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Acting is the art of portraying something you’re not, at least most of the time. While that often means the character’s profession or family history, it can also translate to nationality, something most audiences overlook when enjoying their films.
And it makes sense that they overlook it, particularly on the Hollywood scene, since most actors that appear on screen are American. But you’d be surprised at how many of them are from (or were raised in) different countries with their own accents, making these performers even more outstanding when you think about it.
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Tom Holland
Despite becoming closely associated with Spider-Man and other American characters, Tom Holland is actually English. His natural American accent in the Marvel films surprised many viewers who first discovered him through the MCU.
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Christian Bale
Christian Bale has played Americans so convincingly for decades that many audiences forget he was born in Wales and raised partly in England. His performances in films like American Psycho and The Dark Knight helped hide his real accent completely.
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Hugh Laurie
Before House, many American viewers had no idea Hugh Laurie was British. His convincing accent as Dr. Gregory House impressed producers so much that director Bryan Singer reportedly assumed Laurie was actually American during auditions.
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Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield was born in Los Angeles but raised in England, and most audiences primarily identify him as British. His American performances in films like The Social Network and The Amazing Spider-Man rarely reveal his natural accent.
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Idris Elba
Idris Elba’s roles in The Wire and other American productions fooled countless viewers into believing he was American. His Baltimore accent as Stringer Bell became especially praised for sounding authentic throughout the acclaimed HBO series.
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Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie’s performances in The Wolf of Wall Street and Barbie helped many viewers overlook that she is Australian. Her ability to shift accents easily became one of the reasons Hollywood embraced her so quickly.
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Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is strongly associated with Superman, one of America’s most iconic fictional heroes, but the actor himself is English. His polished American accent in multiple action roles often surprises audiences hearing his real voice for the first time.
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Millie Bobby Brown
Because of Stranger Things, many viewers assumed Millie Bobby Brown was American for years. In reality, the actress was born in Spain and raised partly in England before adopting an American accent for her breakout Netflix role.
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Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam’s role as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy convinced many viewers he was American. The English actor spent years maintaining a rugged California biker accent that became closely tied to the series’ identity.
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Damian Lewis
Damian Lewis became famous in America through Band of Brothers, Homeland, and Billions, often playing distinctly American characters. His natural English accent still catches some longtime fans off guard during interviews.
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Matthew Rhys
Welsh actor Matthew Rhys became widely recognized for playing an undercover Soviet spy posing as an American in The Americans. Ironically, many viewers were shocked to learn Rhys himself was not American either.
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Melanie Lynskey
Melanie Lynskey frequently plays American characters in both television and film, especially in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us. Her real New Zealand accent is much softer and very different from her onscreen performances.
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Freddie Highmore
Freddie Highmore spent years starring in The Good Doctor using a convincing American accent, leading many viewers to assume he was from the United States. In reality, the actor was born and raised in London.
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Rose McIver
New Zealand actress Rose McIver built much of her television career playing Americans in shows like iZombie and Ghosts. Her natural accent surprises viewers who only know her from American network television.
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Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya’s breakout role in Get Out featured such a natural American accent that many audiences were stunned hearing his London voice during interviews and awards speeches afterward.
The post 15 Actors You Didn’t Know Weren’t American appeared first on Den of Geek.
