How I Faked Being American

A former KGB spy reveals how he faked being American.
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MUSIC
Predisposed
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Hunter Hunted
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Intrigue
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Follow Me
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
STILLS
Montreal map
Tuangtong/Getty Images
Canadian and American flags
stockstudiox/Getty Images
Grunge Background
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Credits: www.buzzfeed.com/bfmp/videos/...
EXTERNAL CREDITS
Jack Barsky
jackbarsky.com/

[@GiDD504]

Plot twist : *He’s still undercover and this is all part of his mission*

[@wafflenation3030]

GiDD that’d explain why Russia hasn’t tried to assasinate him

[@Ty-vj4wg]

This is a Stalin comment

[@kennethpurboadji4081]

GiDD its impossible because soviets have collapsed

[@bestdad1333]

Kenneth Purboadji that’s exactly what we want to hear :)

[@benlevra]

Re Fil hahaha

[@IshanAli]

THIS. GUY. JUST. FINESSED. A WHOLE. COUNTRY!

[@user-cq1ud5nf7m]

Ishan Ali man like jack finessing and that

[@gracieldarodriguez6820]

America’s wig has been snatched

[@corteiz]

Ishan Ali THROW THE WHOLE UNITED STATES AWAY

[@holdenhunter6218]

Ishan Ali lol

[@cl03cl]

Ishan Ali mhm

[@Mary-sh8fj]

"I just put on some weed socks and everyone believed me"

[@renji2600]

SinonSkylines that would have been a more believable story lol

[@pietrovicci]

That’s facts

[@himynamelscolin]

For real tho, it’d be so easy to get away with acting like an American nowadays...

[@DBT1007]

the past is different, folks..

[@-PlayMaker-]

Lol

[@RuaFae]

I hope he’s getting his own series omg

[@katelynbrown98]

He probably won't want to talk too much about his experience. Or may not be able to.

[@audreymcneal]

He has a book

[@Deosu]

I had a theory something like that may be where Mike is going. Some (jokingly) think Mike's planning a job himself, but the exposure from Outsmarted would be counter-intuitive. Unless we imagine a double bluff where being too visible to be a spy lets someone be a spy, but that's something out of a parody movie. It's more likely he could use his gained contacts, many of whom have written their own work, and their firsthand info on investigation, intel and counter-intel, bloodhound tracking, tailing and bounty hunting to write a show or movie pitch based on the learning experience, likely starring Adam Levine. Which likely would be on the menu for the millions of pre-established fans of Outsmarted, turning exposure from a shackle into a springboard. All of which would likely be a very careful, clever domino act. In theory.

[@RuaFae]

Katelyn Brown oh yeah, true.

[@chartreux1532]

+rachel He sort of had one here in Germany, since he's german and his real name is Albrecht Dittrich, but that doesn't exist in english nor with english subtitles i believe

[@user-sw6dx5em7j]

Plot twist: he pretended to be German and is in fact American

[@odeioincendios]

Aus tin he told a joke lol

[@alexandramcdonnell5492]

I was watching this video and my dad walked by and said: "That's Jack Barsky!" and I was like whattttt? How do you know him? My dad (an accountant) worked with him at an energy firm for 4 YEARS. I'm shook.

[@shaimbayise3245]

Lol it's interesting

[@KinryuM]

His american accent is very good, but germans just like myself can still hear his german accent.

[@minasbaguette889]

I'm American and yeah I can hear him mispronouncing words a bit you could tell he's not Native

[@bluelambo5]

MainOnGame are you joking. Don't comment how good his accent is if you're not even a native English speaker lol it is so goddamn obvious he is foreign.. "very good" pfft 😂

[@eggnoodle1061]

I'm kind of confused he's former KGB agent but he's German??????? I AM CONFUSION AMERICA EXPLAIN!

