They decided to learn French to either communicate with their peers or their audience. Thats why he learned several languages such as French, Spanish and Italian. He surely has a very good ear because he sings and can speak French very well. Hes completely fluent in French, Spanish and Arabic. Known solely for playing the eponymous role in, , movie star might be a generous description for Jon Heder to put him in the multilingual movie stars list. Lets start with a surprising example: Queen Elizabeth. Nicholas Pinnock Pinnock is starring in ABC and 50 . Ill explain later how come they can amaze us with their French. Though, the thing that truly makes him an inspiration for other French learners is that he manages to speak confidently while still acknowledging that he makes mistakes. We're not sure where he learned it, but we're assuming it's because his wife once lived in France. Second is Emma Thompson. Katerina Alexandre Hartford "Kat" Graham is a Swiss-born American actress, model, singer and dancer. You dont have to be an expert to hear if our favorite movie star, singer or athlete can say a few words or sustain a whole conversation in French. They perfectly speak 2 Foreign languages. born in Ukraine and raised in communist Russia, Shakira can speak Portuguese, English, and Italian, conversational French, Japanese, German, and Spanish, learn English via student exchange programs, Check out the most successful celebrity siblings outside of Hollywood . He has no accent at all when he communicates in English or French (I havent checked his German and Italian but I can guess hes talented as well). 25 Famous People Who Speak Spanish as a Second Language Cline Dion, for example, is not on this list because she is French-Canadian. The lovable and gorgeous Hermoine (we'll never see her as anything else) was born in Paris to British parents. to an Israeli father and American mother. 7 Romantic French Love Poems (with English Translations), Discover France Differently: Book an Unforgettable Bike Tour, The 9 French Graphic Novels Everyone Should Read, Netflixs Transatlantic Tells the (Mostly) True Story of How an American Heiress Saved Europes Greatest Artists from the Nazis, 9 Beautiful Bookstores in Paris Every Book Lover Should Visit, VIDEO: Discover Reims, a French Treasure in Eastern France (Episode 1/5). Aloe Blacc was born on January 7, 1979 in Laguna Hills, California, USA. He studied journalism at Ithaca College and has an MBA from NYU. You can listen to Sigourney Weavers French here. A few non-native scribes, including the creator of the "Harry Potter" series and a Nobel Prize-winning poet, speak the language. It might surprise you to know that this American actor actually studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence and was able to immerse himself in the French language. He speaks English and French. She speaks English and Igbo. My only reproach is to exaggerate a little bit the articulation. What a heartthrob. , is an actor, producer, narrator AND a pilot. 10 Celebs Who Speak Multiple Languages - TheThings Babs Olusanmokun is an actor, best known for Denis Villeneuve's Academy Award-winning Dune (2021), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022 - ), Nicolas Winding Refn's Too Old To Die Young (2019), Black Mirror (2017). Another actor who is bilingual in this romance language as well is John Malkovich. You dont believe me? You can even sing a song in a language you dont speak like opera singers Still, she learned like other students from this school. Who are these celebrities who can speak French? Here are our favourite celebrities that speak french. Check out our articles on, For even more inspiration check out Treehut's, Secret Spots SF Doesn't Want You to Know About. is a Belgian model and beauty queen of Burundi origin. Who bothers to learn another alphabet? His actress daughter Lily-Rose Depp also speaks French fluently. * learning for work Johnson got the nod as the better of the two, due to his superior accent, but he might want to work on his vocabulary (hint: peigne means "comb".) She was also a UNICEF ambassadress. Franois Ozons Everything Went Fine & Some of His Bolder, Scarier, Saucier Hits. He became known worldwide for his role as Aragorn in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Sometimes you dont exactly choose to learn a language but you feel the obligation (then the pleasure) to learn a new language. At this stage, let's see 2 famous people whose first language is Spanish ( the tennis player Rafael Nadal and the singer Shakira) and the Brazilian football player Neymar who speaks Portuguese. Sandra Bullocks mother was a German opera singer and her father was a U.S. Army employee. My dream was and still is to talk to her in French Her French is wouah.Shes in this category because she still struggles with the gender of some words. Dylan is a senior content producer, overseeing video and podcast projects for the U.S. team. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Actress Diane Kruger was born in West Germany, where she was raised to speak German. She cant really talk to you but she did study it at school and can say a few words like in this video: Lady Gaga loves France and French culture. In this list are famous people who speak only French. But how well do we really know our favorite U.S. movie stars? is a New York born, African American model and choreographer based in Germany. Havent heard Bradley Cooper speaking French? Johnny Depp is very well known for his movies including the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and more. His interests include reading, writing, politics, and anything sweet. Herfather was a British subject from Bohemia, and her mother was a Dutch baroness. Im telling you this because if some of them started French as a moral duty, they had to like it in the process to continue. Started theatrical acting in 1950, but was regarded untalented at first, until Roger Vadim discovered him for the movies. If they can express themselves in Victor Hugos language, so can you! She lived and studied in France until she was 18, then earned her degree in English from Leeds University in the UK. He speaks Spanish and English. So oui! 10 Johnny Depp - French. Since then, she has visited and worked in France, as well as delivered her own lines in French films. We are now in the golden category. Known primarily for her role in the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson was actually born in Paris. DiCaprio is one of those multilingual movie stars whos not completely fluent in another language, but he knows enough German to get by. Besides the fact you are more clever when you speak other languages and have a better memory, many actors were chosen in some movies thanks to their ability to speak French. Fans of Netflixs popular Sex Education, in which Mackey plays fiesty British high schooler Maeve, may be surprised to learn that the actress was born in Le Mans to a French father and English mother, and speaks French fluently. French fans of the hospital series Scrubs will recognize his voice as the character Christopher Turk! While very little information exists on Jada Pinkett Smiths language skills, it appears she may have learned on her travels, including, When Matt Damon was a teenager, he went on language-immersion trips to Mexico and Guatemala. Kevin Kline even got further and acted entirely in French in Joueuse. He speaks English, French and conversational Italian. However, she was lucky to have a French nanny. Sure he has an accent, still, bravo! While on the Berlin set of "V for Vendetta," sheimpressed the crew with her German language skills. Were a group of language nerds and language geeks who enjoy building and experiencing community every day. Lets start with this funny actor: Matt Leblanc. When Brando married native French-speakerTarita Teriipaia, he had to learn to speak Frenchso he could participate in dinner conversation. Vanessa is a French teacher who lives in Cancun, Mexico where it is as hot as Runion island where she was born. Actress Diane Kruger was born in West Germany, where she was raised to speak German. Oh no! There's nothing here, click here to continue shopping. Through travels, classes, family members and in Jon Heder's case, a religious mission, they've picked up fluency in one, two, and sometimes five languages. However, their strong accent is still present. "The Lord of the Rings" stargrew up in Buenos Aires, Argentinawith a Danish father and American mother, and was raised speaking Spanish, English, and Danish. However, many may not know he could speak at least two more languages fluently in addition to English. And that's kind of what it felt like moving to the States," said Kunis. (born Lovette Ajayi), is an author and digital strategist. is an award-winning, Nigerian actress. Later, when they got children together, Johnny Depp studied French seriously to understand everything. So go to an French speaking country in you can. Im sure she spent more time with her than with her parents. Pixar's 'Soul' Has a Black Hero. In Denmark, a White Actor Dubs the Both are politicians. In case you want to talk about the population, the number of islands or a distance between two cities or two countries, knowing the numbers in French is required. Apparently, Jack Black taught himself how to speak both Spanish and French. 17 US Movie Stars Who Speak Another Language - Babbel Magazine 21. is a Grammy award winning singer, actress, dancer and author who speaks English, French & German. Diane Kruger speaks German, French, and English. Do you know Serena Williams can speak French? xoxo, Language Bae, I don"t know why I'm just seeing this comment, but thank you so much! In the video clip above, Kunis uses her language skills to defend Justin Timberlake when a Russian journalist questions him during a press conference. Formal and Informal in French: How to Not Insult People, The definition and origin of the French kiss. In addition, she can speak German. Natalie Portman is the first person born in the 1980s to have won the Academy Award for Best Actress (for Black Swan (2010)). The masterful actor, whom some may know as Captain Jack, Edward Scissorhands, or Willy Wonka (among others), is also very talented in picking up languages. If yes, Im sure you remember the character Aragorn? From Hollywood actors to tennis superstars, meet some unexpected celebrity Francophones. He even spent six months in a university nearAix-en-Provence in France. After graduating from college, Edward Norton moved to Osaka, Japan, and worked for his grandfathers company, the Enterprise Foundation. Another actor Id love to have as a student is Keanu Reeves. The German-American model-turned-actress speaks excellent French and was once married to leading French