Redditors recently got together on r/movies, the largest film subreddit, to discuss which actors are truly international: they speak and act successfully in multiple languages. Performing well in one language is hard enough, but doing it in two, three, or even four languages is a major accomplishment.
All of their picks are terrific actors with formidable filmographies, including some great foreign-language films that may have flown under the radar. Be prepared, though: you may need subtitles.
10 Tony Dalton
User Marcel_700 mentioned Tony Dalton in the post that kicked off the thread, saying he “worked on the Mexican telenovela Rebelde and then did work in English with Better Call Saul.” Dalton is fluent in English and Spanish and seamlessly switches between the two, most notably as the villainous Lalo Salamanca in Better Call Saul.
He’s acted in many Spanish films and shows, while his most prominent work in English includes Hawkeye and Sense8. Dalton’s ability to navigate multiple languages and cultures has made him a sought-after actor in Latin America and the United States, with more major roles on the horizon.
9 Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster is one of the most acclaimed performers of her generation, winning Oscars for her roles in The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs. She’s known for her nuanced, believable performances, usually playing complex characters. However, what’s less well-known is that she’s a bilingual performer who also acts in French.
Foster is fluent in the language, having attended a French-language school as a child, and generally dubs herself in French versions of her movies. “Jodie Foster has some French movies. Her French is really good,” said Redditor TennisKitty.
8 Irrfan Khan
Indian actor Irrfan Khan was a titan of Hollywood and Bollywood, fluent in English and Hindi. He became a household name in India with the critically acclaimed film Maqbool before pivoting to Hollywood. He had particularly memorable roles in movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Jurassic World.
“[He] worked in many American and British productions. He was in Godzilla, Life of Pi, and other big Hollywood productions, but did plenty of Indian films that won awards: The Lunchbox, Billu Barber, Salaam Bombay….” said user streddpessiter.
7 Viggo Mortensen
“Viggo Mortensen speaks Spanish and Danish and has done Spanish language films,” Redditor Juliet_Morin pointed out. This is a result of Mortensen’s childhood years spent in Argentina and Denmark. He’s even suggested that he’s more comfortable speaking Spanish than English, saying that the language “can get to the heart of the matter better.”
In addition to starring in several iconic English-language movies like Lord of the Rings, Mortensen also appeared in Spanish-language films like Alatriste, Everybody Has a Plan, and Jauja, the latter of which also includes some French and Danish.
6 Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German actress who became a major Hollywood star in the 1930s and ’40s, collaborating with some of that era’s foremost directors like Billy Wilder, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock. She was fluent in German, English, and French and acted in all three languages.
Redditor makanimike said that Dietrich’s transition to English-language cinema was a consequence of “the brain drain from Nazi Germany” in the 1930s. A lot of her movies have aged well and are still worth checking out.
5 Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz was user DukePilgrim’s pick for the most multilingual actor. “Austrian guy, played in German movies and ends up in Hollywood. He does his own German dub for all of his movies and speaks fluent German, English, and French, plus a bit of Italian. This was the reason why they picked him for Inglourious Basterds,” they said.
Indeed, Waltz’s language skills have been instrumental in his career, allowing him to play characters from a variety of backgrounds. More than that, he remains convincing no matter what language he’s acting in. In addition to his Oscar-winning collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, Waltz appeared in big English-language films such as Spectre and Alita: Battle Angel, not to mention a litany of German productions.
4 Mads Mikkelsen
Mad Mikkelsen may be most well-known to American audiences for his roles as villains in several Hollywood films, but in his native Denmark, he’s famous as a leading man. His best Danish films include The Hunt, Another Round, and Riders of Justice. In an interview, he said he speaks Danish and English, as well as some French, German, and even a little Russian.
“Mads Mikkelsen is typecast a lot in Hollywood but is a GOD of Danish Cinema (the most underrated country in the world as far as filmmaking),” said user TempestaElImpeto. “Agreed, Danish cinema punches FAR above its weight considering the small size of the country. So many good films,” added Redditor Heiminator.
3 Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz has appeared in many successful English and Spanish films. In terms of Hollywood, she starred in hits like Vanilla Sky, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and Pirates of the Caribbean. On the Spanish side, she appeared in critical in darlings Volver, Parallel Mothers, and many more.
“Multiple people have mentioned Penélope Cruz, but she has actually starred in English, Spanish and Italian movies. So [three] different languages,” said user Lang-Poot. Not to mention, she speaks French too.
2 Tang Wei
Chinese actress Tang Wei first came to international attention with her performance in Ang Lee‘s Lust, Caution. Despite being banned for some time by the Chinese government, she went on to feature in other successful projects like A Long Day’s Journey into Night and, most recently, Park Chan-wook‘s Decision to Leave.
Redditor f_Mia listed all the different languages and dialects Tang speaks in her films. “Lust, Caution: Mandarin/Shanghainese/Cantonese/English. Late Autumn: English. Long Day’s Journey Into Night: Guizhou dialect/Mandarin. Decision To Leave: Korean/Mandarin,” they said.
1 Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow was arguably the most accomplished Swedish actor of all time. He began his career in the 1940s and gained international recognition for his role in Ingmar Bergman‘s The Seventh Seal. He continued to collaborate with Bergman across many projects, and also found success in Hollywood, acting in The Exorcist, Flash Gordon, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to name just a few. A true polyglot, he spoke Swedish, Danish, English Italian, and French.
He appeared in over 150 movies. No matter the language or the scale of the production, von Sydow brought energy and charisma to every role. “One of my favorite actors, said user mrsmicky. “I discovered him first when I was in high school (in the U.S.) way back, on very late night TV starring in Bergman films.”
