SAM CHWAT, MS, CCC-SP
EDUCATION
Baccalaureate
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville NY
Master of Science - Speech Pathology and Audiology
Teachers College, Columbia University: New York, New York
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
NYS, NJ, North Carolina Licensed Speech Pathologist
Director and Founder
New York Speech Improvement Services, PC
The largest company of licensed speech therapists in the United States specializing in accent elimination, specialty accent acquisition, professional speech and voice improvement, and acquisition of Standard American English speech. Our company averages 200 client contacts per week for speech and voice improvement.
PERSONAL CLIENTS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Robert DeNiro
Trained Appalachian accent for Cape Fear and This Boy’s Life
Kathleen Turner
Trained American Southern accent for Broadway’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Julia Roberts
Trained to trade her American Southern accent for Standard American English before her film career began
Patrick Stewart
Trained to trade British English accent for Standard American English accent in Conspiracy Theory, television’s Safe House, and for other feature film projects
Jude Law
Trained to trade British English accent for Standard American English in feature film projects, including Billy Hopkins’ I Love You, I Love You Not (1998)
Claire Bloom
Trained to trade British English accent for Irish accent
Andie Macdowell
Trained to trade her American Southern accent for Standard American English accent after Greystoke: Legend of Tarzan
Isabella Rossellini
Trained to trade her Italian accent for Standard American English in Halmi’s television epics The Iliad, and The Odyssey, and for many television commercials and projects (1995-1998)
Kevin Anderson
Trained to reproduce Robert F. Kennedy in Hoffa
Leonardo DiCaprio
Trained to trade Standard American English for New York accent in Basketball Diaries (1997)
Tony Danza
Trained to trade his New York accent for a variety of American accents and Standard American English for various projects, and Standard American for permanent use. Taught Standard American accent for several episodes of TV’s The Practice. Taught Appalachian accent for television film Deadly Whispers and New England accent for North Shore Fish, and Standard accent for Burger King commercials. (1995-1999)
Roberto Benigni
Coached to speak English in Life is Beautiful (2000).
Jon Bon Jovi
Taught American Southern accent in feature film Homegrown (1998)
Ally Sheedy
Taught German accent for 1999 hit off-Broadway show Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Olympia Dukakis
Taught many accents, including Standard British. Taught Yiddish accent for 1999 hit one-woman London show Rose (Martin Sherman National Theater, London) to be staged on Broadway (2000)
Heath Ledger
Coached to trade his Australian accent for American Southern for his lead role in Monster’s Ball (2001)
Peter Boyle
Coached to trade his Standard American accent for American Southern for his role in Monster’s Ball (2001)
Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs
Coached to trade his New York American accent for American Southern for his role in Monster’s Ball (2001)
Kate Hudson
Coached to use a British accent in her audition for Four Feathers
Marcia Gay Harden Coached her Brooklyn Jewish accent for her Oscar-winning role as Lee Krasner in Pollack (2002)
John Leguizamo
Trained Italian New York accent for Spike Lee’s feature film Summer of Sam (1999)
Willem Dafoe
Several accents, including Transylvanian for his Oscar-nominated lead role in Shadow of the Vampire (2001)
Rachel Roberts
Voice-coaching for her lead role opposite Al Pacino in Simone (2002)
Shakira
Coached her Colombian Spanish-to-American pronunciation for her top selling crossover album Laundry Service (2002)
Ryan Gosling