[@bluelambo5]

East Germany was part of the Soviet union when he was kgb

[@minasbaguette889]

Derek don't be rude to the foreigners. They don't know any better 💁🏻

[@simar1846]

The guy choose Canada as a practice ground 😂😂

[@hatujemeletsplayeryheskyce6460]

Nice profile

[@jeffersonwright4286]

Canada is very similar to places like Washington, Vermont, and Massachusetts

[@user-vk8yq8oq7p]

Chose*, don’t criticise someone’s English when you can’t even speak it yourself

[@liquidfluid6935]

@@user-vk8yq8oq7p ??? He didn't criticize anyone

[@TN-ju4ro]

Jefferson Wright wrong those places are similar to canada

[@stephenj1118]

Glad he retired without anything bad happening to him

[@LoboLakerGaming]

stephen jang in another video, he told the KGB he had contracted AIDS, so they didn’t even bother bringing him home to potentially help infect the USSR. They let him retire and told his family in East Germany he had died

[@XXRolando2008]

lol

[@yonathanandrewpardede4538]

Lobo Hog which video?

[@LoboLakerGaming]

it was in another video by BuzzFeed. They did a few on this guy

[@siyabongamngomezulu9743]

Sergei Skripal, Russia never forgets

[@emjayfloyd7550]

2:17 is me in school everyday tbh

[@Joanna-rc7ty]

you can panic! at my disco me in math 😂

[@aleliortega]

😂

[@n00bie96]

you can panic! at my disco i fucking died

[@yufensdiary8135]

You made my day😂😂😂

[@sarahmeikle9346]

😂😂

[@laney2773]

He clearly used Christopher Walken as a role model - voice wise, and I'm digging it.

[@TheCelticTiger32]

Christopher Walken's father Paul Wälken was originally from Horst, Germany. So it's just an American/German accent

[@laney2773]

TheCelticTiger32 well that’s actually interesting. I dig the way he talks, its unique and one of those voices you don’t forget.

[@JayJasperLondon]

I’m half German and he looks just like an uncle of mine who’s lived in Canada for a while.. it’s spooky and I’m generally freaked out 😲

[@JayJasperLondon]

TheCelticTiger32 More like ‘what’s his name’ from Inglorious Bastards, Christopher Waltz? 🤔

[@luf4rall]

you wouldn't want to model yourself after Christopher Walken if you didn't want to stick out

[@SheThatGinger]

Give this gentleman his own series, cause he is intetesting af and I am sure alot of us wanna know more about his story(s)

[@Greta-yh5ou]

watch the Americans it’s pretty similar

[@zhannymc1043]

There is a video out there that goes for about 1hr 40 with him explaining A LOT of things he went through, he touches on the same things in this video but left a heap out, like how he was caught, how he got the name... very very interesting

[@mrnic3058]

Ya know he has a book right

[@InvestingHustler]

Well played jack well played 🙏( slow clap)

[@sar7850]

INVESTING HUSTLER - Stocks and money making videos those are praying hands dont @ me

[@luxlisbon2727]

👏🏼

[@holdenhunter6218]

Ok

[@shazomar1]

That’s 200 Vbucks

[@awesome395]

INVESTING HUSTLER - Stocks and money making videos Dude you're fucking everywhere.

[@ryl9335]

hE EXPOSED HIMSELF

[@RL-ys5qw]

He is retired

[@fortheloveofdavis9577]

He's also EX kgb, so to me it sounds like he MAY have defected. But even if he didn't he's still ex kgb AND retired therefore it really doesn't matter 😉

[@ospr88n21]

R L woooosh

[@cho0sakura]

East Germany ended in 1990, therefore it really doesn't matter now, nearly 30 years later

[@cho0sakura]

jup, plus, the country he came from literally doesn't exist anymore :)

[@claire3976]

This is really cool... I think it's really interesting how he was able to learn the culture so well, especially because Germany is so different from america

[@ChaosWitchAnna]

Clicked IMMEDIATELY it's such a fascinating yet TERRIFYING concept to try and accept!

