority, then why have a worldwide casting call? We're not talking about paying Jennifer Lawrence here. Just an actor who looks and sounds the part.
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I put a link bellow for at least one of them , they had American actress auditioning for the role.
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Also regarding Cait , she is Irish but was casted in the US as she has been living and working there for over a decade. The audition or what they called the chemistry test was done in LA. They had Sam traveling to the US for it. Cait wasn't the only actress's trying for the role of Claire that day , they were others , and I assume some must have been American.
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Karen Gillan doesn't have blue eyes, although yes to all the rest, and she's from Inverness.
She also has a movie career and I imagine she's getting better offers. That isn't to slate the show at all, I just think she'll be offered main roles in big projects, so why would she do smaller stuff in a tv show. She's young and in demand.
This is exactly what I'm saying . In this link you will find the video audition from an actress from Denver.
http://www.tvrecapalooza.com/2015/09/brianna-auditions-underway-for-outlander.html