The American world of cinema has been, for a number of years, the desired destination for actors and actresses worldwide. Many global stars that we know today have managed to make the most of the opportunity that Hollywood offers by making a name for themselves in big box office productions in America. One thing that's becoming more and more common is that these global stars are not just originating from the U.S., but instead many European stars are now getting their names out there in the Hollywood arena.
These European actors and actresses who have managed to break into Hollywood thanks to successful productions in their country of origin which has created interest from big names in America. So, we want to take a look back at 12 stars from Europe who have been stars in their own country for many years but we all know them for their appearances in Hollywood productions.
1 Mads Mikkelsen
In Denmark, many already knew of the talented Copenhagen born actor Mads Mikkelsen years before his leap into the world of Hollywood thanks to his appearances in 'King Arthur' and, of course, as Le Chiffre in 'Casino Royale'. The actor was the protagonist in a number of Danish productions such as 'Blinkende Lygter' and 'De Grønne Slagtere'. It was his success in Danish cinema that landed him roles in the Danish dubbed versions of the popular Pixar films 'Cars' and 'Monsters, Inc.'. Since then we have seen him appear in a number of big projects such as Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Although his most successful film to date was probably his role in 'The Hunt' (2012), a Danish film in which the actor won the award for Best Actor in the Cannes Film Festival.
2 Marion Cotillard
One of the most adored French actress' out there, Marion Cotillard thanks for her roles in films such as 'Taxi', Love Me If You Dare' and last but not least the film that gave her an Oscar in 2007, 'La Vie en Rose'. However, the actress was not that well known globally until her role in Tim Burton's film 'Big Fish'. The big break for the Parisian actress was in the 2010 film 'Inception' where she played Leonardo DiCaprio's wife. After her rise in Hollywood, the French actress has balanced her time between both countries. For example, in the last few years she has appeared in French films such as 'Rust and Bone', whilst in the States we have seen her in 'Macbeth' and 'Assassin's Creed'.
3Daniel Brühl
Daniel Brühl has mainly made a name for himself in German cinema, although the actor was originally born in Barcelona, Spain. After a number of successful productions in Germany, he would have to wait for his role in Good Bye, Lenin! to become known worldwide. Whilst also still taking part in German productions, Brühl has appeared in popular Hollywood productions in recent years including the likes of 'The Bourne Ultimatum', 'Inglorious Basterds', 'Rush' and more recently 'Captain America: Civil War'.
4 Monica Belluci
Monica Bellucci started her career in performing to the audiences of European cinema in films such as 'Briganti- Amore e libertá' (1994) and 'The Apartment' (1996). Switching between Italy and France, Bellucci continued to impress but it wouldn't be until the year 2000 when she took the leap into the Hollywood arena with the film 'Under Suspicion' and became known worldwide. Following this, her role as Persephone in 'The Matrix' saga showed she was serious about taking on Hollywood. Since then we have seen the Italian actress in productions such as 'The Passion of the Christ', 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and of course in the James Bond film, 'Spectre', where she plays the Bond girl Lucia Sciarra.
5 Christoph Waltz
No one can forget Christoph Waltz's incredible performance as the infamous Colonel Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds. The Quentin Tarantino film boosted the career of the German actor in Hollywood who has also been part of productions such as 'Water for Elephants' and 'Django Unchained'. Although the actor kicked off his career in Germany, with films such as 'Falling Rocks' and 'Lapislazuli- im Auge des Bären', it was the Tarantino film that exposed his acting talents to the world. In recent years, we have seen him in films such as 'Big Eyes', 'Spectre' and 'The Legend of Tarzan'.
6 Léa Seydoux
French actress Leá Seydoux made a name for herself in her country thanks to films such as 'Lourdes' and 'Des Illusions', which led to her attracting the attention of Hollywood directors such as Quentin Tarantino for his 2009 film 'Inglorious Basterds' where she played Charlotte LaPadite. This role opened the doors of Hollywood for the actress. Although she has continued to work on projects in France, we have seen Seydoux appear in the likes of 'Midnight in Paris', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Spectre'.
7 Jean Reno
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Jean Reno is one of the better known actors throughout France with a career that has extended throughout Europe. He has appeared in well known French films such as 'The Big Blue' and 'Nikita'. The wider film community will remember him for films such as 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Godzilla'. Since then he has appeared in Hollywood films such as 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'The Pink Panther' and more recently 'The Last Face'.
8 Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård had already made a name for himself throughout Europe before embarking on his journey into Hollywood. The actor won the Best Actor award at the 1982 Berlin International Film Festival for his role in 'The Simple-Minded Murderer'. The early part of his career was split between productions in Sweden, where he was born, and Germany. Then in 1990 the opportunity to enter into Hollywood came along thanks to the film 'The Hunt for Red October'. However, the Swedish actor would truly make a name for himself when he played Professor Gerald Lambeau in 'Good Will Hunting'. This kicked off a successful Hollywood career as he has taken part in a number of American productions such as 'Deep Blue Sea', 'Dogville', 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End', 'Angels and Demons' as well as the two 'Thor' films.
9 Juliette Binoche
The career of Juliette Binoche has been full of both Hollywood and French productions which has made her one of the more famous actresses in French cinema. We have seen her in the Three Colours trilogy back in the early 90s and since then has been a regular figure in the Hollywood arena. The Paris born actress played Vianne Rocher in the 2000 film 'Chocolat' alongside Johnny Depp. The actress hasn't been afraid of balancing her work between France and America as she has appeared in productions such as 'Certified Copy' in France and 'Godzilla' in the States.
10 Vincent Cassel
To finish off the list, we have Vincent Cassel the French actor who has spent the majority of his career in Hollywood. He first appeared in Hollywood at the start of the 21st century and has appeared in productions such as Shrek, 'Ocean's Twelve' and Black Swan where he played the character Thomas Leroy. Despite continuing to do feature films in the States, such as the 2016 film Jason Bourne, Cassel has still gone back to his routes with films back in his native France with productions such as 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'One Wild Moment'.