HOLLYWOOD DIALECT COACH JOEL GOLDES ON MASTERING THE ART OF ACCENTS

When watching a film or play, audiences often take for granted how effortlessly actors slip into different accents.

- By CARLO OROSA

But behind every convincing performance are hours of meticulous training with a dialect coach.

One of Hollywood's most respected experts in this field is Joel Goldes, whose work has helped actors deliver authentic accents in films such as "The Woman King," "Argo," "The Big Short" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." He has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Viola Davis, Steve Carell, Will Smith and Brad Pitt.

Now, Goldes brings his expertise to the Philippines as the dialect coach for the Manila cast of "Come From Away," opening this June 2025 at Samsung Performing Arts Theater. The Tony Award-winning musical tells the true story of 7,000 airline passengers who were stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, after the events of 9/11. The production requires actors to master a mix of accents, from Canadian to various American dialects, making Goldes' role essential to the show's authenticity.

In an exclusive interview with The STAR, he shared insights into his craft, the biggest challenges actors face when learning an accent and why the human touch remains crucial in dialect coaching—even in the AI era.

Teaching an actor a new accent isn't just about mimicking sounds. It requires a deep understanding of how speech patterns work. Goldes' approach to accent training is like a science, focusing on how the brain processes new sounds.