Henry Cavill
While Superman might be an all-American icon, the actor who plays him certainly isn’t. As one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Henry Cavill is used to adopting an American accent for his roles. However, Cavill is actually English, beginning his career with appearances on a number of classic British shows.
Damian Lewis
Although he’s British, Damian Lewis is a master of American accents, with his roles in TV shows like Homelander and Band of Brothers displaying his talent for mastering regional dialects. Lewis put his skills to good use in 2003’s Dreamcatcher, which saw him playing an American who develops an English accent after getting possessed by an alien.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a bona fide Hollywood bombshell, and most of her roles see her adopting a flawless American accent. In reality, the actress is not only South African, but she didn’t even grow up speaking English! Instead, Theron’s mother tongue is Afrikaans, a language spoken in South Africa and a number of other African nations.
Christian Bale
Many fans are surprised when they hear Christian Bale’s strong London accent in interviews and awards speeches. The actor, who was born in Wales but grew up in the English capital, is best known for playing characters in Hollywood movies like American Psycho and The Dark Knight trilogy, explaining why many people assume he’s from the US.
Tom Holland
In order to convincingly portray Peter Parker in the Spider-Man franchise, Tom Holland had to sound like he grew up in Queens. The actor mastered the accent so successfully that most viewers believe that Holland is a born and bred American when he actually grew up in London.
Idris Elba
While he’s best known in the States for his portrayal of crime boss Stringer Bell in The Wire, Idris Elba actually came to fame playing a character on the other side of the law in the hit BBC series Luther. American audiences are mostly unaware that Elba is actually British, largely on account of his impeccable Baltimore accent in The Wire.
Charlie Hunnan
Although he’s starred in a number of blockbusters, Sam Hunman is best known for playing Jax Teller on the hit FX show Sons of Anarchy. Most fans tend to assume that Hunnam is American, but he can be heard speaking with his natural British accent in movies like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Andrew Lincoln
If you’re from the United Kingdom, there’s a very good chance you’ve long been familiar with Andrew Lincoln thanks to his roles in Love Actually, Teachers, and This Life. If you’re from the other side of the pond, the first time you saw Lincoln was likely in The Walking Dead, and his impeccable Deep South accent probably convinced you he’s American.
Hugh Laurie
When Hugh Laurie sent off his audition tape for the medical drama House, executive producer Bryan Singer reportedly remarked: “See, this is what I want, an American guy.” Embarrassingly for Singer, Laurie is British, and he’s starred in some of the most quintessentially British shows of all time, including Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster.
Margot Robbie
Most movie fans will know Margot Robbie from her roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, I, Tonya, and Suicide Squad, all of which saw her playing American characters. However, while the actress has certainly mastered American accents, Robbie is actually Australian, and her acting career began with a recurring role in Neighbours.
Freddie Highmore
In recent years, Freddie Highmore has been dazzling audiences with his performances in The Good Doctor and Bates Motel. Given that his characters in both these shows are American, many people assume he’s from the States. Highmore is actually British and can be heard speaking in his normal accent in 2004’s Finding Neverland.
Matthew Rhys
If you thought that Matthew Rhys was from the United States, you can definitely be forgiven, given that he spent years starring in a TV show literally called The Americans. In reality, however, Rhys is from Wales, with the actor moving to the States in 2011 after landing a role in ABC’s Brothers and Sisters.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown was just 12 years old when she landed the role of Eleven on the Netflix show Stranger Things. Brown later revealed that she put on an American accent during her audition, which helped her win the part. The actress is actually British, although she was born in Spain.
Rose Byrne
After building a successful career in her native Australia, Rose Byrne got her Hollywood break when she landed a role in 2004’s Troy. Since then, the actress has turned in acclaimed performances in movies like Insidious and Bridesmaids, convincing fans that she’s American in the process.
Dominic West
Like his costar Idris Elba, Dominic West convinced legions of fans that he’s American with his starring role in The Wire. While the actor’s portrayal of Irish-American cop Jim McNulty was certainly convincing, West was actually born in the English city of Sheffield, and he didn’t move to the States until his early 20s.
Daniel Kaluuya
American audiences were introduced to Daniel Kaluuya when he starred in Jordan Peele’s 2017 horror masterpiece Get Out. The actor has since followed up with a number of acclaimed performances in Hollywood movies, scooping a BAFTA for his turns in Black Panther and Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. While most fans assume Kaluuya is American, the actor is actually British.
Robert Pattinson
After becoming a household name with his portrayal of Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise, Robert Pattinson mostly pivoted to making independent movies. The actor’s recent turn as Bruce Wayne in 2022’s The Batman reaffirmed Pattinson’s superstar status, and also cemented the mistaken belief that he is American when he’s actually British.
Isla Fisher
While she’s technically Australian, Isla Fisher was actually born in Oman, where she lived until the age of six. These days, the actress is best known for her roles in Hollywood movies like Wedding Crashers and The Great Gatsby, with her spot-on American accent tricking moviegoers into believing she’s from the States.
Hugh Jackman
While Hugh Jackman adopts an American accent for most of his film roles, the actor can also be heard speaking (and singing) in an English accent in the 2012 movie adaptation of Les Misérables. In reality, however, Jackman is neither American nor British; rather, he’s Australian.
