43 Famous Actors Who Tricked You Into Thinking They're American, But Aren't

    I'll never be able to watch their shows and movies the same way again.

    Spencer Althouse
    by Spencer Althouse

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which actors tricked them into thinking they're American. Here are the wild results.

    1. Will Poulter

    Will in "We're the Millers" standing by the camper
    Warner Bros. Pictures

    "I first saw him in The Maze Runner, where he put on an American accent, and I didn't realize until I saw him in Son of Rambow that he's English! He's actually from London." —Costcoffee

    What you know his American accent from: We're the Millers, Midsommar, and The Maze Runner series

    Where he's actually from: Hammersmith, London

    2. Eliza Scanlen

    HBO / Sony Pictures Releasing

    Suggested by johnmichaelw

    What you know her American accent from: Little Women, Sharp Objects, and To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway

    Where she's actually from: Sydney, Australia

    3. Daniel Kaluuya

    Daniel Kaluuya on a late-night talk show
    Blumhouse Productions

    "He did such a great American accent in Get Out that I was completely shocked when I heard him speak in an interview." —yung_cowboy

    What you know his American accent from: Judas and the Black Messiah, Get Out, and Widows

    Where he's actually from: London

    4. Antony Starr

    Homelander in "The Boys"
    Amazon Prime Video

    "His character is a spoof of Marvel's golden boy Captain America, and he's supposed to represent the US, so I always forget the actor is actually from New Zealand. He nails the American accent!" —hiitsnicetomeetyou

    What you know his American accent from: The Boys

    Where he's actually from: Auckland, New Zealand

    5. Anna Paquin

    Sookie in the bar in "True Blood"
    HBO

    Suggested by keladrylady

    What you know her American accent from: True Blood and the X-Men series

    Where she's actually from: Born in Winnipeg, Canada, but grew up in New Zealand

    6. Charlie Heaton

    Charlie Heaton in "Stranger Things" wearing a blue shirt
    Netflix

    "I didn’t know he was British until I watched an interview with him. His American accent is sooooooo good." —a_disgruntled_pelican

    What you know his American accent from: Stranger Things and New Mutants

    Where he's actually from: Leeds, England

    7. KJ Apa

    KJ as Archie, shirtless, in "Riverdale"
    The CW

    "I saw a few videos online where he spoke with a Kiwi accent and got SO confused because I first saw him on Riverdale." —Sarah Wainschel

    What you know his American accent from: Riverdale, A Dog's Purpose, and The Hate U Give

    Where he's actually from: Auckland, New Zealand

    8. Lucy Lawless

    Diane and Ron in "Parks and Rec"
    NBC

    Submitted by laurengarafano

    What you know her American accent from: Xena: Warrior Princess and Parks and Recreation

    Where she's actually from: Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand

    9. Freddie Highmore

    Freddie in "The Good Doctor"
    ABC

    "I had no idea he was English until I heard him speak in an interview!" —chloeisme16

    What you know his American accent from: The Good Doctor and Bates Motel

    Where he's actually from: Camden Town, London

    10. Cynthia Erivo

    Cynthia singing in "Bad Times at the El Royale"
    20th Century Fox

    "I saw her in The Color Purple on Broadway a few years back, and she was soooo fantastic. Then I did a deep dive and watched a few interviews with her, and I was so surprised to learn she's English." —spenceralthouse

    What you know her American accent from: The Color Purple on Broadway, Harriet, Widows, and Bad Times at the El Royale

    Where she's actually from: Stockwell, London

    11. Charlie Cox

    Charlie shirtless in his apartment in "Daredevil"
    Netflix

    "I was genuinely shocked when I found out he's English because his American accent is flawless!" —joolzr2

    What you know his American accent from: Daredevil

    Where he's actually from: London

    12. Florence Pugh

    Amy in "Little Women" painting
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Suggested by noradominick

    What you know her American accent from: Little Women and Midsommar

    Where she's actually from: Oxford, England

    13. Robert Sheehan

    Robert in "Umbrella Academy," holding a cigarette and pink umbrella
    Netflix

    "I just binged The Umbrella Academy and then decided to watch some of his other work and found out that he's actually Irish. His American accent is so good, I never would've guessed!" —marie-francel

    What you know his American accent from: The Umbrella Academy

    Where he's actually from: Port Laoise, Ireland

    14. Ryan Kwanten

    Ryan shirtless in "True Blood"
    HBO

    "Hearing him speak in his normal Aussie accent instead of his Southern Jason Stackhouse accent broke my brain." —aryasnark

