Best Musicians Turned Actors

Hollywood is an industry that is always ready to adopt talent and showcase them in films. The industry surpassed its estimate of $1 billion in revenue in June 2022. Some actors have been in their acting gig for a long time to become the most paid in the game.

Who’s the most popular ex-musician?

Tom Cruise leads the pack as the world’s highest-paid actor, earning more than $100 million. These numbers have attracted musicians who have stepped into the game as one way of diversifying their skills and talents by entering into movies.

Some musicians have taken a stab at the profession by playing on-screen in different roles, creating successful careers through acting.

Based on research made by casinobonusca the following musicians  have impressed the world with their new skills in Hollywood.

Will Smith

Although many fans know him as one of the most successful actors today, Will Smith is a pretty good rapper. Will Smith began his career as a teenager as an MC of hip-hop alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince.

Will’s first steps on the music scene

The band released Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble in 1986, which shocked the airwaves. In 1987, the three released a debut album Rock the House which blew the roof, hitting the Billboard Top 200.

The trio rose to fame by winning the Grammy award in the rap category in 1988. The young star’s career took off after he signed with NBC and allowed them to build a sitcom around him. Smith starred for six seasons in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and bounced from one blockbuster to another, including Bad Boys, 1996 Independence Day, Men in Black, and many more.

David Bowie

Bowie introduced the idea of playing a character in pop music. His acting career kicked off by studying avant-garde theater and mime, with his first role in the theatrical release of Pierrot in Turquoise, a 1967 production.

He later made a brief film appearance before portraying a significant role as Thomas Jerome Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth, generating critical acclaim. David Bowie took a lead role in Just a Gigolo and The Elephant Man, a 1980 Broadway production. His expressive performances, which defined his musical performances, gave him a chance in the film industry.

Mark Wahlberg

The musician-turned-actor kicked off his career in the 90s with a debut album, Music for the People. Fans labeled him as Marky Mark, but it was not long until Walberg withdrew the name and crossed over to Hollywood back in 1993.

Mark’s breakthrough in acting

His first theatrical experience was showcased in The Substitute before scoring his iconic role as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights, a film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. We can not forget Renaissance Man, a movie that made Wahlberg gain critical attention.

It was not long until we saw Mark on the big screens alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in The Basketball Diaries. He has been featured in many films, including The Perfect Storm, Three Kings, The Italian Job, The Departed, and many more.

Queen Latifah

She is another musician who has taken an acting career as the center stage of her life. Her music career began with beatboxing in the hip-hop group Ladies Fresh. Latifah pushed her music by covering feminist topics, and it was not long before she struck a deal on a FOX sitcom.

Her career broke in The Bone Collector, a film that featured Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie in 1999. Latifah gained commercial acclaim, making her land an Academy Award musical film, Chicago. She was later nominated as the most supportive actor in The Bone collector film.

Ludacris

Many remember his hit songs Rollout, Stand UP, and Act a Fool in the late 1990s and 2000s. Ludacris added acting to his resume in the early 2000s with projects such as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

It is a film that many recall his role-playing as a stepson of Ice-T. In 2008, he made another appearance at the famous RocknRolla before filming the Fast and Furious series as Tej Parker. The musician, now the actor, is known as Christopher Bridges and has starred in Academy Award winners such as Hustle and Flow and Crash.

Extraordinary talent has no boundaries

Music is a great career, but the above musicians have diversified their careers by diving into acting and bringing their best talent on board.