Why Freddie Stroma 'Hid' His Real Accent From His 'Peacemaker' Co-Stars
As viewers, it's always kind of strange to discover an actor has a very different accent than the one you've gotten used to hearing them use. So, one can only imagine how weird it must've been for the "Peacemaker" cast when they discovered that one of their co-stars sounds nothing like the character he plays (or how he had previously spoken on set). Freddie Stroma, the actor who plays Peacemaker's somehow sweetly sociopathic sidekick Vigilante, is actually British (with a super-fancy full name: Frederic Wilhelm C. J. Sjöström) but he hid his real accent from everyone on-set until well after filming had wrapped on the show's first season. Even John Cena, who plays the titular Peacemaker, had no idea that Stroma was British prior to that.
According to an old tweet from "Peacemaker" creator James Gunn, Stroma "spoke in an American accent the whole time he was shooting [and] hanging with us, for months. [John Cena] nearly fell over when we wrapped [and] he had a British accent." Stroma's introduction to the show's cast was already a little strange since he had replaced the original Vigilante actor on "Peacemaker," Chris Conrad, about halfway through filming on season 1. Ultimately, though, Stroma's decision to retain his American accent in-between takes had nothing to do with easing his co-stars into the transition, at least according to co-star Steve Agee. Instead, it was just a matter of him not wanting to slip up while filming, so he didn't even try to switch accents.
Stroma was worried about his Britishness slipping in, but his American accent is phenomenal
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Agee, who plays fellow 11th Street Kid John Economos, shared that when Stroma took on the role of nerdball weirdo Adrian Chase/Vigilante, he was worried about his accent slipping up. As Agee put it:
"Freddie came in and killed it. He's British unbeknownst to a lot of people on the cast and crew at the time. He was worried about keeping his accent, so he just stayed American [off-camera]."
Gunn obviously knew that Stroma was British, having apparently asked his friend and "Slither" star Elizabeth Banks if the actor was a good guy before hiring him. For those not aware: Stroma's non-Vigilante roles include the smolderingly hot college radio DJ in the Banks-produced "Pitch Perfect," as well as parts in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Bridgerton," and "Game of Thrones," so he has his major British franchises on lock. I'm going to be honest, I didn't recognize him at all despite having seen "Pitch Perfect" enough times that it's almost aca-awkward. Maybe the whole "Clark Kent wears glasses to hide that he's Superman" thing isn't as silly as I always thought! Regardless, Stroma's American accent is really impressive in "Peacemaker," and it's not surprising that his co-stars weren't able to tell he was a secret Brit!
Stroma is pitch perfect as Vigilante
On the page, Vigilante is a strange, potentially alienating character. He's clearly dealing with some sociopathy that makes it hard for him to fully understand or connect with others, and he has a terrifying tendency towards violence, but he can also be incredibly kind and sweet, which feels at odds. Somehow, though, Stroma consistently threads that narrative needle, making Vigilante absolutely lovable despite some of his more unsettling behavior. There's just an innocence to the actor's performance that makes him feel like a lost baby animal looking for a home, even if that baby animal happens to be a Tasmanian devil that will shred everything you own.
"Peacemaker" is a series about redemption for people who might otherwise seem like they're beyond it, and Vigilante helps add another layer of depth to that theme. He's an important part of the main ensemble, and while he's easily changed the least out of all of the show's leads so far, there's still plenty of potential for him to grow in the phenomenal second season (read our review here). Stroma may not have been able to switch back and forth between accents like certain other British actors, but that's honestly a superpower anyway.
New episodes of "Peacemaker" premiere Thursdays on HBO Max.