Biography

Sam Chwat was born on March 29, 1953 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for Cape Fear (1991), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) and Monster's Ball (2001). He was married to Susan Lazarus Chwat. He died on March 3, 2011 in Manhasset, New York, USA.

He was a speech therapist who started out helping clients with lisps, stutters, and neurological issues. A Hispanic supermarket executive consulted him, concerned that his accent was hindering his chances for promotion. Subsequently, Chwat began to specialize in helping clients lose or gain accents.

For the Howard Stern radio program in the 1900's, Sam gave Stern "wack packer" Fred the Elephant Boy, who had a serious speech impediment, a few free lessons after which Fred returned while Sam called in on air, to prove that the lessons did some help.

You can afford to find accents charming as long as you're part of the power structure that has the accent of the ruling class. (in a 2006 interview with the New York Post)

I always tell my students, "At least it'll get you a seat on the subway. It might even get you the whole car to yourself." (in a 1994 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on telling his students to constantly work on practice phrases aloud as they went about their daily activities)