When you think of the quintessential American actor, certain faces probably come to mind. Yet, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have been fooling audiences for years with their flawless American accents and convincing portrayals of all-American characters. These celebrities have become so embedded in American pop culture that most people never question their origins.
Charlie Hunnam – The English Rebel Playing American Outlaws
Charlie Hunnam was born Charles Matthew Hunnam on April 10, 1980, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The actor who you’d recognize for his performances in Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, and The Lost City of Z is known for playing a rugged, down-home American man with strict values, so it might be surprising to find out that he was born in Newcastle, England. From 2008 to 2014, Hunnam starred in Sons of Anarchy as Jackson “Jax” Teller, leader of SAMCRO, a prominent motorcycle club set in the fictional town of Charming, California, after Kurt Sutter, the creator of the show, saw him in Green Street Hooligans. He first moved to the United States after his role in Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999), and his role in Green Street Hooligans caught the eye of Kurt Sutter, who chose him to play the protagonist in Sons of Anarchy.
Ryan Gosling – The Notebook’s Canadian Heartthrob
Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling hails from Canada – and he’s proud of his roots, telling Canada’s CBC News during an interview in Los Angeles, “I think it was very helpful to grow up in Canada, or in a small town”. Ryan Gosling is a very well known actor most famous for his roles in The Notebook, Blue Valentine, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and The Ides of March, and is such a household name in America that people don’t realize he isn’t from America, as he was born in London, Ontario and lived all over Ontario as a child. He briefly lived with Justin Timberlake in America during his two-year contract as a “Mouseketeer”, and then again later in life when he started focusing on his acting career. His portrayal of romantic leads in distinctly American stories has made him seem like the boy-next-door from any American suburb.
Kiefer Sutherland – Jack Bauer’s British-Canadian Identity
Who would guess that All-American counter-terrorism hero Jack Bauer is actually played by a British-Canadian who was born in London, as Kiefer masks his accent quite well on screen, most notably in the popular crime drama 24 and also in A Few Good Men and The Lost Boys. Actor Kiefer Sutherland may have an American accent, but this star was actually born in Paddington, London, and later moved to Canada with his family, making the 24 star a British/Canadian dual citizen. He would eventually move to California to jump-start his Hollywood career, which is maybe why he has an American accent. His convincing portrayal of American patriots and authority figures has made him a fixture in American action entertainment for decades.
What’s fascinating about these stars is how seamlessly they’ve integrated into American entertainment culture. Their ability to master American accents and embody quintessentially American characters speaks to their exceptional acting abilities. Meanwhile, their diverse backgrounds have enriched Hollywood’s storytelling, bringing international perspectives to American audiences without them even realizing it.