Kennedy Netflix Series Pulls Back on Boston Accent
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- Nick Robinson plays Joe Kennedy Jr. in Netflix's eight-episode "Kennedy," covering 1931-1944 — a period when the eldest Kennedy son was being groomed for the presidency before his death in WWII action.
- The production made an "executive decision" to steer away from the Boston accent, Robinson said, noting the sound evolved from a mid-Atlantic upper-class accent to what modern audiences associate with working-class Boston.
- Laura Donnelly (Rose) and Michael Fassbender (Joe Sr.) had prepared distinctive accents but were told on set to "pull it back," resulting in a blend where the parents carry the more distinctive accents and the children use a more general American sound.
- Donnelly said the accent pullback was partly a practical choice: nine child actors couldn't credibly carry the aspirational upper-class sound the Kennedys cultivated.
- The series is based on historian Fredrik Logevall's book "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956."
- Laura Donnelly, who is Irish, said her non-American background helped her avoid "age-old pressure" of playing the iconic matriarch, who died in 1995 at age 104.
Why it matters: The accent pullback trades the Kennedys' most recognizable sonic signature for narrative accessibility — Donnelly said nine child actors couldn't credibly carry the aspirational upper-class accent, justifying the blended approach. Grounding the series in historian Fredrik Logevall's book positions the dynasty as historical figures rather than caricature.
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