Elaine's Accent?

[thanatos56]

I noticed that in Curse, Elaine had an obvious English accent, but it had somehow disappeared completely by Escape. I was just wondering if she'll have the accent again in Tales. I don't have a preference one way or another, it's just a curiosity.

[splash1]

I view her with a british accent, I think that's how Telltale views her too, so I guess she'll have an english accent, or maybe something else, I dunno..

[Armakuni]

Since she's had two quite different accents already, maybe it's time for a brand new one? How about Scottish?

[splash1]

Weird, I viewed her with a Scottish accent, too.

[thanatos56]

Since she's had two quite different accents already, maybe it's time for a brand new one? How about Scottish?

Sure. And why not give her a completely different accent for every single chapter. Scottish, Spanish, French, German, and then something completely random for the last one like pig latin or something. That won't be distracting at all. :p

[Armakuni]

It would remain consistant with how they've done it so far :D

I was just joking, though ;)

[Darth Darthy]

Hardcore scouse. "Eee-ar, mace!"

[serweet]

As it's the voice actor from Curse I'm guessing she'll be good ol' Brittish.
I always foudn it odd how she was american in Escape, did her accent localise quickly or something?

[thanatos56]

As it's the voice actor from Curse I'm guessing she'll be good ol' Brittish.
I always foudn it odd how she was american in Escape, did her accent localise quickly or something?

Oh, I didn't know she's being played be the Curse voice actor. That's pretty cool, now we won't have to worry about Scottish accents.

[pluizig]

I always found the voice actress for Elaine in Curse laughably bad and unbelievable. And judging from the Special Edition teaser video, she has not improved her acting abilities one bit. Elaine's Escape voice was one of the only things that was better in the fourth game than in the third. If the one from Curse is in Tales, I'll be very disappointed.


PS. It's not the accent. In theory a British accent would suit her character. It's just the horrible intonation and timing on the VA's part.

[Shanksworthy]

Hmmm... I never noticed that. I always preferred the CMI Elaine. The voice I *really* hated from CMI was Gary Coleman. Completely phoned in... no wonder that guy can't get roles.

[Jenny]

I didn't really like the voice of Elaine from CMI. It sounded silly to me and changed the way I perceived her character. I always pictured Elaine as a little tougher and with no accent at all. So British English but for Americans it would seem like a very subtle British accent.

[Secret Fawful]

A German accent would be sexy, but then I'd be getting flashbacks of Indy's love interest in The Last Crusade.

[Jake]

The woman who played Elaine in CMI is back for Tales. The voice just came in yesterday or the day before, and I was pleased with it. One goal people had for Guybrush and Elaine, now that they are married in continuity, was to at least make it seem like in the time since they were married in Curse, they'd been on some adventures together or... scratch that... just that they'd been living together at all. Their relationship and banter at its core is the same as it ever was, but there has to be some comfort there at this point, or I think Guybrush will just come across as dumb (which he isn't) and Elaine will come off as a harping grouch (which she definitely isn't).

For what it's worth, I had personally always pictured her in my mind sounding basically like a slightly softer Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but after much debate we went with the voice we thought most people would recognize, and the one which matched up with Special Edition.

[S@bre]

after much debate we went with the voice we thought most people would recognize, and the one which matched up with Special Edition.

Does that mean that Earl Boen is also around somewhere for ToMI?

[MusicallyInspired]

I thought CMI Elaine was perfect. Much better than EMI's voice actor. I'm thrilled that the CMI Elaine is in both TMI and SOMISE!

[Angel Summoner]

I thought CMI Elaine was perfect. Much better than EMI's voice actor. I'm thrilled that the CMI Elaine is in both TMI and SOMISE!

I was just about to say that, but now I don't have to, hurrah for the internet! The only thing that could make me any happier at this moment would be for ******* to ***** on ********** ****** with ************* carrying two ********! :D

[ATMachine]

Does that mean that Earl Boen is also around somewhere for ToMI?
He's probably not doing ToMI but Telltale hasn't made a final decision yet.

[doom saber]

Before the announcment of ToMI, my theory of why Elaine speakin in a different accent in the fourth game is because she may have bumped her head in the events between the two previous titles, resulting her in getting foreign accent syndrome

[tredlow]

Awesome! British accent Elaine is much more attractive.

