You Probably Thought These 15 Actors Were American — Actually, They're Just Really Good at Accents

When Christian Bale picked up a Golden Globe for his work in Vice, a lot of people were surprised to hear him speaking with a strong English accent. It may seem strange that after decades in the spotlight — and plenty of awards under his belt — that people still didn't know (or forgot) he's a Brit, but it's an easy mistake given that he's only had an English accent in a handful of movies, most of which were early in his career.

Bale was actually born in Wales, but both of his parents are English, and because the family moved around when he was a kid, his accent has more in common with a Londoner than it does with a Welshman. If you want to see him acting as a Brit, check out Reign of Fire, but don't say we didn't warn you about Matthew McConaughey.

If you fell in love with Charlie when he was leading the gang Sons of Anarchy or fighting monsters in Pacific Rim, you'd be forgiven for thinking he was born and raised in the USA. However, before he hit screens in the US, he'd already made waves in his native UK starring in projects like Queer as Folk, Nicholas Nickleby, and the dystopian thriller Children of Men.

However, though Charlie's US accent seems to have been enough to fool plenty of people, ironically he's struggled a little more adopting different dialects from his own country. Charlie grew up in Newcastle, in the north of England, and when he tried to tackle the distinctive Cockney accent prevalent in areas of London for the movie Green Street, he struggled so much he eventually ended up on a list of the worst Cockney accents ever. Perhaps it's no surprise he now chooses to work more on the other side of the Pond.

When House hit US TV screens in 2004, a large number of people had no idea that the lead actor wasn't American. In fact, it's reported that the show's executive producer Bryan Singer was so convinced by his accent, he said "See, this is what I want: an American guy," not realizing Hugh was a Brit who'd been famous in his native UK for decades.

Though his natural accent is more familiar now thanks to his work in high-profile shows like The Night Manager (for which he won a Golden Globe in 2018), those with a passion for British comedy will have recognized him instantly from his work in iconic shows like Blackadder in the 1980s. He also had a memorable cameo in a 1998 episode of Friends, when he berated Rachel on a flight.

Damian Lewis has made a name for himself as someone who can master nuances of different US accents, from his memorable role as Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers to Homeland's Nick Brody, but, you've guessed it, he's actually British, which you may know know if you've seen him in The Forsyte Saga or Wolf Hall. His ability to flit between accents was handy in the movie Dreamcatcher, in which he played an American who took on an English accent when possessed by an alien (seriously). In Billions, he has a distinctive New York accent, and he describes nailing this dialect as being "about cadence and about rhythms."

Margot Robbie got her Hollywood break at age 23, playing Leonardo DiCaprio's wife in The Wolf of Wall Street, and you may have caught her in the short-lived ABC drama Pan-Am before that. Since then, Margot's become a superstar playing American characters; she was even nominated for an Oscar for I, Tonya. But before all of that, she was famous in her native Australia (and indeed in the UK, where Aussie soaps are adored) for her role as Donna in Neighbours.

Hands up if you watched an entire season of The Walking Dead before noticing that Rick is that guy with the signs from Love Actually? Before he crossed the Atlantic, Andrew Lincoln was well known to UK TV viewers for roles like Egg in This Life, a landmark drama about a group of 20-something friends, and Simon in Teachers, a comedy-drama about the staff at an English high school. In fact, he had over 20 years of UK roles on his résumé before he started battling zombies.

Rose fits in perfectly well with her American cast members in projects like Bridesmaids, Damages, and Insidious, and it's possible you've seen her playing a Brit, too (she is unforgettable as Rose in I Capture the Castle). What you may not have realized is that this chameleon-like actress is actually an Aussie. She had a hugely successful career in her native country before her breakout role in Troy opened up doors in Hollywood.

He may be one of the stars of a show called The Americans, but Matthew Rhys, just like his character, is putting on the accent. Emmy winner Matthew was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales. Fellow Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (who's also been mistaken for an American on many occasions) was his roommate for almost 10 years as they were starting out their careers. If you want to see them both being as Welsh as Welsh can be, hunt down the Indie film Very Annie Mary.

Freddie has captivated TV audiences in Bates Motel and The Good Doctor. But did you recognize him as the same kid who wowed us in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland almost a decade earlier? If so, you've probably realized that Freddie is actually English, born and raised in London. His parents are both in showbiz — in fact, his mother is a hugely successful agent who represents another former child actor: Daniel Radcliffe. Freddie's The Good Doctor costar Antonia Thomas is also a Brit who's mastered the American accent. She can be seen speaking with her natural voice in Lovesick on Netflix.

Anderson became famous playing Dana Scully, an American, but most of her recent roles, including those in War and Peace and Sex Education, have required her to speak with an English accent. So is she American or British? The truth is, she is a bit of both. Gillian has dual nationality. She was born in the USA but moved to England soon after, remaining there until she was 11. After moving back to the US and spending her teens there, the actress became bidialectal, meaning she speaks comfortably and naturally with both an English and an American accent.

Idris Elba wasn't the only Brit wowing audiences with his Baltimore accent in The Wire. Jimmy McNulty, the Irish-American cop with an attitude problem, was also played by a British actor. Dominic West, who was born in Sheffield, England, has worked steadily on both sides of the Atlantic for his whole career. He's currently playing another American in The Affair.

If your first introduction to Daniel came via 2017's Get Out, then perhaps you can be forgiven for thinking he's American. However, the star actually hails from London, which you might know if you're a fan of Black Mirror. If you want an idea of how easily Daniel can change his voice, take a look at his best moments as "Posh" Kenneth in Skins, where he was famous for slipping between two very different accents during just about every scene.

Isla is another star who was famous to Aussie and British audiences long before Americans discovered her in films like Wedding Crashers and Confessions of a Shopaholic. As a teenager, she was famous for playing Shannon Reed in Home and Away, an Australia soap set in a seaside town. Isla is Australian, but she was actually born in Oman to Scottish parents and didn't actually move to Australia until she was 6.

Newsflash! Christian Grey is actually Northern Irish. You probably do know this one actually, because after you watched 50 Shades of Grey, no doubt you went home and googled him, lots. If you didn't, allow us to introduce you to the excellent fact that this man sounds even sexier with his own accent. No wonder Keira Knightley fell for him back in the day.

"Duh, I know Naomi Watts is Australian!" I hear you cry.

Wrong! Though you may have been aware that the star of The Impossible is not American, her close friendship with Nicole Kidman means many people wrongly assume she's an Aussie. Naomi is actually British, born in Kent, England. She lived in Australia between the ages of 1 and 7, before moving back to the UK for a number of years. During this time she lived, for a while, in the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which famous for having the longest place name in Europe. At 14, her family moved back to Australia, settling in Sydney, and it was there that she became friends with Nicole.