Great Movies Starring Musicians

Late rapper Tupac Shakur found some of his earliest musical success performing with the hip hop group Digital Underground, who he also appeared alongside in the 1991 comedy film “Nothing but Trouble.” The following year, Tupac landed arguably his greatest movie role as Harlem teen Bishop in “Juice.” According to an Academy Originals interview with writer and director Ernest Dickerson, Shakur had not planned to try out for the role but did at Dickerson’s request after accompanying a friend to the movie’s auditions.

The 2002 drama “8 Mile” features rapper Eminem as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith — a character with a life story not entirely unlike the rapper himself. B-Rabbit is a struggling, Detroit-based rapper looking to break through with his music. Of course, Eminem was already hugely successful by the time he made the film, and he would win an Oscar for the song “Lose Yourself,” which he contributed to the film’s soundtrack.

The comedic horror movie “Tremors” features a highly entertaining ensemble cast of characters faced with having to fight against underground monsters in a small Nevada town. Among the town’s most defiant residents is Heather Gummer, played by country music star Reba McEntire in her first of many movie roles. According to Reba, she was performing live concerts during the movie’s production.

New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi displayed his acting chops as Ricky McKinney — alcoholic ex-husband to Arlene (Helen Hunt) and father to young Trevor (Haley Joel Osment) — in this movie about doing good for others. Perhaps inspired by the movie he starred in, Bon Jovi would go on to open the JBJ Soul Kitchen in two New Jersey towns, where patrons can purchase a “pay it forward” card to provide a meal for those in need.

The ageless Cher, who’s been a hitmaker since the 1960s, is equally accomplished in movies, playing characters outside the mainstream. In “Mask,” she plays the mother of a teenage son who suffers from facial deformity called “lionitis” — and she is determined that he has the opportunity at happiness as everyone else.

Plenty of star power in “A League of Their Own” with Tom Hanks, Rosie O’Donnell, and Geena Davis in the film about a women’s baseball league competing during World War II. The Material Girl had already made a few movies, including the comedy-drama “Desperately Seeking Susan” in 1985, Madonna’s first major film role. “A League of Their Own” would be her biggest hit at the box office.

Rapper T.I. has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, including “American Gangster” (2007), “House of Lies” (2014), and “Takers” (2010). Perhaps his most popular role is that of Scott Lang’s friend and getaway driver Dave in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie “Ant-Man” (2015). T.I. would revive this role in 2018’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

Country music legend Dolly Parton was no stranger to the silver screen by the time she starred in “Steel Magnolias” (1989). The singer had already acted in “9 to 5” (1980), “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), and “Rhinestone” (1984). “Steel Magnolias,” about a group of female friends at a Louisiana salon, is the highest rated of all these films.

Director David Lynch has repeatedly cast musicians in his films, including Sting in “Dune” (1984) and hard rock frontman Henry Rollins in “Lost Highway” (1997). One of the most prominent roles played by a musician in Lynch’s films is that of Special Agent Chester Desmond, played by “Wicked Game” crooner Chris Isaak, in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” (1992). He’s not the only musician in the film either — David Bowie makes an appearance as agent Philip Jeffries.

“Dune” (1984) was not the first movie to cast Sting as an actor. Five years prior, Police frontman had appeared in the higher rated “Quadrophenia” as Mod gang leader Ace Face. He has appeared in numerous movies and television shows since, including a recent cameo in “Zoolander 2” (2016) as himself.

The Chicago-born rapper and Oscar winner (Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song for “Selma” in 2014) appears in “Now You See Me,” a film about a group of magicians who rob banks during their shows and give audiences the money. The film got 7.3 out of 10 from nearly 560,000 IMDb users. Common has 68 acting credits to his name, including “John Wick: Chapter 2.”

Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as pornographer Larry Flynt in the biographical movie “The People vs. Larry Flynt” (1996), but he lost. Starring alongside him in the film is Courtney Love, the well-known frontwoman of the band Hole, who plays Flynt’s wife, Althea. Love was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, but also lost.

Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry plays the provocative role of Nicki Brand in director David Cronenberg’s heady 1983 horror flick “Videodrome.” Harry has acted in numerous other films, including John Waters’ “Hairspray” (1988). In a 2017 interview with Vice, she cited her work in those two films as being among the proudest points of her career.

One of the most popular singers of the last 25 years, Mariah Carey, plays a social worker in the Oscar-winning “Precious.” The film is about an abused and illiterate teenage girl living in Harlem who is pregnant with her second child. She enrolls in an alternative school and gets a chance at changing her life. Carey also played herself in the 2017 film “Girls Trip.”

