15 Best Musicians-Turned-Actors, Ranked

Hollywood is filled with multi-hyphenates. Gene Kelly, one of the most prolific dancers in cinematic history, is also a legendary singer/actor. After kicking it on the Disney Channel, Zendaya spun her singing and dancing skills into starring roles in “Euphoria,” “The Greatest Showman,” and Sony / Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man franchise. And rather than wait for his shot at his own starring role, Lin-Manuel Miranda put his skills as a writer, composer, and lyricist to create the Broadway sensation “Hamilton,” only to take Tinseltown by storm thanks to his frequent collaborations with the Walt Disney Company and beyond.

Having a variety of skills can be a huge advantage in the entertainment industry. But it also doesn’t hurt having another career before shifting your focus. That way, even though you’re just starting out, you still have fans to fall back on for love and support. One group of performers who certainly know this to be true is musicians-turned-actors.

In honor of the great lineage of music makers to take the leap from topping charts to topping the box office, we’re taking a look at the best musicians-turned-actors, and we’ve ranked them too.

After gaining an appreciation for music from his parents, Harry Connick Jr. earned a reputation for his jazz standards thanks to his self-titled debut album from 1987, followed by “20,” his first album with vocals from 1988. But as 1990 rolled around, Connick started to dabble in acting. While also embarking on a two-year world tour with his music, he made his onscreen debut that year in World War II drama “Memphis Belle.” In 1992, he debuted on the beloved sitcom “Cheers” as Woody’s talented cousin who falls in love with Rebecca. By 1998, he would land his first starring role in “Hope Floats” opposite Sandra Bullock.

Connick’s acting career has spanned across many genres. From rom-com “P.S. I Love You” to one of the most rewatchable sci-fi movies of all time, “The Iron Giant.”  He also made an animated Christmas special based on his song “The Happy Elf” and had a memorable run on “Will & Grace” as Grace’s ex-husband Dr. Leo Markus. The singer continues to show a wide range as an actor today.

Madonna’s entire career is based on reinvention. The Queen of Pop has earned endless accolades in the music industry with hit singles like “Like a Virgin,” “Vogue,” and “Music” spread across five decades. Though she’s still performing, she was rightfully welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during her first year of eligibility.

But after revolutionizing music videos and delivering iconic visual art to fuel MTV, Madonna transitioned to the big screen with an acclaimed role in “Desperately Seeking Susan” in 1985. Though she would come to regret passing on a role in 1990’s “Batman,” her success would continue to blossom with another comic adaptation in the form of “Dick Tracy,” as well as the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s renowned musical “Evita” and tje beloved baseball dramedy “A League of Their Own.”

By the 2000s, The Material Girl would transition again, this time to working behind the camera. While she wouldn’t find as much praise as her acting and music endeavors, she would write and direct 2008’s “Filth and Wisdom,” the biographical “W.E.” from 2011, and several narrative and documentary shorts.

As the reigning Queen of Country, Dolly Parton has reached record-breaking heights on the Billboard charts with 50 studio albums over a career that spans 60 years. As an all around good person, she has created and contributed to several philanthropic ventures including literacy program Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the American Eagle Foundation’s sanctuary in Dollywood, and several donations to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center over the years.

But Parton began to appeal to a broader range of fans outside of country music through her acting projects. In her first feature film “9 to 5” (which also gave birth to the soundtrack’s hit song of the same name), she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as secretaries who get even with their crummy boss after experiencing workplace discrimination. She would continue to find acclaim for her roles in “The Best Little Wh*rehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias” while also appearing in TV shows like “Designing Women,” “Reba,” “Hannah Montana” (which stars her real-life goddaughter Miley Cyrus), as well as making a cameo as a hologram of herself in “The Orville.”

If you were on the internet in the 2000s and 2010s, you can attest that it was a weird place where anything could happen. One example is the rise of Nora Lum. Under the moniker Awkwafina, the rapper and comedian released her song “My V*g” on YouTube in 2012.

By 2016, her star began to shine brighter as she teamed up with Margaret Cho for a new song about Asian stereotypes and appeared in the Tribeca Film Festival standout documentary “Bad Rap.” That same year, she also started landing mainstream acting gigs. But her big breakthrough role came when she joined the ensemble of 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians.”

A year later, Awkwafina would unexpectedly star in A24’s “The Farewell,” which proved that she could handle more dramatic roles. Despite showing range beyond the comedic sidekick, she would continue to flex her comedic muscles to various degrees in Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Marvel’s “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Nora From Queens” on Comedy Central, and more.

“American Idol” launched plenty of careers since it debuted in 2002. Even contestants who didn’t win the competition found success after their seasons. However, Jennifer Hudson is arguably the biggest success story from the runners-up.

