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8 celebrities you probably didn’t know could speak French, from Hollywood’s Timothée Chalamet, Bradley Cooper and Gwyneth Paltrow, to Shakira, Serena Williams and Emily in Paris’ Lily Collins

Did you know that Shakira, Lily Collins and Serena Williams all speak French? Photos: Getty Images, Instagram
Did you know that Shakira, Lily Collins and Serena Williams all speak French? Photos: Getty Images, Instagram

  • Season 4, part 1 of Emily in Paris just dropped today, and we’re not looking forward to hearing Emily’s French … but did you know that Lily Collins had to fake not knowing the language in the show?
  • While tennis legend Serena Williams was interested in French as it’s spoken in several African countries, Jodie Foster picked it up at school, and even does the dubbing for her own films in French

Netflix’s Emily in Paris is back! The first part of season four is set to premiere today, on August 15, while part two will drop almost a month later on September 12.

Lily Collins will once again take the lead as Emily alongside Ashley Park as her bestie Mindy Chen and Lucien Laviscount as her dishy English love interest Alfie. Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu will also reprise her role as Emily’s sassy and chic boss, Sylvie Grateau.
Emily in Paris season four is back, starring Lily Collins – and we’re loving all things French. Photo: @emilyinparis/Instagram
Emily in Paris season four is back, starring Lily Collins – and we’re loving all things French. Photo: @emilyinparis/Instagram
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Peut être it’s high time to brush up on our French? While it’s not the easiest of languages to master, certain celebrities have certainly tried their best to learn it – and there are some pretty surprising entries on this list.

Here are eight stars who you probably never knew could speak French:

1. Lily Collins

Lily Collins actually grew up speaking French with her half-Swiss brothers IRL. Photo: @lilyjcollins/Instagram
Lily Collins actually grew up speaking French with her half-Swiss brothers IRL. Photo: @lilyjcollins/Instagram

The Emily in Paris actress revealed that she grew up learning French in school and speaking it with her younger brothers who are half-Swiss, per Grazia. While she isn’t the most fluent any more as she stopped using the language as much, she did say the Netflix series became a catalyst for her to speak it fully again. The 35-year-old also shared in an interview with The Netflix Afterparty that “it’s very weird” to fake being bad at French when she’s able to speak it in real life.

2. Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper's Secret to Speaking French Fluently👌

You may be surprised to find this quintessential American actor on the list, but Cooper could hold his own in a conversation with a host even on French TV. The Hangover star spent a semester abroad in a university near Aix-en-Provence while he pursued his bachelor’s degree. He has credited his host family for helping him learn how to speak the language, as well as fully immersing himself in the culture, per Frenchly.

3. Johnny Depp