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'Off Campus' star Ella Bright sets the record straight on why she sounds British despite being fully American

Rising actress Ella Bright explains how she lost her American accent after moving to London as a child, despite being born in New York to U.S. parents.

Published June 17, 2026, 9:42 PM
Updated June 17, 2026, 9:58 PM2.0K
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'Off Campus' star Ella Bright sets the record straight on why she sounds British despite being fully American

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"Off Campus" star Ella Bright is setting the record straight about her roots.

During a candid interview, the rising actress candidly revealed that despite her unmistakable British accent, she's actually "fully American."

Host Amanda Hirsch noted that Bright was born in New York and asked about her time living in the United States.

"Yeah, I was born in New York and then we kind of moved back and forth from New York to London until I was like six, I think," Bright said on the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast. "And then I've been in London my whole — I don't really remember it."

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Ella Bright standing on the red carpet at the Off Campus premiere in Los Angeles

Ella Bright attends the premiere of "Off Campus" in Los Angeles on April 29. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

The actress revealed that she once had an American accent as a child, but it faded after spending most of her life in the United Kingdom.

When Hirsch pointed out that Bright's parents are not British, the actress responded, "No, I'm fully American. The only British people in my family are my sisters and I."

"No, I'm fully American. The only British people in my family are my sisters and I."

— Ella Bright

Bright explained that her father is from Oklahoma and her mother is from California.

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Ella Bright as Hannah Wells

Ella Bright as Hannah Wells in "Off Campus." (Amazon MGM Studios)

"My entire family still live in Oklahoma," she said.

According to Bright, her family's move overseas was connected to her father's job, but her relatives have embraced her British accent over the years.

"They love the British accent. So, it's very funny," Bright said. "My cousin's always like, 'Speak, speak.'"

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Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli standing together outdoors

Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli appear together in a scene from "Off Campus." (Amazon Content Services LLC)

The conversation also turned to Bright's performance in "Off Campus," where she successfully adopted an American accent for the role.

Hirsch praised the actress' vocal transformation, saying she was convinced Bright was American while watching the series.

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Ella Bright smiling on the set of The Kelly Clarkson Show

"Off Campus" star Ella Bright reveals she's "fully American" despite her British accent, explaining her family moved between New York and London. (Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal)

"Your American accent is so good in 'Off Campus.' And I'm so sensitive to that," Hirsch said. "Like I feel like one of my superpowers is… being like, 'That actress is British. Like I know it.' And then I'll look it up and be like, 'Knew it.'"

The podcast host added that she would not have guessed Bright was British after hearing her performance.

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"Your American accent is so good. I would have never known," Hirsch said.

Bright stars as Hannah Wells, the fan-favorite heroine at the center of "Off Campus," a steamy college drama based on Elle Kennedy's bestselling novels. Set in the high-stakes world of Briar University's elite hockey team, the series follows students as they navigate romance, heartbreak and the growing pains of early adulthood.

Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.giang@fox.com and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon.

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