actor Guillaume Canet, whom she met after filming Joyeux Nol. 1. She speaks French, English, Dutch, German, a little Chinese, Swahili & Kirundi. The tennis player has won many times the French Open (13 times at the time Im writing this post in 2020). Studied law in Aix-en-Provence. Ive heard her in both languages and I can assure you shes fluent and confident. However, Im even more amazed by the children who live in poor countries and are capable of speaking several languages in order to sell souvenirs to tourists. In the video clip above, Kunis uses her language skills to defend Justin Timberlake when a Russian journalist questions him during a press conference. is an Afro-Latina actress of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin and Haitian and Lebanese descent. The only one she didnt do is Silence of the Lambs. How many of us can relate to that? The same happened with Kristin Scott-Thomas. However, Ashley Judd, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Oh got deeper at the university with a major. The California-born actor grew up speaking English but learned Spanish and French along the way. The British actress Kristin Scott-Thomas is considered as the English actress who knows best the French. Its way, way more nerve-racking than playing tennis, she remarked. She speaks English & Yoruba. Copyright 2022 Lingoda All Rights Reserved. Despite not living in France for over twenty years, his French is still fresh, and he even conductsinterviews with French journalists. Hes gifted in languages and knows it. He can also speak Korean Definitely hes incredible. Free Global Shipping For Orders Over $100. Depp learned conversational French when he lived in Paris with his long-term girlfriend and their two children, who have dual citizenship. These Multilingual Actors Speak More Than Two Languages - TheThings Another reason why French is the language of love! These 3 are in the same romance family. Very good pronunciation even if its basic: trs bien! And they chose to learn or improve their French with their spouse and wanted a bilingual environment for their children. in Nuremberg, Germany, for 12 years of her early life, where she learned to speak German fluently. Want to learn more fun facts? is an actress that speaks English & Spanish. The first one is the former United States secretary of state (2013-2017), John Kerry. Charlize Theron grew up in Benoni, South Africa, making Afrikaansher first language. Two of his favorite Spanish words to say are mircoles and entonces. Heder spent two years as a Mormon missionary in Japan, where he learned to speak the language. Can you think of a celebrity who has also learned French? Not only are they great actors on screen, they are very talented in other walks of life as well. What you may not know is she can also speak Portuguese. Bullock. This world famous tennis champion decided that she should master French to get the French public at Roland Garros securely on her side for the French Open tournament. It seems like immersion is the key! The Guardians of the Galaxy star is bilingual in English and Spanish, and has said she wants to make sure her future children speak Spanish as well. During the Vietnam War John Kerry deciphered a map in French and saved lives. Ben Affleck learned Spanish when he spent a year living in Mexico as a teenager, and he has continued to hone his skills throughout his acting career. In the movie he could speak an invented language (his author J.R.R Tolkien was passionate about languages and even invented one). Are you too in this category? Trs bien monsieur Highmore! She even taught the language to her kids, Apple and Moses, in an effort to raise them bilingually. She was married to a French doctor, has British-French children, lives in France and is also in French movies. In politics, both former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright used their language skills to have a better understanding of other countries and secured a better diplomatic relationship. When she's not helping busy students to learn French with visuals and fun, she's always learning something, gardening or drawing. Mortensen frequently returns to Argentina, and even filmed the 2012 drama "Todos tenemos un plan" there. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. From the "Terminator" and a famous television chef to some of the top American acteurs(actors) andactrices(actresses), this group of French-speaking personalities is surprisingly large. is a Senegalese fashion designer that was recruited by IKEA to design their 2019 flagship collection! Besides she was in a French speaking environment in Montral. She speaks English & Spanish. Surely you remember the actress Audrey Hepburn who played in Breakfast at Tiffanys. A number of the world's top pop and country singers speak French, even the singer who made "Rocket Man" famous. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-speaking-celebrities-1369647 (accessed May 1, 2023). When Jane Fonda married Roger Vadim or Johnny Depp married Vanessa Paradis and had children with her or when Natalie Portman moved to Paris to live with her French husband and childthey all chose to learn French. 