Coached his Standard American to a New York Jewish accent for his lead role in feature film The Believer (Sundance Best Film) (2002)
Aaliyah
Coached her Black American English-to-Egyptian accent in Queen of the Damned (2001)
Alan Bates
Coached to trade his British accent for a Viennese accent in his lead role in Sum of All Fears (2002)
Christopher Lambert
Trained to modify French accent toward intelligible Standard American English
Paulina Porizkova
Trained to further Europeanize her speech in Her Alibi
Elle MacPherson
Trained to trade her Australian accent for Upper Class British English in Emma; taught American accent for The Mirror Has Two Faces
Marcus Schenkenberg
Trained To Americanize his Swedish accent for Hostage (1999) and Days of Our Lives (1999)
Patrick Bergin
Trained to trade his Anglo-Irish accent for the Standard American English in Sleeping With The Enemy
John Curry
Trained this Olympic skating star to trade British English accent for Standard American English
Lisa Marie
Coached to speak with ape-mouth appliances for featured role in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes (2000)
Marisa Paredes
Coached to speak English as the mother-in-law in Life is Beautiful (2000)
Kate Beckinsale
Taught American accent for Whit Stillman’s Last Days of Disco
Tara Subkoff
Taught Elitist American accent for Whit Stillman’s Last Days of Disco
Joey MacIntyre
Taught this former singing star of New Kids on the Block to trade his Boston accent for Standard American accent for several auditions, TV movies, and feature film The Fantasticks (1997,1998)
Charlotte D’Amboise
Several foreign and regional dialects for this star of Contact, Cats, Damned Yankees, and Chicago
Jason London
Eliminated American Southern and acquired Standard American accent for feature film Safe Passage
Jeremy Davies
Formerly in Spanking the Monkey and Saving Private Ryan; taught a German accent for film to be released in 2000
Kevin Anderson
Coached his American Southern accent on off-Broadway’s Speaking in Tongues (2001) and his Texan accent for his lead role as Don Meredith in HBO special Monday Night Mayhem (2001)
Eddie Izzard
Taught various American accents for his New York tour and MTV Show
George Hearn
Trained for a Spanish accent for feature film Picasso
Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff
Taught Elevated (“Elitist”) American accent in feature film All Over Me
Kate Erbe
Taught American Southern accent for feature film Rich in Love
Donna Murphy
Taught this star of Broadway’s King and I several accents for use in auditions
Lee Mazzilli
Taught this New York-accented ballplayer to modify his accent
Michelle Lee
Coached her Jewish New York accent for Chas, Ludlam’s Tales of the Allergist’s Wife on Broadway
Fairuza Balk
Eliminated Canadian accent; Taught Cajun accent for feature film The Waterboy
Rachel Weisz
Eliminated British accent acquired American accent for feature film Going All The Way
Mos Def
Coached to trade his New York accent for American Southern for his role in Monster’s Ball (2001)
Angelica Torn
Taughta Polish accent for Amos Kollik feature film to be released (2000); taught New York accent for Sideman, Broadway (1999)
Eamon Walker
1998 Cable ACE Award for Best Actor for Oz; taught this London-accented actor to use an African-American accent in Malcom X and in television’s Oz
Suzy Amis
Coached to acquire Texan accent for feature film
Giancarlo Esposito
Taught him to use a Spanish New York accent for principal role in feature film Fresh
Tony Mora
Coached this TV reporter to eliminate American and Spanish regionalisms; currently a 20/20 interviewer (1995)
Roma Downey
Trained to speak in Italian accent for New York City off-Broadway interactive theatre production Tamara
Nell Carter
Coached to acquire Georgia accent for Merchant-Ivory Capote feature film (1996)
Claire Shipman
Coached this CNN and White House correspondent in voice modification and on-air delivery.
