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Updated July 24, 2023 11.8K votes 3.2K voters 850.9K views
Over 3.2K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Most Surprisingly Bilingual Celebrities
Actors are known for being skilled at languages, 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. Which other famous celebrities are bilingual?
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 looking at you, super-smart Jodie Foster).
Behold these awesome videos of bilingual celebrities and videos of celebrities speaking a foreign language. Whose language skills are the best? Be sure to vote for the most linguistically talented celebrities below!
Actress Sandra Bullock was born and raised in the U.S., but she speaks fluent German. Bullock'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.
He may have won the Oscar for playing a speech-challenged monarch in The King's Speech, but actor Colin Firth has no trouble speaking in real life. This British-born actor speaks fluent Italian. In 2010, he showed off his skills, giving an interview in Italian during the Venice Film Festival.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's mother was German (she even survived a World War II bombing raid in Germany) and Leo is fluent in German. DiCaprio's middle name is Wilhelm.
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 has also studied Arabic.
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.
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.
Actress Sandra Bullock was born and raised in the U.S., but she speaks fluent German. Bullock'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.
He may have won the Oscar for playing a speech-challenged monarch in The King's Speech, but actor Colin Firth has no trouble speaking in real life. This British-born actor speaks fluent Italian. In 2010, he showed off his skills, giving an interview in Italian during the Venice Film Festival.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's mother was German (she even survived a World War II bombing raid in Germany) and Leo is fluent in German. DiCaprio's middle name is Wilhelm.
