You think you know all the British actors and then you find out there are so many actors you didn’t know were British. I mean for the longest, the biggest shocker was Idris Elba. By the time it made major headlines he was known for his role as Stringer Bell in The Wire and other films in which his perfected American accent. So when he spoke in is real accent, two words: mind blown.
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But over the course of the past few years there has been a heavy British Invasion in Hollywood and while some are known from day one there are still many others who we will be surprised to learn are from the UK. Check out our list of actors you didn’t know were British or just forgot they were and let us know if you were utterly surprised in the comment section.
Newly Added:
Damson Idris
We knew this but someone mentioned it on social and we realized, you may not have known that the Snowfall actor is from the UK.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-MzrToApZ4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Daniel Ezra
He has a nice voice in All American, which is why it was super surprising to hear him change his voice while visiting The Real.
Christine Adams
The matriarch of Black Lightning is actually from the UK and we have to admit, we didn’t see that coming.
Daniel Kaluuya
You know who needs to get out, Daniel Kaluuya with his British accent. Rather surprising.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz0AjwTB1Dg
Jodie Turner-Smith
Smith, who starred in Queen and Slim alongside Daniel Kaluuya is also British…yeah we didn’t see that coming.
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Delroy Lindo
Lindo has starred in so many movies and TV shows and we just now are finding out that he’s from the UK. And we’ve yet to find him speak in a British accent.
Antonia Thomas
The Good Doctor actress does a good job keep our emotions running on the show and all along she’s British. What makes it more interesting is there is an actor who started on the show with her, who plays a British doctor.
Hugh Laurie
Our favorite genius doctor prick Laurie in House I was shocked when I heard his real voice in an interview! That’s some serious acting talent!
Thandie Newton
The actress has been starring in many shows and movies is actually British and we’re ashamed to say it wasn’t until now that really listened to how she sounds when in interviews.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRQvn845oSg
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Don’t be surprised if you didn’t know or you simply forgot. It wasn’t until Belle, the past recent years that she portrayed a character with an accent.
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David Oyelowo
Oyelowo portrayed one of the most revered man in the fight for equality, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the whole time he was British and masking his real accent. Pretty good acting.
Alfred Enoch
If you remember him from Harry Potter than you may have known he was British. If you knew him from How To Get Away From Murder, you may not know.
Jessica Sula
If you’ve known her since Skins you may know she’s from the UK but if you were introduced to her on Recovery Road or anything more recent, you are in for a British surprise.
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Theo James
The Insurgent actor stole our hearts in the trilogy and tricked us all throughout his career because we didn’t know he was British.
John Boyega
This may or may not be a known factor that Boyega, the history-making Star Wars actor (among other roles) is from the UK. If you saw his film that helped get him closer to the limelight, Attack the Block, then you would know, but that film wasn’t his break out film in America so you still may be in the dark about his true accent.