The X-Men movies feature quite a diverse selection of cast members, with nationalities ranging from Australian to Scottish to Dutch. But almost none of these actors play a character from these countries, so on screen, they need to use a different accent. Since X2: X-Men United, Jess Platt has worked with our favorite mutants as a dialect coach, helping them to sound more like we'd expect of them. Jess discussed the kind of work he's doing now for the film with us. TheXverse.com: How often do you need to be there on set when they're actually shooting? Jess Platt: Since I worked on X2, I am friendly with a lot of the people involved, so when I'm not working (either on set or in the trailer), I'm chatting with old and new friends. I am present whenever any of the actors who have to speak with dialect not their own are present. TXV: Who are you primarily working with at the moment? JP: I wouldn't be giving away any secrets if I tell you that so far, I'm working with Hugh Jackman (on his American) and Anna Paquin (on her Southern American). TXV: Do you teach them how to speak in the accent in general? Or do you just go over their specific lines with them? JP: This is the 6th movie for me with Hugh, so obviously, we didn't have to start from scratch. I do give him (and Anna) exercises for the specific sound foreign to them, we go over them a lot, and of course, all the lines of the script that they have to speak. I am on set, usually sitting with or close to the director and when necessary consult with either him or the actors if I hear anything that I'm not happy with. It's my fourth movie with Anna, so she and I are old pals also. TXV: What kind of training did you have to undergo to do this job? JP: My training is in speech pathology. I was a clinical speech therapist (degrees, both undergraduate and graduate) and my area of expertise was articulation therapy - you know, correcting "s" sounds, "r" sounds and the like. I enjoyed it and was very good at it (modesty aside). I was also always interested in dialects and accents. I remember when I was a kid, on a train trip home from Florida to New York, I decided to put on a Lancashire dialect - similar to what I'd heard Tom Courtenay do in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. I kept up the accent for the entire trip. I got my first "break" when the producer of Dynasty, who was a friend and neighbor of mine in LA, needed someone to work with Emma Samms who was replacing an American actress to play the part of Fallon. After that, the referrals started coming in. TXV: You've worked on X-films before. How is the movie going? What's it like working with Brett Ratner and what would you say (in your opinion) he is bringing to the franchise? JP: The movie is going fine. Every movie set is like a new country. If you've ever been on a set, you'd understand. New politics, new leadership, new population. It's always a little bit of a struggle at the beginning and is somewhat confusing, but it generally finds its way. TXV: Are you with the production until December when it ends? JP: Yes, I am here for the whole shoot. It's not only teaching the dialects that are important. The actors come to depend on me so that they don't have to think about the accent while they're acting. Even if I never make a comment for the entire day of shooting (rare, but possible), they know that it's one big part of their performance that they don't have to worry about. TXV: What is your typical day on set like? JP: My day on set consists of going over the lines with the actors, being on set, trying to stay away from doughnuts, conferring with the actors, producers, and director, and staying away from doughnuts. TXV: Have you ever wanted to act in one of the movies? If so, who would you like to play? JP: I have actually been in two movies - A Walk On The Moon (Dr. Fogler) and Someone Like You (Dr. Krane or Klein - I forget which). In the former, they had hired a French Canadian actor to play a Jewish doctor from Brooklyn for a few lines - he couldn't do it, even with some work with me - so Tony Goldwyn, asked me to do it, kind of on the spur of the moment. I did it and then they added a few more scenes for me. In Someone Like You, Tony directed again, and gave me the part of the doctor, kind of as a payback for helping out on A Walk On The Moon. I really have no aspirations to be an actor, though. TXV: Not sure if this is something you can answer, but what is the general reaction from people on set to something like Hurricane Katrina. Does it have any effect on production at all when something like this happens? JP: Of course Hurricane Katrina is on everyone's minds and is the topic of all conversation when we are not actually shooting. We are in Canada, and the Canadian people are warm, caring, hospitable people. This will be a major disaster of historical proportions for decades to come. TXV: Have you seen the first X-men movie? Do you know why Halle Berry's accent was dropped in X2? JP: Yes, I saw X-Men and I think there were creative problems with the accent that Halle was trying to do. I have heard that it was dropped as a matter of intelligibility in X-Men 2 and X-Men 3. TXV: Are you disappointed that Nightcrawler isn't being used in X3? Did you enjoy working with Alan on his accent? JP: Yes, I enjoyed working with Alan. As you know he is a Scot, and had to be German for X2. He did German when he played the master of ceremonies in Cabaret on Broadway, so there wasn't a lot of training to do, aside from when he actually spoke in German (some prayers). TXV: Are you a fan of the X-Men? Are there any characters you would like to see in the movies that aren't? JP: No, I'm not a fan. I never really heard of X-Men before I took the first job, but it's very enjoyable working on it now. I love the script of X3. Our thanks to Jess for speaking with us!