For 50 years, dating back to the heyday of Elvis, rock artists have often strived to make the transition from music to acting. What drives this compulsion is anyone’s guess, but what’s surprising is the finesse with which many have pulled it off. Less commonly, actors have tried their hand at rock and roll, and in general the results have been less than stellar. The examples below run in both directions, with the degree of success ranging from superb to abysmal.
David Bowie
David Bowie had acting aspirations from the start, appearing as a teen in a TV commercial and studying as part of a heralded mime troupe. Bowie’s theatrical impulses later profoundly impacted his music and his stage presentations. Beginning with his type-cast starring role in Nicholas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bowie has appeared in several films, most notably The Hunger, Labyrinth, and the critically acclaimed Merry Christmas Ms. Lawrence.
Actor: ***
Rocker: *****
Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield’s recording career has been hit-or-miss (mostly miss), although his best-known song (“Jessie’s Girl”) helped set the tone of the then-nascent MTV generation. In truth, for those willing to venture back further, he made one superb album in the form of his 1973 effort, Comic Book Heroes. Springfield’s acting career has run parallel to his music endeavors, beginning with guest roles on ’70s TV shows such as The Rockford Files and The Incredible Hulk. His most notable role, as Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime soap General Hospital has undergone several permutations through the years (see clip below).
Actor: **
Rocker: ***
Kris Kristofferson
It makes sense that the writer of such soulful, introspective ballads as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Help Me Make it Through the Night” could bring a smoldering intensity to the silver screen. In the early ’70s, Kristofferson set out on an acting path that brought him much acclaim. His most famous role was the male lead in A Star is Born, but his appearance in John Sayles’ Lone Star in 1996 features his best on-screen work.
Actor: ****
Rocker: ****
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis first garnered widespread acclaim for her role in 1992’s Cape Fear, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Later, her Hollywood reputation went in a tougher direction when she co-starred in Oliver Stone’s controversial film Natural Born Killers. Five years ago, she launched a sideline career as a punk rocker, fronting a band she dubbed Juliette and the Licks. Opening slots for the Foo Fighters and Muse, along with co-writes with songwriter Linda Perry, have given Lewis well-deserved rock credibility.
Actor: ****
Rocker: ****
Dwight Yoakam
Notwithstanding the ever-present cowboy hat, Dwight Yoakam resists easy definition when it comes to his style of music. In addition to bluegrass and honky-tonk, the veteran singer-songwriter has embraced rockabilly, pop, and even the less-jagged edges of punk rock. He’s brought a renegade spirit to his acting roles as well, most notably in his depictions of the white-trash alcoholic Doyle in Billy Bob Thornton’s Sling Blade and the sinister killer in Panic Room.
Actor: ****
Rocker: ****
Courtney Love
Although her skills are often overshadowed by her controversial reputation, Courtney Love has proved brilliant in both the rock and film worlds. With her band Hole she created one of the best albums of the ’90s in Live Through This, and 1998’s Celebrity Skin was, in retrospect, only a notch or two below the standard set by its predecessor. Of Love’s many acting roles, none earned her more acclaim than her turn as the wife of Hustler founder Larry Flynt in the film The People vs. Larry Flynt. Recognition came in the form of a Golden Globe nomination (for Best Actress in a Drama) and a New York Film Critics Circle Award (for Best Supporting Actress).
Actor: ****
Rocker: *****
Zooey Deschanel
Actress Zooey Deschanel first gained notice for her supporting role in Cameron Crowe’s autobiographical film, Almost Famous. Since then she's drawn raves for a variety of understated performances. In 2003's Elf, she got a chance to showcase her singing skills with a shower-scene rendition of the classic, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Recently she teamed with producer-songwriter M. Ward and released a superb pop album, titled Volume One, that features 12 original songs alongside two well-chosen covers.
Actor: ****
Rocker: ***
Prince
What can you say about Prince that hasn’t already been said? A brilliant songwriter, dazzling guitarist, and otherworldly singer, Prince is the type of artist for whom the word “genius” should be reserved. In 1984, with Purple Rain, he employed those skills in one of the best rock films ever made. Prince’s role as “The Kid,” while probably not far removed from his real-life persona, drew raves from the likes of movie critic Roger Ebert. Wisely, after the relative failure of the follow-up film Under the Cherry Moon, Prince focused exclusively on music once again.
Actor: ***
Rocker: *****
Billy Bob Thornton
Few actor-directors appreciate great music more than Billy Bob Thornton. A longtime friend of Athens, Georgia-based jam rockers Widespread Panic and singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt (who appeared in Sling Blade), Thornton himself released a roots-rock album titled Private Radio in 2001. Undeterred by its lukewarm reception, the Academy Award winning star has since recorded two more albums. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons once called Thornton’s blues-rock band, dubbed Tres Hombres, the “best little cover band in Texas.”
Actor: *****
Rocker: ***
Tom Waits
So strong and distinctive is Tom Waits’ persona, it’s hardly surprising he’s made a substantial mark in the film world. Like his songs, which mix blues, jazz, vaudeville, and Tin Pan Alley into an eccentric concoction, Waits’ acting roles tend to involve offbeat, downtrodden characters. His role as Rudy the Kraut―alongside Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep―in the Hollywood adaptation of the novel Ironweed remains one of Tinseltown's great unheralded performances. Had poet Charles Bukowski and playwright Samuel Beckett collaborated on a character, that character would no doubt have resembled Waits.
Actor:****
Rocker:*****
(Honorable Mentions: Roger Daltrey, Sting, Mick Jagger, Levon Helm, John Doe, and Kevin Bacon)