The 16 Most Surprisingly Bilingual Celebrities By calistylie [13 more lists]

Actors are known for being skilled at language, using their talents to tell universal stories. But while many of the most recognizable actors today gain fame by appearing in English-speaking films, some are fluent in other languages. You might be surprised to learn, for example, that Bradley Cooper speaks absolutely flawless French. And some actors don't stop with just one language: Natalie Portman speaks five languages (fluently)! Not all bilingual actors and actresses actually do films in other languages - but some do, and others handle dubs in other languages with ease (we're talking to you, super-smart Jodie Foster!). Behold these awesome videos of bilingual celebrities! Whose language skills are the best? Be sure to vote for your favorite!

Print Info View Views: 29873 Items: 16

< >

Show: 5 25

Rank Name

1

Up 19

Down 2

Sandra Bullock

Actress Sandra Bullock was born and raised in the U.S., but she speaks fluent German. Sandra's mother was a German opera singer, and her parents actually met while her dad was stationed in Nuremberg. In 2000, she won a Bambi Award (Germany's version of the Oscars) and gave her acceptance speech in German.
2

Up 9

Down 2

Mila Kunis

Actress Mila Kunis speaks fluent Russian, a fact that isn't so surprising, given that she's originally from the Ukraine. She only lived there until she was 7, but it is her native language, after all. In July of 2011, Kunis spoke Russian during a press junket for her movie 'Friends With Benefits,' leaving co-star Justin Timberlake essentially scratching his head as he struggled to keep up via translation feed.

FYI: Kunis can also be heard speaking fluent Russian at the end of the 'Family Guy' episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us" (she voices the character Meg).
3

Up 9

Down 3

Bradley Cooper

Actor Bradley Cooper blew everyone's minds when, in May of 2011, he gave an interview promoting 'The Hangover Part II' in French! Cooper says he learned French while in a student exchange program in France during his college years.
4

Up 6

Down 1

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is really, really smart. Anyone shocked she speaks fluent French? We didn't think so. Foster actually learned to speak French while attending the prestigious French prep school Lycee Francais de Los Angeles (yes, she was valedictorian, another shocker), and she actually dubs the French-language films herself.
5

Up 6

Down 1

Johnny Depp

No huge surprise that Johnny Depp speaks fluent French: He's lived in Paris for over a decade with his longtime partner, French model Vanessa Paradis (they have two bilingual kids as well).
6

Up 5

Down 0

Kim Cattrall

Actress Kim Cattrall is bilingual, speaking fluent German. Cattrall picked up the language while living in Frankfurt, Germany, with her second husband, Andre J. Lyson.
7

Up 6

Down 3

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen is one talented man. The actor speaks several languages fluently, including Danish (he's a dual American-Danish citizen), Spanish and some Italian and French. When it comes right down to it, though, Mortensen has said that he's often more comfortable acting in Spanish, because he feels he "can get to the heart of the matter" more easily.
8

Up 5

Down 2

Ben Affleck

As children, both Ben and Casey Affleck lived in Mexico, so it's no surprise they picked up the Spanish easily. Ben promoted his movie 'The Town' in Spanish, describing co-stars Jon Hamm as "guapo" (handsome) and Jeremy Renner as a little bit "loco," but also "likable."
9

Up 4

Down 1

Gwyneth Paltrow

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow speaks fluent Spanish, thanks to a year as a foreign exchange student during her high school years. She got the opportunity to really put her Spanish to use while working on the TV series 'Spain...On The Road Again' and the book 'Spain...A Culinary Road Trip' with renowned chef Mario Batali.
10

Up 5

Down 3

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is fluent in Hebrew, along with four other languages: Spanish, German, Japanese and (a little) French. Yes, Portman (born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem) is quite the linguist. Other reports indicate she's also studied Arabic!
11

Up 3

Down 1

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron's English is so perfect, it's easy to forget that the actress actually grew up in South Africa, where her first language was Afrikaans. Occasionally, Theron will speak Afrikaans, like during this interview with CNN's Piers Morgan.
12

Up 3

Down 1

Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's mother was German (she survived a World War II bombing raid in Germany!) so it makes sense that Leo is fluent in German. DiCaprio's middle name? Wilhelm.
13

Up 3

Down 3

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt loves French - and he speaks it fluently. Gordon-Levitt took classes at Columbia entirely in French, so is it any wonder that the language rolls off of is tongue so easily? He says he just felt the French classes were more ""interesting,"" revealing in a 2007 interview that,""Even if some student was saying some bulls**t, they were saying it in French, so it was still teaching me something.""
14

Up 2

Down 2

Will Smith

Actor Will Smith is known to give interviews in Spanish. Some fans were shocked when they saw Smith's character speaking fluent Spanish in the movie 'Seven Pounds.' Will gave his first interview in Spanish in 2000, and he continues to do so today.
15

Up 1

Down 1

Colin Firth

He may have won the Oscar for playing a speech-challenged monarch in 'The King's Speech,' but actor Colin Firth has no trouble in the speaking department in real life. No, this British-born actor speaks fluent Italian. In 2010, he showed off his skills, giving an interview in Italian during the Venice Film Festival.
16

Up 2

Down 4

Orlando Bloom

As a child, British-born actor Orlando Bloom's mother actually ran a language school for foreign students.

Showing items 1 - 5 of 16

make your votes count more