After shockingly coming in seventh place during the reality show’s third season in 2004, Hudson began working on her first album. This journey saw her collaborated with various artists, including Meat Loaf, for a duet on his 2006 album. Later that year, she was cast in the film adaptation of “Dreamgirls,” which would go on to become her breakout role and one of the best movies based on a Broadway musical.

Now performing as a singer and an actress, the Chicago native would become the youngest woman and only the third African American to earn an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). In between her four studio albums, she starred in films like “Sex and the City” and “Respect,” TV series like “Smash” and “Empire,” and Broadway sensations “The Color Purple” and “A Strange Loop.” 

Before “American Idol,” there was “Star Search.” And before Justin Timberlake was in the house with the Mickey Mouse Club, in sync with boy band *NSYNC, or bringing sexy back in his solo efforts, the performer from Memphis, Tennessee tried to find fame on Ed McMahon’s legendary talent show at the age of 11. He would eventually find superstardom as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. But somewhere along the line, he caught the acting bug and continues to dabble here and there.

In his film debut, Timberlake reteamed with Disney for the TV movie “Model Behavior” in 2000. But in 2006, the world saw a much different side of the performer as he played grittier characters in “Alpha Dog” and “Black Snake Moan.” In 2010, he played Napster founder Sean Parker in David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning film “The Social Network.” The role earned him enough acclaim to stay very busy in between his albums “FutureSex/LoveSounds” and “The 20/20 Experience” with roles in “Yogi Bear,” “Friends With Benefits,” “In Time,” “Inside Llewyn Davis,” and more. Plus, he even found time to become one of the best hosts in “Saturday Night Live” history.

While boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were insanely popular, the pop princesses of the 1990s like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were neck and neck with them. Towards the end of the decade, Mandy Moore appealed to a younger crowd with her hit songs “Candy” and “I Wanna Be With You.”

But by the early 2000s, Moore was growing up and branching out. While shedding her bubblegum pop image in her self-titled second studio album, she also started acting with minor roles in “Dr. Dolittle 2” and “The Princess Diaries.” But after landing the starring role in “A Walk to Remember,” the tearjerker launched her into coming of age romances like “How to Deal,” “Chasing Liberty,” and “Because I Said So.” But her biggest success on the big screen has to be “Tangled,” Disney’s version of the classic Rapunzel story.

Although, while that franchise is a hit with her younger fans, Moore’s TV work is celebrated by the older viewers. Starting with memorable guest spots on “Scrubs,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” she eventually found her way to NBC’s non-linear family drama “This Is Us,” which would earn her several awards and nominations throughout the show’s run.

As a pioneer of West Coast hip-hop and gangsta rap, Ice Cube is a foundational element of what the genre is today. He was a key member of C.I.A. and N.W.A. before branching out on his own to firmly establish his signature aggression and political message with his music. In addition to collaborating with rap greats like Dr. Dre, Easy-E, and Del the Funky Homosapien, he also expanded to other genres by working with David Bowie, Trent Reznor, and Korn in the late 1990s.

But while he was making a name for himself with his unparalleled success in music, Cube also ventured into filmmaking to show the world his authentic lived experiences in another way. It all started in 1991 with John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood,” where the role of Doughboy was written with the rapper in mind. 

After the pair teamed up again for “Higher Learning” in 1995, the filmmaker encouraged his protege to write his own movie. The result was “Friday,” which launched a beloved franchise starring himself and Chris Tucker. Since then, his roles have allowed him to move seamlessly from comedies to dramas, appealing to audiences of every age.

While Ice Cube and company were holding it down on the West Coast, Queen Latifah was making moves on the East Coast. Her first album “All Hail the Queen” dropped in 1989 when she was only 19 and featured songs about the problems that Black women were facing. In addition to spotlighting those issues in her music, she also brought them to television thanks to her starring role on the landmark FOX sitcom “Living Single.”

Latifah enjoyed plenty of success in film, TV, and music throughout the 1990s, but her mainstream breakout moment came when she joined the cast of “Chicago” as Matron “Mama” Morton. The 2002 movie musical would then go on to win six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Not only did she land a multitude of roles including “Bringing Down the House,” “Last Holiday,” and “Hairspray,” but she began switching up her music by focusing on soul and jazz standards. 

The Queen would of course return to hip hop eventually, but she would also continue to garner acclaim from her acting with roles such as Bessie Smith in the HBO film “Bessie,” sea witch Ursula in “The Little Mermaid Live!”, and Ellie the woolly mammoth in the “Ice Age” film franchise.

Before BTS, Harry Styles, Elvis Presley, or The Beatles, there was Frank Sinatra. Starting his singing career as a teenager in 1935, Ol’ Blue Eyes brought jazz, swing, and big band tunes to fans (especially teen girls) as Sinatra-mania spread around the globe. With songs such as “Come Fly With Me,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” and “My Way” eventually appealing to a wider audience, he continued to sing until his 80th birthday in 1995.

