VIDEO: Iconic Star Wars actor speaks Hungarian

From time to time, celebrities attempt to say a few words in Hungarian, the language that is (in)famous for being extremely difficult. Star Wars’ Obi-Wan Kenobi is quite legendary for a set of reasons. Did you know that he once spoke Hungarian as well? He did a pretty good job, we must add. What do you think?

The Star Wars legend

Ewan McGregor, a renowned Scottish actor, has attained global fame for his multifaceted acting career, most notably for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels, which garnered widespread acclaim. McGregor’s versatility as an actor was showcased through his exceptional depiction of the Jedi Knight. Beyond Star Wars, his diverse filmography includes iconic performances in Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge! and The Impossible. With a compelling on-screen presence, McGregor continues to captivate audiences, leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape. Ewan McGregor brought his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi back to life in his recent series, a move that sparked mixed reactions among fans. Despite the divided reactions, it was unanimously agreed that McGregor continues to perfectly embody the character.

Multilingual commercial

As Promotions has noted, in a surprising twist from his usual Hollywood spotlight, Ewan McGregor took on a lesser-known role a decade ago, featuring in a commercial that stretched across various languages, including our beloved Hungarian. Now, you may be wondering, what was the commercial all about? A decade ago, ING made waves with its announcement to float its European insurance and asset management business on the stock exchange through an open share issue. ING wrote in an announcement:

In this context, ING Insurance announced today its plans to rebrand in the future as ‘NN’, a new identity that balances the heritage and Dutch roots with the requirements of an international and future-proof brand.

This strategic move aimed at securing an independent future also involved a significant rebranding, with the insurance company opting to change its name to NN. To effectively communicate this transformation to a diverse audience across different nations, ING needed two key elements: a compelling commercial and a catchy name.

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Speaking Hungarian

The famous actor conveyed a straightforward message in multiple languages. In the video that featured Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek and notably Hungarian, McGregor explained the shift from ING to NN in a very simple way. He says:

Or as we say in Hungarian… ING becomes NN

While this short sentence may sound as easy as pie, just think about the challenge of saying it in six languages. We can all agree that learning any of these languages can be a hard nut to crack. Even if it is just one sentence, you have to repeat it over and over again to master it. It would be interesting to know how many retakes it took for McGregor to say that sentence in each language. Although, it is quite likely that we will never know the answer to that. We have to give it to him, he gets an A for effort for sure! Wonder if he did a great job with the pronunciation? See the video for yourself and decide!