Maybe this doesn't deserve its own thread, but I just got done with Ultraviolet on DVD and my mind has been blown by the fact that the actor who plays Stringer Bell on The Wire is British. I've lived in Maryland and DC most of my life and assumed he was from somewhere between here and NYC, because he's so dead on as Stringer Bell. Did anyone else know this? Is anyone else's mind blown?

Please use spoilers when talking about The Wire, I think a ton of us of us only watch it on DVD.

On a related note, I was shocked to hear Gary Oldman's real voice and how British he is. I had no idea from his movies until I saw an interview many years ago

Dominic West (McNulty) is also British, every now and then you can hear it slip out. Also

Yeah, finding out that Dominic West, Idris Elba, and Rachel Griffiths (six feet under) were all not american blew my mind. Idris Elba was the most shocking though just because he is so fuckin' thuggish and street. Always fun to find these things out...I mean, I just found out from this thread that Gary Oldman was British (unless someone is screwing with me).

I once saw a funny interview with Elba. He said that American fans will come up to him on the street and get really excited about seeing Stringer Bell. So, as to not break their hearts, he will talk to them in his Stringer Bell voice.

I saw Ultraviolet first so my mind wasn't blown as it were, but I was surprised to find he was on the show and playing such a perfect thug. I was surprised about McNulty though. I was really surprised to find Ian McShane from Deadwood was a brit as well as Trixie.

Mark Addy, the father on Still Standing, is British and I think many wouldn't have guessed. I first saw him on The Thin Blue Line.

It really surprised me too that Dominic West was British. I bought him completely as a local. Then I saw him in Midsummer Night's Dream. Turns out he's done tons of Shakespeare and stage work -- in fact I'll be seeing him in August in As You Like It in the West End...

One thing I find very strange (and quite annoying) is how many of the British actors feel the need to "put on" an American accent. I guess it must be what the parts they play ask for, but guys like Mark Addy and Jason Statham, after hearing their British accents, just sound weird to me when they're attempting to sound American (especially with such an awesome Cockney accent that Statham has )

Edited to add:
After re-reading about The Wire actors (and how very American they sound...I didn't know they were both Brits) I will revise my previous statement to...I find it annoying when they put on very *bad* American accents when their English accent sounds much "cooler"

Idris Elba was in an early episode of Absolutely Fabulous. He played one of 2 gigiloes hired by Edina and Patsy.

While we are discussing HBO talent, the actor that played Major(Lt-Cpt-Maj) Winters in Band of Brothers is also English.

Mark Addy was also (very funny) in The Full Monty.

...and also starred in The Forsythe Saga, one of the highest profile BBC miniseries of the past few years...