Kris Kristofferson has an exceptional resume — the 83 year old Texan is a Rhodes scholar, Grammy-winning country musician, and star of numerous movies. Included in his filmography are the movies “Blade” (1998) with Wesley Snipes, “Payback” (1999) with Mel Gibson, and the remake of “The Planet of the Apes” (2001). Early in his acting career he also starred alongside Ellen Burstyn in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), an early feature by legendary director Martin Scorsese.

It’s appropriate that 2005’s “Hustle & Flow” — about a Memphis-based pimp who sets out to become a rapper — features a substantial number of musicians due to the film’s subject matter as well as the fact that it was co-produced by MTV Films. Ludacris, who has also appeared in multiple Fast & Furious movies, appears in the film as rapper Skinny Black. Other musicians to appear in “Hustle & Flow” include Isaac Hayes, Three 6 Mafia members Juicy J and DJ Paul, and southern rappers I-20, Haystak, and Al Kapone.

Rapper 50 Cent’s earliest feature film role was that of Marcus in “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” (2005), which was loosely based on his own life. That film currently has a rating of 5.3 out of 10 on IMDb, though one decade later 50 Cent would find himself acting in the better-received boxing movie “Southpaw,” in which he plays fighter Billy Hope’s manager Jordan Mains. He also had a recurring role in the popular TV series “Power.”

One reason to cast a musician in a movie is if the movie requires a musical performance. Jim Henson utilized David Bowie for that purpose in “Labyrinth” (1986). Bowie plays Jareth the Goblin King, and he also performs numerous songs on the movie’s soundtrack. Bowie is also known for his star turn in the provocative sci-fi “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”

Country musician Willie Nelson has starred in many lesser known movies, including “Honeysuckle Rose” (1980), “Songwriter” (1984), and “Red Headed Stranger” (1986). Far more popular is Michael Mann’s stylish 1981 movie “Thief,” in which Nelson plays master thief Okla. The 86-year-old singer and songwriter continues to act in movies, recently starring in the drama “Waiting for the Miracle to Come” (2018) alongside Charlotte Rampling.

Gwen Stefani, who gained musical fame as the lead singer of the group No Doubt, plays actress Jean Harlow in the biopic about the eccentric and visionary entrepreneur Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Stefani also plays herself in the 2001 Ben Stiller send-up of fashionistas “Zoolander.”

In “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Lenny Kravitz, a four-time Grammy-winner, plays Cinna, the dress designer for Katniss Everdeen. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was the second of the four Hunger Games films and made the most money. Kravitz knows how to pick winners — he also appeared in the well-received “The Butler” and the Oscar-winning “Precious.”

The irresistibly sentimental Christmas chestnut stars Bing Crosby as half of a song and dance team (Danny Kaye is the other half) who try and help their former commanding general save his struggling Vermont inn. Crosby was one of the biggest film stars of the 1940s, with movies such as “Going My Way” (1944), in which he won an Oscar for Best Actor and the Road film series he made with Bob Hope.

Grammy Award-winning artist Queen Latifah found success as a rapper before she did as an actress. Despite this, she now has nearly twice as many acting credits listed on IMDb as soundtrack credits. Among the most popular movies Queen Latifah plays in is “Stranger Than Fiction,” in which an IRS. auditor (Will Ferrell) begins to hear a narrator (Emma Thompson) chronicling every detail of his life.

Director Jim Jarmusch used Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ iconic “I Put a Spell on You” in his 1984 flick “Stranger Than Paradise” five years prior to casting the then 60-year-old singer-songwriter in his movie “Mystery Train.” The role — a surprisingly subdued part in which the generally rambunctious Hawkins plays a constrained hotel manager — is one of four acting credits the musician accumulated throughout his career.

Director Richard Lester’s hand-held, quasi-documentary-style movie, shot in black and white, captured the frenzy of Beatlemania at its height, with the Fab Four channeling the happy chaos of a Marx Brothers comedy. The Beatles would return in a more conventionally structured film, “Help!”, a year later.

Country singer and Grammy Award winner Tim McGraw plays the husband of Sandra Bullock, who won an Oscar as a woman who takes in an impoverished young man and helps him develop into a professional football player. McGraw’s other movie credits include “Four Christmases” and “Country Strong.”

The Oscar-winning film about the creation of Facebook also features singer Justin TImberlake playing Sean Parker, the founder of online music platform Napster. Timberlake’s other on-screen credits include “Friends With Benefits” and “Bad Teacher,” and he has also voiced characters in the films “Shrek the Third,” “Trolls,” and “Yogi Bear.”

Barbra Streisand’s film career stretches back to 1968, with her blockbuster debut in “Funny Girl.” The Peter Bogdanovich-helmed “What’s Up, Doc?” that starred Streisand, Ryan O’Neal, and Madeline Kahn paid homage to the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The film is about a mixup of identical pieces of luggage in a San Francisco hotel. The film received a 90% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the highest ratings for any of her films.

