Foster can also speak some German, Spanish, and Italian. Could we expect someespaol from Batfleck? 11 popular French TV shows you should watch next, Share to: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email, Select Work & Retirement Visas & Residency Uncategorised Travel Skiing Renting in France Real Life Stories News Making Property Pay Living in France Legal, Financial & Tax Integration Holidays Healthcare Gardening French Property Food & Drink Education Currency Competitions City Breaks Christmas Buying & Selling Activities, Remote Working in France with a Long Stay Visa: Ask the Experts. However, Ashley Judd, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sigourney Weaver, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Oh got deeper at the university with a major. She speaks English & Yoruba. They are intermediate / advanced. (born Jennifer Yaa Akoto Kieck) is an Afro-German singer-songwriter of Ghanaian descent. A Number of Notables Speak the Romance Language, Getty Images/Jack Sotomayor/ Contributor. So, here I mean to talk about Joey, his character in the series Friends. Lucien Jean-Baptiste is a French actor, director, and writer. ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/french-speaking-celebrities-1369647. Here are our favourite celebrities that speak french. The2004 presidential candidate and Secretary of State under Obama has a French mother (she herself born to an American family), which apparently merited some teasing from his republican competitors. Shes capable to give full interviews in both languages like this: Time to talk about 2 actors whose native language is German. These celebrities can have a conversation in French using English words. Sting sang in French and collaborated with French singers such as the pop singer Mylne Farmer and the rap singer Gims. From two former first ladies, two queens and two popes to a top tennis pro, the French language clearly has its draws. When Matt Damon was a teenager, he went on language-immersion trips to Mexico and Guatemala. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-speaking-celebrities-1369647 (accessed May 1, 2023). 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. The same happened with Kristin Scott-Thomas. The "Grey's Anatomy" star was born to Korean parents in an Ottawa suburb of Canada. 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. Want to share your language learning journey? He can also speak Korean Definitely hes incredible. Im not sure she can speak French though and her Spanish accent is quite strong. 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. According to the actress, she always makes a New Years resolution to finally master the language. 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.' He spent several summers visiting her in the small town in Germany where she lived. And at the age of 15,Kruger moved to Paris topursue a modeling career, subsequently picking up the French language. Now, we are at another level. Learning is far easier when you enjoy the process and not when its a chore. Christopher Lee If your students know how many cool people speak French, they might realize how great it would be to learn this Romance languagejust like some of their favorite movie and television stars, musicians, and novelists. , lead actor Bradley Cooper made quite an impression by giving interviews to the French media in French. After graduating from college, Edward Norton moved to Osaka, Japan, and worked for his grandfathers company, the Enterprise Foundation. Im not going to check her German and will trust her. xoxo, Language Bae. If yes, Im sure you remember the character Aragorn? She speaks Dinka, Arabic and English. Copyright 2012 - 2020 Avada | All Rights Reserved | Powered by, These celebrities can speak French (So can YOU! Who is famous? He has been married to Maya Jupiter since September 29, 2010. 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? We love to gossip about them. At this stage, lets 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. During the Vietnam War John Kerry deciphered a map in French and saved lives. He also spent his summers, lounging with his grandparents in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Brittany. Formal and Informal in French: How to Not Insult People, The definition and origin of the French kiss. Both are politicians. Shes given several interviews in French, including this one. It was the case of athletes like Neymar, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal. He became known worldwide for his role as Aragorn in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Despite learning French for years, she was initially nervous about speaking it at the French Open. is a New York born, African American model and choreographer based in Germany. Maga is an advocate for inclusion in the film industry and has spoken out for years against racial discrimination. It seems like immersion is the key! Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. 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 a Belgian born, French professional NBA player of African-American and Dutch descent. He is multilingual, fluent in Portuguese, French and Yoruba and a third degree . 