Famous Actress Nails The Minnesota Accent For New Film

Did you grow up in Minnesota? When I was a child, I grew up on a farm with puppies, kittens, cows, and farm tractors. I remember catching snowflakes on my tongue in the winter; riding a snowmobile until I couldn't feel my fingers and toes, and I remember coming into a warm, cozy home and having a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows to help me warm up. I also remember summers on the lake, cozy sweaters during high school football games, and splashing through puddles in the spring.

One thing I never thought of was having an accent. People in the South had a southern accent. People living overseas spoke very 'proper,' but I just assumed that most people lived, worked, and talked like us.

DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN 'ACCENT' IN MINNESOTA?

When I got a little older, I started realizing that we Minnesotans DO have an accent; although, just like in the south, the accent is different in various areas throughout the state, and I suppose it matters where you came from.

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Apparently, we have SUCH an accent, actress Emma Thompson has been spending months talking with a woman in Forest Lake, so she can master the 'Minnesota dialect' for an upcoming movie!

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'THE DEAD OF WINTER' OPENS THIS WEEK

According to an article from CBS News, 'The Dead of Winter' will be in theaters September 26th, and will feature actress Emma Thompson, trying to survive in below-zero temperatures, while experiencing isolation in the Minnesota wilderness. The film is set in a rural Minnesota atmosphere, but was actually filmed in Finland.

The woman who has been talking with Emma is Tracy Dooley. Tracy isn't a speech coach and has never been involved in the movie or film industry. What she is is a real Midwestern woman, with a true Midwestern accent, which is exactly what Emma Thompson wants to sound like.

WHO IS TRACY DOOLEY?

So, how did Emma Thompson find Tracy? It just so happens that Tracy's nephew, Dalton Leeb, is a co-writer on the film, and originally asked her to send some audio clips of her voice to Thompson, but they quickly learned that they needed more than just a few clips to master the accent.

"We Zoom called for three months, and she just talked like me the whole time. It would be a couple of hours at a time. I don't feel like I have an accent," said Tracy.

Tracy says that they really got to know each other during this time, and they still stay in contact with each other even though filming has completed.

I, for one, can't wait to see the movie to see just how much of an accent we Minnesotans really DO have. Thanks to Emma for working so hard to be true to the Minnesota vibe.

WCCO/CBS Minnesota/YouTube