Really? Highly respected?
Yeah, pretty much. Her breakthrough role in *Selena *was universally critically praised, and I don’t recall anything but positive reviews for her in *Out of Sight *either. She was definitely an “up and coming” actor to watch. Then overnight she was all over MTV and her credibility tanked. Too bad; I still think Out of Sight is one of the most purely entertaining movies I’ve ever seen, and she’s a big part of that.
Also The Iron Giant.
And if animated movies count, let’s add Louis Prima and Phil Harris. And Billy Joel for Oliver and Company.
Mac Davis made a few movies.
Mel Torme did, too.
Wasn’t Glen Campbell in True Grit? I see he was.
I know Hugh Jackman was a song and dance man before he hit Hollywood, did he record any albums?
Agreed. I think she’s a better actress than a singer.
Interesting. In *Black Snake Moan *he had all the range of a potted plant. And not even one of the more interesting plants.
Madonna.
Steve Martin
Hugh Laurie was a song-and-dance comedian before House
I’d say Britney more than passes; if HIMYM puts her above the cut-off, then being the star of a theatricallly-released film (Crossroads) should solidify her position.
Using the same criteria, I’d count Jessica Simpson as well-- she had a recurring guest role on a sitcom (That 70s Show), and has starred in more than just Dukes of Hazzard; she’s done Employee of the Month (playing a not unintelligent girl, so she’s not simply playing herself/parodying herself there).
Teen singer JoJo (born in 1990… Jesus, I feel old) has done the crossover thing too, having starred in RV and Aquamarine. Seems de rigeur for teen singers to become teen actresses and vice versa. Half of the Disney studio actresses have albums.
Vitamin C (Colleen Fitzpatrick) has been in a few movies and TV shows… I actually saw Dracula 2000 in theaters and have it on DVD because she’s in it.
…and then there’s His Royal Badness, Prince: Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon, and Graffiti Bridge. (These also admit Morris Day, other various members of the Time, the Revolution, the New Power Generation, Mavis Staples, Tevin Campbell…)
Toby Keith? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
okay, He may surprise me and become a good actor. As long as we’re talking country singers Billy Ray Cyrus wound up with his own series.
Check out the cast recording of The Boy From Oz.
People in musical theatre are actors. I consider a singer to be someone who records and does concerts, not stagework.
Katy Segal was a member of Bette Midler’s backup singers before hitting big with “Married with Children.”
True. However, I thought he was quite good in Alpha Dog. Maybe being plastered in fake tattoos does something for one’s acting chops.
I have some fringe picks:
Johnny Depp had a promising start to a music career before he switched to acting full time.
Then we have the opposite – Joaquin Phoenix who has just decided that he’s no longer an actor and solely a musician, after spending the better part of 40 years as not a musician in the least, but more power to him I guess.
And then there’s Billy Ray Cyrus who “acts” in Hannah Montana (his daughter’s show) after being a successful “musician”.
Billy Ray had a successful series called “Doc.” He is a passable actor.
Agreed. My mom loved that show.
But, as far as one’s opinion of his singing career goes, don’t tell his heart. His achy-breaky heart. Seriously.
Elliot Gould met Streisand when they both appeared in the musical “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.”
Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney, Bonnie & Friends became a regular character on “Roseanne.” Her singing was introduced at a backyard Mother’s Day get together while Dan (John Goodman) was playing “You Really Got a Hold on Me.” They later introduced David Crosby as her husband.
Unless I missed somebody saying it above, Bobby Darin wasn’t a bad actor.
Charo 
Huh. Consider ignorance fought, I guess. I’ve never seen her in anything in which I didn’t consider her a completely wooden beauty object.
Hey, I don’t mind being beaten by an expert. 
Alice has also been in an episode of Monk, which he quite excelled at, and played a very appropriate < gasp! > mental patient briefly in The Attic Expeditions. But sadly overall, our beloved (I’m sorry to say) sucks as an actor. If he can remain elf-deprecating and wry, then he’s reasonably funny and does a good job. Anything else and oh man, is it painful.
Not that he’s not completely doable and hot anyway, but I doubt that’s got much to do with this thread or its purposes. Of course, Coop probably doesn’t count regardless. 