    What you know his American accent from: True Blood

    Where he's actually from: Sydney, Australia

    15. James McAvoy

    James McAvoy on "The Graham Norton Show"
    BBC America / YouTube / Via youtube.com

    "I’m usually pretty good at spotting a hidden accent, especially when the character needs to shout, but I only recently found out that he isn't American." —emrayy

    What you know his American accent from: Wanted and Split

    Where he's actually from: Glasgow, Scotland

    16. Danielle Macdonald

    Daniella and Jennifer Aniston in the trailer for "Dumplin'"
    Netflix

    "Her Southern accent was so perfect in Dumplin' that I had no idea she wasn't from Texas, let alone Australia." —bonniereinsch

    What you know her American accent from: Dumplin', Bird Box, and Unbelievable

    Where she's actually from: Sydney, Australia

    17. Dominic West

    Dominic West standing outside in "The Wire"
    HBO

    "I was a huge fan of The Wire, but one day I watched an interview with him for the movie 300, and I was blown away by his English accent." —fbailey6

    What you know his American accent from: The Wire, Chicago, and The Affair

    Where he's actually from: Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England

    18. John Boyega

    Finn with a blue Lightsaber in "Star Wars"
    Lucasfilm Ltd.

    Submitted by fishosaurus

    What you know his American accent from: The Star Wars series and Detroit

    Where he's actually from: Peckham, London

    19. Isla Fisher

    Isla and Vince Vaughn in "Wedding Crashers"
    New Line Cinema

    "I only found out like a week ago that Isla Fisher is Australian. I always thought she was American!" —b481d76f3c

    What you know her American accent from: Wedding Crashers, Arrested Development, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Now You See Me

    Where she's actually from: Born in Muscat, Oman, but grew up in Perth, Western Australia

    20. Andrew Lincoln

    Rick's final scene in "The Walking Dead"
    AMC

    "I had never seen Love Actually, but I had seen him on The Walking Dead, where he had a Southern accent. I was shook to find out he’s actually English." —mirandat439cd0bf9

    What you know his American accent from: The Walking Dead

    Where he's actually from: London

    21. Christian Bale

    The ending of "The Dark Knight Rises" with Christian Bale at the restaurant in Italy
    Warner Bros.

    "I’ve seen so many movies of his, and he mostly plays an American character. I never would have known he wasn't American. His accent is spot on." —ser19

    What you know his American accent from: The Fighter, The Dark Knight, The Big Short, American Psycho, and Vice

    Where he's actually from: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales

    22. Katherine Langford

    Katherine standing outside in "Love, Simon"
    Netflix

    "Her American accent is really good in everything she's in, and I was so shocked when I found out she wasn't American." —a48b5

    What you know her American accent from: 13 Reasons Why, Knives Out, and Love, Simon

    Where she's actually from: Perth, Western Australia

    23. Mark Addy

    Mark as Fred Flintstones in the "Flintstones" movie
    Universal Pictures

    "He was the dad on Still Standing, and how could anyone forget him as Fred Flintstone? Who knew he was a total Brit?!" —cocopa

    What you know his American accent from: Still Standing, Down to Earth, and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

    Where he's actually from: York, England

    24. Rose McIver

    Rose in "A Christmas Prince"
    Netflix

    "I always thought she was American because she's good at hiding her real accent in iZombie and Netflix's A Christmas Prince series. I watched a video on YouTube where she recapped the movie and was surprised to hear her thick Kiwi accent." —s4bb472acb

    What you know her American accent from: The A Christmas Prince series, The Lovely Bones, iZombie, and Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off

    Where she's actually from: Auckland, New Zealand

    25. Hugh Laurie

    Hugh Laurie with a stethoscope in his ears on "House"
    Fox

    "The first time I heard him talk in an interview, I thought he was faking an English accent. I never would have guessed he was actually from England." —K8M517

    What you know his American accent from: House

    Where he's actually from: Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire, England

    26. Millie Bobby Brown

    Millie in "Stranger Things" in an '80s outfit
    Netflix

    "I had no idea she was English when I first watched Stranger Things." —evp722

    What you know her American accent from: Stranger Things

    Where she's actually from: Born in Marbella, Spain, but grew up in Bournemouth, Dorset, England

    27. Dominic Cooper

    Dominic on the couch in "The Graham Norton Show"
    BBC America

    Suggested by Kristin9898

    What you know his American accent from: Captain America: The First Avenger, Agent Carter, and Preacher