Tom Hardy
Although his mask in The Dark Knight Rises made it impossible to hear what he was saying – let alone what accent he was speaking with – the fact that the movie was a Hollywood blockbuster led many to assume that Tom Hardy is American. Like his costar Christian Bale, Hardy actually hails from England.
Dominic Cooper
Jesse Custer – Dominic Cooper’s character on the AMC show Preacher – has a thick Texan accent, leading many to assume the actor hails from the Lone Star State. In reality, the actor grew up in London, beginning his career on the stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Gillian Anderson
Although she’s best known for her portrayal of Agent Scully in The X-Files, Gillian Anderson has also had plenty of success on the other side of the pond, most recently with roles in War and Peace and Sex Education. The actress actually holds dual British-American citizenship, and she can use both accents interchangeably.
KJ Apa
KJ Apa rose to prominence with a role in the CBS TV show Riverdale, in which he played an American high-school student. Since then, Apa has mostly played actors with American accents, but in real life, the actor’s soft New Zealand accent reveals where he actually grew up.
Chris Hemsworth
Despite the fact that Chris Hemsworth didn’t adopt an American accent to play Thor – the character he is best known for – many fans still assume that Hemsworth was raised in the States. However, the actor is actually Australian, and whenever he’s not in Hollywood for work he can be found in his native country.
Rosamund Pike
After starring in a number of British films – including Pride and Prejudice and Johnny English – Rosamund Pike worked with a dialect coach to master her American accent, enabling her to crack Hollywood. The actress was so successful in her endeavor that the majority of Americans now think that Pike is actually from the US.
Naomi Watts
If you already know that Naomi Watts isn’t American, there’s a good chance you believe she hails from Down Under. The mistaken – and widespread – belief that Watts is Australian is largely due to her close friendship with Nicole Kidman, but the actress is actually from the English county of Kent.
Eliza Taylor
As with many Australian actors who went on to conquer Hollywood, Eliza Taylor got her showbiz break with a role in the soap opera Neighbours. These days, Taylor is best known for her role on the TV show The 100, and her American accent is so convincing that many are shocked when they hear the thick Australian accent she speaks with in day-to-day life.
Jamie Dornan
Jamie Dornan became a household name with his portrayal of enigmatic millionaire Christian Grey in the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. While the actor has mostly starred in independent films since then, most fans still believe he’s American, when in reality he’s from Northern Ireland.
Max Minghella
Although he started his career on the stages of London’s theaters, Max Minghella – who was born on the Isle of Wight – soon made the jump to Hollywood, and he hasn’t looked back since. Best-known for his roles in Syriana and The Social Network, Minghella has recently been attracting attention with his role in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Alfred Enoch
In preparation for his role in the legal TV drama How to Get Away With Murder, Alfred Enoch reportedly spent much of his free time speaking in an American accent. While this was probably somewhat annoying for his British friends and family, it certainly worked, as the majority of the show’s viewers believed that Enoch was from the States.
Bob Morley
Like his The 100 costar Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley is actually from Australia. After getting his start on the soap opera Home and Away, Morley went on to star in a number of Australian TV shows and films. Since his role on The 100, Morley seems to have pivoted to American cinema, most recently appearing in 2023’s I’ll Be Watching.
Yael Stone
Yael Stone did such a good job of mastering the instantly recognizable Boston accent for her role in Orange is the New Black that most fans of the show believe the actress really hails from the Massachusetts capital. In reality, Stone was actually raised in the Australian city of Sydney.
Naomie Harris
Naomie Harris is something of a dialectical genius, successfully nailing the notoriously challenging South African accent for her role as Winnie Mandela in 2013’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Harris’ roles usually call for an American accent, however, which is why most moviegoers don’t realize she’s actually from Britain.
Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford broke through in 2017 when she starred as Hannah Baker in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. That role required Langford to adopt an American accent, which she pulled off so effortlessly that most fans of the show have no idea Langford is actually Australian.
James McAvoy
In recent years, James McAvoy has become a household name with his portrayal of a young Professor X in the X-Men franchise. Despite the fact that McAvoy speaks with an English accent while portraying the character, most fans believe he’s American. In reality, the actor is neither English nor American – he’s Scottish.
Gary Oldman
It’s not exactly like Gary Oldman never uses his natural English accent onscreen, but fans still seem to think that he’s from the United States. To be fair, the actor has resolutely mastered his American accent, as films like Leon: The Professional demonstrate, so it’s not the most unreasonable assumption.
John Boyega
John Boyega became a household name with his portrayal of Finn in the rebooted Star Wars franchise, leading to the widespread assumption that he’s from the US. The actor is actually from Britain, and you can hear his natural London accent in 2011’s Attack the Block.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Before his retirement in 2017, Daniel Day-Lewis was known as one of the most dedicated method actors in Hollywood. In addition to immersing himself in the lifestyles of his characters, Day-Lewis also adopted their accents, which tended to be American. As a result, the British actor is widely believed to be from the States.
Will Poulter
Will Poulter was just 20 years old when he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award for his performance in 2013’s We’re the Millers, and he’s been playing American characters ever since. However, Poulter – who recently earned critical acclaim for his role in Dopesick – was actually born and raised in England.
Hugh Dancy
Most people tend to assume that Hugh Dancy comes from the United States because Will Graham – the character Dancy plays on the hit TV show Hannibal – speaks with an American accent. Dancy is actually from England, however, and many of his early roles were on British TV shows.
