# Singers who turned into actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681 "2008-11-20T18:23:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/1 "2008-11-20T18:23:21Z")
What mainstream movie (or TV) actors originally got their starts as singers, or for that matter, musicians of any kind. I suppose we could say Roger Daltry, but he’s still not really known as an actor – he hasn’t had that many roles. But I would say that Barbra Streisand qualifies, as I really consider acting to be her real career. I would provisioanlly count Frank Sinatra as well. Who else? To prevent this thread from dying a premature death, lets also include stand-up comics turned actors, and movies that were turned into musicals. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/2 "2008-11-20T18:27:07Z")
She’s still doing music, but Beyonce has a number of movie credits to her name at this point. Bette Midler. ---
**Author:** ![Heropsychodreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Heropsychodreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heropsychodreamer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/3 "2008-11-20T18:33:48Z")
(Marky) Mark Wahlberg ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/4 "2008-11-20T18:39:22Z")
Will Smith Gene Autry? Roy Rogers? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/5 "2008-11-20T18:42:08Z")
> [@Heropsychodreamer](#): > > (Marky) Mark Wahlberg And I guess to a lesser extent, Donny. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/6 "2008-11-20T18:42:52Z")
Doris Day Willie Nelson Kris Kristofferson Dwight Yoakum Cher Toby Keith David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/7 "2008-11-20T18:42:58Z")
Kris Kristofferson Bing Crosby ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/8 "2008-11-20T18:53:57Z")
Billie Piper (Doctor Who) Britney Spears (How I Met Your Mother) Cher (Mask, Moonstruck) David Bowie (The Prestige) Harry Connick Jr. (ID4, Copycay, Will & Grace) Hillary Duff (bunch of Disney crap, War Inc.) Ice Cube (Friday, Three Kings) Ice T (New Jack City, Law & Order) Madonna (Dick Tracy) Mandy Moore (Saved!) I’ve excluded singers who only playing themselves, parodies of themselves, or in a handful of films or shows that totally sucked. IOW, no Vanilla Ice Cool as Ice. Britney Spears barely squeeks by for HIMYM whereas Jessica Simpson doesn’t for Dukes of Hazzard ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/9 "2008-11-20T19:03:40Z")
Queen Latifah ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/10 "2008-11-20T19:09:47Z")
Jennifer Lopez? (for certain definitions of “singer” and “actor”). ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/11 "2008-11-20T19:12:50Z")
Not sure if this counts, but; Russell Crowe was the singer [Russ le Roc](http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=9588) when he ‘retired’ as a child actor. > [@](#): > > Young Russell Crowe, harboring dreams of becoming a rocker, once released a couple of novelty singles - including a doozy entitled “I Want To Be Like Marlon Brando.” Apparently he was gigging around Wellington while my 15year old self managed to avoid every show. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/12 "2008-11-20T19:16:03Z")
Dolly Parton. Yeah, yeah…point and laugh all you want, but as an actress, I love her. As a singer, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/13 "2008-11-20T19:22:49Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What mainstream movie (or TV) actors originally got their starts as singers, or for that matter, musicians of any kind. I suppose we could say Roger Daltry, but he’s still not really known as an actor – he hasn’t had that many roles. But I would say that Barbra Streisand qualifies, as I really consider acting to be her real career. I would provisioanlly count Frank Sinatra as well. Frank Sinatra won an Oscar, actually. He won Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity. He was in a number of movies that had nothing to do with singing, but also remained a singer. He didn’t turn into an actor so much as have two careers. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/14 "2008-11-20T19:23:38Z")
Frabk Sinatra actually won an Oscar for _From Here to Eternity_. He should’ve gotten another for _the Manchurian Candidate_, IMO On edit: Curse, you, **Caricci**! I guess I’ll have to nominate Elvis, then. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/15 "2008-11-20T19:27:39Z")
Shirley Manson of Garbage is certainly getting her feet wet on the Sarah Connor Chronicles as Catherine Weaver, the T-1001 Terminator. Roy Orbison has a movie credit in The Fastest Guitar in the West. Kris Kristofferson’s fellow Highwaymen, [Willie Nelson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Nelson#Acting_career) and [Johnny Cash](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0143599/#actor) have had several acting roles. Mick Jagger had the lead role in [Ned Kelley.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly_(1970_film)) Some of his other notable movies include Performance and Freejack. As long as we’re counting stand-up comics, Cheech Marin has had a successful movie and TV career as an actor. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/16 "2008-11-20T19:34:33Z")
Rick Springfield The Village People ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/17 "2008-11-20T20:28:18Z")
[Harve Presnell](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696193/bio) (William H. Macy’s father-in-law in “Fargo”) and [Edward Platt](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0686857/bio) (Chief in the series “Get Smart”) both started out in opera. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/18 "2008-11-20T20:37:20Z")
Joe Pesci (not as a singer, but as a musician). Fred Astaire was a first class singer who ended up doing some dramatic roles. Martin Mull was a singer/songwriter before switching to an acting career. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/19 "2008-11-20T21:02:24Z")
Also Redd Foxx. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681/20 "2008-11-20T21:04:18Z")
I would discount both Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler on the grounds that they both started out in musical _theater_ and thus were expected to do a certain amount of acting alongside their singing. They didn’t start out as strictly singers, then move on over to acting. As far as new contributions, I’ll add **Sting** (Brimstone & Treacle, Quadrophenia, Dune, the Bride). Well you didn’t say anything about them being _good_ actors…🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-who-turned-into-actors/473681.md?page=2)