Success can never be achieved overnight. It requires perseverance, patience, and sometimes a little inspiration from people you look up to. Most noteworthy, there are many non American celebrities who learned English as a second language to cope with the demand of the show business.
Here, we give you a list of celebrities who learned English, to help you stay focused, and soon you’ll realize, you are speaking English in no time.
Sofia Vergara, a Colombian actress and model.She was born on July 10, 1972, in Barranquilla, Colombia. Also, Sofia studied dentistry for three years at the University of Columbia, but eventually switched to acting and modeling. She became known for her TV shows like Modern Family, and movies among which are The Smurfs, Happy Feet Two, Chef and The Emoji Movie.
In 2012, she was named among the 50 Most Beautiful People by People’s Magazine, and among the list of influential Latin Women in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.
Furthermore, a private bilingual school, the Marymount School Barranquilla is where she learned English.
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias, actor, producer, singer, and songwriter.Popularly known as the King of Latin Pop, Enrique Iglesias followed his father’s footsteps, Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. He was born on May 8, 1975, in Madrid, Spain as Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler. Then he moved to Miami with his father at the age of 9. And he started learning English.
In 1999, he successfully made a crossover on the English language music market. The single Bailamos hits number one in the US, which is among the official soundtrack of the movie Wild Wild West. Also, he signed with companies to release both Spanish and English albums making him one of the biggest stars in both Latin America and the United States.
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, Colombian singer and songwriter.Shakira was born on February 2, 1977, as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoli in Barranquilla, Colombia. Known as a Colombian recording artist, producer, and model, she has sold over 125 million records worldwide.
Inshe received numerous awards. Some of which are from the MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Awards, and Billboard Music Awards.
However, success didn’t come easy with Shakira, until she released Laundry Service with the carrier single Whenever, Wherever in 2001.
Aside from English, Shakira is also fluent in Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese.
Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez, Spanish model, and actress.A Spanish actress and model, Penelope Cruz was born in Alcobendas, Spain, on April 28, 1974. She is known for her roles in Pirates of the Caribbean, Waking Up in Reno and Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
In addition, she was named the first Spanish actress to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Spanish is her first language, but she also speaks English really well.
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera, Spanish actor, producer, director, and singer.Antonio Banderas is known for his roles in The Mask of Zorro, Desperado, the voice of Puss in Boots in Shrek, The Expendables 3, and Spy Kids. He was born on August 10, 1960, in Malaga, Spain.
Also, Antonio struggled in his early showbiz career, having to learn English as means of communication. Having to learn English phonetically, his work paid off when his first Hollywood movie came out, The Mambo Kings in 1992.
Aside from the ones we have on the list, do you know other bilingual or multilingual celebrities? Now is your turn, put it down in the comments section below.
Read More: How to Learn English by yourself?