[Kralex]

Agreed, she seemed far too crass in Escape From Monkey Island. Which is odd, because I heard the reason they changed her voice was because they found Curse of Monkey Island Elaine too bitchy.

[S@bre]

Agreed, she seemed far too crass in Escape From Monkey Island. Which is odd, because I heard the reason they changed her voice was because they found Curse of Monkey Island Elaine too bitchy.

She'd just had an evil pirate curse placed on her, turning her into a solid gold statue. I'd be bitchy too.

[tredlow]

I don't think Elaine was bitchy in CMI, I find her more 'nagging', and I actually prefer her to be nagging, since it brings out the humor in Guybrush and Elaine's marriage. Let's face it, Guybrush is a pushover as a husband.

[Emily]

Does that mean that Earl Boen is also around somewhere for ToMI?

Earl Boen is not in Tales of Monkey Island.

[Iron Curtain]

Earl Boen is not in Tales of Monkey Island.

Altogether now, everybody.

3...2...1...GO!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

[Toothless Gibbon]

I didn't really like the voice of Elaine from CMI. It sounded silly to me and changed the way I perceived her character. I always pictured Elaine as a little tougher and with no accent at all. So British English but for Americans it would seem like a very subtle British accent.


haha, who exactly has no accent at all?

[S@bre]

Earl Boen is not in Tales of Monkey Island.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

^ What he said...

Ah well, I suppose that we got used to Nowlin and Kasten's Sam and Max - they still did a great job even though it was odd at first - we'll just have to get used to the new LeChuck. Although it is strange that Boen is signed on for one game, but not the other.

[promke]

Frankly I didn't like the voiceactors for Hit the Road. I loved the ones from the tv show but the ones from season one and two are even better. Due to the fact that I am german I know the voiceactors from the german version of HtR: Max was perfect but Sam was narcoleptic.

[Shmeh]

Although it is strange that Boen is signed on for one game, but not the other.

Does anyone know why he is doing one and not the other?

[Bagge]

He might be too expensive for Telltale to hire? Lucasarts is a way bigger company than TT.

Or maybe he wasn't interested in doing a series of games, but found it OK to go back and do one game for a company he has already worked with before.

[ATMachine]

Or maybe it was the episodic schedule. Telltale's mentioned in the past that their choice of actors is limited due to the need to have multiple recording sessions spread out over a few months.

[LeChuck315]

Earl Boen not as LeChuck? That's the ONLY thing about this game that I'm disappointed about. I feel that it's not LeChuck to me without him but I love everything else!

[Pirateguybrush]

This Earl Boen deficiency saddens me. I am a sad panda.

[Jayel]

I'm not too disappointed. Earl Boen did great job in previous games, but I find his portrayal of LeChuck to be a bit too endearing. Like a grumpy old nextdoor neighbour who yells a lot but nice once you get to know him.

[MusicallyInspired]

Earl Boen was great, but the new voice actor from the trailer sounds more than fine. Not everything has to be the same (although I was hoping that Dominic and Alexandra were getting their roles back from CMI, which they are! so I'm pleasantly happy).

[SRTie4k]

I'm not too disappointed. Earl Boen did great job in previous games, but I find his portrayal of LeChuck to be a bit too endearing. Like a grumpy old nextdoor neighbour who yells a lot but nice once you get to know him.

I think thats pretty much how LeChuck is supposed to be...demonically evil in a lovable way.

[SRTie4k]

Darn work connection.

[LuigiHann]

Earl Boen is not in Tales of Monkey Island.

Kind of a shame but not a big surprise. In the trailer he seems to be doing a decent but not-quite-there impression of Boen's LeChuck... hopefully once he's transformed into human form he'll have a chance to develop his own unique voice, and the direct comparison won't present itself as much.

[Ash735]

I always prefered Elaines voice in CoMI, in Escape it just seemed out of place but maybe that was my fault, I played CoMI into the ground for years before EfMI even came out and suddenly having her as this kind of arrogant American just threw me off.

[VagrantWulf]

It's funny, but having played the text-only games first, I had to come up with my own accents... and Elaine I always had pinned as having a French accent, this became especially prevalent with MI 2, where she was presently living on a Mardi Gras island.

