MADONNA AP
Many actors want to become singers, but only a few manage to make that key shift—because they don’t have the musical pipes for it! On the other hand, the traffic in the opposite direction is quite busy, since many singers have succeeded in launching acting careers as well.
Take Frank Sinatra—he launched his performing career in the 1940s as a big-band soloist who became many teenyboppers’ singing idol!
Then, he starred in acclaimed movie musicals like “On the Town”—and went on to essay nonsinging and highly-charged dramatic roles in films like “The Man with the Golden Arm,” “The Manchurian Candidate” and “From Here to Eternity”—for which he won a best supporting actor Oscar!
Barbra Streisand is another awesomely versatile star. From being a kooky and idiosyncratic singer, she quickly moved up to musical-theater star, then musical film fave and filmmaker.
She’s one of the few performers who’ve earned Oscar nominations or wins for best picture (“The Prince of Tides”), best song (“A Star Is Born) and best actress (“Funny Girl”). How gifted can a “funny girl” get?
Elvis Presley also went from rocker to film star in a big way, with many movie musicals to his name. Ditto for Michael Jackson and his sister, Janet. Plus: Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, David Bowie, Dolly Parton and Madonna!
Daring move
More recently, Justin Timberlake took a deep breath and quit the fave ’NSync boy band to launch his acting career. His daring move paid off big time, with his acclaimed portrayal of Sean Parker in “The Social Network” establishing his thespic credentials in an irrefutable way.
MARK Wahlberg
Jennifer Hudson is another sensational film find from the singing world, because she was a “nonwinner” on “American Idol,” and yet she became a film star, with her portrayal in “Dreamgirls” winning a best supporting actress Oscar, and firming up her claim to filmic fame and fortune!
Even more tellingly, rappers have been unexpectedly successful at becoming actors, as proven early on by the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith.
For his part, Ice Cube has gone from rapper and emcee to actor, scriptwriter, producer and/or director—with notable films like “Boyz n the Hood” and “Higher Learning” to his credit.
He’s been quickly followed by Tupac Shakur, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Eminem, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Snoop Dog—and Bow Wow!
WILL Smith
Even the hot multimedia babe, Beyoncé, has given acting a go by way of “Dreamgirls” and “Cadillac Records.”
But, the biggest multihyphenated star of them all is Jennifer Lopez, who started her performing career decades ago as a dancer on TV, then moved on to top-bill the Latino film bio, “Selena.”
That was just for starters, because she’s now a powerful presence on TV, film, recording and the concert stage. Not just as a singer-actress, but now also as producer and discoverer and booster of new talents (like she once was) on “American Idol.”
What goes around, comes around!