When Will Smith (in)famously won an Oscar for “King Richard,” it was a long way from the young rapper who had risen to fame as half of the hiphop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. But Smith wasn’t the first musician to also achieve film fame — or to win an Oscar for his efforts.
Over 80 years ago, Bing Crosby became the first multi-media sensation, and gained stardom across several platforms, including radio, film and TV, and also won an Oscar, for “Going My Way” in 1945. Almost a decade later, crooner Frank Sinatra rejuvenated his declining career with a Best Supporting Actor win for “From Here to Eternity” in 1954. These men, along with Harry Belafonte and Dean Martin, proved that singers could find equal success as actors — and in the ensuing decades, many more have found second careers on film.
From country artists like Tim McGraw to glam rock influencers like David Bowie to rappers like Eminem to the “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley and the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, several performers have achieved fame across multiple platforms, and have given some acclaimed and iconic film performances.
Tour our photo gallery of the 25 most memorable acting performances from men who rose to fame as singers. You can also enjoy our recent photo gallery ranking the female singers who became film stars.
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25. Michael Jackson: The Wiz (1978)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Universal Pictures His album “Thriller” (1982) remains the best-selling album of all time, and made him a pop culture icon and earned him the title “King of Pop.” He had already been a successful musician for almost 20 years, originally as an act with his brothers, and proved himself to be a triple threat in the all-black musical “The Wiz.” Although the movie initially bombed, Jackson’s performance as Scarecrow was praised and the film has become a cult classic.
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24. Tim McGraw: The Blind Side (2009)
Image Credit: Ralph Nelson Grammy-winning country artist McGraw has sold over 80 million records and, along with wife Faith Hill, had one of the most successful tours (Soul2Soul II) in music history. He ventured into acting in 1997, with an appearance on “The Jeff Foxworthy Show,” and impressed with his performance in “Friday Night Lights” in 2004. He held his own as Sandra Bullock’s husband in her Oscar-winning performance from “The Blind Side,” and has most recently become as part of the “Yellowstone” family in the prequel series “1883.”
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23. Lenny Kravitz: The Hunger Games (2012)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image He’s a singer, songwriter and producer whose musical influences have given him one of the most unique sounds of his era, and it’s not surprising that he holds the Grammy record for most wins for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, with four consecutive victories from 1999-2002. With a mom who was a successful actress (Roxie Roker), it’s not surprising that he’s ventured into this art form as well, and made a noteworthy film debut in “Precious” (2009). He is likely best remembered as Katniss’s fashion designer, fellow rebel and confidante Cinna, in the first two “Hunger Games” films.
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22. Dwight Yoakam: Sling Blade (1996)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Two-time Grammy-winning artist Dwight Yoakam has had numerous Number One hits on the country charts since his debut album “Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.” in 1986. He ventured into acting on TV in 1991, and gained acclaim for his role as the abusive alcoholic Doyle Hargraves in Billy Bob Thornton’s “Sling Blade.” He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild alongside the rest of the cast, and continues to act in film and on television.
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21. Ludacris: The Fast and Furious Franchise (2003-Present)
Image Credit: Jaimie Trueblood His first major album “Back for the First Time” was released in 2000, and Ludacris has built an impressive resume since. In addition to three Grammy wins, he has appeared in several films, including Best Picture winner “Crash” (2004), for which he won Screen Actor Guild and Critic Choice Awards for best ensemble with the rest of his cast. He has become an integral part of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, first appearing in “2 Fast 2 Furious” as Tej Parker, the friend and car expert the street racers rely on.
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20. Harry Connick, Jr.: Hope Floats (1998)
Image Credit: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox He made crooners cool again, and gained mainstream fame with his contributions to the “When Harry Met Sally. . .” (1989) soundtrack, which earned him his first of three Grammys. He made his acting debut in “Memphis Belle” (1990), and has made several notable appearances on film and TV. He achieved leading man status opposite Sandra Bullock in the romantic drama “Hope Floats,” and has had continued success on both the big and small screens, as well as on Broadway.
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19. LL Cool J: Any Given Sunday (1999)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. LL Cool J is one of the first rappers to achieve mainstream success, beginning with his acclaimed debut album “Radio” in 1985 when he was just 17-years-old. In the nearly four decades since, he has won two Grammys and has also become a familiar face on TV and in film. He segued into acting early on, with a small role in “Wildcats” in 1986. He had a strong performance in the sports drama “Any Given Sunday,” alongside an impressive ensemble that included Al Pacino, and has starred on “NCIS: Los Angeles” since 2009.
