What accent did the actors use in Black Panther?
The people of Wakanda in Black Panther spoke with an accent. Was it invented for the movie, or is it from a particular part of the world? It sounds distinctly African, but I can't pinpoint a country or region.
Best Answer
From State.com (emphasis mine):
Beth McGuire: Visually, that’s where we were. Linguistically, what we did is we honored the genealogy of the precursor to Black Panther—Captain America: Civil War. T’Challa’s father, T’Chaka, played by John Kani, is in the previous film. John Kani is from South Africa and he’s Xhosa, and he’s playing the king of Wakanda. So, Ryan and I went back-and-forth and talked about it, and I said it just makes sense. If that’s who you started with, that’s your king of Wakanda, that’s who it is, that’s the language. And so we did. We chose Xhosa, and it’s a very challenging accent, but it was kind of the kosher thing to do if we’re going to look at the genealogy of who they started with in the Marvel story. What was interesting, also, was that the young T’Chaka is played by John Kani’s real son, Atandwa Kani, in real life.
So they picked the accent associated with the actor's real-life ethnicity/national heritage, to be particular the Xhosa people's accent.
Note: Beth McGuire is dialect coach in Black Panther
Pictures about "What accent did the actors use in Black Panther?"
What accent are they using in Black Panther?
Boseman worked with a dialect coach from South Africa to practice the accent he uses in the film. All of the actors speak in accents based in the Xhosa language. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he gives Marvel credit for listening to him.What is Wakanda accent?
When you're hearing Wakandans speak in Black Panther, you're actually hearing the Xhosa accent, which originates from South Africa. But things could've been different if it went Marvel's way, with the studio apparently wanting a British accent, according to the film's star Chadwick Boseman.Is Chadwick Boseman really African?
Chadwick Aaron Boseman was born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina, the son of Carolyn (n\xe9e Mattress) and Leroy Boseman, both African-American. His mother was a nurse, and his father worked at a textile factory and managed an upholstery business.Why was Xhosa used in Black Panther?
Black Panther's director Ryan Coogler chose Xhosa primarily because of John Kani. Not only did he portray T'Chaka, T'Challa's father and the former king of Wakanda, but he was also a South African native whose first language was Xhosa. Thus, recognizing the actor's genealogy is critical in the filmmaking process.How Chadwick Boseman Created His Black Panther Accent
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