It is customary to see their rock idols on stage, surrounded by a crowd of raving fans. But some rockers have proven that they can just as well shine in another art form – movies.
Some musician-actors have limited themselves to occasional scenes. For example:
members of the metal band Cannibal Corpse in “Ace Ventura: Pet Pursuit,” where they were personally invited to star by Jim Carrey (unfortunately, they were cut from the final version of the film).
Ozzy Osbourne stars as an evangelist in the ’86 metal horror comedy “Candy or Die”; in the comedy “Nicky, the Devil Jr.” where he does his favorite thing, biting the heads off bats; in the 2016 remake of “Ghostbusters”; and even in “South Park.” In fact, there are quite a few projects in which Ozzy participated, but everywhere he performed only episodic roles.
Radiohead and Pulp in the 4th part of “Harry Potter”, whose coolest performance was also safely almost completely cut from the movie.
In fact, we can think of a great many examples of rock stars’ episodic participation in movies.
But only a few have been able to truly make acting their second calling.
Elvis Presley
For the king of rock ‘n’ roll, actor-singer-musician Elvis Presley, music and movies were inseparable.
He signed his first contract with Paramount Pictures in 1956. At the same time, the film studio 20th Century Fox invited the rising rock star to star in the movie, the role of the second plan in the western, which was originally called “The Reno Brothers”. But Presley’s song “Love Me Tender”, recorded as the soundtrack to the film, became so popular that the picture was given the same title.
At the beginning of the next ’57, Elvis starred in the partially autobiographical film Love You.
The third film was again named after the movie-rocker’s single, “Jailhouse Rock.”
This was followed by the picture King Creole. And after Elvis’s service in the army, the Hollywood part of the actor-musician’s career began with the movie “Soldier Blues”. In all, Elvis starred in more than 30 films, not counting documentaries.
David Bowie
David Bowie successfully mastered the profession of actor-singer-musician and honorary chameleon of the rock world.
He is best remembered for his roles: the alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth, Major Jack Sellers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Vampire John in the erotic horror film Hunger, Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ, Agent Philip Jeffries in Twin Peaks: Fire Follow Me.
In addition to full-length roles, Bowie has appeared numerous times in cameo appearances in films.
The last time the great musician-actor appeared in a big movie was as Nikola Tesla in Christopher Nolan’s thriller The Prestige, where he worked on the same set as Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson.
Alice Cooper.
Alice Cooper, the honored grandfather of shock-rock, has also joined the ranks of rock stars in movies. Not only has he successfully added show elements to his concerts, but he has also left his mark on horror movies, though not without irony: pictures with Cooper are mostly full of black humor.
Actor-singer-musician Vincent Damon Fournier (his real name, in case you didn’t know) has appeared in movies and TV series about 15 times, if you don’t count concert videos and documentaries: the main role of a rock star in the second-rate movie “Monster Dog”, a cameo in the horror film “Prince of Darkness”, Freddy Kruger’s stepfather in “Freddy is Dead. The Last Nightmare,” one of the patients of the mental hospital in the comedy thriller with elements of the detective – “Nightmare Asylum,” the bartender and part-time king of the vampires in the comedy horror film “Gulp. We can also recall Cooper’s appearance in the TV series “Detective Monk” and “Supernatural”.
In addition, Alice Cooper has appeared in many films as a cameo. One of the most recent was in Tim Burton’s tragicomedy, Dark Shadows, starring Cooper’s colleague in the Hollywood Vampires, Johnny Depp.
The Beatles
In fact, four actor-musicians (Lennon, Harrison, McCartney and Starr) joined together under this name.
Together they starred as themselves in the musical comedies “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!”
Then there was filming in the comedy musical The Magical Mystery Journey, directed, produced and scripted by The Beatles themselves.
In the 1968 Beatles cartoon Yellow Submarine, some of the voice acting was done by members of the band.
The rock stars’ film careers also developed individually, both during and after the Beatles’ existence.
John Lennon played in How I Won the War, Two Virgins, Dynamite Chicken and Fire in the Water.
Paul McCartney and George Harrison have made numerous appearances as composers, writers, producers, directors, actors and cameos.
Ringo Starr has played in half a dozen movies (“Sweetums,” “Leafy Man,” “Caveman,” “Alice in Wonderland,” etc.) and has been in the director’s and producer’s chair several times.
Iggy Pop.
With Johnny Depp was also “lucky” another famous musician-actor – Iggy Pop. Together they starred in the films “Crybaby”, “Dead Man” and “Brave Man”.
Well, in general, Iggy’s film career is quite extensive – there are both major roles, and minor, and cameos, and even the voice in cartoons.
Among the most famous pictures with the movie-rocker, in addition to those already mentioned, are “Sid and Nancy,” “Raven 2: City of Angels,” “The Color of Money,” “Coffee and Cigarettes,” “Sip” and from the relatively recent – “Blood Orange” in 2016.
Mick Jagger.
Another famous musician-actor is Sir Mick Jagger. The lead singer of The Rolling Stones, with true English aristocratism, preferred psychological dramas.