Raymond Fillion
Coached this Canadian Global News TV Anchor to lose his Francophone accent and acquire Standard American English
Ariane Daguin
Coached this celebrity chef of New York’s D’Artagnan Restaurant
Rocco Dispirito
Coached this celebrity chef of New York’s Union Pacific Restaurant for his host role on Food Network’s Melting Pot Show (2001)
Jeffrey Zakarian
Coached this celebrity chef of New York’s Towne and Restaurant for host role on Food Network (2001; 2002)
Ethan Kent
Coached to lose Canadian accent for principal role on All My Children, for which he won an Emmy; later appeared in Saving Private Ryan (1997)
Victoria Jackson
Taught her to acquire the speech patterns of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Leona Helmsley for Saturday Night Live skits
Vendela
Coached her spokeperson’s addresses and TV commercials for UNICEF and various TV beauty commercials
Vincent D’Onofrio
Coached his German lines for ABC’s Law and Order drama series
Elizabeth Rohm
Coached the Standard American Accent of this current Law and Order’s principal actor
Irene Ng
Taught her to lose her Japanese-Filipino accent and acquire Standard American English for her lead role in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, a long-running Nickelodeon show (1997)
Laetitia Casta
Taught her an American accent for various beauty commercials
Mariska Hargitay
(1997)
Shane Rodrigo
Taught this Australian-accented actor a New York accent for off-Broadway’s Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time (1999)
Gabrielle von Canal
Coached to replace German with American accent for Oil of Olay commercials (1997-1998)
Anna Bellegard
Coached to replace English with American accent for Oil of Olay commercials (1997, 1998, 1999)
Heather Stewart-White
Coached to replace English with American accent for L’Oreal commercials (1998, 1999)
Ken Welsh
Trained this well-known Canadian television actor to sound like Truman in Roger Spottiswood’s epic Hiroshima
Troy Roberts
Coached this CBS news correspondent for on-air Standard American English delivery
Jeffrey Kofman
Coached this CBS news correspondent for on-air Standard American English delivery (1999)
Harold Robinson
Coached to acquire foreign accent for Broadway’s Old Wicked Songs
Charles Keating
Star of soap Another World; coached to replace his English accent with Standard American for Spike Lee Snapple TV commercial series
Isaach de Bankole
Trained this star of Chocolat, Ghost Dog and Otomo to Americanize his French accent
Michael Schoeffling
Coached for a Cajun accent in feature film Mermaids opposite Cher
Adrian Paul
Coached to Americanize his English accent; best known as television’s The Highlander
Michelle Rodriguez
Coached the star of Girlfight and Fast and Furious to trade her Hispanic accent for Standard American English
Heather Locklear
Speech coaching for L’Oreal TV commercials, Matthew Rolston, Director (2001)
Michael Baddalucco
The Practice; trained Chicago accent for Coen Brothers’ Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
Andie MacDowell
Speech coaching for L’Oreal TV commercials, Matthew Rolston, Director (2001) (2002)
Brendan Sexton
Our staff eliminated his New York accent for this star of Boys Don’t Cry and other feature films
Erika Leerhsen
Coached her to use a Norwegian accent for The Sopranos (2001)
Liev Schreiber
Coached Swedish-language lines for Kate and Leopold (2001)
Lynn Koplitz
Voice and speech coaching for host of Change of Heart TV series, Oxygen Media, NY (2000-2001)
Jared Harris
Trained him to trade his British accent for an American accent in feature film Igby Goes Down (2002) and feature film In The Cut (2003)
Mark Ruffalo
Coached his American-to-Greek accent for Windtalkers (2002)
Mila Jovovich
Speech coaching for TV L’Oreal Commercials, Matthew Rolston, Director (2002)
FILM AND THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS
Cape Fear
Coached Robert DeNiro to trade his New York accent for an Appalachian accent in this Oscar-nominated role
This Boy’s Life
Coached Robert DeNiro to use an American Northwestern accent for his lead role
Planet of the Apes
Coached Lisa Marie to speak with ape-mouth appliances for featured role in Tim Burton’s film (2000)
Sleeping with the Enemy
Coached Patrick Bergin to trade his Irish accent for an American accent in his role as the abusive husband
Riding in Cars with Boys
Coached cast for American accents in this Penny Marshall Film
The Waterboy
Eliminated Fairuza Balk‘s Canadian accent; taught Cajun accent for feature film
Life is Beautiful
Coached Roberto Benigni and Marisa Paredes to speak English in film (2000)
Four Feathers
Coached Kate Hudson to use a British accent in her audition for Four Feathers (2002)
Monsters Ball
Coached Heath Ledger (Australian), Peter, Mos Def, and Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs to use American Southern White and Black accents in this Oscar-winning film (2001)
Law and Order
Coached Vincent D’Onofrio, Kate Erbe, Mariska Hargitay, Elizabeth Rohm, Richie Coster, Alla Kliouka, and Tomas Arana for various episodes of this television dramatic series
Pollack
Coached Marcia Gay Harden with her Brooklyn Jewish accent for her Oscar-winning role as Lee Krasner (2002)
O Brother Where Art Thou?
