Non-Hispanic celebrities who speak Spanish (almost) fluently
Did you know that in Hollywood there are quite a few non-Hispanic celebrities who speak Spanish (as well as some other languages)? The following stars may surprise you with their (fluent) Castellano!
An old video from the Hispanic-American show 'Al Punto,' in which Ben Affleck was interviewed about his childhood in Tijuana, recently did the rounds on social media. The actor impressed the interviewer and many others with his Spanish language skills. "He speaks better Spanish than Jennifer Lopez!" Twitter users joked.
Ben and his brother Casey lived in Mexico with their parents for some time. That's why they speak Spanish remarkably well, even though we know them as true Bostonians.
The Fresh Prince learned Spanish at school. The movie 'Seven Pounds' drove him to continue practicing it. We can find some of Will's interviews in Spanish on the web.
The protagonist of 'Aquaman' speaks Spanish very well. Not only can we see her interviewing in that language on several occasions, but she is certified in sign language as well.
He first learned Spanish during a trip to Mexico and then undertook a backpacking trip from Mexico to Guatemala. What definitely helps in keeping Matt Damon's Spanish up to par is the fact that his wife is Argentinian.
He spent 15 years perfecting his Spanish and loves to speak it to his fans when he tours Mexico. The Loki actor also speaks Greek and French.
Matthew lived very close to the Mexican border in Texas, so he had many Mexican friends. He connected with them by learning the language. The actor still speaks it fluently.
Ferrell started learning Spanish in high school and then continued with two semesters of the language in college. His skills helped him with his role as Armando in the bilingual movie 'Casa de Mi Padre' (2012).
Being married to a Spanish woman (Elsa Pataky) motivated the Australian hunk to learn the language. Now, at home, he can communicate in Spanish with his family.
When he met his current wife, the Argentinian Luisana Lopilato, he did not speak Spanish and she did not know any English. With the help of family, friends, and even Google translate, their relationship flourished against all odds, and now the singer is studying Spanish in order to talk to his wife and their three children. A true love story.
She learned to speak Spanish during the filming of her movie 'Hot Pursuit' with Sofia Vergara. She speaks it quite fluently and is even able to do complete interviews in Spanish.
The American actress learned to speak Spanish in high school and also loves Spanish cuisine.
The actress and 'Goop'-entrepreneur learned Spanish when she lived in Spain as a teenager. She speaks the language fluently and is able to give interviews in Spanish. Curiously, Paltrow also speaks Spanish at home to her daughters so they can learn the language.
The 'Grey's Anatomy' actress is fluent in Spanish and also speaks French and Korean.
In some interviews, we can hear the actor speak Spanish fluently. He says he studied it for six years in high school.
She was born in Mexico but did not return there until she was a teenager. That's why Lupita Nyong'o speaks Spanish very well.
The Good Doctor doesn't have a degree in medicine but he actually studied Spanish and Arabic philology! He got his degree from Cambridge University and still speaks Spanish fluently. Other languages this brainiac masters are Arabic, Portuguese, and French.
Another very smart Hollywood star, Natalie Portman studied psychology at Harvard University and is also a lover of languages. Apart from Spanish, she also speaks Hebrew, German, Japanese, French, and English.
Jack Black knew some Spanish before he started working on the movie 'Nacho Libre' (2006), but during the shoot of this bilingual film he really got a near-perfect Mexican accent. Black's favorite word is 'miércoles.'
Image: 'School of Rock,' Scott Rudin Productions
This Danish-American actor learned Spanish as a child because he lived in Argentina for a number of years. Obviously, his Spanish has the well-known Argentinian accent. Apart from that, Mortensen also speaks Danish, French, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish. On occasion, he has spoken in public in Arabic and Catalan.
She's not among us anymore, but Audrey Hepburn must be mentioned because she was a famous Hollywood polyglot. The actress spoke English and Dutch fluently, as well as Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Her language skills opened doors for her to work all over the world - for example in France, Spain, and Mexico.
Image: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' Paramount Pictures