Ice Cube rose to prominence in the late 1980s as a member of the rap group N.W.A. By 1990, he had begun releasing albums as a solo artist. One year later, he made his feature debut in “Boyz n the Hood” as a young gang member in Los Angeles. Ice Cube has continued acting ever since, starring in the popular Friday and Barbershop franchises. He also continues to release new music, putting out his 10th studio album “Everythang’s Corrupt” in 2018.

Pop star Mandy Moore lent her voice to the character of Rapunzel in Disney’s animated film “Tangled” in 2010. Moore had already appeared in multiple major motion pictures by that point, having been cast in “The Princess Diaries” (2001) and “A Walk to Remember” (2002), while her music career was fully active. She hasn’t released a studio album since 2009’s “Amanda Leigh,” though she has continued to act, notably working on the popular TV series “This Is Us” and “Tangled: The Series.”

“Down by Law” (1986) is another film directed by Jim Jarmusch in which a musician is cast in a prominent role. Tom Waits stars as Zack, a man arrested and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Alongside of him is Jack, played by musician and actor John Lurie, band leader of the jazz group the Lounge Lizards. Both Lurie and Waits contributed music to the film.

Frank Sinatra, whose movie career was boosted by movies such as “From Here to Eternity” and The Man With the Golden Arm” in the 1950s, starred as an Army intelligence officer trying to thwart an assassination attempt on the U.S. president in “The Manchurian Candidate.” The movie, directed by John Frankenheimer, is considered to be one of the greatest American political thrillers.

Will Smith has been a successful actor for so long that some may not remember the Hollywood leading man was first a rapper, releasing music as early as 1987 as part of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 1990, Smith landed his breakout role in the TV series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” before starring in blockbuster movies such as “Independence Day” (1996) and “Men in Black” (1997). One of his most appreciated films, according to online reviewers, is the 2006 drama “The Pursuit of Happyness,” about a salesman and his son who have fallen on hard times.

The smooth-singing stylist who effected a lovably inebriated persona on the big screen and television starred in this Howard Hawks-directed Western with John Wayne and Walter Brennan as a former deputy who takes to drink after his love has left him. Martin had appeared in films with former partner Jerry Lewis and Rat Pack pal Dean Martin. “Rio Bravo” is considered one of Martin’s best films.

Musician Harry Connick Jr. worked on music for movies before ever acting in them. In 1989, he coproduced the soundtrack for “When Harry Met Sally”, winning a Grammy award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. He would appear on screen a year later in the war film “Memphis Belle.” In 1999, Connick lent his voice to the character Dean McCoppin in the highly rated “The Iron Giant,” working alongside Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel.

Billy Bob Thornton’s directorial debut was a huge success and reportedly cost less than $5 million to make. Among the film’s cast is country musician Dwight Yoakam, who plays the vulgar, beer-swilling Doyle Hargraves. The film also features late singer-songwriter Vic Chestnut in a smaller role as Doyle’s wheelchair-bound friend Terrance.

Icelandic musician Björk has a history of working with inventive directors — including Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze — on her music videos, yet her acting experience in feature films is rather limited. One notable exception is the singer’s performance in Danish director Lars von Trier’s “Dancer in the Dark” (2000). The film won the Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival, where Björk also won the award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.

“Something the Lord Made” (2004) pairs Alan Rickman and rapper Mos Def as bypass heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Mos Def’s earliest acting credit is for the television movie “God Bless the Child” (1988), which he appeared in as a teenager. It would be another decade before he would release his first studio album, the critically acclaimed “Black Star” (1998). The musician has also appeared in the movies “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005) and “The Italian Job” (2003).

Years before starring in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning Boston gangster movie “The Departed,” Mark Wahlberg was famous for being the leader of hip hop group Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch. After scoring a number of hits on the pop charts — including “Good Vibrations,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1991 — Wahlberg began landing prominent acting roles in movies, including “Fear” (1996) and “Boogie Nights” (1997). It now appears that the star’s rapping days are behind him.

David Fincher’s “Fight Club” is exceptionally popular with audiences online, currently boasting a rating of 8.8 out of 10 on IMDb with more than 1.7 million votes. Among the film’s cast of memorable characters is Robert Paulson — a burly man that Edward Norton’s “The Narrator” meets in a testicular cancer support group. That character is played by none other than multi-platinum musician Meat Loaf. The 1999 movie was not Meat Loaf’s first appearance in a major motion picture. He has also had acting roles in movies including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), “Wayne’s World” (1992), and “Spice World” (1997).