On account of the rock star in the movies with a dozen serious roles. Among them are “Escape from the Champs Elysees”, “The Proclivity”, “Immortality Corporation”, “The Baker Street Robbery”, “The View” and “Ned Kelly”.
Jon Bon Jovi.
The creator of the band named after himself, Jon Bon Jovi also deservedly belongs in the “actor-singer-musician” category, as he devoted almost as much energy to movies as he did to rock music.
He starred in “Puck! Puck!” and has appeared in various roles in such films as “Young Guns 2,” “Vampires 2: Day of the Dead,” “U-571,” “Lone Wolf,” “Moonlight and Valentino,” “Pay the Other,” “The Leader,” and “Old New Year.”
In addition, John starred in the TV series “Studio 30,” “The West Wing” and “Ally McBeal.” The famous musician-actor also happened to be in the role of one of Carrie Bradshaw’s boyfriends (the TV series “Sex and the City”).
Jared Leto
Perhaps the only American actor-musician, who started his way from movies, is the leader of the band 30 Seconds to Mars, Jared Leto. And the future rock star in the movie rushed from his place, almost without acceleration.
After starring in a short series, “My So-Called Life” Leto gets one of the main roles in “Cool & Crazy. This was followed by roles of varying levels in “Patchwork Quilt,” “Prefontaine,” “The Thin Red Line,” “Urban Legends” and others.
The second wave of popularity comes to Jared as he tries to prove that he is not only an actor, but also a rock musician. In 1998, along with his brother, he founded the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, which later became a cult alternative band.
From this point on he becomes even more popular as an actor, and quite deservedly so. What stands out is Leto’s acting in “Requiem for a Dream”, “Fight Club”, “Scare Room”, “American Psychopath”, “Interrupted Life”, “Mr. Nobody”, “The Gun Baron”, “Chapter 27”, “Dallas Buyers Club”.
Of the latest, “Suicide Squad,” where Jared does quite well as the Joker, and “Blade Runner 2049.
By the way, this year will bring another film with the famous actor-musician under the name “Outsider”, and next year – another adaptation of “Batman”.
Marilyn Manson
The flamboyant Marilyn Manson, who made the pop song “Sweet Dreams” a rock hit, made his mark among rock stars in movies as eccentric as he did on stage.
He played a porn actor in “Highway to Nowhere,” transvestite Christina in “Club Mania,” an assassin in “Let Me Make You a Martyr,” and supporting roles in “Chicks,” “Wrong Cops” and “Vampire Girl.”
In addition to feature films, he has starred in the TV series Soup, Sons of Anarchy, Bottom, Once Upon a Time, Prodigal California, and Salem.
Michael Belzari.
A place of honor on the list of musicians turned actors is held by Red Hot Chili Peppers co-founder and bassist Michael Belzari, better known as Flie. He has played in more than 20 famous movies, appearing mostly in cameo roles.
The film actor-musician began his foray into the film industry with the dramatic thriller “Suburbia.” The last picture with his participation – “The Kid on the Drive” – was released in 2017.
Separately, it is worth noting the brief but memorable appearances of Balsari in the remake of Hitchcock’s “Psycho”, the comedy “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, the Coen Brothers comedy “The Big Lebowski” and the two extreme parts of the trilogy “Back to the Future”. By the way, the last episode was remembered by the shooting of another movie rockers – the members of the band ZZ Top.
Keith Richards.
Another member of The Rolling Stones, guitarist Keith Richards, joined the movie rockers quite recently.
In fact, he only played one role. But it immediately ensured his fame as an actor-musician.
In Parts 3, 4 and 5 of Pirates of the Caribbean, he appeared alongside Johnny Depp, playing at his invitation Jack Sparrow’s father, the guardian of the Pirate Code of Honor, Captain Teague.
Jack White.
The frontman of The White Stripes, The Ranconteurs and The Dead Weather, Jack White, didn’t refuse to supplement his musical career with a cinematic one. He hasn’t yet managed to become a full-fledged movie-rocker, but he has already had some success in this direction.
The future rock star got into the movies when he was a boy – he played a cameo role of the boy at the altar in the detective “Murder by the Rosary”.
As an adult, Jack starred in the war drama “Cold Mountain” and the comedy “Ups and Downs: The Story of Dewey Cox. However, the main roles he never got. In both films, he – the actor in a supporting role.
Johnny Depp
Do not be surprised. This name is not by chance on the list of famous actor-musicians. Yes, Johnny Depp is an actor and a rock musician.
Despite the fact that the “honorary Jack Sparrow” of Hollywood is known to all because of his roles in movies, he became a musician long before his first role, and he still is.
The first bands, in which Depp was able to play in his youth (The Kids, Rock City Angels) were not widely known. John began acting in films precisely to draw attention to its musical activities.
But all he was interested just as an actor. Subsequently, music has moved into the background, as all efforts went to the shooting in the films.
But still Depp did not forget about what initially lay his soul. All these years he did not stop playing the guitar and his success in this quite impressive.
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