Trained Michael Baddalucco, The Practice, Chicago accent forCoen Brothers’ (2000)
Sum of All Fears
Coached Alan Bates to trade his British accent for a Viennese accent in his lead role (2002)
Frankenstein
Coached Robert DeNiro for the monster’s speech and voice
The Mirror Has Two Faces
Coached Elle MacPherson’s American accent
Emma
Coached Elle MacPherson’s Standard British accent
Hoffa
Coached Kevin Anderson for Robert F. Kennedy’s speech and voice
Last Days of Disco
Taught Kate Beckinsale and Tara Subkoff American accent for Whit Stillman’s production
Safe Passage
Eliminated Jason London’s American Southern and acquired Standard American accent for feature film
Hiroshima
For this television epic Hiroshima, taught various American and Canadian accented actors, including Ken Welsh,to reproduce the speech and voice patterns of Truman, the U.S.Cabinet, Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt; Roger Spottiswood, Director (1995)
Homegrown
Taught Jon Bon Jovian American Southern accent in feature film (1998)
All Over Me
Taught Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff Elevated (“Elitist”) American accent in feature film
Rich in Love
Taught Kate Erbe American Southern accent for feature film
Going All The Way
Eliminated Rachel Weisz’ British accent acquired American accent for feature film
Rose
Taught Olympia Dukakis Yiddish accent for 1999 hit one-woman London show (Martin Sherman National Theater, London, 1999) to be staged on Broadway (2000)
Amos Kollik
Taught Angelica Torn a Polish accent for film to be released (2000)
Sideman
Taught Angelica Torn New York accent for Broadway (1999)
Malcolm X
Oz
Taught Eamon Walker (1998 Cable ACE Award for Best Actor for HBO’s Oz)London-accented actor, to use an African-American accent
Fresh
Taught Giancarlo Esposito to use a Spanish New York accent for principal role in feature film
Dellaventura
Coached Richie Coster to replace London accent with New York accent for principal role (1997)
All My Children
Coached Ethan Kent to lose Canadian accent for principal role on All My Children, for which he won an Emmy; later appeared in Saving Private Ryan (1997)
Saturday Night Live
Taught Victoria Jackson to acquire the speech patterns of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Leona Helmsley for skits
Electra
Trained Mirjana Jovanovic to use a British accent for this Broadway show (1998)
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
Trained Kathleen Turner, Polly Holliday,, Charles Durning and cast of this acclaimed Broadway show to use American Standard Accent
Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time
Taught Shane Rodrigo an Australian-accented actor a New York accent for off-Broadway (1999)
Old Wicked Songs
Coached Harold Robinson to acquire foreign accent for Broadway
Tales of the Allergist’s Wife
Coached Michelle Lee for her New York accent in this Charles Ludlam show on Broadway
Someone To Watch Over Me
Coached Richard Mawe to acquire foreign accent forBroadway
Conversations with My Father
Coached Tony’s Shalboub and various cast members for Yiddish, Russian and New York accents in this Herb Gardner Broadway show
Mermaids
Coached Michael Schoeffling for a Cajun accent in feature film opposite Cher
All My Children
Coached various cast members for Standard American English, German, British, and other accents (1993-1995)
Hedwig and The Angry Inch
Trained Ally Sheedy for a German accent for off- Broadway (2000)
The Secret Garden
Coached children to use British accents in this Broadway production
Les Miserables
Coached children (Cosette and others) to use British accents in this Broadway production
Speaking in Tongues
Coached Kevin Anderson’s Southern accent for this acclaimed off-Broadway play (2001)
Summer of Sam
Trained John Leguizamo with Italian New York accent for Spike Lee’s feature film (1999)
Shadow of the Vampire
Coached Willem Dafoe in several accents, including Transylvanian for his Oscar-noiminated lead role (2001)
Rocky & Bullwinkle
Trained Dreena DeNiro with Russian accent (2000)
The Sopranos
Coached Erika Leerhsen to use a Norwegian accent for the show (2001)
MTV: Live Through This
Trained several actors to trade French- and Anglo-Canadian accents for Standard American accents, Montreal (1999)