[@mrnic3058]

Anna C ya I know can you imagine you meet a guy and you become good friends then one day you find some one has broken into your your house then you realize no has stolen anything but there’s something different about your watch you look at it then you see something it’s a wire then you realize that your house has been bugged you go to your close friend but then he pulls out a gun and shoots you you wake up hours later on the side of a river you walk to what you see is a light you find a house you knock on the door then you find out that is was all a dream

[@ChaosWitchAnna]

Mr Nic ROFLMAO BEST RESPONSE EVER!! Sarcasm on point, I applaud you dear sir. I dont trust anyone SO as far as I know you could actually just be a sentient extension of google but are feeling a bit snarky because people keep searching for pictures of Justin Bieber today....everything is relative.

[@globalcritics9076]

I envy how he perfected the accent

[@amandaprashad3324]

Global Critics yeah I live in New York and I can’t even spoke English that good

[@alapekuttaja7222]

Amanda speak*

[@sibunAsuaHsaD]

Global Critics it’s pretty easy actually ^^

[@adrianvelmont4020]

Seriously? It sounds pretty obvious he is german because of certain overstretching of vowels and the having a throated r instead of the english rolled r, i.e. in wrap etc. Currently living in Germany so I hear that alot. Don't know how he got past the FBI.

[@amandaprashad3324]

Aron May lmao I said spoke for the joke you get it?

[@airahfuji]

If that ain't the most American explanation.. Freedom, with a capital F.

[@vonOhzu]

How twist off low-key converted a KGB spy.

[@gringo2damax]

I love how BuzzFeed gave this guy a job

[@outpostorange9580]

I spy...a spy found you!

[@leaisstillhere]

Just imagine living that life! Einfach unvorstellbar und irgendwie großartig.

[@KA1N3R]

Lea L. N. Being a spy for an authoritarian government is your definition of greatness? Da muss ich aber ein bisschen widersprechen.

[@sarina7179]

KA1N3R 😂

[@leaisstillhere]

KA1N3R Klar, ich meine es eher als "aufregend-großartig".

[@annikaoffermann2830]

Lea L. N. Und gefährlich

[@najakunze5089]

warum es gibt doch google translate

[@nanadan209]

I'm black but foreign and trilingual, when I moved to the south all I got was "You sound like a white person" "You sound different from the others" "If I heard you on the phone ida thought you were a white girl" *in a southern accent "Omg you're from the Caribbean but you don't have an accent thoo..." "Omg your black but...buttt..buttt you speak French?" I just want to know where do Americans get this Idea of what people are "suppose" to sound/act like?

[@whoaadude1931]

Society possibly.

[@aamiinalovely7668]

You have to be lying. Why would complete strangers just come up to you and ask you those questions? That makes no sense, lol.

[@aamiinalovely7668]

Nana Dan How would people know you’re from the Caribbean? I’m pretty sure most southern people sound the same so, why would a white girls voice be different from a black girls in the south? I live in the south, this is false.

[@nanadan209]

I work with the public, I've done customer service jobs(retail) and I am now in the medical field. So yeah I get those questions alot. Even from my boss. People didn't tell me these things up north. And Im sure you're not the only person living in the south.

[@nanadan209]

Aamiina Lovely Example After saying hello and while I'm in the process of helping them they would say "you must not be from here, you just don't sound like the rest of them" I'd reply "Yes I'm from the Caribbean" They say "Well you surely don't have an accent" My reply "yeah I know" They ask "How long have you been living here?" That's usually how customers and patients are when they're curious.

[@burner52x]

Freedom with a capital F gave me chills

[@msvideos234]

Easy! Act entitled and be oblivious.

[@neindanke3420]

msvideos234 There are so many Americans who are the complete opposite of entitled and oblivious.

[@brandonliao408]

This guy needs to give language learning tips. His English is simply amazing!

[@MayaMaya-np8be]

“Canada is close enough” I have never been so insulted

[@brokewithexpensivetaste1222]

I'm definitely buying his book. I'm intrigued

[@JKNation]

This is fascinating, I'd love to learn more about his story

[@YoungEducationUSA]

Just about all of us Americans are fake. We just like to pretend that we’re the best or somehow special.

