These Hollywood stars speak German

Bruce Willis
Natalie Portman
Sandra Bullock
Dan Stevens
Terence Hill
Karl Urban
Michael Fassbender
Sarah Chalke
Christopher Lee
Kim Cattrall
Mark Strong
Chris Pratt
Kirsten Dunst
Leonardo DiCaprio
Bud Spencer
Edgar Ramírez
Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis, who recently retired from acting, speaks better German than you may know! He was born in Germany (in Idar-Oberstein in Rhineland-Palatinate) to a German mother. When he was two years old, his family immigrated to the United States.

Natalie Portman

In addition to studying psychology at Harvard, Natalie Portman also studied various languages such as French, Arabic, Japanese, and German.

Sandra Bullock

This German-speaking star made use of her skills several times. In 'Ocean's 8,' she spoke German for her role, and at the 2012 Oscars, she presented a segment partly in German. The mother of Sandra Bullock was a German opera singer and they lived in Austria and Germany until she was 12.

Dan Stevens

Dan Stevens played the enchanted prince in 'Beauty and the Beast.' The actor studied German at Cambridge University and appeared in German films such as 'Hilde' and 'I'm Your Man.'

Terence Hill

Terence Hill's father was Italian and his mother was German. The family lived near Dresden before moving to Italy. The actor changed his birth name from Mario Girotti to Terence Hill to find more success internationally, but he still speaks good German today.

Karl Urban

Karl-Heinz Urban, known for 'Lord of the Rings', 'Star Trek', and 'The Boys' was born as the son of a German man in New Zealand. His father spoke German to him and sent him to German lessons.

Michael Fassbender

The Irish actor was born in Heidelberg and has a German father. For his role as Lieutenant Archie Hicox in 'Inglourious Basterds,' he was able to use his knowledge of German.

Sarah Chalke

The 'Scrubs' actress has a German mother and spoke German in a few episodes of the series. Born in Canada, she also speaks English and French.

Christopher Lee

The late Christopher Lee was known for 'Lord of the Rings' and his role as Count Dooku in 'Star Wars: Episode 2'. Born in Britain, he learned fluent German during his school days. In the animated film 'The Last Unicorn' he dubbed in German himself.

Kim Cattrall

The 'Sex and the City' star was born in England and lived with her German husband in Frankfurt am Main in the 80s. Today she is a US citizen and rarely speaks German, which is why she has forgotten a lot about the language. Still, she probably knows more than most of us!

Mark Strong

His real name is actually Marco Giuseppe Salossia. He grew up in England as the son of an Italian father and an Austrian mother. Before he became an actor, he took German lessons at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University while studying law in Munich.

Chris Pratt

The American actor learned German at school. He still speaks German for interviews on the red carpet, which makes him very popular among German audiences.

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst's father was born in Germany and emigrated to the USA. Her mother is American of German-Swedish descent and she herself has been a German citizen since 2011. From an early age, Kirsten Dunst spoke German with her parents at home.

Leonardo DiCaprio

The Oscar winner, world star, and environmental activist is of German descent. His most direct German connection is through his mother, but his father also has German ancestors. As a child, Leonardo spoke a lot of German, mainly with his grandmother. Nowadays, he still understands a lot of it, but he rarely speaks German anymore.

Bud Spencer

Similar to Terence Hill, this actor changed his name to find international success. Born Carlo Pedersoli in Naples, the late actor studied German for four years when he was young. Even in his later days, Spencer understood German very well, even though he spoke very little. Maybe because of his connection with the language, his films were very popular in Germany.

Edgar Ramírez

This Venezuelan actor, a Golden Globe and Emmy nominee, participated in films such as 'Joy' (2015), 'Hands of Stone' (2016), 'The Girl on the Train' (2016), and the TV series 'American Crime Story' (2018). In addition to speaking Spanish, he is also fluent in English, French, Italian, and... German.

More for you