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18. Willie Nelson: Honeysuckle Rose (1980)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. The country music legend has been in the business for over six decades; after years of struggling, Nelson’s 1975 album “Red Headed Stranger” skyrocketed him to fame. He made his film debut in “The Electric Horseman” in 1979, and followed that with “Honeysuckle Rose” the following year. Playing a country music star struggling to balance family responsibilities with reaching for country music fame, it was a fitting role for Nelson. His song “On the Road Again” was nominated for an Oscar, and Nelson has become one of the most recognizable and beloved celebrities of his generation.
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17. Harry Styles: Dunkirk (2017)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Styles was only 17 years-old when he reached international stardom as part of One Direction, one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. He has gone on to earn critical acclaim and commercial success since his self-titled solo debut album in 2017, and most recently won the Grammy for Album of the Year. He made an impressive film debut with Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed war film “Dunkirk,” establishing himself as a promising young actor.
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16. Dean Martin: Rio Bravo (1959)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. The “King of Cool” began his career as a crooner with big bands, but found fame with Jerry Lewis as a music/comedy duo, first in nightclubs, then on radio and TV and eventually in films. After a decade of success with Lewis, Martin went solo and gained acclaim as a more dramatic actor, most notably in the Howard Hawks film “Rio Bravo,” starring John Wayne. Famous for his night club acts, films across several genres, a number of signature songs and as part of the legendary “Rat Pack,” Martin had one of the most varied careers in entertainment, and his influence resonates over 20 years past his death.
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15. Harry Belafonte: Carmen Jones (1954)
Image Credit: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox After years of rising to fame as a club singer, Belafonte’s 1956 album “Calypso” became the first LP to sell over one million copies within a year; it included his version of the now-iconic “Banana Boat Song.” In 1954, he appeared in his second film, starring alongside Dorothy Dandridge in Otto Preminger’s musical “Carmen Jones,” which made Belafonte an even bigger and more influential star. He went on to appear in films controversial at the time for portrayals of interracial romance and has been a political and humanitarian activist. A winner of numerous awards, including three Grammys and a Tony and Emmy, Belafonte most recently became the oldest living person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the age of 95.
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14. Tupac Shakur: Juice (1992)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image One of the central figures in West Coast hip-hop, Shakur was praised for his socially conscious music, becoming one of the most influential rappers of all time. Before his untimely death, he also had a promising film career, landing his first starring role in the critically acclaimed “Juice,” playing the magnetic leader who entices his friends into committing a crime that has fatal consequences. He appeared in five more films over the next five years, including three released posthumously.
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13. David Bowie: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Image Credit: Courtesy of British Lion Films He struggled as a musician for years before finding fame as “Ziggy Stardust,” becoming one of the most influential artists of the glam rock era. As his “Ziggy” persona displayed, Bowie was a natural-born performer, and he soon took an interest in acting, landing quite a few meaty roles. His first major role is also his most memorable, as an alien in the cult classic “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” which earned him a Saturn Award for Best Actor.
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12. Justin Timberlake: The Social Network (2010)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Timberlake became a founding member of NSYNC at the age of 14 in 1995, rising to fame as part of one of the most popular boy bands of that era. He’s gained equal success as a solo artist, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including ten Grammys. After appearing in a few films, he took a small hiatus from music to concentrate on acting, most notably as the founder of Napster, Sean Parker, in the Oscar-nominated film “The Social Network.”
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11. Ice-T: New Jack City (1991)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Ice-T released his debut album “Rhyme Pays” in 1987, and has had continued success not only as a hip-hop artist, but also with his heavy metal band Body Count. After appearing in “Breakin'” (1984) and “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” (1984), he progressed to a more serious acting career with his breakout role as a vengeful NYC police detective in “New Jack City.” He has followed that up with numerous film and TV appearances, and has had a prominent role on the long-running series “Law & Order: SVU” since 2000.
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10. Kris Kristofferson: A Star Is Born (1976)
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Four-time Grammy recipient Kristofferson first achieved success as the writer of songs recorded by other artists, including Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” before becoming a successful recording artist himself with his second album “The Silver Tongued Devil and I” in 1971. That same year, he appeared in “The Last Movie,” launching an equally successful acting career. He won a Golden Globe for his role as the alcoholic rock star mentor to Barbra Streisand’s rising singer in “A Star Is Born.” Over the next 40 years, he acted in more than 100 films and TV movies and series, while continuing to perform and write, until his retirement.