[@avqc954]

Dr Nathan House we are the best

[@bbarbapappa595]

Armen V Nah. You’re great though.

[@fernando18455]

We are the best and special tho

[@towo9531]

Yeah I heard that the high schools in America are fun

[@garb8933]

Armen V You sound like a nazi

[@CodyWhitlock]

I was not sure what the video was going to be by the title but this is really cool! I never thought about this.

[@jillian5050]

This is so interesting someone give this man his own series

[@nottodayisay]

Add 'like, ohh ma gawd, like literally, I can't even!' to the end of every sentence, you're good to go.

[@mochammadnaufalseptifiandi]

KZbin : "How I recommend you some random videos."

[@samuraicop7252]

A series please .

[@barmetler]

This is so interesting... I wish the interview was longer

[@Andrew-jv6op]

I’m an illegal but it’s all good

[@issacthekid]

Haile Daniel I think he knows this idiot.

[@rickgrimes2056]

Andrew Romero I have your name and picture should I report you to ICE?

[@0GSJDIGOH]

Ok

[@avamadison4438]

There are racist ppl on KZbin you know!😂be careful about what you say

[@fazejesus9777]

Lol

[@likemycommentgurl5196]

He was oddly cute when he was young..

[@katieshaw5051]

2:04 I can see my house over in PEI haha

[@doubledarelover]

honestly someone needs to get this guy his own series

[@williamsesler8764]

This guy came to my church and told his story. No joke. dead serious.

[@faridaelsonbaty5659]

This guy learned English PERFECTLY in 4 years. I’ve been studying French for 9 years and can barely ask ‘what did you eat yesterday?’ Fa fk?

[@nolanphillips6195]

I love how buzzfeed is so obsessed with this man. He is pretty cool

[@soul-yi6ng]

3:30 was that a military M6 tank driving through the middle of a neighbourhood intersection

[@pinkranger5522]

He just exposed immigrants

[@-scrim]

Good.

[@dontsubscribetome4190]

excellence "Good."

[@dnicole4236]

Everybody is an immigrant

[@avamadison4438]

We all are btw do he exposed everyone except native Americans (right?)

[@ElizabethDevonshire]

I hope you realize that if you were born in America, you are American. Our ancestors immigrated. We did not. Because my ancestors immigrated, does not mean I am an immigrant.

[@jasmin_dd963]

As a German I feel exposed

[@lolasupermario]

unimportantFact same lol

[@heyysimone]

I love how he always adds "reformed" lol

[@123rudyc]

So many videos with this guy.

[@fluffkin7432]

(SPY FAKES BEING AMERICAN SO COOL WOAH WOAH WOAH) “I couldn’t open a bottle-“ (JUST KIDDING HES AMAZING!)

[@AgentSteffi]

as a german, i was confused by the american bottles as well. saw it in sitcoms and was really confused how they could open the beer.. different countrys, different bottles

[@oldfashiondragon]

This um is odd

[@MyLittleGreenHairdedMermaid]

They have had this guy on buzzfeed before

[@oldfashiondragon]

MyLittleGreenHairdedMermaid yes I know

[@makedragon]

I believe he says its odd because its kinda freaky to know that anyone from the 60s to the end of the 80s right next to you could have been a spy or a secret agent gathering intel for their countries.

[@oldfashiondragon]

Michael Vargas oooh okay

[@minasbaguette889]

Anyways between the lifetime movie with the true story of russian spies, and the buzzfeed video of the german spy, I'm going to need y'all to STOP doing this because it freaks me the f out. Let me live in ignorant bliss

[@CatFishKick]

Someone other than buzz feed should give this man a series

[@WhallonJesse]

"Reformed". He's got you all played.

[@tommyl.9669]

1:05 lmao i'm German and that's so true!!

[@ccccg1961]

prime Hoe stimmt einfach zu 100%!:D...

