- [Narrator] Have you ever wondered why every
Robert Pattinson character seems to have an accent?
(upbeat music)
He was born and raised in London
but you don't often hear Robert Pattinson's natural
British speaking voice in films.
- Exactly.
- [Narrator] This is because R Pat is
all about the dialects.
- Well that's what I'm here for.
I'm big fan.
- [Narrator] We'll explain why Rob is so dialect crazy
in a bit.
But first let's dive into the process
of learning a new dialect and break down what makes R Pat
such a standout.
Actors use two primary methods
when learning a different accent.
When teaching actors, dialect coaches and guides breakdown
pronunciation, vocal placement, and cadence in great detail.
The study of phonetics is generally considered to
be the most successful method of learning a dialect
for most people, but not for Robert Pattinson.
The observation and repetition method of learning
dialects is simple.
Just listen and repeat.
Some people can perfectly mimic dialects and voices just
by listening to them
- Yeah, are you serious?
- [Narrator] When he was a kid Robert noticed how his mother
would unintentionally imitate other people's accents.
He loved it so much that he turned her habit into a hobby.
Now R Pat actively seeks out characters with accents
for the joy of crafting a unique voice.
Since he learns dialects almost exclusively
through observation and repetition,
Robert is able to develop more unique, specific,
and nuanced dialects for his many characters.
Let's take a listen.
- It's a fucking disaster.
I didn't know she was going to be like this.
- [Man] I don't like people yelling in my office.
- I understand, I understand.
Just let me get back the money from earlier.
And I'll come back with the rest in full.
- [Narrator] To prepare for his role as Connie in Good Time
Robert Pattinson hung out in Queens,
specifically at the tattoo shop in Queens Center Mall.
- We got to make a different stop.
Still Queens, it's 82nd and Queens Boulevard,
it's near the union turnpike.
- [Narrator] He even asked strangers to say his lines
so he could study their pronunciation.
- Just listen to what I'm saying.
- [Narrator] Though his take is a subtle mix
of multiple boroughs the forward placement in the mouth,
dropping of Rs, and replacing TH sounds with D
are all very New York.
- Losers like you are incapable of
taking care of themselves.
You're either leaching off mommy
or leeching off welfare
or living off the government in jail.
That's you.
- You don't know the first thing about me, bro.
- What's to know, what's to know?
You serve absolutely no function whatsoever.
It's pathetic.
The Lord's delusion in the desert was a game.
- [Narrator] When crafting Reverend Teagarden's
unique Southern accent in the Devil All the Time,
Rob actively avoided the dialect coach.
Instead he spent time exploring small towns in the area.
He listened to the way people spoke and even recorded them
on his phone to review later.
- Listen to me.
- [Narrator] For this character Robert shifts the entire
quality of his voice into a more nasal place.
This is a unique choice for a Southern accent
which typically resonates in the mouth
and it makes Reverend Teagarden even more unsettling.
- So them organs.
As assigned to me, telling me that I should,
as the new preacher of this church, sacrifice myself.
So that y'all could have a share the good meat tonight,
and that's what I'm going to do friends.
- [Narrator] The voice Robert developed for this character
is particularly unique.
- I have not come to offer you surrender.
That is what you're hoping.
I have come to describe for you your end days.
The screams of your men as they die slow.
You heard what I said.
- [Narrator] The Dauphin speaking voice had to be powerful
enough to threaten Henry,
accurate enough to fit in this historical world,
and eccentric enough to convey the comedy
and absurdity of this character.
- You know, your balls must be big no?
(gentle music)
Giant balls. (chuckling)
Giant balls, with a tiny cock. (laughing)
- [Narrator] While his overall cadence
and vocal placement in the mouth are classically French
R Pat's pronunciation occasionally skews
a bit German and Irish.
Though untraditional this is arguably appropriate
for a worldly royal.
- Victory.
- [Narrator] Thanks for riding along on this
R Pat accent journey.
Watch the Devil All the Time,
the King, and more Robert Pattinson films on Netflix now.