It seemed to suit the character's personality as well, for some reason, and in my head it fit. When I first heard Elaine with an English accent, it knocked me for six as I wasn't expecting it, and I'm British myself. The voice just didn't seem to fit the attitude, but that's just me.

We all have our ideas about how the characters should sound.

[KB57]

For the record, I much preferred British Elaine.

But no Earl Boen? At all? Ever? Even in a later episode? Pleeeeease change your minds! Was it a cost thing? Anybody want to pass the hat with me and see if we can't come up with his fee?

[Gryffalio]

It's funny, but having played the text-only games first, I had to come up with my own accents... and Elaine I always had pinned as having a French accent, this became especially prevalent with MI 2, where she was presently living on a Mardi Gras island.

I can see that, now that you mention it, actually. Though it never came up in my imagination.

The woman who played Elaine in CMI is back for Tales. The voice just came in yesterday or the day before, and I was pleased with it. One goal people had for Guybrush and Elaine, now that they are married in continuity, was to at least make it seem like in the time since they were married in Curse, they'd been on some adventures together or... scratch that... just that they'd been living together at all. Their relationship and banter at its core is the same as it ever was, but there has to be some comfort there at this point, or I think Guybrush will just come across as dumb (which he isn't) and Elaine will come off as a harping grouch (which she definitely isn't).

For what it's worth, I had personally always pictured her in my mind sounding basically like a slightly softer Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark, but after much debate we went with the voice we thought most people would recognize, and the one which matched up with Special Edition.

I think it's an incredibly difficult thing to come up with definitive accents of characters when there's already been a couple of changes and the original two had no voice at all. People's imaginations will have made an accent that they had some experience in, or knew best.

For VagrantWulf it came up as French which was reinforced by Mardi Gras island. For me, personally, it came up as a woman I knew who looked quite similar to the portraits of Elaine in the originals. Funnily, enough, she spoke fairly accentless English (as opposed to CMI's "my daddy has a mercedes, three ponies and a villa in d'Abruzzo" accent) with a tinge of Northern-English, because that's the accent the woman I knew had.

Any decision will disappoint a few people, I can see the Marion Ravenwood thing, too, but I think CMI Elaine was a good choice. :-)

Agreed, she seemed far too crass in Escape From Monkey Island. Which is odd, because I heard the reason they changed her voice was because they found Curse of Monkey Island Elaine too bitchy.

And I don't think it's fair for fans to judge the voice actresses purely on what their characters sounded like in the games. Sounds odd, well I think the scripting for Elaine in CMI was a little too bitchy, so of course it would come out that way, and in EMI it was supposed to be sickeningly lovey-dovey, that was the point.

I'm disappointed by the new LeChuck, as well, but things change, and it's nine years since the last game. Let's all just be thrilled the games being made and the menace of adventure-games has 'retired'. :D

Now lets all stump up some cash to get Hugh Laurie in the series, except not with his annoying House accent. I'm reclaiming HL for Her Majesty :D

[EwanV]

Ooooh!

Hugh Laurie doing a Bertie Wooster accent...... but wouldnt you need Stephen Fry as well for the put downs?

[Gryffalio]

Ooooh!

Hugh Laurie doing a Bertie Wooster accent...... but wouldnt you need Stephen Fry as well for the put downs?

Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Monkey Island... I think the universe would implode if three things of such greatness crossed paths :P

[Toothless Gibbon]

Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Monkey Island... I think the universe would implode if three things of such greatness crossed paths :P

So true.

[Kyote]

I liked the CMI Elaine and was disappointed when she changed. The actress who played her in EMI is a prolific one who I've heard in many games but I mostly identify her as Grace from Gabriel Knight 3. It was honestly distracting to have to hear her talking as Elaine, because I'd heard her do so many other voices. Plus the British lady's voice is hotter :D

[Vainamoinen]

One linguistic point of view for the overly-nitpicking, who would question every single anachronism in Monkey Island (this might fill books ;) ):

According to the "colonial lag hypothesis", Guybrush's "American" accent must be considered a far more accurate approximation of the language of the early British settlers than Elaine's supposedly "British" sound, which might not actually have existed in the historic era the game wishes to portray.

