# Musicians Better Known as Actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542 "2008-09-14T07:04:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WomanofScorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@WomanofScorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WomanofScorn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/41 "2008-09-14T19:45:49Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Well, Jared Leto may be a better musician than actor and he is a pretty good actor. I came in here specifically to mention him. I love 30 Seconds to Mars. ---
**Author:** ![This\_ll\_Do](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/this_ll_do/32/3023_2.png) [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/42 "2008-09-14T20:07:41Z")
Steve Martin is an accomplished banjo player. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/43 "2008-09-14T20:09:55Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > Will Smith is a bit of a toss up as many people know his music…but I think slightly more know him only as an actor. His wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, fronts a metal band called Wicked Wisdom. Yeah, a metal band. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1g6viZ3DEw](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1g6viZ3DEw) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/44 "2008-09-14T21:25:56Z")
Ice T was a famous rapper. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/45 "2008-09-14T21:29:39Z")
Cher. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/46 "2008-09-14T22:04:35Z")
I came in to mention how wonderful Milla as a musician is, and also the very fine [Minnie Driver](http://www.myspace.com/minniedriver), but too late. Toni Collette is in a band with a terrible name called [Toni Collette and the Finish](http://www.myspace.com/tonicolletteandthefinish). > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by Le Ministre de l’au-delà > > Julie Delphy - again, that’s her playing in ‘Before Sunset’. She released a self-titled album in 2003 > > I saw _American Werewolf in Paris_. I don’t think she qualifies as an “actor”. :dubious: She has a long and interesting [filmography](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000365/) beyond that. If nothing else, see the [Before Sunrise](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/) and [Before Sunset](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/) before judging her acting abilities. See Sunrise first or else Sunset won’t make much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/47 "2008-09-14T22:32:37Z")
Musician/Actor? That’s easy. It takes _real_ talent to be an [accomplished musician](http://www.amazon.com/Best-Shaquille-ONeal/dp/B00000054C), a [major Hollywood actor](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116756/), and an [NBA All-Star](http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shaquille_oneal/index.html) all at the same time. Why, yes, I did type that with a straight face. Why do you ask? ---
**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 14, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/48 "2008-09-14T23:06:16Z")
> [@Sanity\_Challenged](#): > > Musician/Actor? That’s easy. It takes _real_ talent to be an [accomplished musician](http://www.amazon.com/Best-Shaquille-ONeal/dp/B00000054C), a [major Hollywood actor](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116756/), and an [NBA All-Star](http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shaquille_oneal/index.html) all at the same time. > > Why, yes, I did type that with a straight face. Why do you ask? What, no love for Kareem? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/49 "2008-09-14T23:30:20Z")
John Schneider, of Dukes of Hazzard & Smallville fame, had a fairly successful career as a country singer. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/50 "2008-09-14T23:31:39Z")
I just realised we’ve missed the grand daddy of all actor / musicians Frank Sinatra. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/51 "2008-09-14T23:47:08Z")
John Corbett of My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a musician as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/52 "2008-09-14T23:59:04Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > I just realised we’ve missed the grand daddy of all actor / musicians > > Frank Sinatra. Post #39, **The Second Stone** got him, but it was easy to miss. Wasn’t Bob Hope a sometimes song-and-dance man, too? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/53 "2008-09-15T00:09:47Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > Post #39, **The Second Stone** got him, but it was easy to miss. > > Wasn’t Bob Hope a sometimes song-and-dance man, too? If you count singing _Thanks for the Mammaries_, then yes. 😉 (Hope did sing, but his musical career wasn’t anything to write home about. He didn’t have a bad voice, but seemed more interested in acting than singing.) ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/54 "2008-09-15T00:27:23Z")
How could I forget Gene Autry or Roy Rogers, the singing cowboys of yesteryear? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/55 "2008-09-15T02:36:46Z")
[Sissy Spacek](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000651/) is primarily known as an actress, but I have a very decent album she made, and of course she did all her own singing as Loretta Lynn in **Coal Miner’s Daughter** , and was even nominated for a Grammy (Best Country Vocal Performance, Female). Btw, her daughter [Schuyler Fisk](http://www.myspace.com/schuylerfisk) is following in her footsteps singing-wise. Speaking of [Coal Miner’s Daughter](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/), [Beverly D’Angelo](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000350/) did her own singing as Patsy Cline in the movie and did a damned fine job. According to [her trivia page](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000350/bio) at IMDB, she toured Canada as a singer, and fronted a band called Elephant. [nitpick for **The Other Jeffrey Lebowski**] It’s _Aimee_ Mann.[/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/56 "2008-09-15T02:41:01Z")
Harry Connick, Jr. Yummy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/57 "2008-09-15T03:14:12Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > Wasn’t Bob Hope a sometimes song-and-dance man, too? Sometimes – many stage musical comedy stars (like Hope, Ethel Merman, James Cagney, etc.) went on to act in films, but are really known as actors. There are also people like Hoagy Carmichael and Lyle Lovett, who did a reasonable amount of acting, but who are best known as musicians. OTOH, Steven Van Zandt is probably best known to the general public as Sylvio Dante in **The Sopranos** and not for his long stint backing Bruce Springsteen. TV actor Alan Thicke is also a composer of TV game show theme music. ---
**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 15, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/58 "2008-09-15T03:30:29Z")
Michelle Pheiffer did her own singing in The Fabulous Baker Boys, and she was very damn good. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/59 "2008-09-15T09:55:48Z")
Kevin Spacey did his own singing in his Bobby Darin pic “Beyond the Sea” and released an album full of Darin songs. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542/60 "2008-09-15T11:56:08Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > I just realised we’ve missed the grand daddy of all actor / musicians > > Frank Sinatra. Well, there was that flash in the pan named Presley, too, if we’re counting that sort. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-better-known-as-actors/463542.md?page=4)