# Actors who are "triple threats"--they can really sing, really act, and really dance. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968 "2010-09-16T14:12:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/41 "2010-09-16T16:58:34Z")
The late, great Gregory Hines – although, I suppose he’s not really a singer. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/42 "2010-09-16T17:32:37Z")
I saw a documentary once where someone said Judy Garland never got enough credit for her dancing and that she was a superb dancer. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/43 "2010-09-16T17:35:50Z")
Definitely not **Raquel Welch**. She doesn’t move her arms when she dances. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/44 "2010-09-16T17:37:04Z")
Steve Martin. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/45 "2010-09-16T17:45:54Z")
Frank Sinatra. Could sing reasonably well, held his own dancing with Gene Kelly and acting opposite Marlon Brando. Brando and Kelly also could do all three. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/46 "2010-09-16T17:52:44Z")
Anne Hathaway really impressed me with her opening performance during last year’s Academy Awards. She’s a five-tool talent: looks, boobs, voice, moves, acts. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/47 "2010-09-16T17:56:54Z")
> [@Purd\_Werfect](#): > > Steve Martin. And he plays the banjo, too. Quadruple threat! ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/48 "2010-09-16T18:12:39Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Definitely not **Raquel Welch**. She doesn’t move her arms when she dances. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/49 "2010-09-16T18:27:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Gwen Verdon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra (see **On the Town** or **Anchors Aweigh** for his dancing), _ **Donald O’Connor** _, and Debbie Reynolds. _emphasis min_ I’ve got to second Donald O’conner. How can we get this far and not mention Dean Martin? I think the man was born on a stage. Singing and dancing were as natural as breathing for him. His acting was at least average and pretty good in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/50 "2010-09-16T18:37:41Z")
Debbie Reynolds. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/51 "2010-09-16T18:40:42Z")
Does Jack Black count? Or is he a negative triple threat in that he’s offered many opportunities to do all three and does none of them well? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/52 "2010-09-16T19:04:00Z")
Steve Martin came out the winner in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=514142) thread on multi-talented people. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/53 "2010-09-16T19:24:23Z")
In all fairness, I guess we have to mention Jason Alexander (yeah, I know . . .). Judy Garland should be given the #1 slot in this thread. Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters are the reason I saw \*Into the Woods \*four times. And I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Barbra Streisand (yes, she has danced, even on roller skates). ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/54 "2010-09-16T20:16:22Z")
John Travolta can dance and act, and his singing is not horrible, IMHO. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/55 "2010-09-16T20:18:09Z")
Isn’t Jason Alexander know for his chops on the dance floor, as well as signing? I know he won a tony for a musical, Tony Robbin’s Broadway, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/56 "2010-09-16T20:24:04Z")
Wow, that is some bad spelling. Sheesh ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/57 "2010-09-16T20:55:06Z")
kevin spacey sings and acts. Is he considered a dancer too? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/58 "2010-09-16T21:00:30Z")
Jane Krakowski. Vicki Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/59 "2010-09-16T21:05:53Z")
> [@jk1245](#): > > in the “Single Ladies” video parody, he’s a better dancer than Beyonce. Let’s add Beyonce to the list. Her acting was pretty good in Austin Powers. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968/60 "2010-09-16T21:10:20Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > > [@jk1245](#): > > > > in the “Single Ladies” video parody, he’s a better dancer than Beyonce. > > Let’s add Beyonce to the list. Her acting was pretty good in Austin Powers. Nope. She sucked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-triple-threats-they-can-really-sing-really-act-and-really-dance/553968.md?page=4)