Top 10 Times Celebs Did Interviews in French

The German-born actress initially had her heart set on a ballet career. But an injury ended up getting in the way, and she relocated to Paris, where she eventually made a name for herself in French films in addition to modeling. In an interview, Kruger shared that learning the language helped her career thrive as it opened up a whole new avenue for her. Of course, having a fruitful career in French cinema means that the actress appears frequently in the French interview circuit. Even her French accent while speaking English is impressive! Yeah, we'd probably have let her off with a warning, too.

#9: Emma Thompson

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If someone asked you to recall your high school French, would you sound like this? We bet a fair share of you would say no. The multi-award-winning actress studied French Advanced Level exams in high school before ultimately pursuing English in university. But when you hear her speak in interviews, you’d think barely a day had gone by since she stepped out of that exam room. The actress seems perfectly comfortable discussing an array of subjects and easily holds her own in conversations. Sure, she occasionally needs a little assistance, but that’s how you learn! Just as we thought we couldn’t be more in awe of her, she reveals yet another talent.

#8: Tom Hiddleston

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This linguaphile never shies away from an opportunity to show off his language skills and connect with fans around the globe. While promoting various movies and TV shows, the actor has demonstrated his Marvel-ous French skills in numerous interviews. He’s clearly at ease in the language and can talk about everything from his work to his interests. However, he also seems to use these opportunities to brush up on his French, never shying away from asking for help when he gets stuck on a word. He also effortlessly transitions between the two languages to ensure his message is clear. There’s nothing Lo-ki about how much we love listening to him speak French.

#7: Elton John

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We don’t know where this globally acclaimed musician learned his French, but it’s pas mal, don’t you think? In this interview, he’s easily able to talk about his career and shows, as well as discuss his favorite numbers. No one’s going to mistake him for a French national anytime soon, but we’d give him an A+ for effort, and even if there’s the odd error, we can fully understand what he’s saying. Plus, he simply switches back to English whenever he finds himself stuck. Overall, we’d have to say that he’s pretty good, and no doubt moments like these bring a lot of delight to his French-speaking fans.

In an interview with Fader magazine, the tennis superstar listed two reasons she decided to learn French. One is that the language is widely spoken across Africa, and the second was so that she could converse in the language at the French Open after wins. Indeed, Williams has given on-court interviews in French at the renowned tennis tournament across numerous years, something we all love to see. While she reportedly called the language switch “nerve-racking,” she seems as comfortable in French as she does on the court. Much like her game, her language skills are a Serena Slam. She also got to fulfill her French Open dreams.

Gordon-Levitt is a Francophile. He took his appreciation for the country and culture to the next level by learning the language and studying French poetry at Columbia University. Perhaps you heard his skills in the 2015 film, “The Walk,” where he plays high-wire artist Philippe Petit. Or maybe you’ve tuned into one of the interviews where he confidently answers questions on a number of topics in French. His language level is reasonably high, and he has almost no trouble holding conversations. For someone who seemingly decided to study the language purely out of personal interest, he’s really good! We are, comment dire… very impressed!?

Perhaps one of Hollywood’s most skillful polyglots, there seems to be no language Mortensen can’t nail. We can’t definitively say from where he learned his French, but it could be because his multilingual family moved around a lot or simply because he had an affinity for learning languages. In interviews, even if you don’t understand what he’s saying, you can tell that he takes the time to consider his words so that he can relate to anyone tuning in. He clearly has a broad vocabulary, and his accent is impeccable, too. Think that’s impressive? He also learned to adapt his French with an Algerian dialect for his movie “Far from Men.”

This star of old Hollywood was talented, charming, and graceful— traits that she radiated in a number of languages, including, you guessed it, French. The late actress was born in Belgium, where we imagine she picked up the language as a child. She practically spoke like a native, showing off her vast vocabulary and basically perfect accent. She was no stranger to the French interview circuit and undoubtedly delighted many fans by sharing her charm and elegance in their language. Whether you’re a born French speaker or would struggle to translate “bonjour,” you can’t deny how romantic Hepburn’s French sounds. She practically epitomizes why it’s often considered the language of love.

If you already swoon at the mere sight of Bradley Cooper, just wait until you hear him speak French. Didn’t know he could do that? You’re not alone. He arguably tends to be quite coy about his language skills, but he will occasionally whip his French out for an interview. Unlike many of us who couldn’t wait until the days when “où est la bibliothèque” were behind us, his school days seemingly ignited his love of the language. He minored in French at Georgetown and spent some time in Aix-en-Provence as part of an exchange program. As if he didn’t have enough talent to flaunt, now we melt hearing him speak French too?! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Elle Macpherson The Model & Businesswoman Apparently Learned French While in a Relationship with Arpad Busson Hugh Grant We Imagine Grant’s Impressive Grip on the Language Made His Schoolteacher Mom Very Proud Timothée Chalamet This American-French Citizen Would Spend Summers with His Grandparents in France Emma Watson The Actress Lived in France Until the Age of 5 & Can Still Speak the Language – Listen for Yourselves! Marlon Brando He Apparently Learned the Language While with Actress Tarita Teriipaia

As a child, Foster studied at the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, which explains her fluency. This certainly helped her career, as she was able to act in French movies and dub herself in translated versions of her English-spoken films. Of course, this means there are countless examples of her giving interviews in perfect French. Even a Native speaker or the world’s greatest Francophile might have to nitpick the most minute details to find any issues with her language. If only we’d paid more attention in French class, maybe we’d have Foster’s career today. Okay, maybe not, but we can still appreciate that her French is très magnifique! Which celeb were you most surprised to learn speaks French? You don’t have to flex your Français, but let us know in the comments.