Aside from his hit records, the Chairman of the Board is also remembered for his illustrious film career. Starting with smaller roles at the beginning of the 1940s, he would then star alongside the likes of Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth, and Marlon Brando in several classic movie musicals. But many consider Sinatra’s prime onscreen years to be in the 1950s when he won various awards for his performance in “From Here to Eternity” and nominations for “The Man with the Golden Arm” and “Not as a Stranger.” 

By 1960, Sinatra would star in “Ocean’s 11” alongside his Rat Pack buddies Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, which would kick off the franchise that was later picked up by director Steven Soderbergh and a who’s who of A-list stars.

When it comes to pop culture icons, Cher may be considered to be on a level all her own. After starting her music career alongside Sonny Bono in the mid-1960s with “I Got You Babe” and their counterculture style, the singer has found new and exciting ways to continuously reinvent herself over the course of seven consecutive decades. She even revolutionized auto-tune in 1999 before it became T-Pain’s calling card in the 2000s.

Cher’s fearlessness also led her to Hollywood, where she seriously took a go at acting after making her Broadway debut in the play “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” She would go on to star in the film adaptation and earn a Golden Globe nomination for the role before finding similar acclaim in her next few projects including “Silkwood,” “Mask,” and “The Witches of Eastwick.” However, it was her unforgettable performance in “Moonstruck” opposite a young Nicolas Cage that earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

After performing around New York City and writing songs for other artists in the early 2000s, Lady Gaga released her debut album “The Fame” in 2008, which produced five hit singles that became absolute bangers all over the world. Armed with over the top theatricality, innovative creativity, and a healthy respect for her art, Gaga spent nearly two decades dazzling her Little Monsters everywhere.

But in between delivering game-changing albums, the award-winning pop star began appearing in film and television. She would start with supporting roles in “Machete Kills,” “Muppets Most Wanted,” and “The Simpsons.” But in 2015, Ryan Murphy brought her in for two seasons of “American Horror Story,” which hones her onscreen skills. Her big break then came in 2018 when Bradley Cooper tapped her to appear in his remake of “A Star Is Born.” This project took her acting career to new heights as she would follow it up with a stellar performance in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci.” 

Unfortunately, her foray into comic book movies, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” wasn’t as well received as her other acting endeavors. But the negative reception to Todd Philips’ 2024 sequel hasn’t seemed to phase the superstar, who is set to appear in the highly anticipated “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits, but did you know that they originally had two Wahlbergs? Donnie’s younger brother Mark was initially part of the line up, but he quit after a fews months. He would then lead the group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, but they didn’t have the right stuff to make much of a splash after their first album.

Luckily, Mark Wahlberg started acting in 1993 with the made-for-TV movie “The Substitute.” In the following years, he would build up his resume with “Renaissance Man,” “The Basketball Diaries,” and “Fear.” However, it was “Boogie Nights” that forced audiences and critics to recognize that Marky Mark was long gone. From there, Wahlberg became a bonafide movie star, thanks to several acclaimed roles over the next 20 years, including “The Departed” and “The Fighter,” not to mention being pretty funny in “The Other Guys” and “Ted.”

While she dreamed of becoming an actress during her humble beginnings in Brooklyn, Barbra Streisand’s now-legendary career started with gigs in nightclubs. Eventually, she would begin making appearances on “The Tonight Show” under Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, as well as “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other prominent talk shows of the 1960s. These performances likely leveraged her unique contract with Columbia Records that gave her full creative control of her albums, which largely featured the songs she sang on TV.

Streisand’s dreams came true in 1968, when she would star as Fanny Brice in the film adaptation of “Funny Girl” after playing the role on Broadway a few years earlier. While she didn’t win the Tony for that performance, she would become one of the few actors to win an Oscar for their first movies. After that, Streisand would continue to land roles in several comedies and musicals, including “Yentl,” which allowed her to become the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major studio release.

As a native of Philadelphia, Will Smith carried the spirit of Brotherly Love with him into his music career. Together with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith released hip hop music under the moniker of The Fresh Prince. He was known for his profanity-free rhymes that often told a lighthearted story, as seen in the duo’s Grammy-winning tracks “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Summertime.”

Amidst his success as a rapper, Smith also began to pursue acting in 1990 when NBC developed a sitcom around him called “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Before the series wrapped up their six season run in 1996, the star had already lined up film roles in 1993’s “Six Degrees of Separation,” “Bad Boys” in 1995, and the 1996 sci-fi blockbuster “Independence Day.”

While continuing to release music on his own, Smith ascended to leading man status in Hollywood from 1998 to 2012 thanks to his award-winning performances in “Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “I Am Legend,” and more. Though a 2022 incident at the Academy Awards has slowed his output, he’s still capable of delivering top tier performances like the ones in his best movies so far.