Did you know that some of your favorite actors and actresses can speak various languages? Sometimes, these polyglot celebrities use their skills in movies or press junkets, and sometimes their skills just stay hidden. Here are some celebrities that can speak multiple foreign languages.
Celebrities That Speak Multiple Foreign Languages
Tom Hiddleston
As a British gentleman, Tom’s native tongue is obviously English. But he often says that language fascinates him. When traveling for work (promoting movies), he spends time learning new languages. So he can speak Italian, Spanish, French and Greek, but also some Russian, Latin, German, Korean, and Mandarin. Impressive.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman might be one of the most famous polyglot celebrities. Born in Jerusalem to a Jewish family, she is fluent in English and Hebrew. She is also capable of speaking French (she is married to a French choreographer), Japanese, German, and Arabic.
Jodie Foster
On top of being an accomplished actress and businesswoman, Jodie Foster is fluent in English and French, and has some skills in German, Spanish and Italian. She became fluent in French while attending Lycée Français de Los Angeles.
Bradley Cooper
Okay. So technically, Bradley Cooper isn’t polyglot, just bilingual. He speaks English and French, which he learned at school. But he’s so great at speaking French that we had to put him in our article.
Salma Hayek
It seems that most Latina actresses can speak multiple languages! Salma Hayek is no exception: besides Spanish, her native tongue, she can also fluently speak English, Portuguese and Arabic.
Shakira
Shakira is a native Spanish speaker (she was born in Colombia) who is also fluent in English and Portuguese. That’s three languages already! But the singer can also speak some Italian, French, Catalan and Arabic. Since she enjoys speaking multiple languages and understands how being polyglot can be an asset, she wants her sons to speak multiple languages too.
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen is mostly known for his role of Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. The actor was raised in Argentina speaking both English and Spanish with his family, so he is fluent in both languages. On top of that, he is fluent in Danish, and has good conversational skills in French and Italian. He also understands Norwegian and Swedish. Could be the king of the polyglot celebrities.
Monica Bellucci
Not only can she speak Italian, English, French, and Spanish, but she has also acted in each of these languages! You can see her polyglot work in Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, Malèna, The Passion of the Christ, A los que aman…
Do you know any other famous polyglot celebrities? You have to admit, being polyglot is a great asset when you’re an actor or an actress. It can help you land big roles in other countries or better promote your movies in foreign countries. By the way, we made a list of great and romantic French movies to watch.