    Where he's actually from: Greenwich, London

    28. Idris Elba

    Idris in "The Office" and "Molly's Game"
    NBC / STX Films

    Suggested by tryasimight

    What you know his American accent from: The Wire, Molly's Game, Daddy's Little Girls, and The Office

    Where he's actually from: Hackney, London

    29. Kate Beckinsale

    Kate in "Click"
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "I seriously just learned that she's English last week. I had no idea." —hh

    What you know her American accent from: Click, Total Recall, and The Aviator

    Where she's actually from: Chiswick, London

    30. Ed Westwick

    Ed in an Easter-green suit in "Gossip Girl"
    The CW

    Suggested by nwabisa0604

    What you know his American accent from: Gossip Girl

    Where he's actually from: Hammersmith, London

    31. Damian Lewis

    Damien in "Homeland"
    Showtime

    Suggested by mccormickchip

    What you know his American accent from: Homeland, Band of Brothers, and Billions

    Where he's actually from: St. John's Wood, London

    32. Margot Robbie

    Margot in a pink skating dress on the rink in "I, Tonya"
    Neon

    "She just never sounded Australian to me!" —eskimokiss

    What you know her American accent from: Pan Am; I, Tonya; Suicide Squad; The Wolf of Wall Street; and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    Where she's actually from: Dalby, Queensland, Australia

    33. Henry Cavill

    Henry Cavill shirtless in a tub
    Warner Bros.

    "I've only ever seen Henry Cavill in Man of Steel, so I really thought he was American. Was totally shocked to learn he’s not!" —Pizzatime

    What you know his American accent from: The Justice League series and Mission: Impossible — Fallout

    Where he's actually from: Saint Helier, Jersey (a British Crown dependency)

    34. Gugu Mbatha-Raw

    Gugu in her '80s get-up in "Black Mirror"
    Netflix

    "I didn't find out she was actually English for the longest time." —daynam4b6

    What you know her American accent from: Black Mirror and The Morning Show

    Where she's actually from: Oxford, England

    35. Tom Hardy

    Tom Hardy in "Venom"
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    "He just doesn’t give off British vibes to me!" —anyarosem16

    What you know his American accent from: Venom, The Revenant, and The Dark Knight Rises

    Where he's actually from: Hammersmith, London

    36. Chiwetel Ejiofor

    Chiwetel in "12 Years a Slave"
    Fox Searchlight Pictures

    Suggested by taylorowens

    What you know his American accent from: 12 Years a Slave, Z for Zachariah, and Salt

    Where he's actually from: Forest Gate, London

    37. Samara Weaving

    Samara in a wedding dress in the beginning of "Ready or Not"
    Fox Searchlight Pictures

    Suggested by jessicas454

    What you know her American accent from: Ready or Not, The Babysitter, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    Where she's actually from: Adelaide, South Australia

    38. Kevin McKidd

    Owen in blue scrubs in "Grey's Anatomy"
    ABC

    Suggested by tracyellysabethcrawford

    What you know his American accent from: Grey's Anatomy

    Where he's actually from: Elgin, Moray, Scotland

    39. Maia Mitchell

    Maia in "The Fosters"
    Freeform

    Suggested by b4c9f9

    What you know her American accent from: The Fosters and the Teen Beach series

    Where she's actually from: Lismore, New South Wales, Australia

    40. Alfred Enoch

    Alfred outside in "How to Get Away with Murder"
    ABC

    Suggested by alyb4532

    What you know his American accent from: How to Get Away with Murder

    Where he's actually from: Westminster, London

    41. Yvonne Strahovski

    Yvonne in "Chuck" holding a gun
    NBC

    Suggested by chelseam4289

    What you know her American accent from: Chuck, The Handmaid's Tale, and Dexter

    Where she's actually from: Werrington Downs, New South Wales, Australia

    42. Michael Fassbender

    Michael Fassbender shirtless on a bed in "Shame"
    Momentum Pictures

    Suggested by jennym4

    What you know his American accent from: Shame, 12 Years a Slave, Steve Jobs, and Band of Brothers

    Where he's actually from: Born in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany, but grew up in Fossa, County Kerry, Ireland

    43. And Toni Collette

    Toni in "Knives Out"
    Lionsgate

    "She’s extremely convincing when it comes to different accents. For the longest time, I was convinced that she was actually American, until I saw an article that mentioned she’s actually Australian. It blew my mind." —jessiep4a17

    What you know her American accent from: Knives Out, Unbelievable, Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense, and Hereditary

    Where she's actually from: Plumpton, New South Wales, Australia

    Are we missing anyone? Use the comments below to tell us which famous person tricked you into thinking they're American!

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.