Musicians are a talented and creative bunch. Some artists have started out in theater or dance before taking on a professional career in music. For example, when Cher was in fifth grade, she produced a performance of the musical Oklahoma! for her teacher and class. The “Believe” singer has starred in 20 films since 1965, including The Witches of Eastwick, Moonstruck, and Burlesque. Madonna took classical piano lessons as a child but switched over to ballet lessons. She pursued a dance career and attended the University of Michigan with a dance scholarship. Madonna has starred in more films than she has albums, starring in 15 films since 1985, including A League of Their Own and Four Rooms.
Artists Turned Actors Across Decades
Moving to the pop stars of the early aughts, singers like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera all had taken on acting careers as well. Britney starred in 2002’s Crossroads after recording three studio albums. Justin starred in 22 movies. Meanwhile, Christina starred in three films, one of which she starred alongside Cher: Burlesque. Though some pop stars take on acting when their music careers are declining in popularity, others have taken on acting equally or stronger than their music careers. Jennifer Lopez is one successful pop star that comes to mind. She has steadily pushed out music since 1999. With nine studio albums, J-Lo has an impressive 35 acting credits below her belt. Lady Gaga is another massive pop icon who has emerged onto the acting scene to critical acclaim. Gaga has five solo studio albums, two collaborative albums with the late Tony Bennett, and one soundtrack album from her starring film debut in A Star Is Born.
We took a look at musicians who made the transition to the big screen and compiled a list of five who have had strong roles. See which of our favorite pop stars made the list.
