Silly Casting Question

[traviscool]

Perhaps this may sound a bit silly, but I'm really stuck with a casting choice. I'm making an 'espionage' drama about a hitman one of the actors who auditioned has a thick Russia accent. In my mind when I was writing it I was picturing just the average joe from North America, but after doing the read through with him I think he's best for the part.

My question is, is it hokey or cliché to cast someone with a thick Russian accent as a professional assassin? Will people be watching this thinking "Oh wow a Russian hitman what next a cop eating a donut?"

Thanks.

 

[Ki-Ki]

I think it doesn't matter what accent your character has - as long as you make it your own, it'll be unique and stand out from the rest.

 

[Capt Quirk]

Instead of being from Russia, how about Lithoenia? That might be less cliche, and the accents are similar.

 

[capitalP]

I say screw what people think, it's your film. And besides he must of nailed the audition for you to be considering him, I hope you're considering him base on his performance and not just cause of his accent.

 

[Batutta]

Why don't you make him an American, who fakes a Russian accent because people think it makes him more menacing as an assassin.

 

[Everts]

Why don't you make him an American, who fakes a Russian accent because people think it makes him more menacing as an assassin.

Now that would be a movie I would like to see.
And give him some color like Tropic thunder.rogar-Smoke(DBG):

 

[traviscool]

I hope you're considering him base on his performance and not just cause of his accent.

Oh yeah, by all means, he's a good actor and he really got where the character was coming from.

 

[Rick Meyer]

Forget worrying about the actors accent. Pick the one who can do the most with the part. If he just happens to have a Russian accent, perhaps he can give the part you've written an unexpected character element.

 

[David W. Richardson]

Make him an American, but not faking a Russian accent -- his mother and father raised him in a Russian-speaking household. They were immigrants who spoke little or no English, so English is the killer's second language. Thus the thick accent. But when someone hears his accent and asks where he's from, give him an answer that's the complete opposite of his accent -- something like "Iowa" or "San Francisco".