[@AdamIbnSulaymanAlHanbali]

Und das ist auch gut so

[@caricature1997]

Pa la eut mo

[@mt6349]

Next video: How I faked being human.

[@trexx0706]

Keep interviewing this guy please!

[@AGM-ts5bb]

Sounds like a very interesting story! God bless!

[@stephanie-pw6wo]

I KNEW HE WAS GERMAN WHEN HE STARTED TALKING Eventough he spend 4 years perfecting it lmao

[@miuhcupcake2285]

Do you think he had to learn the different way to count to three with fingers?😂

[@CanakYT]

FBI: *Stay right where you are*

[@meganpandalover8913]

“Canada is close enough” lmao why is this the truest thing I’ve ever heard

[@yugoandcalirobbedmyheart292]

How to be an AMERICAN. A new show Hosted by Jack Barsky the country-shifter?

[@millamae1554]

Leute, wo sind die Deutschen?!😂🤞🏻🇩🇪

[@HeuschnupfenDevelopment]

milla mae 🙋‍♂️

[@anyunlabelle2420]

milla mae anwesend 😂

[@liviadrewzilla]

Na hier!

[@sstlibertas6440]

Infiltrating America, apparently 😂

[@uncle-706]

Ja Deutschland 🇩🇪

[@xoinfatuated]

This guy is so interesting! I bet he has lots of cool stories to tell!

[@covidsstuff]

This seems like an instructional video for current and future spy’s

[@christianbroadnax2381]

Once a kgb agent alway one.

[@stalwartductcleaning1828]

Wait the the US has a culture?

[@bbarbapappa595]

Sneaker Love lmao. I guess, it’s just a culture composed of other cultures.

[@hihoe5277]

Yes, it’s banjos and hotdogs.

[@stalwartductcleaning1828]

Ya like jazz yeah thats true. But then other cultures get appropriated by whites which is crazy

[@rebekanickell8451]

Sneaker Love ikr.

[@sackofwack4964]

_WE GOT AN EINSTEIN GUYS_

[@mevineven869]

War is war and spy is spying ..hats off great proffesional at his job respect man

[@lenchenes]

Hope netflix produce a documentary about him. Interesting.

[@Silver-Spring]

I read his book it's amazing.

[@brady634]

*21 savage wants to know your location*

[@kirstysk5931]

Why does this guy remind me exactly of the Russian spy in NCIS LA!?!??? Anyway I want more stories!! This guy is fascinating!!

[@natasfresas]

Like an alien observing humans

[@kaemincha]

I'm so sorry Buzzfeed. These comments are horrendous.

[@Will_Walsh]

But... can he say Squirrel

[@sunny-je9vk]

Incredible. I'm german too and I hope my english will sound like this as well one day since my accent is still very heavy

[@ccccg1961]

mika hoffe ich auch :")...

[@GetDownCrazy24]

The KGB waits for no one

[@starbug1898]

Props, cause he had to learn everything about culture and mannerisms in a time of little-to-no Internet.

[@AlexisMitchell87]

But, I can still hear his accent. I don’t know if he still “pretends” to be American, but it’s kind of obvious he’s not a native.

[@emilyjones4121]

Alexis Mitchell he really doesn't need to have an American accent now does he? And loads of people in America and are American don't always have American accents. Do they?

[@xxxEmstarxxx]

Alexis Mitchell He’s not undercover anymore there’s no need to pretend to be American, if he was still undercover I think being on the internet sharing that he was a secret agent would blow his cover.

[@AlexisMitchell87]

Emily jones I’m just going off what he said in the interview.

[@AlexisMitchell87]

Emstarx obviously. I’m just curious if he kept using the skills he learned to blend in, in his everyday life.

[@avamadison4438]

Alexis Mitchell true. Like did it never catch on after years?

[@jeremykuo3439]

1:26 Jack half laughs at the end like it's some silly thing. It kind of is tho...

