18 Famous Singers Who Shocked Everyone By Becoming Actors After Years Of Success In The Music Industry

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If you didn't cognize Taylor Swift is besides an actor, are you adjacent a Swiftie?

As idiosyncratic who dabbled successful musical theatre increasing up (non-theatre kids, delight don't click away), I tin admit the sheer magnitude of accomplishment it takes to sing successful beforehand of an audience. And erstwhile you adhd acting into the mix? It requires a full caller level of skill.

But since singing requires tapping into emotion successful a akin mode that acting does, it should travel arsenic nary astonishment that galore singers task into acting astatine immoderate point. And today, we're celebrating them — successful portion due to the fact that the Toronto International Film Festival is successful town, and I'm starstruck by the database of singers who are starring successful movies there.

1. We each cognize and emotion Charli xcx for her iconic medium brat, and galore of america person been stans since her debut medium came out successful 2013. But she's precocious shifted her absorption to acting. Of course, she guest-starred successful Overcompensating (which was thing abbreviated of iconic), and she's besides successful 2 upcoming movies: Erupcja and Sacrifice, some of which person their satellite premieres astatine TIFF. In the latter, she stars alongside Chris Evans and Salma Hayek.

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2. J Balvin is 1 of the astir fashionable Latin artists successful the world, and for bully reason...it's fundamentally intolerable not to bust a determination erstwhile "Mi Gente" comes on. Well, he's making his first-ever live-action diagnostic successful Little Lorraine, alongside Sean Astin and Stephen Amell. The crime-drama movie is based connected a existent story, and it premieres connected Sept. 5.

3. A$AP Rocky is nary alien to the large screen, having acted successful respective fashionable movies implicit the past decennary — similar Dope (2015) and Monster (2018). But he's arguably best-known for his music, and has been rapping professionally since 2007 (that, and being Rihanna's babe daddy). He'll beryllium successful the upcoming play If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which stars Rose Byrne.

4. If you were live successful 2013, you knew Pharrell Williams. His opus "Happy" was really EVERYWHERE, arsenic was "Just a Cloud Away." But he's besides done a clump of dependable acting for movies similar The Grinch (2018) and Sing 2 (2021). Plus, past year, helium starred arsenic himself successful the movie Piece by Piece, which chronicles his life...through LEGO. It came retired past year, and has won several awards since then.

5. If you cognize me, you knew this was coming. Taylor Swift. The champion singer-songwriter of each clip — THE euphony manufacture — ever since her debut medium came retired successful 2006. Well, our miss Tay has besides done a ton of acting...and I'm talking astir much than conscionable her euphony videos. Notably, she was successful CSI (2009), Valentine's Day (2010), The Lorax (2012), The Giver (2014), Cats (2019), and Amsterdam (2022).

6. How could I marque this database without mentioning the queen herself, Lady Gaga? Of course, Gaga has been a titan of the euphony manufacture since her archetypal medium The Fame changed each our lives backmost successful 2008. But it wasn't until 2018 until she had her breakout relation successful A Star Is Born alongside Bradley Cooper. The movie won an Oscar for Best Original Song, and Gaga was nominated for Best Actress. I could cry.

7. You could've predicted this from the names connected this list, but I'm a monolithic Harry Styles fan. We each cognize helium roseate to fame successful One Direction (greatest boyband of each time) successful the 2010s, and we're each alert helium won Album of the Year astatine the Grammys successful 2023 (which helium perfectly deserved, and I'll dice connected that hill). But Harry is besides an astonishing actor. His archetypal large relation was successful Dunkirk (2017), but we can't hide astir My Policeman (2022) oregon my idiosyncratic fave, Don't Worry Darling (2022).

8. After rising to fame done her euphony successful the '70s, Dolly Parton started acting successful 1980 done her relation successful 9 to 5 — and, yes, she besides wrote the opus "9 To 5" for that movie. This relation sold her arsenic not conscionable a euphony icon, but besides an awesome actress. She went connected to prima successful The Best Little Whorehouse successful Texas (1982), Steel Magnolias (1989), and overmuch later, arsenic Miley Cyrus's godmother successful Hannah Montana. Girl's got RANGE.

9. If you don't worship Lenny Kravitz, your ma decidedly does. He's a '90s euphony legend, and it's practically intolerable to not emotion his songs. After 2 afloat decades of focusing chiefly connected music, helium made his breakout relation successful Precious (2009). Then helium became highly well-known to a wholly caller demographic done his relation arsenic Cinna successful The Hunger Games movies. To accidental this translation was shocking is an understatement.

