Celebrities Who Speak Multiple Languages: When Multilingualism Becomes a Superpower

Speaking more than one language is about far more than just chatting with someone from another country. It can open doors to new careers, cross-cultural relationships, and unexpected opportunities. For some Hollywood stars, English isn’t even their first language — and mastering a second (or third!) language has played a key role in launching their careers.

Here are some multilingual celebrities who prove that language skills can be both practical and powerful:

Natalie Portman

A true polyglot, Natalie Portman speaks not only English but also Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish, German, and French. Her linguistic range matches her intellectual curiosity — she holds a degree from Harvard, after all.

Sandra Bullock

Raised in a bilingual household, Bullock is fluent in both English and German. She spent 12 years in Nuremberg, Germany, where her father worked with the U.S. Army's postal service in Europe.

Christoph Waltz

Born and raised in Germany, Waltz is fluent in German, English, and French — all of which he showcased in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, switching seamlessly between languages onscreen.

Mila Kunis

English is Mila Kunis’s second language. Born in Ukraine, she moved to the U.S. at age 7 and grew up speaking Russian at home. She still proudly speaks it today.

Mark Zuckerberg

The Facebook founder surprised many by learning Mandarin Chinese. He often gives presentations in impressively fluent Mandarin, winning admiration from Chinese audiences with his tone, grammar, and vocabulary.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Raised by a German mother and Italian-German father, DiCaprio grew up speaking German at home and spent part of his childhood in Germany with his grandparents. He also speaks fluent Italian.

Will Smith

Smith has shown off his Spanish skills in various interviews with Spanish-language media — and his confidence and fluency never go unnoticed.

Johnny Depp

While living between New York and Paris with his former partner, French actress Vanessa Paradis, Depp picked up French and now speaks it fluently, regularly appearing in French media without the need for a translator.

Matt Damon

As a teen, Damon studied Spanish in Mexico through exchange programs. He later honed his skills backpacking through Guatemala and Mexico.

Gwyneth Paltrow

After spending a month with a host family in Spain at 15, Paltrow fell in love with the Spanish language and culture. She still visits Spain regularly and is raising her children to speak Spanish as well.

Inspiring, isn’t it? So — which language will you start learning today?