1. Use a Californian accent. Valley or Los Angeles suburb accent is OK.
2. End your sentences like you would a question. "I took the ferry to Tasmania? And then went on some caving, with a good tour guide--she was all right? We saw some really great caves, and neat stuff? It was really great?!?" Many people from California already speak this way to begin with, and if you don't you can easily adapt.
And you're there. Really. Scary.
No wonder that Russel thinks that Rachel Griffiths in Six Feet Under sounds Australian. She speaks with a California accent--specifically southern Californian.
(p.s. At this point, the accents in Six Feet Under sound quite a bit different to my ears at this point than the midwestern Jerry Springer accent... which you can watch at noon every day on Nine/WIN. Except for David's and his mothers... they are midwestern actors, me thinks.)
GRIN When I was stuck in the Haus der Jugend in Frankfurt, when working for Nortel, I was talking to a chap who had moved into the room (there were 8 to a room). It got to the point in the conversation where we were asking where each other were from. He knew I was Canadian, and I asked him, "What part of the US are you from?" He said he was fom Australia. Seriously, he sounded like he was from the US. I wouldn't say Californian because his accent was a lot more drawn out, almost Texan.
That day was the first time I had ever seen Australian money. :)
Hmmm...
And no, Rachel Griffiths is speaking in an Australian accent. Just because it sounds like an American accent doesn't mean she's doing an American accent!
She is, after all, Australian, isn't she? grin
I'm still trying to figure out if Peter Krause in SFU is related at all to Brian Krause in Charmed. They look fairly related, but could just be a coinkydink.
Maybe I was too much of a valley gurl (Grew up in Burbank), but when I whip out my "Oh.. My... Gawd ... Becky," it doesn't sound very Australian (probably because they don't use the word "like" every 3rd word). That's okay, they still sound great... it's definitely an instant turn on.
Step 2: Aagh! - that annoying speech pattern called "uptalk"? Usually associated with young girls who, like, aren't sure of their place or acceptance? Nothing�s a statement of fact, everything�s a question seeking reassurance? Listening to it for any length of time drives me crazy?
~ Harry