An Insider’s Guide to Portraying US Presidents on Screen: Q&A with a Professional Writer and Dialect Coach

Summary

This article explores the art of playing famous US presidents on screen, with a focus on the importance of mastering oral posture and prosody to create an accurate portrayal of the character’s voice. The writer shares their thoughts on different actors’ depictions of John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and highlights specific vocal qualities that actors must pay attention to when attempting to capture a famous voice. The transcript also includes observations and impressions of other celebrities’ speaking patterns, emphasizing the importance of embodying the character rather than judging or condescending to them.

Table of Contents

• The significance of oral posture and prosody in portraying a character’s voice
• The challenges of capturing the essence of a famous voice
• Portrayals of John F Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama
• Observations and impressions of other celebrities’ speaking patterns
• The importance of embodying the character

Introduction

As the public’s fascination with prominent political figures continues to grow, audiences crave accurate portrayals of their favorite leaders on screen. Playing such iconic figures often requires not only physical transformation but vocal mimicry, capturing the essence of the character’s voice for maximum impact. In this Q&A, we explore the intricacies of nailing an iconic American president’s vocal qualities on screen with a professional writer and dialect coach.

Q&A

The significance of oral posture and prosody in portraying a character’s voice

Q: Can you explain why oral posture and prosody are important when attempting to embody a famous person’s voice?

A: Oral posture refers to the way an individual holds their mouth, tongue and jaw when speaking, which affects speech sounds’ quality. For instance, some people drop the jaw while speaking, leading to open vowel sounds. On the other hand, some individuals keep the jaw closed while speaking, creating high and tight vowel sounds. Oral posture is quintessential in creating an accurate voice portrayal because it affects the sounds of the person’s voice. Prosody entails features like stress, intonation, rhythm, and pacing that convey the emotions, attitudes, and intentions behind what the character’s words. Mastering both of these factors is critical when trying to capture a famous voice since they affect the sound, rhythm, and emotional conveyance of the character’s voice.

The challenges of capturing the essence of a famous voice

Q: How challenging is it to capture the essence of a famous voice?

A: It is quite challenging to capture the essence of a famous voice. Every individual has a unique voice that features distinct qualities. Even the most professional impressionists may still exaggerate some features or miss others. People have different vocal traits, accents, pitch, mannerisms, speech patterns, and other vocal phenomena, which makes it challenging for an actor to capture perfect imitation. However, actors can use these characteristics to generate an accurate approximation of the character’s voice while still embodying their personality and attitudes.

Portrayals of John F Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama

Q: Can you provide examples of actors who have successfully captured the essence of a famous President’s voice?

A: Jay Pharoah’s portrayal of Barack Obama is perhaps the most accurate casting on Saturday Night Live. He perfectly reproduces Obama’s rhythmic and melodic patterns, vocal fry, and his signature ‘Yes we can’ tone. Actor Josh Brolin did an excellent job in the ‘W.’ film, portraying George W. Bush’s distinctive Texan accent and vocal characteristics accurately. John F. Kennedy’s famously non-rhotic dialect was captured well by Martin Sheen in the miniseries ‘Kennedy.’

Observations and impressions of other celebrities’ speaking patterns

Q: What are some of the most interesting observations and impressions you have made of other celebrities’ speaking patterns?

A: For instance, Donald Trump uses a press-down larynx technique to create his characteristic, stern-sounding voice. Lyndon B. Johnson, on the other hand, had a pronounced southern drawl, emphasized by a dropped ‘r’ sound. John Travolta’s nasal voice is an essential factor in his embodiment of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. Bill Clinton, who hails from Arkansas, has a well-rounded southern accent with a nasal twang in his speech. These are some of the characteristics that actors would have to pay attention to when attempting to accurately imitate famous people’s voices.

The importance of embodying the character

Q: How important is it to capture not just a person’s vocal qualities but also their personality, attitudes, and motivations in portraying their voice on screen?

A: Embodying the character is the most critical aspect of accurately portraying a famous person’s voice. Voice is an integral aspect of any person’s personality, and to portray a character accurately, actors would have to embody their vocal qualities accurately. However, It is important to be able to build an authentic portrayal of the character, and not a caricature of them. Actors would have to deepen their understanding of how the person speaks through research, reading, listening to recordings and getting themselves familiarized with the person’s speaking habits. This would help actors deliver a more complete and accurate imitation of the character’s unique voice and the emotions, attitudes, and intentions that go with it.

Conclusion

Playing an iconic US president on screen requires not only physical transformation but a vocal mimicry that captures the essence of the character’s voice. Oral posture and prosody, which affect a character’s sound and emotional conveyance, are crucial in creating an accurate voice portrayal. Despite the challenges of capturing the essence of a famous voice, actors who can accurately embody a character’s vocal qualities will deliver a more complete and accurate imitation of the character. By creating an authentic portrayal of the person, including their speaking habits, attitudes, and motivations, actors deliver an engaging and compelling performance that resonates with the audience.