Why do so many English actors play Americans?

[EachandEveryone]

In American films and tv show. It doesnt really happen the other way around so whats so special about our actors and do they actually sound American to Americans or are their accents abit meh? Im just watching Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke in Sound of Metal and wondered when Hollywood is awash with good actors. Are they cheaper?

Black and brown british actors are much more likely to have successful careers in America than the U.K., which is why so many move over there.

Are they cheaper?

No - they're better.

No idea why they cast Cumberbatch in the Mauritanian. (other than him being an exec producer I think!!) He wasnt terrible but it was a v strong accent and just sat wrong on his face.

I always wonder about this!!! Surely the accents must sound weird, I know that I find non-British people's 'English' accents... odd, kind of pantomime-ish cockney or similar to the Queen. Something I can't quite put my finger on in any case, I assume it must be the same the other way round.

You do get it the other way round as well.
Bridget Jones could easily have been played by a british actress for example (not that I have anything against Renee Zellwegger)

Yes but not half as often surely?

Not as much call to be British though is there

I’d love to know what they sound like to American ears

Apparently very good. The cast of The Walking Dead were shocked when they heard Lennie James speak in his English accent. There's some Americans who swear Gary Oldman is from the USA (had an argument with a couple).

Emma Watson’s American accent is awful.

@HugeAckmansWife

No idea why they cast Cumberbatch in the Mauritanian. (other than him being an exec producer I think!!) He wasnt terrible but it was a v strong accent and just sat wrong on his face.

We started watching it last night and I was wondering exactly the same. English is not my mother tongue but even I thought that they could have used an American actor. DH agreed with me. I said that Christian Bale could impersonate anyone much more convincingly but what do native speakers here think?

Oh and I remembered reading this a long time ago. An American rates British actors' American accents.
www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/sep/30/british-actors-invade-american-television