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9. Meat Loaf: Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Image Credit: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Meat Loaf seemed made for the hard rock/glam era, and it’s not surprising that his debut album “Bat Out of Hell” (1977) is one of the best-selling albums of all time- and is still sought after over 40 years after its release. While he was struggling as a rock artist, Meat Loaf also appeared in a Los Angeles stage production of “Hair,” and was soon cast in a production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which led to his appearance in the film. Although initially it didn’t do well at the box office, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” became a cult classic, and, “bless my soul,” Meat Loaf’s motorcycle-riding Eddie earned a permanent place in film history.
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8. Mark Wahlberg: Boogie Nights (1997)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image He’s mostly known as an actor now, but those of us old enough can remember Walhberg as hip-hop artist Marky Mark, whose Funky Bunch had a couple of top ten singles in the early 1990s. But he found his niche in acting, and garnered critical acclaim for his role as porn star Dirk Diggler in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.” His acting career took off, and he has acted in and produced numerous films, as well as the HBO series “Entourage,” and earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for “The Departed” in 2007.
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7. Bing Crosby: Going My Way (1944)
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures The granddaddy of all multimedia stars, Crosby was the most successful American recording artist of the 1930s and 1940s, the star of a successful radio program in the 1930s, a top box office draw throughout the 1940s and 1950s and the host of a series of successful TV variety specials from 1954 until his death in 1977. His films ran the gamut from musicals to the comedic “Road” films with Bob Hope to more dramatic fare. He won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as Father Chuck O’Malley in “Going My Way,” and became a holiday staple with the film “White Christmas” (1954), which was born from the Academy-Award-winning song that remains the best-selling single of all time.
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6. Will Smith: King Richard (2021)
Image Credit: Chiabella James/Warner Bros Smith and childhood friend Jeffrey Townes rose to fame as the Grammy-winning duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, gaining popularity with hits like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (1988) and “Summertime” (1991). The sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-1996) made Smith a TV star and launched an acting career that eventually made him one of the biggest box office stars of the past 30 years. He has received three Academy Award nominations over the past 20 years, finally winning for his role as Venus and Serena Williams’s father in “King Richard.”
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5. Eminem: 8 Mile (2002)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Over the past two decades, Eminem has become one of the best-selling musicians and most influential rappers of all time, known for breaking racial barriers in hip-hop music and popularizing the genre in middle America. He received critical praise and had a box office hit with his film debut in the semi-autobiographical “8 Mile,” which received numerous accolades. Eminem’s iconic “Lose Yourself” from that film became the first hip hop song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and is now considered one of that genre’s bet songs of all time. Although Eminem has focused less on acting and more on his music, the impact of his one major film performance continues to resonate.
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4. Ice Cube: Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Both as a solo artist and as a member of groups such as N.W.A., Ice Cube is one of the earliest and most influential hip hop artists of all time, with albums like “Straight Outta Compton” (1988) creating controversy and popularizing gangsta rap. In 1991, he made his film debut in John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood,” playing gang member Doughboy Baker. Ice Cube’s performance was acclaimed, and it launched an impressive career that’s still going strong 30 years and more than 30 films later, including the popular “Friday” and “Barbershop” franchises, with the actor also producing and/or writing many of the productions.
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3. Prince: Purple Rain (1984)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image Prince was a rare artist whose talents extended beyond singing; he wrote, played multiple instruments and had a unique flair for performing. He had already released five albums, including the top ten hit “1999,” when he made his acting debut in “Purple Rain.” As “The Kid,” Prince’s musical talents are on full display; the soundtrack produced two number one hits and the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Son Score. Prince only made three more movies, but his film legacy was sealed with this iconic performance.
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2. Frank Sinatra: From Here to Eternity (1953)
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Ol’ Blue Eyes” was one of the first male singers to develop a teen following, with hundreds of fan clubs by 1944; “Sinatratics” caused near riots at his shows and tried to steal clothing off him. His popularity easily transitioned to film, and he starred in several musicals, including three with Gene Kelly. However, his career was on the decline when he was cast in romance/war drama “From Here to Eternity.” His role as Private Angelo Maggio revived his career, and led to Academy Award and Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor wins, as well as roles in several classic films, including “Ocean’s 11” and “The Manchurian Candidate.”
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1. Elvis Presley: Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Over 40 years after his death, Presley remains as popular as when he was alive, and it’s not surprising that the appeal of the “King of Rock and Roll” crossed over into film. Presley aspired to be a good actor and showed potential, even being offered the Kristofferson role in “A Star Is Born.” However, his films generally ended up revolving around his music – and perhaps that’s why many have endured. “Viva Las Vegas” remains one of his best, with flashy dancing, upbeat music, an exciting car race and an electric chemistry between Presley and costar Ann-Margret making it one of the King’s most iconic performances.
