These 10 Celebs Tried To Say 'Toronto' Like A Local & Some Failed Miserably (VIDEO)
"It's insane to say anything else."
Anna Kendrick at TIFF. Right: Hugh Jackman on the red carpet.
Everyone knows Toronto is a celebrity hotspot. On any given day, you could spot Adam Sandler shooting hoops, Arnold Schwarzenegger riding his bike or Mark Wahlberg working out at a local gym. Celebs love this city — but how many can really walk the walk, or talk the Toronto talk?
Narcity set out to see just how many celebs have their Toronto lingo down pat. Fortunately, there is one surefire way to tell a tourist from a local — just ask them to say the name of the city out loud. If the second "T" isn't silent, you know the person isn't a diehard Torontonian.
So we asked 10 A-list stars to pronounce the name of the city we're in, and the responses were hilarious!
Watch Hollywood Stars Pronounce 'Toronto'youtu.be
Anna Kendrick, who was in town for the premiere of the drama-filled thriller Alice, Darling answered the question flawlessly and said, "I'm American, so I say 'To-ron-toe,' but if I was from here, I'd say 'To-ronno.'"
Hugh Jackman is an Aussie actor, so we've got to give him some slack when pronouncing Canadian words, but the Wolverine star nailed it. "Toronno," he said proudly before adding, "it's meant to be one syllable."
Brian Cox got it wrong and was quick to mock the lack of enunciation. "You don't do your Ts, do you? That's the awful thing about you people on this side," Cox said."But it should be said, 'Toronto.'"
Canadian comedian Mae Martin knew what they was talking about, and their pronunciation was flawless.
"It's insane to say anything else. If you say anything else, it's like you're mad at the person you're talking to," Martin said.
Kit Harington also failed the test, clearly pronouncing that second T with a definitive "To-ron-toe."
Kardinal Offishall, a fellow Canadian, laughed at the question. "It depends what street you're walking on, some say 'To-ronno,' some say 'Tu-run-toe,' it really depends on where you are in the city," he said.
But Offishall said he doesn't think he refers to the city as "Toronto." Instead, he calls it "the city, the 6ix, T.dot."
Kate Beckinsale said, "I'm from London, so I say all the T's. Is that wrong?"
Christopher Convery didn't quite pass the test either. The 14-year-old was in town promoting the film Prisoner's Daughter alongside Beckinsale and Cox at TIFF. It was his first time in Toronto, so we can cut him some slack this time.
Jayme Lawson sounded like a straight-up local.
Finally, the Narcos actor Arturo Castro said Toronto like a pro. So, all in all, not a bad showing.
Here is a list of all the celebs that were asked how to pronounce Toronto at TIFF, and who could probably pass as a local:
- Anna Kendrick 👍
- Hugh Jackman 👍
- Brian Cox 👎
- Mae Martin 👍
- Kit Harington 👎
- Kardinal Offishall 👍
- Kate Beckinsale 👎
- Chris Convery 👎
- Jayme Lawson 👍
- Arturo Castro 👍