Actresses Fluent in 3+ Languages Who Use Them On-Screen

Many performers move between countries and film industries, and some bring more than two languages to their work. This list highlights actresses who are fluent in at least three languages and have used more than one of them in front of the camera. Each entry notes the languages and points to specific projects where those skills show up on screen.

Being multilingual can open doors to roles across borders and genres. From European cinema to Hollywood blockbusters to Asian classics, these actresses switch tongues as naturally as they switch characters. The examples below focus on clear, verifiable appearances where different languages are spoken on screen.

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh works in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, and she also speaks Malay. She uses Cantonese in Hong Kong action films like ‘Police Story 3’ and Mandarin in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. Her English language work spans global releases such as ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, where she also drops lines in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Her multilingual presence continues in projects like ‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, which features dialogue in English and Mandarin. Earlier roles in Asian cinema show frequent switches between Cantonese and Mandarin depending on setting and cast, which makes her career a useful map of regional and international production.

Maggie Cheung

Maggie Cheung speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and French. She performs in Cantonese in ‘In the Mood for Love’ and in Mandarin in ‘Hero’. In the French film ‘Irma Vep’ she works primarily in French and English, and she later uses both languages again in ‘Clean’.

Her filmography moves between languages as directors cast her in cross border productions. Cantonese era titles like ‘Centre Stage’ sit alongside French work and English speaking appearances, which shows a sustained use of multiple languages on screen rather than one off moments.

Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger is fluent in German, French, and English. She speaks German and English in ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and headlines the German language drama ‘In the Fade’. She works entirely in French in ‘Farewell My Queen’, which is a period piece set at Versailles.

She also appears in English language projects such as ‘Unknown’ and the series ‘The Bridge’. French films like ‘Tout nous sépare’ and ‘Joyeux Noël’ further demonstrate on screen use of French and German across different genres and production contexts.

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and French. She uses Italian in ‘Non ti muovere’ and returns to it in ‘L’immensità’. Spanish language work includes ‘Volver’, ‘Dolor y gloria’, ‘La niña de tus ojos’, and ‘Todos lo saben’. She also plays leading roles in English language films such as ‘The Counselor’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides’.

Cruz often moves between languages within the same project. ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ features both English and Spanish dialogue, while other productions place her in fully Italian or fully Spanish settings. Guest roles and collaborations in French cinema add a fourth language to her on screen portfolio.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and she also speaks Portuguese. She performs in English and Spanish in ‘Frida’ and appears in Spanish language projects such as ‘La chispa de la vida’. Her French language work includes ‘Astérix et Obélix L’Empire du Milieu’, where she plays Cleopatra and delivers lines in French.

Across English speaking roles like ‘Desperado’, ‘Beatriz at Dinner’, and ‘House of Gucci’, she continues to use Spanish when a character background calls for it. Interviews and promotional pieces often show her switching between languages, and her filmography documents sustained on screen use of Spanish, English, and French.

Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci speaks Italian, French, and English. She performs in Italian in ‘Malèna’ and in French in ‘The Apartment’ and ‘Brotherhood of the Wolf’. English language roles include ‘The Matrix Reloaded’, ‘The Matrix Revolutions’, and ‘Spectre’.

Her career includes French Italian co productions where she moves between the two languages depending on scene partners. Appearances in English language films often come with press tours where she switches to French and Italian, and her projects show regular on screen delivery across all three languages.

Hiam Abbass

Hiam Abbass is fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, English, and French. She uses Arabic and Hebrew in ‘The Syrian Bride’ and ‘Lemon Tree’, which are set around border communities. English language work includes ‘The Visitor’, ‘Rendition’, and the series ‘Succession’.

Abbass has a long record in French cinema with titles such as ‘Satin Rouge’ and ‘Le Chant des mariées’, where she performs in French and Arabic. Casting teams often rely on her ability to move between languages within a single production, which makes her screen work a clear example of multilingual performance.

Vicky Krieps

Vicky Krieps speaks Luxembourgish, German, French, and English. She works in English in ‘Phantom Thread’ and in German in ‘Corsage’. French language projects include ‘Hold Me Tight’ and ‘Tout de suite maintenant’, where she performs opposite native French casts.

Her earlier work features Luxembourgish and German in ‘Gutland’, while later roles continue in English and German period dramas. This range shows repeated on screen use of several languages across European and international productions.

Noomi Rapace

Noomi Rapace is fluent in Swedish, English, and Icelandic, and she has worked in Spanish as well. She delivers Swedish in the ‘Millennium’ trilogy that begins with ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. She performs in English in ‘Prometheus’, ‘Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows’, and ‘What Happened to Monday’.

Rapace speaks Icelandic on screen in ‘Lamb’, which was filmed in Iceland with local crews and cast. Spanish language work includes ‘El cuaderno de Sara’, which adds another market and language to her body of work and confirms regular on screen use of more than three languages.

Alicia Vikander

Alicia Vikander speaks Swedish, English, and Danish, and she has studied Norwegian. She delivers Danish in ‘A Royal Affair’ after intensive language preparation. She performs in Swedish in ‘Pure’, which was her breakout in Scandinavia.

Her English language work includes ‘Ex Machina’, ‘The Danish Girl’, and ‘Tomb Raider’. Movement between Swedish and Danish in early roles and English in later international projects shows repeated on screen use of at least three languages.

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone is fluent in Hindi, English, and Kannada, and she also speaks Konkani. She performs in Kannada in ‘Aishwarya’ and works in Hindi in films like ‘Om Shanti Om’, ‘Piku’, and ‘Pathaan’. She enters the global market with English dialogue in ‘xXx Return of Xander Cage’.

Her filmography shows a steady mix of Hindi and Kannada titles that draw on her language background. International collaborations add English speaking roles, and promotional appearances often feature switches between Hindi and English that mirror her on screen work.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan speaks Hindi, English, Tamil, and Bengali. She performs in Tamil in ‘Iruvar’ and ‘Raavanan’, and in Bengali in ‘Chokher Bali’. English language roles include ‘Bride and Prejudice’ and ‘The Pink Panther 2’.

She continues to deliver in Hindi across major productions such as ‘Devdas’ and ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. This mix of languages appears throughout her career, with frequent shifts between Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English depending on the production and setting.

Share your favorite multilingual performances in the comments and tell us which roles impressed you with on screen language switching.