Kate and Leopold
Coached Liev Schreiber with Swedish-language lines (2001)
Nicholas Nickelby
Coached Heather Goldenhersch with her American-to-British accent for United Artists feature film (2002)
The Gilmore Girls
French accent coaching Yanick Truesdale, for this television sitcom
Change of Heart
Voice and speech coaching for TV game show series host Lynne Koplitz, Oxygen Media, NY (2000-2001)
Igby Goes Down (2002)
In The Cut
Trained Jared Harris to trade his British accent for an American accent in feature films (2003)
Windtalkers
Coached Mark Ruffalo with his American-to-Greek accent for (2002)
Simone
Voice-coaching Rachel Roberts for her lead role opposite Al Pacino (2002)
TV L’Oreal Commercials
Speech coaching for Mila Jovovich for commercials, Matthew Rolston, Director (2002)
The Believer
Coached Ryan Gosling with his Standard American to a New York Jewish accent for his lead role in feature film (Sundance Best Film) (2002)
FEATURED INTERVIEWS, WORKSHOPS AND SPEECHES
1992: Mystery Guest (The Speech Therapist to the Stars) on To Tell The Truth, Mark Goodson TV Productions LA
1995: Israeli Consulate, New York City. Staff coaching for accent, voice, language and telephone protocols
1998: Fox Five News interview on Acquiring and Losing Accents. Rick Leventhal, correspondent
1996-98: Howard Stern Radio and Television shows. Several skits, including Speech Therapist for Fred the Elephant Boy
1997-99: Featured interviews on several National Public Radio shows including All Things Considered and This American Life
1999: Interview. Ladowsky, Ellen. People Profiles: Julia Roberts (NY: People Weekly,(1999) Pages 34-35
1999: msn.com Women & Voice Interview by Mary Peacock
1999: Guest interview on Barry Farber Show. Talk Radio Network
1999: Voice Improvement & Speech for the Stage Lecture/Seminar given at David Zema Voice of Success Programs, NYC
2001: Mystery guest (The Speech Therapist to the Stars) on I’ve Got a Secret, TV, Los Angeles. (Airdate: 11/2/01)
2002: Interview in The Osbournes: The Complete Unauthorized and Unofficial Guide to Everything Osbourne by Reed Tucker (NY: Bantam) page 44
2002: Keynote Lecture: Alliance of Canadian Cinema, TV and Radio Artists (ACTRA) Annual Members Conference (Toronto) “Accent on Accents: A Primer leading Hollywood Speech Coach”
2002: Interview in Hip Guide, Internet Magazine
2002: Featured interview in Pageantry Magazine (September)
2002: Featured interview in An Actor’s Guide: Making It in New York City by Glenn Alterman (NY: Allworth) pages 45-48
SPANISH TELEVISION
Mari Santana
Telemundo and Televisia: coached anchors for cross-over
Denise Oller
Careers in English
Walter Mercado
Tony Mora
OTHER CLIENTS
Dialect and Accent Coach for a wide variety of television commercials, films, Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.
Other clients include:
| Vendela | Elle MacPherson | Linda Evangelista |
| Naomi Campbell | Sean Young | Frederique Van der Wahl |
| Victoria Jackson | Gloria Gaynor | Frederic Fekkai |
| Stephen Knoll | Adrian Paul | David McCallum |
| Famke Janssen | Gregory Hines | Robert Sean Leonard |
| Cindy Crawford | Bert Young | Iman |
| Nell Carter | Juliet Lewis | James Gandolfini |
| Izabella Miko | Paul Bettany | Benjamin Bratt |
WORKSHOPS
1999–Present
Foreign and Regional Dialect Acquisition Workshop Seminars, Penny Templeton Acting School, NYC
1999–Present
Montreal, Quebec: Bi-annual six-week workshop training (ACTRA) Alliance of Canadian Cinema, TV & Radio Artists members to lose Anglo-Canadian and French-Canadian accents, and workshops for actors to acquire New York, Spanish, American Southern, German, Chinese, Indian and Italian accents for specialty roles
2001–Present
Director of Speech, Accent and Voice Training for a telecommunications corporation in Lahore, Pakistan. On-site training of personnel in Lahore, and ongoing teleconferencing coaching groups in Lahore from New York
2002–Present
Foreign and Regional Dialect Acquisition workshop, Edge Voice Over Studio, NYC
CERTIFICATIONS
Certificate of Clinical Competence,American Speech Hearing and Language Association
New York State Licensed Speech and Language Pathologist