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). Growing up, the "Napoleon Dynamite" star was active in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They can talk in French. With a middle name like Wilhelm, it makes sense that Leonardo DiCaprio speaks German. During his Georgetown career,Cooper spent a semester abroad in Aix-en-Provence, where he lived with a host family for six months. Here's a list of 10 actors you may not have realized were from across the pond. No offense Oliver, your French is already amazing! DOUBTS ABOUT THE GENDER OF FRENCH WORDS LIKE CELEBS? Kruger's languages came in handy on the set of "Inglorious Basterds," where she used her knowledge of German, French, and English. Impressive, right? Another good example to follow is the Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Louis XIV (1638- 1715) Louis XIV. Levitt learned French (both the language and a bit of poetry) through his studies at Columbia University. He learned French at school and has worked under French directors Jean-Jacques Annaud and Luc Besson. When she was 15, Gwyneth Paltrow lived with a host family in Spain for a month and fell in love with the country. In the movie Burnt, Bradley Cooper is a famous chef, Adam Jones and surprises when speaking French in some scenes. She was born in Paris, so that can explain why she speaks French. The feedback was, 'She's great but she needs to speak English,'" she said. The show needed some way to show off Oh's flawless accent! films, Emma Watson was actually born in Paris. We can all agree thatAudrey Hepburn isthe epitome of elegance, grace, and class, which is not very surprising considering her aristocratic background. When the press stalked him 1956 because of rumors of an affair with . 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. Hugh Jackman is already someone that everyone loves. They express themselves amazingly in French: extraordinaire! 1. The lovable and gorgeous Hermoine (we'll never see her as anything else) was born in Paris to British parents. Apparently, Jack Black taught himself how to speak both Spanish and French. She is the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli-born doctor, and Shelley Stevens, an . 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. The first one is Emma Watson. Although she moved away at age five, she's kept up hertalents d'orateur. Privacy Policy. Born to a Norwegian mother and a Swiss father, Renee Zellweger is one of those multilingual movie stars who had a leg up when it came to foreign-language exposure. . He speaks two dialects of Sotho, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. 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. He decided he would sing Tarzan in 5 different languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. His cousin is none other than the French politician Brice Lalonde. Still, shes fluent enough to give interviews in French. Log in. Sigourney Weaver got the opportunity to show off her French with some lines in the French movie Une Femme ou deux. You might know about his past relationship with the famous Vanessa Paradis, but did you know that Johnny Depp struggled to learn French? She said. Mila Kunis was born in Ukraine and raised in communist Russia, where she spoke fluent Russian. After the premier of A Star is Born, lead actor Bradley Cooper made quite an impression by giving interviews to the French media in French. 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 . With a middle name like Wilhelm, it makes sense that Leonardo DiCaprio speaks German. Known solely for playing the eponymous role in Napoleon Dynamite, movie star might be a generous description for Jon Heder to put him in the multilingual movie stars list. Aloe Blacc was born on January 7, 1979 in Laguna Hills, California, USA. He learned to speak French fluently and showed it off when he played the French high-wire artist Philippe Petit in The Walk. He actually learned to mimic Petits idioms in order to perfect his French accent. Otherwise you dont improve and you quit. Hes completely fluent in French, Spanish and Arabic. by his mother, who was born in Germany, and was close with his German grandmother. Id love a movie in which he would portray different characters speaking several languages, kind of the learning languages scene in the movie The 13th Warrior . Herfather was a British subject from Bohemia, and her mother was a Dutch baroness. "French-Speaking Celebrities." DiCaprio is one of those multilingual movie stars whos not completely fluent in another language, but he knows enough German to get by. To summarize, these famous people can talk to you in French without any difficulties. . Im sure this helped him a lot during his political conversations too. 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. 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. They studied and practiced in a French speaking country. After all, we always like people trying to talk your language. 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. But when it comes to learning a language, celebrities are just as likely to forget vocabulary and mispronounce words as anyone else, even if they seem like perfect French speakers on screen. 