5 celebrities you didn’t know could speak German

Learning German is tough, but it’s definitely worth it if you’re planning to live in Switzerland for a long time, especially when looking for a job in German-speaking Swiss cantons. Here are five well-known celebrities and Hollywood stars who have risen to the challenge of trying to master the German language, to help inspire you!

1. Tina Fey

Tina Fey has the advantage of actually being half-German herself, but she has still had to work hard to learn the language for both her movies and her fans. Fey’s most famous German-speaking role was in the sitcom 30 Rock, a show which she also helped to write - impressive!

Though Fey claims that she speaks “less than first-grade” German, the American movie star has taken up several roles requiring her to speak some German.

2. Sandra Bullock 

Bullock was born in the US but lived in Nuremberg in Bavaria with her American father and German mother until the age of 12. Though she is one of Hollywood’s best-known stars, she also has a well-kept secret: she speaks fluent German!

She has given several acceptance speeches in German, and frequently talks of her love of Germany and Austria. 

3. Kim Cattrall 

Kim Cattrall has travelled the globe with her acting career since her rise to fame in the late 1970s, but is best known for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex and the City. Cattrall is a British-born Canadian-American, and spent almost a decade living in Frankfurt with her second husband during the 1980s.

Though Cattrall speaks almost perfect German, more recently she admits that she has forgotten much of her vocabulary since moving back to Canada.

4. Chris Pratt

Though Pratt credits little of his success with school, one thing he does still use is his German skills! Even though he is not fluent, Chris is always happy enough to give it a shot whenever interviewers ask him, and does so with great enthusiasm and a smile!

Aside from being a Hollywood heartthrob, Chris Pratt has had a truly eventful life. Born in the US, Pratt cruised through school, eventually dropping out of community college and becoming a daytime stripper while living as a homeless man in Hawaii. Eventually, Pratt was spotted by a director while waiting tables for work, and his career was kickstarted into fame.

5. Pope Francis

Pope Francis was born in Argentina to an Italian father and Argentinian-Italian mother, and therefore speaks fluent Spanish and Italian. The Pope also speaks Portuguese, French and German comfortably.

The pope has been seen to use German more often than English at diplomatic events in Germany, claiming that although he doesn't speak the language perfectly, he still finds it easier than English. 

This article originally appeared on IamExpat in Germany.