1. Some master French because they studied it at school like the Canadian actress Sandra Oh. The ultimate guide to learn French with Podcasts. Because several celebrities fell for a French spouse: Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Jane Fonda, Scarlett Johansson, Diane Kruger. The other amazing example that one can be polyglot is the British actor Tom Hiddleston. * the je ne sais quoi that makes you French (interjections). Im sure you like some popular people a little and if they speak French, theyll motivate you in your French learning journey. Im not going to check her German and will trust her. Our next celebrity is a very motivated actor who keeps talking in French despite the fact he lacks some words: John Travolta. He actually speaks all three languages in the 2009 film Inglorious Basterds. She learned to speak Hebrew and English fluently, and she is also conversational in Spanish, French, German and Japanese. (how?). French Speaking Celebrities - ThoughtCo 100 greatest black actors of all time - IMDb And at the age of 15,Kruger moved to Paris topursue a modeling career, subsequently picking up the French language. Her first major role was as the computer genius "Kate" in the movie - "Hackers" (1995). Where do his skills end? Leo often visited his maternal grandmother in Germany, where he was able to learn and practice his German. Jean-Louis Trintignant Actor | Amour Born 1930 in Piolenc in south France as son of a wealthy industrialist. Growing up, the "Napoleon Dynamite" star was active in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in present-day Ukraine (the Soviet Union at the time), Mila Kunis grew up speaking Russian. Damon later married Argentina-born Luciana Barroso, furthering his connection to the Spanish language. is the first African-born player in the big leagues of baseball! Whats your opinion? What matters is her intention, so lets cheer her up: Continue Shakira! The result is he can speak fluently: Spanish, French, Danish, Italian he understands Norwegian and Swedish. They were not born famous but became famous. Christoph Waltz speaks English, German, and French. "French-Speaking Celebrities." On the contrary, be inspired! He was already charming and didnt need to study French. Perhaps French learners might want to try mimicking a bit of French dialogue to work on their own accents. As a result of her multinational background, the, Levitt learned French (both the language and a bit of poetry) through his studies at Columbia University. (daughter of music mogul, Quincy Jones), is an actress, vocalist, producer and director, who speaks English and French. Emma Watson was lucky to be born in Paris and stay there for 5 years. The British actress Emelia Clarke has fantastic French pronunciation as you can hear in this video: She would simply need to learn more vocabulary and grammar. t. e. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order . 10 Celebrities Who Speak French (Shawn Mendes, Nina Dobrev - YouTube His time spent studying French poetry at Columbia University coupled with his love for cinema were the sparks for, He learned to speak French fluently and showed it off when he played the French high-wire artist Philippe Petit in. Log in. Frequently, singers are passionate for music and culture. Top French Pronunciation Mistakes and Difficulties, The Best Ways to Learn How to Speak French, Learn How to Talk About Your Profession in French, Tips to Improve Your French Pronunciation, Introduction to Pronouncing the French Alphabet, French Vocabulary Lesson: Banking and Money, How to Introduce Yourself and Others in French, French Vocabulary for Media and Communication, Woody Allen (American director and actor), Milla Jovovich (Ukrainian-born American model and actress), Grace Jones (Jamaican-American singer, model, actress), Ted Koppel (English-born American broadcast journalist, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Austrian actor, former governor of California), Justin Bieber (Canadian singer-songwriter), Alanis Morisette (Canadian and American singer-songwriter), Angela Davis (American activist and author), Madeleine Albright (Czech, former U.S. secretary of state), Tony Blair (former British prime minister), Stephen Breyer (American Supreme Court justice), Michelle Obama (former American first lady). The cherry on top is that he also speaks French! Gwyneth Paltrow traveled to Spain as a teenager, and fell so in love with the language and culture, that she makes a point to visit once a year. Tennis champion Serena Williams reminds us to keep pushing towards our goals, even when it comes to speaking French. Oui oui oui. Will Smith says he learned Spanish little-by-little from both talking to people in Los Angeles and visiting friends in Spain on various occasions. Here are 17 famous American multilingual movie stars actors and actresses who can speak at least one other language besides English. And I'll see you later for . Sting sang in French and collaborated with French singers such as the pop singer Mylne Farmer and the rap singer Gims. British actor Tom Hiddleston has become even more famous since the success of the Marvel films. Here's a list of 10 actors you may not have realized were from across the pond. Do you know other celebs who speak French? His accent is still quite strong but I love his positive attitude like you can feel in this video: Hugh Grant is another actor showing good vibes. Emelia Clarke, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Laurie, Hugh Grant (the 3 Hugh), Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Laurie, Freddie Highmore, Kevin Kline and Tom Hiddleston learned French at school. We can name a dozen French movies with her: Il y a longtemps que je taime, Partir, Elle sappelait Sarah, Suite franaise. Hi Daetwan! Follow me https://www.instagram.com/robinpezzani/Here is my second video on celebrities who speak French.I hope you'll like it! Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-speaking-celebrities-1369647. Damon later married Argentina-born Luciana Barroso, furthering his connection to the Spanish language. Celebrities Who Speak More Than One Language - Business Insider is an actress, author and singer who spoke four languages in College. as well as other partner offers and accept our, My first sentence of my essay to get into college was like, 'Imagine being blind and deaf at age seven.' Shes even starred in some French films and dubs herself in the French language version of her other films. Born in present-day Ukraine (the Soviet Union at the time), Mila Kunis. They are usually models on Youtube. They ended up living in France or at least spending some vacations there. How did these famous people learn French in the first place? No item found in your cart. Team, ThoughtCo. In the movie Burnt, Bradley Cooper is a famous chef, Adam Jones and surprises when speaking French in some scenes. is a show host, actor, author and motivational speaker. Sandra Bullocks mother was a German opera singer and her father was a U.S. Army employee. He can also express himself in Italian. She was. Listen to Jodie Foster speak French, and Italian, German, and Spanish. Jada Pinkett Smith Spanish The other half of the Smith power couple also speaks Spanish. My only piece of advice would be to work on the r to sound less American. When Ben Affleck was 13, he and his brother Caseyspent a year living in Mexico. Likewise, John Malkovich spoke French in the movie Les Misrables. School Of Rock actor Jack Black might have proven his ability to adopt any accent. But the three-time French Open winner, who also speaks Italian, has been trying out her French in post-match interviews and TV shows, and is keen to pass on the language to her toddler, Olympia. She is a former Miss Union Africaine 6me Region. Just hear how she speaks French. These celebrities can speak French (So can YOU!) You might know about his past relationship with the famous Vanessa Paradis, but did you know that Johnny Depp struggled to learn French? Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Speaking fluently French with an accent: excellent! He moved to Paris and had to learn some French. Top 5 Famous Black French Actors - Discover Walks Blog The famousactor --and the hottest Norse God ever on the silver screen -- alsohas an affinity for learning as many languages as he can. Surely being Guillaume Canets partner for a few years helped her a little bit. Hes yet to manage a French club, but with his impressive French skills theres nothing stopping him. Hes admitted to having trouble with French conjugation, but that doesnt stop him from doing his best in French interviews. ThoughtCo. What you should ask yourself is: how did they learn French (and other languages)? Rashida Jones (daughter of music mogul, Quincy Jones), is an actress, vocalist, producer and director, who speaks English and French. She speaks English & French. If you're on the hunt for a Bastille Day present or perhaps something for your French significant other, treat them to an engraved wood watch! He cites this to his expectation that everyone doesn't speak English, so he always tries to interactwith his fans in their native language. French-Speaking Celebrities. I also wonder if Scarlet Johansson knows some French. Almost everybody is inspired by a famous person. that sent him to live with a host family in the south of France for six months. First up on my list is the Black French actress Assa Maga. Her French isperfect. Why do the French sell Lily of the Valley on May 1? Here are 9 celebrities that speak French (or check out the Frenchly compilation videoto see 8 of them in one video). Which celebrities impressed you? Clearly, a few models have found it advantageous to learn French. Lets not forgetlove. Despite living through a car accident that nearly took his life, he retained he good memories of the country and an ability to speak French. s an award winning journalist and correspondent for CNN, who is based in London and of Sudanese origin. We see them everywhere: on the big screen, in the tabloids, on TV. Everyone was surprised when he started speaking french in an interview for the movie, If you're on the hunt for a Bastille Day present or perhaps something for your French significant other, treat them to an, Want to learn more fun facts? Serena triedto impress her French fans and improve her skills by learning French. Listen to Diane Kruger speak Germanand French. The losing candidate in the 2012 presidential election and foe of President Donald Trump, Mitt Romney not only speaks French, but hes a huge Francophile (which clearly didnt help him get elected). to speak the French language fluently. These celebrities can have a conversation in French using English words. According to the 2016 census, French was the mother tongue language of 7,166,705 people, or 21 per cent of the Canadian population. Still, shes fluent enough to give interviews in French. Surely she was a good student. Louis XIV (1638- 1715) Louis XIV.