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. 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. In 2006, he even received an Honorary Csar for his acting career. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider t. e. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order . To finish, the American actress Jane Fonda married the French director Roger Vadim and lived in France for 7 years. "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. Therefore, once you learn languages you become more open-minded and have a broader vision of the world. Hes held on to his French language skills to this day. The 3 following celebrities can speak French better but their English accent prevails and they cant avoid using English words. is an actress, author and singer who spoke four languages in College. While he was there, he learned to speak Japanese, and he still breaks it out on occasion, like in the video above. For instance, Kevin Kline portrayed a Frenchman in French Kiss with Meg Ryan (he nailed it), Joseph Gordon-Lewitt as well portrayed a Frenchman, Philippe Petit in The Walk. Just hear how she speaks French. 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. For proof, check out this interview for Ironman in which she held her own responding to a question in French. Hepburnherself wasborn in 1929 in German-occupied Brussels. Get the French Pronunciation Crash Course! Shakira records music in both Spanish and English, and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. And now he speaks it fluently. is a Senegalese fashion designer that was recruited by IKEA to design their 2019 flagship collection! After all, most of us arent preparing for TV interviews and awards ceremonies. However, many may not know he could speak at least two more languages fluently in addition to English. No wonder why the director Quentin Tarantino chose him for Inglourious Basterds ! His father, named Carlos Luis de Funes de Galarza, was a former lawyer of Seville, Spain, who became a diamond cutter. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2015, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists. . Born in present-day Ukraine (the Soviet Union at the time), Mila Kunis. Tom speaks Spanish, French, Italian, and Greek. She speaks English, Twi, German and French. isan American tennis star, who speaks English, French & Italian. The ultimate guide to learn French with Podcasts. He has no problem expressing himself in this language. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you them too! You dont believe me? He says he spends a lot of time practicing his Spanish in front of the mirror and that he enjoys making the shapes with his mouth, particularly with the word miercoles ("Wednesday"). Follow me https://www.instagram.com/robinpezzani/Here is my second video on celebrities who speak French.I hope you'll like it! It is said he enjoyed the simple life and anonymity that living in France afforded him. Gwyneth Paltrow is an American actress and won an Academy Award for her role in Shakespeare in Love (1998). In the following list, Ill mention famous people who intend to speak French. A panel of 100 experts rated recent British prime ministers on their foreign language skills, with Blair and Johnson both scoring highly for their command of French. They had one daughter together, Vanessa. She speaks English, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, German and French. Subscribe to Shadow and Act's Opening Act podcast here. Jane Fonda did the same in Et si on vivait ensemble? Helen Mirren portrayed a French chic woman in The Hundred Foot Journey and was delighted to look like a French person. Are you at a beginner stage, shy or full of energy and willing to make mistakes to learn? Two of his favorite Spanish words to say are mircoles and entonces. Another Francophone Netflix star is Mindhunters very own Special Agent Tench, American actor Holt McCallany. Leo often visited his maternal grandmother in Germany, where he was able to learn and practice his German. His actress daughter Lily-Rose Depp also speaks French fluently. The skilled actor absolutely appreciates other cultures and loves learning languages. From Hollywood actors to tennis superstars, meet some unexpected celebrity Francophones. 2. Jodi Foster attended a French-language prep school in Los Angeles, which is where she learned to speak the French language fluently. But what he lacks in star power, he makes up for with his ability to speak Japanese. Even if her acting skills dont thoroughly impress you, her language skills should; Natalie Portman is one of the most multilingual movies stars. Her language ability certainly came in handy for her character, Blair, on Gossip Girl and her role in the 2011film Monte Carlo. . Serena triedto impress her French fans and improve her skills by learning French. American actor Jack Black not only taught himself to speak Spanish as a second language, but also French! The masterful actor, whom some may knowas Captain Jack, Edward Scissorhands, orWilly Wonka (among others), is also very talented in picking up languages. She and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 7 years