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Native English speakers in non-English roles.

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  • 27-11-2014 11:44pm
    #1
    MakeEmLaugh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,356 ✭✭✭


    There are many examples of non-native English speakers succeeding in English-speaking roles. However, what are some examples of native English speakers acting in another language?

    Some examples, off the top of my head.

    Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II (speaking Sicilian-Italian).

    Kevin Bacon in X Men: First Class (I don't speak German, though I've heard Bacon's German isn't very good).

    Kristin Scott Thomas in many films, such as Tell No One (speaking French).

    Other examples?


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    #2
    vidor
    Registered Users Posts: 677 ✭✭✭vidor


    Jodie Foster goes all French on us in the underappreciated A Very Long Engagement.


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    #3
    Footoo
    Registered Users Posts: 392 ✭✭Footoo


    Tilda Swinton speaking Italian in "I Am Love". One of the best looking films I've ever seen.


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    #4
    Dozen Wicked Words
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,325 ✭✭✭✭Dozen Wicked Words


    Viggo Mortensen speaks Spanish, think he did a South American film in Spanish.


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    #5
    Calibos
    Registered Users Posts: 7,806 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Tangent: Arnold Schwarzenegger does not dub his own voice in movies for Germany. Apparently for a lot of Germans, his regional Austrian accent when speaking German would be akin to us, to the star of a hollywood blockbuster speaking like the Healy Rae's from Kerry. ie. Its just not right and thus another German voice actor dubs Arnies movies for the german market. :D Think how off putting Alexander was with all the Irish accents.


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    #6
    Mizu_Ger
    Registered Users Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭Mizu_Ger


    Will Ferrell did it in "Casa de mi Padre"


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    #7
    positron
    Registered Users Posts: 6,303 ✭✭✭positron


    There are dozens of native English speakers (from UK, USA etc) acting in Indian (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu etc) movies, and some doing very well too. For example:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Jackson
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrina_Kaif


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    #8
    Yakuza
    Registered Users Posts: 5,141 ✭✭✭Yakuza


    Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »
    Viggo Mortensen speaks Spanish, think he did a South American film in Spanish.

    Mortensen spent a good chunk of his childhood in South America so grew up learning it. He speaks English, Danish and Spanish fairly fluently.


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    #9
    MakeEmLaugh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,356 ✭✭✭MakeEmLaugh


    Another example I forgot to mention in my OP was Jane Fonda in Jean Luc Godard's Tout Va Bien. Fonda speaks French fluently - in fact, I believe she dubbed all her lines of dialogue for the French version of Barbarella.


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    #10
    Paco Rodriguez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 701 ✭✭✭Paco Rodriguez


    Jude Law and Rachel Weisz in Enemy at the Gates. D'oh!


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    #11
    quickbeam
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    vidor wrote: »
    Jodie Foster goes all French on us in the underappreciated A Very Long Engagement.

    Fab film!


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    #12
    enfant terrible
    Registered Users Posts: 4,562 ✭✭✭enfant terrible


    vidor wrote: »
    Jodie Foster goes all French on us in the underappreciated A Very Long Engagement.

    Yes Jodie Foster could pass as a native French speaker

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPc-5SbiReo


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    #13
    MakeEmLaugh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,356 ✭✭✭MakeEmLaugh


    OK, I'm trying to come up with at least 10 native English-speakers in non-English speaking roles (it's for a blog post). It's surprisingly difficult, especially if you include the likes of the German-born Michael Fassbender and Israeli-born Natalie Portman.

    Here's the best I can do (and I've had to REALLY stretch).

    1. Robert De Niro - The Godfather Part II
    2. Jim Caviezel - The Passion of the Christ
    3. Kristin Scott Thomas - Tell No One
    4. Johnny Depp - Happily Ever After
    5. Casey Affleck - Ocean's Thirteen
    6. Tilda Swinton - I Am Love
    7. Will Ferrell - Casa De Mi Padre
    8. Jodie Foster - A Very Long Engagement
    9. Jane Fonda - All Together.
    10. ??????????????????

    Can anyone else make suggestions to even it out to 10?


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