Have you ever wondered if celebrities lead interesting lives outside of the big screen? You will be surprised to find out that many popular celebrities speak other languages besides English. Some have multiple native languages while others learned the new skill in adulthood.
You can even sometimes see some on the red carpet or at a press conference speaking another language with foreign interviewers.
In this post, we will see just how many famous people speak at least two (or even more) languages.
See also: 7 Main Benefits of Language Learning
Viggo Mortensen, a Man of Many Languages
One of the most talented actors of the early 2000s, Viggo Mortensen had a very interesting upbringing that resulted in his knowledge of more than three languages.
Due to his role in the popular Lord of the Rings trilogy, many may think that he speaks Elvish, but unfortunately, that is not one of the multiple languages that he speaks in real life.
He grew up in Argentina, speaking Spanish and English with his family. He was also raised speaking Danish because he has a Danish father and an American mother. When he was 11, he moved to upstate New York where he picked up Canadian French as well!
Check also our youtube video on the topic:
Sandra Bullock Has a Parent Who is a German Opera Singer
One of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood and the star of movies like The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock speaks not only English but also fluent German. Although she was born in the U.S., her mother is a German opera singer.
Her father was an American army employee stationed in Nuremberg when he met her German mother and they got married. As a result of this, German is Bullock's native language just as much as English because she was raised hearing both in her household.
Bradley Cooper Moved Abroad to Learn French
This beloved actor, known most recently for his emotional performance in A Star is Born alongside singer and actress Lady Gaga, speaks French.
This came as a surprise a few years ago when a video was released of him speaking French for a press tour.
Bradley learned the language after watching the classic film Chariots of Fire and hearing French being spoken for the first time on screen. He was inspired and took classes in school. He also studied abroad in France for six months in order to immerse himself in French culture.
Natalie Portman Knows More than Five Languages
Natalie Portman is a very famous actress who started acting when she was young. What many people don't know about her is that she was born in Jerusalem and Hebrew is her native language as well as English.
She has spoken in many interviews about her dual citizenship and her ability to speak Hebrew. She also speaks Spanish, French, Japanese, German, and Arabic, meaning she knows five languages other than English and Hebrew.
As an actress, Natalie Portman has traveled the world to film movies and this has inspired her to learn languages and her passion for diplomacy.
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Colin Firth Learned Italian for Love
Colin Firth is a well-known British actor and one of the many celebrities who has portrayed characters of many different nationalities.
Last year he portrayed the American author turned accused murderer, Michael Peterson, in the TV miniseries The Staircase, where he got to show off an American accent. But his language skills go beyond the screen as he also speaks fluent Italian.
He didn't learn his second language until he was an adult, but that didn't stop the actor from becoming fluent in Italian. It all started when he met his now ex-wife, Livia Giuggioli, who is from Italy. When he met her, he decided he should learn the language of his wife and start speaking Italian.
Jodie Foster Went to a French School
Unlike many on this list, Jodie Foster speaks a second language that is not a native tongue, but one that she was taught as a child. The actress speaks fluent French thanks to the fact that her parents put her in a French school in Los Angeles when she was young.
Speaking French has opened up many doors for the actress, allowing her to not only dub her own English films in French but also to also star in French films like Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles.
Anya Taylor-Joy Grew Up Speaking Spanish
The Queen's Gambit actress has lived a very intercontinental life that allowed her to learn Spanish before even learning English.
She was born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina until the age of 6. After that, her family moved to England, where she began to speak English, but still preferred her first language.
Nowadays, she often does interviews in Spanish for movie promotions or magazines. Search on Youtube and you will find plenty of videos of her using her Spanish flawlessly!
Mark Zuckerberg Learned Mandarin to Make Better Business Deals
The tech giant has impressed many around the world with his knowledge and fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
This is a notoriously difficult language to learn, but Mark Zuckerberg is known for his academic achievements and it came as no surprise that he chose it as he continuously communicates with China in order to make business deals.
Since he revealed his Mandarin skills during a speech in 2014, he has inspired many to pick up the language in order to further their careers in business.
Charlize Theron has a Rare Native Tongue
Although Charlize Theron is an expert at changing her accent in her movies, if you see her in an interview or watch her give an acceptance speech, you will hear that she has a South African accent.
Charlize Theron grew up in South Africa and her mother tongue is Afrikaans, which she spoke until she was a young adult. In interviews, she says that she didn't learn to speak English until she was 19 and living in the United States.
Gwyneth Paltrow Speaks Spanish
The famous actress and CEO of Goop learned to speak Spanish when she was 15 while living in a small town in Spain for a year.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a big advocate for learning a second language and has made it a point to teach her own children Spanish as well.
Rita Ora Stuck to Her Roots
Rita Ora has become famous across the globe for her music, but did you know that she is also fluent in a very specific language?
She grew up in England, but she was born in Kosovo and speaks Albanian. She moved to England when she was just a toddler, but has spoken Albanian with her family throughout her life.
Maybe one day we will get to hear some Albanian in her music!
Leonardo DiCaprio Uses His Language Skills for Good
As a talented actor, Leonardo DiCaprio has acquired many skills over his decades-long career and has spanned his influence into the international sphere with his environmental activism and philanthropic efforts.
But the Hollywood star has always had an international influence that started in his young life. His father is half German and half Italian and he learned how to speak German from his German grandparents, who he visited in Germany quite frequently as a child.
As he grew a bit older, he took a special interest in Italian as well and studied it. He is at least conversational in both Italian and German and has been caught on film using both languages to speak at press conferences and even to the Pope!
Tom Hiddleston Loves to Learn New Languages
Loki himself speaks Italian, Spanish and French languages fluently. He also learned Ancient Greek while studying Classics at Cambridge. He also knows some Russian, Latin, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean.
The British actor took a liking to languages at an early age and continues to study and learn new ones as much as possible. He tries to pick up at least a few words when he visits a new country so that he can connect with fans.
Timothée Chalamet Loves to Show Off His French
At this point, many people know that Timothée Chalamet speaks French because he frequently does interviews for French media sites whenever he is promoting a movie.
His last name also indicates that he has roots in France. His father is from France and he spent many summers with his grandparents in their small village outside of Lyon, France. He also has dual U.S. and French citizenship.
Mila Kunis Has a Surprising Native Language
Most known for her role in That 70's Show, Mila Kunis speaks fluent Russian. She was born outside of Kyiv, Ukraine, and moved with her family to the U.S. when she was just seven years old. Russian is her first language and when she came to America, she knew no English.
Much has changed since then and she doesn't even have a hint of a Russian accent. However, she still uses her native tongue with her parents and when she is traveling the world to promote films like Friends with Benefits with Justin Timberlake.
Summing Up: Many Celebrities Speak More than One Language Fluently
In this post, we have given you a list of many bilingual celebrities, but there are so many more out there. Many of them say it has been extremely beneficial to know how to speak more than one language and they encourage others to do the same.
If you are interested in learning a new language, check out Lingopie where you can watch great videos that make learning a language a fun experience. Visit Lingopie and sign up for a free 7 day trial to start your language-learning journey today!