old. Cline Dion, for example, is not on this list because she is French-Canadian. Tennis champion Serena Williams reminds us to keep pushing towards our goals, even when it comes to speaking French. Moreover she is fluent in German, Spanish and French. The screen veterans third wife, Tarita Teriipaia, with whom he starred in Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962, was French and as a consequence he learned the language to an expert level. Apparently, Jack Black taught himself how to speak both Spanish and French. They learned French for love and passion. Her father was English and mother Dutch. Most of them learned it at school. Watch on. You dont have to be completely fluent in another language to make your music more accessible to your fans around the world. But what he lacks in star power, he makes up for with his ability to speak Japanese. 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. Enjoy! The tennis player has won many times the French Open (13 times at the time Im writing this post in 2020). If you know some French, you would recognize it with the names of Granger, Voldemort, Malfoy and Fleur Delacourt. A number of the world's top pop and country singers speak French, even the singer who made "Rocket Man" famous. The California-born actor grew up speaking English but learned Spanish and French along the way. Another actor Id love to have as a student is Keanu Reeves. Aself-proclaimed Francophile, he set out to further improve his skillsin preparation for his role as Philippe Petitin, The lovable and gorgeous Hermoine (we'll never see her as anything else) was born in Paris to British parents. They would ask for some specific words but they can understand everything. Nicholas Pinnock Pinnock is starring in ABC and 50 . The tennis superstar, who owns an apartment off the Champs de Mars in Paris, has been learning French since her teenage years but has lacked the confidence to speak it publicly. He bought the Provencal hameau (small village) Le Plan-de-la-Tour in 2001, but it was listed for sale in 2015 has his French love affair come to an end? Emma Watson was lucky to be born in Paris and stay there for 5 years. is an actress that speaks English & Spanish. Oh no! * learning for work The other half of the Smith power couple also speaks Spanish. Hes a big fan of Godard and Nouvelle Vague cinma. Directors, Actors, and Television Personalities. We might be able to name every film theyve starred in or what they wore to the Oscars this year, but their foreign language abilities may come as a surprise. She moved to the United States at age 7 but continued to speak Russian with her parents. Its always in your best interests to charm people by speaking their language. s an award winning journalist and correspondent for CNN, who is based in London and of Sudanese origin. Gardening in April: What to do and what to plant? (2021, December 6). By signing up, you acknowledge that you agree to receive emails and possibly having your activity tracked to improve your experience. We can all agree thatAudrey Hepburn isthe epitome of elegance, grace, and class, which is not very surprising considering her aristocratic background. Speaking languages helps diplomatic relationships, Learn the gerund and imparfait in this French song. First lets find out who they are. Team, ThoughtCo. You dont believe me? The crme de la crme is also a former United States secretary of state: Madeleine Albright. One simple reason why celebrities usually speak English is we dont really know celebrities in India (even if they are gods over there like Shah Ruck Khan! The super-intelligent Jodie Foster became fluent in French while attending a French-language prep school,Lyce Franais de Los Angeles. People already loved Bradley because hes handsome, charming, natural, sweet, talented (the list goes on and on)not only can he sing but he can also speak French that well? He is most well-known for his voice: he often plays the French voice for English speaking actors like Will Smith, Chris Rock, and Ice Cube in French-dubbed versions of American movies. In the advertisement industry, celebrities are invited to promote products because they know they can seriously influence people to buy them. Im sure she spent more time with her than with her parents. Of course I love the effort. Surely she was a good student. Do you speak other languages apart your native one and French? Sometimes you cant hold a long conversation but your pronunciation is excellent. Lets not forgetlove. Shes incredibly smart, can read several books per week. How did these famous people learn French in the first place? He only studied it for 4 years at school and is capable of saying simple sentences with a perfect accent. Foppish film star Grant is the son of a French teacher, who certainly seems to have taught him well; he conducts overseas TV interviews and press junkets like a pro. It might be hard to imagine having the same struggles as an actor, musician, or famous athlete. Jodie Foster. The multilingual marvel studied Spanish and Arabic at Cambridge University, gaining a double first. Besides knowing the classic romance languages, Hiddleston can speak fluent Greek and also some