10. Although Justin Timberlake did commencement connected The All New Mickey Mouse Club erstwhile helium was a kid, helium was truly lone known for euphony until helium starred successful The Social Network successful 2010. Before that, everyone knew him arsenic the NSYNC prima and boyband legend, not for being a nonrecreational actor. But helium went connected to absorption a batch much connected acting, and has a prettyyy awesome resume — namely, Friends with Benefits (2011), Bad Teacher (2011), and much recently, Palmer (2021).

11. Rihanna wholly owned the '00s and '10s arsenic a singer. Her 2007 medium Good Girl Gone Bad volition everlastingly beryllium a gem, a staple, and a masterpiece...as volition her latest album, ANTI, which came retired successful 2016 (yes, that's her latest album. Girl, travel backmost to music!!!). After gaining occurrence successful the euphony industry, she started acting, and has continued ever since. Most recently, she voices Smurfette successful the 2025 Smurfs movie — her biggest relation yet, 1 mightiness say.

12. I stake you didn't cognize Mariah Carey is besides an actress. But, yes, she is! Although it seems similar euphony has been her main absorption ever since her emergence to fame successful the '90s, she's besides had her just stock of acting roles. In 2000, she starred successful the musical-romance Glitter, and was aboriginal successful Precious (2009). Mariah is simply a dependable actress, too, having starred successful The LEGO Batman Movie, which came retired successful 2017. How's that for a portion of trivia?

13. Janelle Monáe is arguably conscionable arsenic well-known for acting arsenic she is for her music, but she really didn't task into Hollywood until aft her 3rd album, The Electric Lady, came retired successful 2013. Her archetypal major role was successful Moonlight (2016), which ended up winning Best Picture astatine the Oscars (yeah, that Oscars). She was besides successful Hidden Figures that aforesaid year, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery successful 2022.

14. Arguably my favourite creator close present is Role Model, AKA Tucker Pillsbury (who I had a little spot of beef with, but we thankfully solved it). You astir apt cognize him from hits similar "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" and "blind," but his full postulation of euphony is chef's kiss. You amended support your eyes retired for him, due to the fact that he's starring successful the 2027 romcom Good Sex alongside Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, among different A-list actors. And thing tells maine it's gonna beryllium epic.

15. Ice Cube roseate to fame successful a rap trio called C.I.A. successful the '80s earlier releasing his debut album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, successful 1990. But he's since go adjacent much well-known for acting! He started disconnected successful the '90s with films similar Boyz n the Hood and Friday, and his latest movie is the 2025 thriller War of the Worlds. But TBH, it's his iconic relation successful 21 Jump Street (2012) that I punctuation connected the daily. If you've seen the movie, you cognize precisely what portion I'm talking about.

16. This adjacent creator needs nary introduction, but I'll springiness it anyway. After her archetypal medium came retired successful 1985, Whitney Houston rapidly became a legend. Like, if you don't cognize astatine slightest 3 of her songs, whew, that's kinda embarrassing. Anyway, you mightiness not cognize that Whitney ventured into acting successful the '90s arsenic the pb successful romance movies similar The Bodyguard (1992) and Waiting to Exhale (1995). And if you're a REAL one, you cognize she played the Fairy Godmother successful the 1997 adaptation of Cinderella.

17. Jon Bon Jovi had been singing for a longgg clip earlier helium started acting — adjacent earlier the set Bon Jovi got unneurotic successful the '80s and released timeless hits similar "Livin' On a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." So really, his task into acting was a agelong clip coming. His archetypal large relation was successful Moonlight and Valentino (1995) alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Gwyneth Paltrow, but you mightiness besides retrieve him successful U-571 (2000) and Pay It Forward (2000). It looks similar he's shifted his absorption back to music, but boy, did helium termination it during his acting days.

18. You mightiness cognize Teyana Taylor arsenic an R&B creator (whose slayer 4th album, Escape Room, conscionable came out) — oregon you whitethorn admit her sanction from her galore acting credits. Her archetypal azygous "Google Me" came retired successful 2009, truthful she's been successful the manufacture for awhile, but she's precocious been progressive successful respective large productions. Teyana starred successful Straw earlier this year, and she's besides successful One Battle After Another with nary different than Leonardo DiCaprio, which comes retired connected Sept. 26.

Now, archer me: Who's different creator who decided to commencement acting aft gaining occurrence arsenic a vocalist oregon musician? Tell maine successful the comments below!

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