Any thoughts on this? :D

[dreamingchristi]

Sure. And why not give her a completely different accent for every single chapter. Scottish, Spanish, French, German, and then something completely random for the last one like pig latin or something. That won't be distracting at all. :p

Well, Telltale have gone one better than you, and given her alternating cockney and received pronunciation accents, sometimes even in the same line.

Seriously folks, employ British people to do British accents. It saves time and pain.

PS I'm British. I'm sure we could come to some arrangement, Telltale. ;) I'm just saying.

[wisp]

Any thoughts on this? :D

Seriously folks, employ British people to do British accents. It saves time and pain.

so...vainamoinen, your saying, that british accent was not common in that time and region...and dreamingchristi, according to you it's not "british" at all....ahm, okay, elaine is probably just pretending to be british to distinguish herself from your average pirate.
there you go...everything solved.

[Badwolf]

Well, Telltale have gone one better than you, and given her alternating cockney and received pronunciation accents, sometimes even in the same line.

Seriously folks, employ British people to do British accents. It saves time and pain.

From what I remember, the actress is Australian, and Australians apparently sound a lot like us brits anyway according to a lot of people I've met around the internet.

[tmesis]

According to the "colonial lag hypothesis", Guybrush's "American" accent must be considered a far more accurate approximation of the language of the early British settlers than Elaine's supposedly "British" sound, which might not actually have existed in the historic era the game wishes to portray.

Any thoughts on this? :D

Weeeell, it's true that the Great Vowel Shift ended later - that long vowels like in 'glass' and 'car' probably didn't exist back then - but to call Guybrush's accent 'a far more accurate approximation...' is kinda misleading - US accents evolved too. :p Nobody knows exactly what people in the ~16th - 17th century sounded like, but nobody* seriously thinks that those accents are still around today. (See Shakespeare / Appalachians myth.)

*with relevant linguistic credentials

[LeatherJackets]

From what I remember, the actress is Australian, and Australians apparently sound a lot like us brits anyway according to a lot of people I've met around the internet.
I think you've been had! Lol. Although down south they have a more refined accent than we do in sunny Queensland, or so we're lead to believe.

[Badwolf]

Right, I've actually done some research now, and the actress is British and not Australian, so I have no idea where I got that idea into my head.

[Iron Curtain]

Weeeell, it's true that the Great Vowel Shift ended later - that long vowels like in 'glass' and 'car' probably didn't exist back then - but to call Guybrush's accent 'a far more accurate approximation...' is kinda misleading - US accents evolved too. :p Nobody knows exactly what people in the ~16th - 17th century sounded like, but nobody* seriously thinks that those accents are still around today. (See Shakespeare / Appalachians myth.)

*with relevant linguistic credentials

As a linguist, I've been thinking the same thing.

[tmesis]

As a linguist, I've been thinking the same thing.

MI fans with linguistic proclivities ftw!

[dreamingchristi]

Right, I've actually done some research now, and the actress is British and not Australian, so I have no idea where I got that idea into my head.

Bizarre. In which case she has absolutely no excuse.

[martymcfly]

Check out my interview with Alexandra Boyd, the voice of Elaine, here!
http://alternativemagazine.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/interview-in-conversation-with-alexandra-boyd/?preview=true&preview_id=316&preview_nonce=2f04936d75

And on a personal note, I always preferred the British Elaine rather than the more American take on her in Escape From Monkey Island.

[Vainamoinen]

Weeeell, it's true that the Great Vowel Shift ended later - that long vowels like in 'glass' and 'car' probably didn't exist back then - but to call Guybrush's accent 'a far more accurate approximation...' is kinda misleading - US accents evolved too. :p Nobody knows exactly what people in the ~16th - 17th century sounded like, but nobody* seriously thinks that those accents are still around today. (See Shakespeare / Appalachians myth.)

