“Aye, that’s right…” I heard Alan Cumming say on NPR the other day, and I did a double take – Eli Gold is Scottish! Cumming has been so convincing as a slick Chicago politico on “The Good Wife” that I had completely forgotten his nationality. Ditto Damien Lewis. Can you even remember how frightfully British he was in the BBC’s “The Forsythe Saga” when you watch him as the plain old frightful Nick Brody on “Homeland”? Here are some other Brits on TV with bloody good American accents that might surprise you…

Alan Cumming in “The Good Wife”

Hugh Laurie – “House.” You mean he’s not a slightly strange doc in Princeton?
Josh Bowman – Daniel on “Revenge.” What a dopey character, but at least he nails the accent.
Simon Baker – as “The Mentalist” (My mother says he’s quite good.)
Natasha McElhone – David Duchovny’s ex-wife on “Californication”
Hugh Dancy – as an FBI guy on “Hannibal”
Kevin McKidd – Owen on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Again, he’s a Scot!
Stephen Moyer – in “True Blood” ….. that is, if those vampires are actually American!
Idris Elba –Second-in-command Stringer Bell in “The Wire” AND corporate guy Charles Miner on “The Office”
Kate Winslet – as “Mildred Pierce.” A mini-series long over, but come on, how good was she?!
Minnie Driver & Eddie Izzard – “The Riches.” And how good were they, both of them!  (for the 20 or so people who watched…. )

Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard in “The Riches”