Russian, Latin, German, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese. Paltrow has said that she speaks to her daughter and son in Spanish, too. While on the Berlin set of "V for Vendetta," sheimpressed the crew with her German language skills. Who are these celebrities who can speak French? Like Hugh Laurie, he lacks some naturel. is a Belgian model and beauty queen of Burundi origin. is an actress, dancer, choreographer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Amelia, feel free to contact me! She grew up speaking Hebrew and English, but also knowsconversational French, Japanese, German, and Spanish. Do you know other celebs who speak French? He started it to seduce the French singer Vanessa Paradis. Sandra Bullocks mother was a German opera singer and her father was a U.S. Army employee. The famousactor --and the hottest Norse God ever on the silver screen -- alsohas an affinity for learning as many languages as he can. The musician learned Portuguese from touring through Brazil in her late teens, andher English is thanks to the help of a former American boyfriend. And that's kind of what it felt like moving to the States," said Kunis. Watch this humble actor shining in French here: To finish this part of excellent French speakers, we have the British actress Helen Mirren and the American politician Mitt Romney who have an impeccable pronunciation and fluidity. In 2009, the actress turned businesswoman launched a Spanish-language version of her lifestyle style blog, GOOP. Johnny Depp is a very talented actor who knows how to speak more than one language. 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. He speaks Latin, Russian and Mandarin fluently. To have a better understanding, I focused on 4 main ways they learned this Romance language: * learning at school Update! They were not born famous but became famous. His co-stars in the film, Mlanie Laurent and Diane Kruger are also bilingual . However she is said to speak German (havent found proof), Spanish (no video found), Japanese (she speaks a few words like me) and Hebrew (she rocks it). After all, most of us arent preparing for TV interviews and awards ceremonies. Listen to Viggo Mortensen speak Danish, Spanish, and French. Debbie speaks English and Spanish. Well, I know 3 actors like this. Kevin Kline, maybe you dont know it but I offer 30 minute-classes where you could practice with me. is an award-winning, Nigerian actress. Oui, oui. Black loves practicing Spanish because it teaches him new ways to pronunciate. I think he simply wants to practice. an actor, comedian, rapper and songwriter that speaks English and Spanish. When you love someone whose native language is different, you also fall in love with this language. Celebrities theyre just like us! A few non-native scribes, including the creator of the "Harry Potter" series and a Nobel Prize-winning poet, speak the language. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-speaking-celebrities-1369647. Hes still has a lot to learn but Portuguese is similar to French, so it shouldnt be that hard. Frequently, singers are passionate for music and culture. Tom Hiddleston, aka Loki from Thor, is known for his charisma and charm. The very important persons in this list are more then bilingual. Best known for his role as John Coffey (J.C.) in The Green Mile, alongside Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, Bonnie Hunt, and Sam Rockwell, Michael Clarke Duncan portrayed the life of a prisoner on death row who had the distinct ability to change people's lives with a mere touch of his hands. Though born in Texas, she learned to speak Norwegian and German. Its always interesting to see how talented celebrities are. Hes held on to his French language skills to this day. Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) traveled extensively during her adult life. Lets start with this funny actor: Matt Leblanc. (ne Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola), is a Nigerian Music Producer and daughter of Billionaire Femi Otedola. 10 Johnny Depp - French. Can you think of a celebrity who has also learned French? Team, ThoughtCo. Were a group of language nerds and language geeks who enjoy building and experiencing community every day. I guess it was logical for her to learn it since she reaches the final of the French Open quite often. (born Lovette Ajayi), is an author and digital strategist. Sheila Escovedo is hands down one of the coolest people to ever pick up a set of drumsticks and go to town on the drums, and if you didn't know, she's also of Mexican and Louisiana Creole . Studied law in Aix-en-Provence. Leonardo DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles to an Italian/German father and a German mother. Im sure he could speak French in a whole movie (the dream, non?). In other words, they usually learned French before becoming important, except for Johnny Depp. This Australian has won our hearts on and off the screen with his extremely charismatic personality. ), on These celebrities can speak French (So can YOU!). In addition, she can speak German. Oh la la. The Rolling Stones lead singer spent many holidays in France with his family as a child, inspiring his love of la belle langue.