There are many actors and actresses who, driven by dreams of conquest, study English for years. Is perfect pronunciation and knowledge of countless phrases really necessary to be a part of the “Dream Factory”? It turns out that this is not the rule at all. Many of the most popular stars, making their debut in American productions, couldn’t even introduce themselves and could only dream of a casual conversation.
These European actors are known throughout Hollywood. At the beginning of their career they did not know English
is considered one of the most popular actors in the world. He has played roles in many international films and series, and cooperation with foreign creators means that he is now fluent in five languages. As a native Spaniard, he easily learned the similar-sounding French, but English was the biggest problem for him. He became fluent in it only after he was 40 years old. He was so determined that he even hired a native speaker with whom he trained several times a day. Today, he successfully appears in American productions and few people realize that he has not spoken this language since childhood.
You certainly remember the main role in the movie “Hercules in New York”. When the actor came to the United States, he could barely put a sentence together. After the premiere, he received a wave of criticism, mainly because of his strong Austrian accent, as many emphasized that they were unable to understand a single word he said. Ultimately, it was dubbed by another actor for distribution, but this motivated him to learn English. He began systematically attending various courses, thanks to which he mastered the language to perfection.
They came to the USA to fulfill their “American dream”. Learning the language turned out to be a challenge
Penelope Cruz was only 17 years old when she appeared in Spanish cinema. However, from the beginning she dreamed of a career in Hollywood and three years later she set out to conquer it. She still remembers that the only things she could say in English at that time were “how are you” and “I want to work with Johnny Depp”. Despite this, she regularly attended castings, which resulted in a role in the western “The Hi-Lo Country”. She first wrote down her lines phonetically and then learned them by heart, without being fully aware of what they meant. However, she was frustrated by the fact that she could not get along with the team she worked with. So she spent the money she earned on studying with a private teacher.
She also dreamed of fulfilling the “American dream”, which is why as a teenager she tried to learn English from movies and TV series, which was not easy due to dyslexia. When she came to the US, she was 25 years old and had several Mexican telenovelas under her belt. Due to her distinct accent and pronunciation problems, Hollywood had nothing more to offer her than the roles of Latin maids. She was not discouraged by failures and made learning the language her priority. During breaks from acting classes, she attended a language school. The effects appeared faster than she expected, because she won another casting, this time for the role in “Desperado”.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
