Stars whose first language was not English

English dominates much of Hollywood, pop music, international media, and global entertainment.

But many famous stars did not grow up speaking English as their first language.

Some learned it after moving to the United States. Some learned it for Hollywood roles. Some became fluent through school, music, television, or constant practice. Others still speak with strong accents and have proudly refused to treat that as a weakness.

Sofía Vergara

Sofía Vergara grew up in Colombia speaking Spanish before becoming one of the most successful Latina actresses on American television.

Her Colombian accent became part of her public image through Modern Family, but Vergara has also pushed back when people mock the way she speaks English. During an appearance on the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero, she responded sharply after the host joked about her pronunciation, pointing to her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations as proof of her success.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek was born and raised in Mexico, where Spanish was her first language.

When she moved to Los Angeles to pursue Hollywood, she had limited English and was also dealing with dyslexia. Hayek spoke almost no English when she arrived in Los Angeles at age 25.

She went on to become an Oscar-nominated actress, producer, and one of the most visible Mexican stars in global film.

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz was born in Madrid and began her career in Spanish-language films before moving into English-language cinema.

Britannica notes that Cruz’s first English-language role came in Talk of Angels in 1998, and she later continued acting in both English and Spanish productions. Her career proves that an actor can move between languages without losing the emotional power of their performances.

Ana de Armas

Ana de Armas was born in Cuba and built an early acting career in Spanish before moving into English-language roles.

During her Saturday Night Live monologue, de Armas said she learned English by watching Friends, joking that Chandler Bing was her English tutor. She arrived in the U.S. at 26 and used the sitcom to help learn the language.

She later earned an Oscar nomination for Blonde and became a major Hollywood name through films like Knives Out, No Time to Die, and Ballerina.

Eiza González

Eiza González grew up in Mexico and moved into English-language Hollywood after building a career in Spanish-language entertainment.

In a recent interview, González said she felt self-conscious when she first came to Hollywood because English was not her first language. She felt terrified during her first English-speaking role in Baby Driver.

Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas was already a major Spanish actor before becoming famous in Hollywood.

He grew up speaking Spanish and worked with Pedro Almodóvar before moving into English-language films such as The Mambo Kings, Philadelphia, Interview with the Vampire, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, and Puss in Boots.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem was born in Spain and built his early career in Spanish-language film.

He later became one of the most respected international actors working in English, winning an Academy Award for No Country for Old Men. Bardem has moved between Spanish and English roles throughout his career, often bringing a quiet intensity that does not depend on language alone.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up in Austria speaking German before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars.

His accent became one of the most recognizable voices in film, especially through The Terminator, Predator, Total Recall, and Kindergarten Cop. Schwarzenegger is a classic example of a public figure who built an English-language career after growing up in another language.

Instead of hiding his accent, Schwarzenegger turned it into part of his brand.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis was born in what is now Ukraine and grew up speaking Russian before moving to the United States as a child.

Her family moved to the U.S. in 1991, and Kunis later became fully fluent in English. She is one of the most surprising examples because many fans do not realize English was not her first language.

Kunis went on to become known for That ’70s Show, Black Swan, Family Guy, and several comedy films.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan grew up speaking Cantonese and became a major star in Hong Kong cinema before crossing into English-language movies.

His move into Hollywood was not just about language. It also required adjusting his comedy, timing, stunt work, and screen persona for a new audience. Films like Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon helped turn him into a global action-comedy icon.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron grew up in South Africa speaking Afrikaans before becoming an English-language Hollywood star.

Her career includes Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, The Italian Job, and Bombshell. Theron’s English became so natural on screen that many viewers do not realize it was not her first language.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz grew up in Austria and speaks German as a native language.

He became globally famous after English-language audiences discovered him through Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. His performance as Hans Landa used multiple languages as part of the character’s danger and intelligence.

Waltz later won another Oscar for Django Unchained, proving that multilingual actors can bring something rare to English-language cinema.

Marion Cotillard

Marion Cotillard grew up in France and became a major French actress before reaching global audiences.

She won an Academy Award for playing Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, then continued building an English-language career with films such as Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Allied, and Nine.

Cotillard’s career shows how actors can move between national cinema and Hollywood without losing their original artistic identity.

Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelsen grew up in Denmark and became famous in Danish cinema before moving into English-language roles.

International audiences know him from Casino Royale, Hannibal, Doctor Strange, Rogue One, and Fantastic Beasts. His calm delivery and distinctive voice have become part of his screen appeal.

Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot grew up in Israel speaking Hebrew before becoming famous internationally.

Her English-language breakthrough came through the Fast & Furious franchise, and she later became globally known as Wonder Woman. Gadot’s accent and background became part of her screen identity rather than something she had to erase.

Her career helped bring more international visibility to Israeli actors in Hollywood.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas grew up in India and built a major career in Hindi cinema before becoming a global star.

English was part of her education and public life, but her rise into American television and film still required crossing industries, accents, cultures, and audience expectations. Quantico made her one of the first South Asian actresses to lead a major American network drama.

Her career is a strong example of a multilingual celebrity moving from one entertainment industry into another.

Shakira

Shakira grew up in Colombia speaking Spanish and became a major Latin music star before breaking into the English-language market.

Her crossover album Laundry Service helped introduce her to a wider global audience. Shakira is an example of a celebrity who successfully moved into English-language entertainment after first becoming famous in Spanish. She later became one of the most recognizable multilingual pop stars in the world.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin grew up in Puerto Rico speaking Spanish and first became famous through Latin pop.

His English-language crossover exploded with “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” which helped bring Latin pop into the U.S. mainstream in the late 1990s. Like Shakira, Martin moved between Spanish and English audiences without leaving his Latin identity behind.

Rosalía

Rosalía grew up in Spain speaking Spanish and Catalan.

Vogue has described her as trilingual, fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan. Her music career is rooted in Spanish-language performance, but her global fame has required interviews, collaborations, and media work across languages.

BTS’s RM

RM, leader of BTS, grew up in South Korea speaking Korean and famously learned English through television.

RM told Ellen DeGeneres that he learned English by watching Friends, first with Korean subtitles, then English subtitles, and eventually without subtitles. His English skills helped BTS connect with international media and fans, but the group’s success still remained deeply rooted in Korean music and culture.

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico, raised in Kenya, and grew up in a multilingual environment.

She speaks English fluently, but her background includes Luo, Swahili, Spanish, and Kenyan cultural identity. Her global career includes 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther, Us, and stage work.

Jean Reno

Jean Reno was born in Morocco to Spanish parents and built his career mainly in French cinema before becoming known internationally.

His English-language work includes Mission: Impossible, Godzilla, and The Da Vinci Code, but many fans first knew him through French films like Léon: The Professional.

Diego Luna

Diego Luna grew up in Mexico speaking Spanish before becoming known to wider English-language audiences.

He moved from Mexican cinema into global projects like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor. Luna has often kept Spanish and Mexican identity close to his work, even while building a major English-language career.

His success shows how Hollywood has become more open to actors who bring their own language and culture with them.