*with relevant linguistic credentials

Correct, of course! "Accuracy" is far too strong a word to describe an actual resemblance to modern-day accents. Nonetheless, supposedly, I'd assume that 16th/17th century British people would seem much less appalled at Threepwood's ToMI accent than they would be at Elaine's. That would be the core of the argument. ;)

[Toothless Gibbon]

Correct, of course! "Accuracy" is far too strong a word to describe an actual resemblance to modern-day accents. Nonetheless, supposedly, I'd assume that 16th/17th century British people would seem much less appalled at Threepwood's ToMI accent than they would be at Elaine's. That would be the core of the argument. ;)

I understand the colonial lag hypothesis, but that still seems very hard to beleive, as a Brit. If the colonies kept the original accent longer that the motherland, why do all the colonies sound so different?

[Vainamoinen]

I understand the colonial lag hypothesis, but that still seems very hard to beleive, as a Brit. If the colonies kept the original accent longer that the motherland, why do all the colonies sound so different?

Because no language stops changing (apart from the dead ones, but don't think for a second that latin was a dead language!). Different accents evolved naturally, yet it is assumed that they did so at slower pace in colonial situations - that's the colonial lag hypothesis.

[tmesis]

I understand the colonial lag hypothesis, but that still seems very hard to beleive, as a Brit. If the colonies kept the original accent longer that the motherland, why do all the colonies sound so different?

It's not about keeping the original accent but about degrees of change. For e.g., while accents in the US and the rest of the UK kept the 'a' short in words like 'grass' (/ɡɹæs/), in the south of England in the 19th century they started saying /ɡɹɑːs/. Quite a big change.

(But I don't necessarily agree with Vainamoinen that modern US is any closer even if it has got shorter vowels!)

[tbm1986]

Charity James, an American actress, played Elaine in EFMI. And imo, that's the best Elaine we've seen or heard. CMI and SMI Elaine were written in such a way (soft, romantic, fiery and OTT) that suited Alexandra Boyd (the British actress) more. EFMI was written perfectly for the take on the character James had. Accent is irrelevant. It's all about the writing and the actor/actress. The TMI Elaine so far would work with either actress but I'd have preferred Charity James to make a return. I love the witty chemistry Elaine and Guybrush have in EFMI and TMI. James plays that best.

On a separate note, where's Earl Boen? He IS LeChuck! You can't get more perfect than how he does it! The new actor is ok but if it ain't broke, why fix/replace it? Maybe Earl Boen charges too much or for whatever reason wasn't/isn't available.

[Magic Emperor]

Or Earl Boen is in semi-retirement, and is selective of his projects. I also hear he lives in Hawai'i, which may be a problem.

[tbm1986]

Or Earl Boen is in semi-retirement, and is selective of his projects. I also hear he lives in Hawai'i, which may be a problem.

But but but...

He must enjoy playing LeChuck, or he wouldn't get into him nearly so well. Besides, he did SMI SE.

Hawaii, you say? LOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSTTTTT!

[Irishmile]

Everytime Alexandra Boyde makes an update status on facebook I can not help but hear Elaine in my mind saying what she writes... Same with Dominic...

[Barnabus]

I seem to remember one of the telltale guys saying his ideal voice for Elaine would be kind of like a softer version of Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark, which would've been painfully perfect. The now 'official' Elaine voice is just too stilted, cold and prissy, it's very disappointing. The voice in Escape was far better.

[elzbenz]

Kind of an old thread to bump... but anyway, who cares...

The way Alexandra Boyde played Elaine from Curse is in my opinion better than the way she played Elaine from the special edtions and ToMI... It seems she has almost forgotten the way she played the character in ?1998?/?1999?.

[Mataku]

The way Alexandra Boyde played Elaine from Curse is in my opinion better than the way she played Elaine from the special edtions and ToMI... It seems she has almost forgotten the way she played the character in ?1998?/?1999?.

Curse just had better voice direction, imho. Same goes with Murray. even tho it's the same actor, in TOMI he sounded way off, imo.

[guitarsareboring]

The way Alexandra Boyde played Elaine from Curse is in my opinion better than the way she played Elaine from the special edtions and ToMI... It seems she has almost forgotten the way she played the character in ?1998?/?1999?.

Curse just had better voice direction, imho. Same goes with Murray. even tho it's the same actor, in TOMI he sounded way off, imo.

Agree with both.

[coolsome]

But but but...

He must enjoy playing LeChuck, or he wouldn't get into him nearly so well. Besides, he did SMI SE.

Hawaii, you say? LOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSTTTTT!

hes the monster!