28 Actors Who Are So Good With Their Accents You’d Think They're American, But They Aren't (2024)

by Maryjane

With the world's population developing more consistently than ever, it's no big surprise that a significant number of our top stars come from different countries. Every once in a while back then, a subtly Canadian entertainer like Michael J. Fox or Anna Paquin would appear on a television show and no one would notice.

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However, nowadays there are so many popular actors who aren't American that people feel they are actually American citizens. And we feel like we ought to tell our audience who’s actually who in this game of fame.

These big names all come from different places, and they arrive in America for various reasons. Some of them emigrated with their folks, while others didn't appear on our shores until very much into their chosen career.

Whatever it was that brought them here, the one thing that they all share, practically speaking, is that we love watching their performances. Maybe the most astounding veil a non-American performer can wear is one that incorporates professing to be an American.

Surprisingly, these actors and actresses tend to conceal their natural accents so they can get parts. Well, individuals from the BuzzFeed Community have been asked to mention actors who they were astounded to find out really weren't American, and they delivered.

We’ve assembled some of their responses for your enlightenment, so keep scrolling and enjoy.

1. Daniel Kaluuya is actually from London

"I knew him fromSkins, but his performance and American accent were so good in everything else, I totally forgot he was English."

—niallh459ac7a2b

2. Margot Robbie is actually from Dalby, Queensland, Australia

"I’m so used to her American accent that whenever I hear her real Australian accent, it feels fake. It's almost like it’s dubbed or something. It’s actually a bit of a mind f**k."

—Mama0415

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3. Alan Cumming is actually from Aberfeldy, Scotland

"He has a verrrrrry believable American accent."

—adityaaswaminathan

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4. Daniel Ezra is actually from Birmingham, England

"He plays a teenager who grew up in LA, but he's actually British. I was shocked the first time I heard him speak in real life."

—stephaniem41f4d4b63

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5. Tom Holland is actually from Kingston upon Thames, England

"I was completely convinced he was American until I started watching some interviews. I was absolutely blown away by the fact that his accent was fake! I saw a video once where he spent the whole time switching back and forth between his regular British accent and his American accent, and it was wild to see how easy it is for him to turn it on and off."

—julescayer

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6. Andrew Lincoln is actually from London

"I had no idea he was British until he went onTalking Deadand spoke with Chris Hardwick."

—yankee1982001

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7. Alfred Enoch is actually from Westminster, London

"He has the most spot-on American accent. It's spotless."

—pengbee1227

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8. Henry Cavill is actually from St. Helier, Jersey, British Isles

"I had no clue he was British for the longest time. I even had to double-check before posting this because I wasstillsecond-guessing myself."

—ashmed812

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9. Robert Pattinson is actually from London

"Even though my first introduction to him was as Cedric Diggory inHarry Potter, I always forget he’s actually British. Whenever he speaks in his actual accent in any other movie, it just sounds so strange!"

—amandathorne

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10. Antony Starr is actually from Auckland, New Zealand

"His character is a spoof of Marvel's golden boy Captain America, and he's supposed to represent the USA, so I always forget the actor is actually from New Zealand. He nails the American accent!"

—hiitsnicetomeetyou

11. Robert Sheehan is actually from Port Laoise, Ireland

"I just binge-watchedThe Umbrella Academy, then decided to watch some of his other works and found out that he's actually Irish. His American accent is so good, I never would've guessed!"

—marie-francel

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12. Idris Elba is actually from Hackney, London

"Idris Elba's Baltimore accent is so incredibly good. I watched the entirety ofThe Wirebefore I ever knew he was British!"

—keziahunter45

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13. Charlie Cox is actually from East Sussex, England

"His American accent is especially impressive when he also has to focus on challenging fight scenes."

—ams2308

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14. Hugh Dancy is actually from Stoke-on-Trent, England

"Hugh Dancy does a great job of totally masking his British accent. How he does this whilst acting so incredibly is a mystery to the common man."

—functional_fangirl

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15. Danielle Macdonald is actually from Sydney

"When I watched her inDumplin', there was literally no doubt in my mind that she was from the South — or at least from America. But guess what? I was bamboozled! The girl is AUSTRALIAN!!! I would've never guessed that in a million years. That perfect Southern accent literally had us all fooled. Someone get this woman an award."

—manappatel

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16. Charlie Hunnam is actually from Newcastle upon Tyne, England

"I was shocked when I heard his actual voice for the first time."

—meganh46c43f7c6

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17. Dominique Provost-Chalkley is actually from Bristol, England

"Her whole performance as Waverly onWynonna Earpis brilliant, but the American accent genuinely fooled me. There was one episode where her character faked a British accent, and I was stunned when I found out that that was actually her real voice."

—human_being1757

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18. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is actually from Oxford, England

"I didn't find out she was actually English for the longest time."

—daynam4b6e28fa3

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19. Hugh Jackman is actually from Sydney

"I didn’t know Hugh Jackman was Australian until much more recently than I would like to admit. I grew up watching theX-Menseries and later sawThe Greatest Showman, and it never even occurred to me that he wasn’t American! Not evenLes Miserablesgave it away!"

—eivor1612

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20. Dan Stevens is actually from Croydon, London

"He slips so easily into a flawless American accent."

—meganh46c43f7c6

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21. Toni Collette is actually from Sydney

"I've never seen any of her Australian roles, and didn't realize she wasn't American until I saw it in a BuzzFeed article. She's done so many projects with an American accent, and she sounds so natural in all of them."

—danae9

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22. Cynthia Erivo is actually from Stockwell, London

"I saw her inThe Color Purpleon Broadway, and she was so fantastic. Then I did a deep dive and watched a few interviews with her, and I was so surprised to learn she's English."

—Spencer Althouse

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23. Dominic Purcell is actually born in Wallasey, Merseyside, England, but moved to Bondi, New South Wales, Australia

"He has a very convincing accent in bothPrison Breakand the Arrowverse. Listening to him speak in interviews is like listening to a completely different man."

—a487fb74c2

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24. Millie Bobby Brown is actually born in Marbella, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, but moved to Bournemouth, Dorset, England

"I knew at one point that she wasn’t American but then totally forgot about it. I just recently watched a video with her in it, and when she spoke, I was so confused! Props to her and her awesome American accent!"

—lennahm82

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25. Christian Bale is actually from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales

"The first thing I saw him in wasNewsiesway back in the early '90s. I had no idea he was Welsh. Since then, some of his most famous roles have been with his American accent, but I forget every time that he’s not really American."

—lindaelliott

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26. Charlie Heaton is actually from Leeds, England

"I didn’t know he was British until I watched an interview with him. His American accent is sooooooo good."

—a_disgruntled_pelican

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27. Florence Pugh is actually from Oxford, England

"I first saw her inMidsommarand fell in love with her! Then I followed her on Instagram and watched some of her stories and was totally caught off guard when she started speaking with a British accent. Her American accent is flawless."

—Lauren Garafano

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28. Hugh Laurie is actually from Blackbird Leys, Oxford, England

"After seeingHouse, I didn't believe he was British. I had to go dig up interviews on YouTube to prove it."

—lindsayp4bfd03a64

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These actors and actresses have managed to fool the audience into believing that they are American but really aren't. Which of them were you surprised to see on this list?

Do you have any other actors or actresses you want to add to this list? Drop all your thoughts and comments below.