I found out yesterday that Robin Willams had a tendency to steal other comedians' jokes. So much so that he set up a hotline for them to call if he stole a joke and he would send them like $400 or something.
Viggo Mortensen speaks like 6 or 7 different languages. Sir Christopher Lee spoke 8 I believe, 5 fluently, and 3 he could at least carry a conversation with. A lot of the now aging actors can speak at least one other language, as it comes in handy when promoting films before social media or even before the modern internet.
Honestly, I speak French (from France), and while the accent is present, he's fluent and I understood everything he said. I can only wish I'd speak as fluently in English ^^
Your writing is already better than the average american's, mon ami. I find it amusing that he's quite fluent, but he uses a lot of 'small' words and his grammar is all over the place, but yeah, he doesn't seem to really have to stop and think before he talks in another language, which is quite a feat!
Was thinking the same (French immigrant mother, entire mother's side of family lives in France, and lived in Frence for a time myself), his French is actually pretty good, i can see why he was able to do (oft exaggerated) impressions of French folks quite easily.
The network had to hire censors for at least FOUR languages because he kept getting stuff past the censors that way (Yiddish, French, Spanish are the ones I remember from the story but think there were many more)
There's a whole country of people who can do that. In fact, there's a whole empire full of such people. It's not that hard. Even French babies manage to learn it and we all know where they sit on the baby tier list, ammirite?
MarcUK
From the thumbnail I though this was a Robin Williams Frenchman lookalike. xD
HandoB4Javert
Fantastique!
damagemycalm
I don’t speak French and he still made me laugh and smile.
NeverTrustThisNewInternetThingy
These subtitles do noting! If you ever feel useless...sry I don't speak French haha
WeaponizedJerk
I had no idea he could speak French!
VulcanTourist
It doesn't surprise me in the least. He was fully gifted. He spoke at least one other language passably that we still don't know about.
tallquasi
He spoke passable Russian for Moscow on the Hudson
Superchief86
What a delightful guy. ❤️
AnbaricDragon
"Huh, that's amazing, I never even considered he might speak french. I wonder what he's saying"
Checks subtitles...
"SONNE OF A BIUSCHKE!"
Dannyalcatraz
I knew he was multilingual, but had no idea he was THIS fluent of any outside of English.
pmulax086
I read hhe even learned some Russian for a movie
Freeasabird2015
Oh! I understood almost all of that! I speak enough French to cover a small matchbox, I'm thrilled. He was so brilliant and is so missed.
ABn0rmal1
Well he was a mime early on so that makes sense.
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
The subtitles...cest na pa!
notmyrealface
I found out yesterday that Robin Willams had a tendency to steal other comedians' jokes. So much so that he set up a hotline for them to call if he stole a joke and he would send them like $400 or something.
distractedFreek
Those glasses are crazy
FeralAV
Anyone seen my scissors?
periwinklepanda
Crazy awesome!
FreeTheTiddy
As unique as he was.
ActualTttony
Glad there were subtitles
YeastInfectedWhiskerBiscuit
Viggo Mortensen speaks like 6 or 7 different languages. Sir Christopher Lee spoke 8 I believe, 5 fluently, and 3 he could at least carry a conversation with. A lot of the now aging actors can speak at least one other language, as it comes in handy when promoting films before social media or even before the modern internet.
beauchette
Honestly, I speak French (from France), and while the accent is present, he's fluent and I understood everything he said. I can only wish I'd speak as fluently in English ^^
Rogerwilco1974
You type it fluently, mon ami!
AdrianDunne
I wish I were fluent in English, but I'll just have to make do with grunting and pointing at things I want to eat.
INeedMoreGifMeMoreJustOneMore
Your writing is already better than the average american's, mon ami. I find it amusing that he's quite fluent, but he uses a lot of 'small' words and his grammar is all over the place, but yeah, he doesn't seem to really have to stop and think before he talks in another language, which is quite a feat!
GozerTheGozerian
Was thinking the same (French immigrant mother, entire mother's side of family lives in France, and lived in Frence for a time myself), his French is actually pretty good, i can see why he was able to do (oft exaggerated) impressions of French folks quite easily.
LebistusReticulatis
He spoke different languages. They had to check him at movies because he liked to smuggle curse words in from other languages
VowelShiftBetch
It was Mork and Mindy, he would try to use curse words from other languages as "alien speech"
LebistusReticulatis
Thanks for clearing this up! Was not sure which show or movie it was. Mork and Mindy… that’s way back indeed
unluckyandbored
Somewhere there's an NC-17 cut of Mrs. Doubtfire
Nuclearun
Possibly. There's definitely several cuts of Mork and Mindy where he got *something* last the censors.
pocketpython
The network had to hire censors for at least FOUR languages because he kept getting stuff past the censors that way (Yiddish, French, Spanish are the ones I remember from the story but think there were many more)
Centroid
The man even spoke French.
TinyLiehon
There's a whole country of people who can do that. In fact, there's a whole empire full of such people. It's not that hard. Even French babies manage to learn it and we all know where they sit on the baby tier list, ammirite?
PeerNooijen
Who doesnt?
LamarTrillington
Just learned that now.
TheBunnyPants
Didn't they need like 4 translators when he did a show because he kept swearing in foreign languages and they had to know when to bleep him?
SisyphusRollin
Mork and Mindy, thats the show. Because his Alien would speak in gibberish which gave him the perfect platform to sneak shit in.
TinyLiehon
Mindy *burp* Miiiindy! Let's go ... let's go on an adventure, Mindy. Do it for your grandpa Mork. A quick adventure! Twenty minutes, in and out
DarthWaiterSE
Yeah, he was infamous for swearing in Yiddish.
Quessir
Reminds me of Colm Meaney. He once swore, "Bollocks" was soft Irish slang, and slipped it into an episode of DS9.
shutupthisisreal
Colm Meaney is Irish gift to the world