Celebrate Independence Day With ‘Game of Thrones’ Actors Speaking in American Accents

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Emilia Clarke, best known as Daenerys Targaryen of Game of Thrones fame, was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, and apart from the fact that she’s pretty much unrecognizable with her natural dark hair, her appearance was most notable for a hitherto undisplayed talent: she does a pretty killer Valley Girl accent. Watching the regal and oh-so-English Daenerys bust out her best Moon Unit Zappa impersonation is kinda disconcerting, but it got us thinking about similar examples, because, y’know, 4th of July and America and all that. ‘Murca!

Emilia Clarke

Her Valley Girl accent would do Beverly Hills proud!

Peter Dinklage

Dinklage is, of course, American, and had appeared in plenty of films before he took up the role of Tyrion Lannister — still, if you’re used to hearing him dispense wit and vulgarity as the inimitable Imp of Casterly Rock, it’s kinda jarring to hear him speaking in a New Jersey accent (like he does here while accepting an Emmy, and thanking his dog sitter in the process).

Pedro Pascal

Despite his Spanish-sounding name and Chilean heritage, Pascal — who played the awesome and much-lamented Oberyn Martell — sounds as American as hot dogs and regime change when he speaks in his natural accent. This is presumably because he was raised in Orange County — his family fled Chile to escape the totalitarian (and American-sponsored!) administration of Augusto Pinochet.

Lena Headey

Before she was Cersei Lannister, English actress Lena Headey was best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in Terminator spinoff The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Sarah lacks Cersei’s icy charm, but one gets the impression that fucking with either of them would not end well for you or anyone else involved.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

He’s actually Danish (you can hear his native accent here), but he’s hammed it up for Hollywood, just like everyone else. Here he is being über-American in Black Hawk Down.