[@fabianfitz-jim8101]

He was on buzzfeed multiplayer m16 agent

[@natsumi1120]

I could tell he wasn’t an American because of his mispronunciations. So he was right about the girl thing 😄

[@Nagarath16]

At that freedom part I started to laugh so much.. He truly became 'Murican in the end - strongly sharing the same main delusion.

[@whoaadude1931]

Americans are far more free than most countries so your comment makes no sense.

[@martaotita]

I guess he did not come back to Germany or Europe in these years

[@lindalemoni5428]

Morgan Freeman... every country has freedom to a "certain extent".

[@dioksazin]

I think that USA could have more freedom back then... now it’s like most of the countries in eu lol

[@stellaw3620]

He used to live in East Germany, there wasn't much freedom you always had to be afraid that someone was spying on you and giving the stasi information about you etc. So America has more freedom in comparison, he probably just doesn't know how it looks like now in Germany

[@ZoraEevee1221]

Can we get this man his own series?

[@valerianardelean9235]

Wow this is actually an ad that wants me to buy the book lol

[@yonggeuk7782]

Can still hear the German in him

[@XxBootleggerLoverxX]

Canada..."is close enough"?!

[@AgentSteffi]

what exactly is your question?

[@DeeDeeCatMom]

Of course it is...many of the brands are the same, the restaurants function similarly, and we wear similar clothes. It's close enough considering Britain and the rest of Europe are still quite different from Canada and the USA. No idea why he went to Montreal though...French areas add another level of complexity. They should have sent him to Toronto.

[@SwordTune]

Yes. If you go to Canada you'll realize your mind is not instantly blown by a complete cultural and linguistic change.

[@XxBootleggerLoverxX]

Well, I find there are many different linguistic and cultural differences.

[@SwordTune]

+Vackert Ljus Going from Canada to America is close enough. Going from Germany to America is different.

[@annahaug6133]

I got an ad about starting a new life before this

[@dylanwestrand9507]

This guy did so well at being a spy that he got America to believe he is not a spy but instead “reformed.”

[@harborseal1286]

Poor Canada, The KGB used it as the practice USA.Instead of putting a velvet cloth on their aggressiveness they wrap their apologies in it.

[@cbomb002]

idk why I subbed lol

[@samshroyer285]

thomas same...

[@SofiaChan6]

thomas buzzfeed unsolved?

[@ItsSota]

because you're black

[@ItsSota]

And black people like blue

[@bread9148]

thomas saw :/

[@moonchildasmr1]

*Reads title* "Well heck, anybody can do that..."

[@matthewrarig6760]

Wow. He used to live near where my hometown was. Creepy. Still very interesting, though.

[@JamesAxis13]

Now that you've done it.... Don't do it again... Cuz there is an NSA agent watching your every move.

[@aos1762]

INCOOM13 facts

[@Live.Laugh.Lobotomy]

INCOOM13 what

[@hunterwilliams4890]

Oh god your one of those guys😒

[@JamesAxis13]

TheSarcastic Wolf whom?

[@BentleyDC]

Your telling u don’t hav Freedom in Canada

[@MikeCC]

Bentley_DC you do but their gov doesn’t have to give it to them based on their constitution, but they choose to

[@walterkornbluth]

The American Constuitution let people own Slaves , & have "Negro" lunch counters... It took over a century to fix.....Sadly the past is NOT always a place to look for things that are inspiring, its was screwed up for almost everyone......

[@dimetrodonz]

This guy is seriously awesome!!

[@crakerz1012]

Thought he was going left but nah he went right

[@parthivchoudhuri7943]

I’m proud of Canada 🇨🇦

[@vanesad1355]

Smiley Creeper lucky

[@mayas2335]

@ all those saying you can hear that he isn't a native: maybe he doesn't try to hide his accent? This was years ago and he probably doesn't need to focus on perfect pronunciation anymore

[@clarkearnold1727]

this dude just went ahead and finessed the whole country. damn.

[@quaintleaf1208]

very interesting. enjoyed this video