# Movies where the actors actually sing/play the music. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828 "2002-09-10T18:04:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/21 "2002-09-10T21:42:29Z")
Kilmer also warbled a bit in The Doors. [http://us.imdb.com/Trivia?0101761](http://us.imdb.com/Trivia?0101761) ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/22 "2002-09-10T21:45:46Z")
The excellent Talking Heads movie **True Stories** featured songs by the cast (including John Goodman) and two different soundtrack albums - one featuring the cast and one entirely by Talking Heads. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/23 "2002-09-10T21:47:38Z")
Don’t forget Hoagy Carmichael in [The Best Years of Our Lives.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0036868) Anybody know if that was actually Harold Russell playing “Chopsticks” with Hoagy, or was it an overdub? And, of course, there’s Huey Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti, and Maria Bello in [Duets.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0134630) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/24 "2002-09-10T21:55:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brondicon \* > \*\* > Ewan McGregor channels Iggy Pop in **Velvet Goldmine**. > \*\* Jonathan Rhys-Meyer does some, but not all, of his own singing in the same movie. Ewan McGregor also sings in **Emma** (in fact, he got the part in **Velvet Goldmine** partially because of this), and of course the already-mentioned **Moulin Rouge**. Jude Law did his own horn playing in **The Talented Mr. Ripley**. Interestingly, the character in the novel is a painter, not a musician. Maybe Jude Law can’t paint. 🙂 Holly Hunter played the piano in the aptly named **The Piano**. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/25 "2002-09-10T22:03:34Z")
Aaargh! Somehow I missed Brondicon’s post for Duets. Sorry, Brondicon. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/26 "2002-09-10T22:07:13Z")
> [@](#): > > The excellent Talking Heads movie True Stories featured songs by the cast (including John Goodman) and two different soundtrack albums - one featuring the cast and one entirely by Talking Heads. My understanding is the cast album was never released, just the version with the band (supposedly against Byrne’s wishes). I’ve never seen the album, though it’d be interesting to hear… There are, of course, all the great jazz musicians in Robert Altman’s **Kansas City** who provide all the musical interludes, and while we’re talking about Altman, all the actors performed their own songs in **Nashville** as well. Also, don’t forget the Woody Allen movie **Everyone Says I Love You** where the entire cast–Woody, Julia Roberts, Edward Norton, Tim Roth, etc.–perform their own songs (except for Drew Barrymore). Diane Keaton also sang in **Annie Hall**. Gary Oldman did the singing himself in **Sid & Nancy**. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/27 "2002-09-10T22:09:42Z")
**ArchiveGuy** - I think you might be right. I’d heard there were two version, but only owned the non-cast one. The IMDB agrees with your version though. ---
**Author:** ![Semp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Semp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Semp)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/28 "2002-09-10T22:54:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\ ***ArchiveGuy** - I think you might be right. I’d heard there were two version, but only owned the non-cast one. The IMDB agrees with your version though. \*\* I’m going off memory here, and it’s been 16 years, but I’m positive I saw the True Stories cast soundtrack album in a store on vinyl. I could be mistaking it for a 12 inch single of Wild Wild Life for all I know, but memory is telling me it was the cast album. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/29 "2002-09-10T23:51:47Z")
I seem to recall that the actors in _Nashville_ not only performed, but wrote their own songs, and that Keith Carradine got an Oscar nomination for his song “I’m Easy”. Didn’t Tom Hulce do most of his own playing in _Amadeus_? It’s a mystery to me why he hasn’t had a bigger movie career. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/30 "2002-09-10T23:53:54Z")
Darn it, ArchiveGuy beat me to **Nashville** before I got a chance to mention it. I do believe that the actors involved not only performed those songs, but co-wrote them as well. I know that Henry Gibson’s turn as super-patriot Haven Hamilton is such spot-on satire that it’s reason enough for anyone to see the movie. I forgot a particularly notorious example: Sylvester Stallone doing his own singing as an aspiring C&W singer, alongside Dolly Parton, in **Rhinestone**. Oh, is he bad. ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/31 "2002-09-10T23:57:20Z")
In “The Night the Lights went out with Georgia” Kristy McNichol sings for herself. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/32 "2002-09-11T00:00:29Z")
I believe Lisa Bonet sang in **High Fidelity**. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/33 "2002-09-11T05:49:54Z")
I thought that Clint Eastwood really played the piano in **In the Line of Fire** but a check of the IMDB trivia page for the film didn’t mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/34 "2002-09-11T05:55:55Z")
I read in a review that Jane Horrocks did all her own singing in _Little Voice_. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/35 "2002-09-11T06:29:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*I read in a review that Jane Horrocks did all her own singing in _Little Voice_. Is this true? \*\* According to the back of the video box, it is. Also, not only was Richard Gere doing his own piano work in _Pretty Woman_, he also did all his own trumpet work in _The Cotton Club_. As for Dudley Moore, he also played his own piano in _Arthur_, but did not play the violin in _Unfaithfully Yours_. And he probably wasn’t really conducting orchestras in _Unfaithfully Yours_ and _Foul Play_, although he probably could have. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/36 "2002-09-11T06:49:19Z")
Also, I don’t have my copy of _The Fabulous Baker Boys_ handy, but IIRC, Jeff Bridges played his own piano, but Beau did not. I could have that wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/37 "2002-09-11T07:02:50Z")
I understand that Tim Blake Nelson did the actual vocals for “In the Jailhouse Now,” at the end of _O Brother, Where Art Thou_, although all of the rest of the singing was dubbed. Also, the Tommy Johnson character was played by professional blues guitarist Chris Thomas King. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/38 "2002-09-11T07:20:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baldwin \* > **I seem to recall that the actors in _Nashville_ not only performed, but wrote their own songs, and that Keith Carradine got an Oscar nomination for his song “I’m Easy”.** He won the Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/39 "2002-09-11T08:26:11Z")
Cameron Diaz sings on song on the **Vanilla Sky** soundtrack, as her character in that movie. And most (all?) of the voice actors did their own singing for the **South Park** movie. (And songwriting, as well, in a couple of cases.) Ranchoth (Does it sort of concern anyone else that Trey Parker and Matt Stone can put “Acadamy Award nominated Composer” on their resumes?) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828/40 "2002-09-11T12:12:11Z")
Antonio Banderas sings the opening song in **Desperado**. Have we forgotten all Monty Python movies? Or Mel Brooks films? All of those had at least one person singing something. Usually, not very well in the Mel Brooks films, but it was singing nonetheless. Technically, anyway. Oh, and John Carpenter does the music for all his movies. Who can forget the memorable theme to “Big Trouble in Little China”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-the-actors-actually-sing-play-the-music/127828.md?page=3)