20 Singers Who Successfully Made the Jump to Acting
Many of our favorite artists are multifaceted. While we enjoy seeing them on screen in the latest action movie, or watching them crack the case on TV procedurals, fans are also able to hear their artistic craft in the form of music. Many of the actors we know and love today got their start in music.
In the ‘80s, artists like New Kids on The Block dominated air waves, and in the decades to follow, we were introduced to pop hitmakers like Jennifer Love Hewitt and R&B powerhouses like Tyrese. Rappers like Ice-T and Queen Latifah also had a hold on the hip-hop game. These names may all sound familiar to lovers of cinema and television, as they’ve dominated screens for the past decade — some of them, at least two. But some may not know that many of these actors got their start in music. A lot of them also were killing it in music as their acting careers were beginning.
Granted, fame comes and goes, but several artists have maintained their longevity by exploring different avenues. Below are some of our favorites in recent memory, as well as some carving out the next chapter of their illustrious careers.
1
Cher
‘Mask’ (1985, ‘Moonstruck’ (1987), ‘Burlesque’ (2010)
For over six decades, Cher has kept fans fed with a music catalog stacked with timeless classics. And with her performance skills, fans better “Believe” that she’s equally a threat on screen. Her acting career began around the same time as her music career when she made her acting debut in Wild on the Beach. That same year, she dropped two albums — her solo debut All I Really Want to Do and a collaborative album with her then-husband Sonny Bono, Look at Us. While Cher has quite an incredible resume, some of her most memorable acting was alongside Christina Aguilera in 2010’s Burlesque. Though the movie was panned by critics upon its original release, it has held up as a classic among fans. She won an Academy Award for starring in the classic rom-com Moonstruck.
2
Mark Wahlberg
‘The Departed’ (2006), ‘Lone Survivor’ (2013)
Though Donnie Wahlberg got his start in the ‘80s boyband New Kids on the Block, many fans don’t know that Mark was almost a member of the group as well. Though he quit before the group put out a proper release, Mark went on to form Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which earned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Good Vibrations.” These days, Mark focuses on acting, but it’s nice to know he has lots of films and a few hits to his credit. He was Oscar-nominated for his work in Martin Scorsese‘s The Departed.
3
Frank Sinatra
‘From Here to Eternity’ (1953), ‘Ocean’s 11’ (1960)
Frank Sinatra was equally a force on records as he was on-screen. Before putting out his first album The Voice of Frank Sinatra, the singer was a sought-out actor in Hollywood. He got his start in movies like Higher and Higher and Step Lively, and was even cast opposite Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson in the Technicolor musical Anchors Away. Though his acting career took a bit of a hit in 1952 when his role in Joseph Pevney’s Meet Danny Wilson he took the advice he offered in his song “Pick Yourself Up” and starred as Private Angelo Maggio in the 1953 war drama From Here to Eternity. This earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
4
Dolly Parton
‘9 to 5’ (1980), ‘Steel Magnolias’ (1989)
Dolly Parton has several hits to her credit — “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5,” just to name a few. But the latter of these songs comes from the 1980 movie 9 to 5, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. She would go on to steal scenes in movies like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias. But Millennials and Gen-Z fans may also remember her as Miley Stewart’s godmother on Hannah Montana. Parton is fellow singer/actress Miley Cyrus’ godmother in real life.

5
Madonna
‘Dick Tracy’ (1990), ‘A League of Their Own’ (1992), ‘Evita’ (1996)
Known for packing a bit of edge in her music and performances, Madonna maintains this energy on screen. Over the years, she’s stolen scenes in movies like Dick Tracy and A League of their Own. She displays both her acting and her music chops in 1996’s Evita, in which she plays Eva Perón. While many of her movies, admittedly, leave something to be desired, Madonna’s on-stage musical performances prove that she is a master of theatrics.

Dick Tracy
- Release Date
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June 15, 1990
- Runtime
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105 minutes
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Madonna
Breathless Mahoney
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Al Pacino
Big Boy Caprice
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Glenne Headly
Tess Trueheart
6
Jennifer Hudson
‘Dreamgirls’ (2006), ‘Respect’ (2021)
While Jennifer Hudson may not have won American Idol during her run in 2004, she’s become one of America’s icons. Two years after her appearance on the reality singing competition, she starred in Dreamgirls as Effie (winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress). With her powerhouse vocals, she inked a record deal with Arista and J. Records, putting out her self-titled debut album in 2008. She’s maintained a good balance of airplay and screen time, with one of her most memorable roles in the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. Though she hasn’t put out a proper album since 2014’s J. Hud, she continues to steal our hearts on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where she’s known to belt out a tune or two.

7
Elvis Presley
‘Jailhouse Rock’ (1957), ‘Blue Hawaii’ (1961)
Elvis Presley may have been known as the King of Rock and Roll, but he also brought his charisma and charm to the silver screen. Over the course of his remarkable career, Elvis starred in movie musicals like Jailhouse Rock and also showed of his more heartfelt side in the romantic drama Blue Hawaii. Through signature soulful vocal stylings and a magnetic film presence, Elvis encapsulated what it meant to be an entertainer.

Jailhouse Rock
- Release Date
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November 8, 1957
- Runtime
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96 minutes
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Elvis Presley
Vince Everett
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Judy Tyler
Peggy Van Alden
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Mickey Shaughnessy
Hunk Houghton
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Vaughn Taylor
Mr. Shores (narrator)
8
Barbra Streisand
‘Funny Girl’ (1968), ‘The Prince of Tides’ (1991)
Barbra Streisand’s filmography is equally as stacked as her music catalog. Some of her most memorable roles include Funny Girl (Best Actress Oscar win) and Yentl — the latter of which sees her titular character disguises herself as a man to enroll in a Jewish school, where she unexpectedly finds love. She also starred in Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers in the Meet the Parents franchise as matriarch Roz Walker. But don’t expect her to return for the fourth film slated to premiere in 2026. In an interview with Variety published in June 2025, Streisand revealed she had no intention of returning to the franchise. “They’d have to pay me a lot of money because I didn’t get paid what the other people got paid and so I’m pissed off,” Streisand said. “I was in the time when women were getting paid less than the men.”

9
Will Smith
‘Independence Day’ (1996), ‘King Richard’ (2021)
Before Will Smith was a film legend, he was a rapper known as The Fresh Prince. Putting out music with DJ Jazzy Jeff, the duo had a handful of hits — including the breezy “Summertime” before Smith’s big TV debut on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When the show came to an end, Smith continued to put out music, with hits like 1997’s “Men In Black” and “Gettin’ Jiggy With It.” Though he’s primarily focused on acting now, Smith did drop an album earlier this year called Based on a True Story with the viral hit single “Pretty Girls.” Over three decades in the game, Smith remains a force in both music and film.

10
Justin Timberlake
‘The Social Network’ (2010), ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ (2013)
Singer and actor Justin Timberlake has had a hold on Millennials’ hearts for nearly three decades. While many of us were first introduced to Timberlake when he was the lead vocalist of boyband *NSYNC. He would later go on to make his acting debut in ABC’s 2000 made-for-TV movie Model Behavior. Some of his most memorable film roles include Oscar-winning The Social Network, as well as Bad Teacher and Friends With Benefits, the latter two of which show a softer, humorous side of Timberlake.