VIDEO: Do you know which stars speak fluent French?
We take a look at some of the videos of celebrities speaking French - and see who really is fluent (and who might be just reading off a cue card).
Carrie Fisher
The late Carrie Fisher spoke impressive French indeed with a fantastic accent. Here's a 1977 clip of her talking about Star Wars. We give her a 9/10, only losing a point for throwing in the occasional English word.
Tom Hiddleston
British actor and heartthrob Tom Hiddleston caused quite the stir when he slipped into French while talking about his character of Loki, from the 2013 Thor movie.
He only had to ask for help with one word - and his accent was impressive. So, although a little refresher on his vocabulary might not go amiss, we give Hiddleston a 8/10.
Johnny Depp
Although Johnny Depp didn’t ever get around to marrying his French ex Vanessa Paradis, it seems that he did manage to pick up some language lessons from her along the way (perhaps around the pool of their multi-million euro pad on the French Riviera).
Here he showcases his talents to a French audience in 2016 - it's not very fluent but we will give him 5/10 for effort.
Fast forward to 2023, and Depp is starring in the French movie - Jeanne du Barry - playing a French king, although his dialogue is reportedly kept short and snappy to hide his accent.
Jodie Foster
One of the best French speakers on the list, Jodie Foster is so fluent that she has starred in a number of French films and also dubs her own films for French audiences.
To be fair, however, she has been speaking the language for a long time, she went to a French-language prep school. Still, she's a standout star pupil - 10/10.
Bradley Cooper
Cooper tells his interviewers here that he learned French because he loves the language. And we're impressed. Sure, he did spend six months living with a family in southern France's Aix-en-Provence while he was at college, so he does have some good first-hand experience. And he certainly managed to retain charm his interviewers at this radio station; enough to receive a dinner invitation anyway.
As impressed as we are, we can only give him a 9/10 - his comprehension saw him one step behind a few times.
Diane Kruger
The German goddess that is Diane Kruger is known for her roles in both French and English films, neither of which are her native language. Indeed, she moved to Paris as a youngster to learn French (and start modelling).
Her five-year marriage to Frenchman Guillaume Canet must have given her a helping hand in mastering the accent so well, because to our ear, it sounds like her French is perfect. 10/10.
Gwyneth Paltrow
No need to be so modest Gwyneth. Not only does she speak fluent Spanish, it turns out she also is very good at French, too. While she isn't as quick as Kruger or Foster, she certainly knows what she is doing. 9/10.
Kristin Scott-Thomas
Having lived in Paris since she was 19, British actress Dame Kristin Scott-Thomas sometimes even considers herself more French than English, and could you blame her with that wonderful accent? Truly, elegante. 10/10
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Even the interviewer compliments Gordon-Levitt’s French in this interview, admitting that he is ‘very impressed’. It might not be perfect, but to hold almost an entire interview in French is impressive work.
A solid 8/10. If he spent two months in the French countryside, we'd see a 10/10 for sure.
Jonny Wilkinson
A man of many talents, rugby star Wilkinson has lived in France since 2009 since signing for French club Toulon (where his impressing performances led to him being nicknamed 'Sir Jonny' by French fans).
In this video from his playing days, there is certainly no mistaking his British accent, but that probably makes him all the more charming for a francophone audience. We give him 7.5/10 for this, but his language skills have reportedly improved since, with him giving several presentations entirely in French on the subject of environmental tech and nutrition.
Kylie Minogue
Australia's favourite ‘pint-sized princess’ has previously described her abilities as ‘Emergency French’ although her performance in this lengthy film scene is quite impressive. Still, it's scripted (and when she gets interviewed on French TV, she prefers to answer in English). 6/10.
Maybe she didn't learn much vocab from her previous beau, French actor Olivier Martinez.
Audrey Hepburn
Actress, fashion icon and humanitarian figure; just when we thought the charming Audrey Hepburn couldn't get any more perfect, we find out that she spoke not one, not two, not even three... but five languages. And yes, French was one of them. She was born in Belgium, of course, which surely had a lot to do with it. 10/10
Tony Blair
People may have disagreed with him on a number of things, but there is certainly no faulting his efforts in French. In this clip, he is able to discuss complicated topics in presque parfait French. Mastering a language at this level means an automatic 10/10.
As a side note, Blair's former communications chief Alistair Campbell speaks fluent French and for a brief period worked for François Hollande, advising him on election strategy.
Queen Elizabeth II
And finally, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who spoke good French - enough to chat with former France President Francois Hollande, anyway.
When she died, French president Emmanuel Macron described her as a "friend of France" in his heartfelt tribute to her.
10/10.
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Carrie Fisher
The late Carrie Fisher spoke impressive French indeed with a fantastic accent. Here's a 1977 clip of her talking about Star Wars. We give her a 9/10, only losing a point for throwing in the occasional English word.
Tom Hiddleston
British actor and heartthrob Tom Hiddleston caused quite the stir when he slipped into French while talking about his character of Loki, from the 2013 Thor movie.
He only had to ask for help with one word - and his accent was impressive. So, although a little refresher on his vocabulary might not go amiss, we give Hiddleston a 8/10.
Johnny Depp
Although Johnny Depp didn’t ever get around to marrying his French ex Vanessa Paradis, it seems that he did manage to pick up some language lessons from her along the way (perhaps around the pool of their multi-million euro pad on the French Riviera).
Here he showcases his talents to a French audience in 2016 - it's not very fluent but we will give him 5/10 for effort.
Fast forward to 2023, and Depp is starring in the French movie - Jeanne du Barry - playing a French king, although his dialogue is reportedly kept short and snappy to hide his accent.
Jodie Foster
One of the best French speakers on the list, Jodie Foster is so fluent that she has starred in a number of French films and also dubs her own films for French audiences.
To be fair, however, she has been speaking the language for a long time, she went to a French-language prep school. Still, she's a standout star pupil - 10/10.
Bradley Cooper
Cooper tells his interviewers here that he learned French because he loves the language. And we're impressed. Sure, he did spend six months living with a family in southern France's Aix-en-Provence while he was at college, so he does have some good first-hand experience. And he certainly managed to retain charm his interviewers at this radio station; enough to receive a dinner invitation anyway.
As impressed as we are, we can only give him a 9/10 - his comprehension saw him one step behind a few times.
Diane Kruger
The German goddess that is Diane Kruger is known for her roles in both French and English films, neither of which are her native language. Indeed, she moved to Paris as a youngster to learn French (and start modelling).
Her five-year marriage to Frenchman Guillaume Canet must have given her a helping hand in mastering the accent so well, because to our ear, it sounds like her French is perfect. 10/10.
Gwyneth Paltrow
No need to be so modest Gwyneth. Not only does she speak fluent Spanish, it turns out she also is very good at French, too. While she isn't as quick as Kruger or Foster, she certainly knows what she is doing. 9/10.
Kristin Scott-Thomas
Having lived in Paris since she was 19, British actress Dame Kristin Scott-Thomas sometimes even considers herself more French than English, and could you blame her with that wonderful accent? Truly, elegante. 10/10
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Even the interviewer compliments Gordon-Levitt’s French in this interview, admitting that he is ‘very impressed’. It might not be perfect, but to hold almost an entire interview in French is impressive work.
A solid 8/10. If he spent two months in the French countryside, we'd see a 10/10 for sure.
Jonny Wilkinson
A man of many talents, rugby star Wilkinson has lived in France since 2009 since signing for French club Toulon (where his impressing performances led to him being nicknamed 'Sir Jonny' by French fans).
In this video from his playing days, there is certainly no mistaking his British accent, but that probably makes him all the more charming for a francophone audience. We give him 7.5/10 for this, but his language skills have reportedly improved since, with him giving several presentations entirely in French on the subject of environmental tech and nutrition.
Kylie Minogue
Australia's favourite ‘pint-sized princess’ has previously described her abilities as ‘Emergency French’ although her performance in this lengthy film scene is quite impressive. Still, it's scripted (and when she gets interviewed on French TV, she prefers to answer in English). 6/10.
Maybe she didn't learn much vocab from her previous beau, French actor Olivier Martinez.
Audrey Hepburn
Actress, fashion icon and humanitarian figure; just when we thought the charming Audrey Hepburn couldn't get any more perfect, we find out that she spoke not one, not two, not even three... but five languages. And yes, French was one of them. She was born in Belgium, of course, which surely had a lot to do with it. 10/10
Tony Blair
People may have disagreed with him on a number of things, but there is certainly no faulting his efforts in French. In this clip, he is able to discuss complicated topics in presque parfait French. Mastering a language at this level means an automatic 10/10.
As a side note, Blair's former communications chief Alistair Campbell speaks fluent French and for a brief period worked for François Hollande, advising him on election strategy.
Queen Elizabeth II
And finally, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who spoke good French - enough to chat with former France President Francois Hollande, anyway.
When she died, French president Emmanuel Macron described her as a "friend of France" in his heartfelt tribute to her.
10/10.
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