Musicians turning to film is nothing new, but every few years, there’s a new crop of talented musicians turning their skills towards the film industry. There have been countless musicians turned actors, likeIce Cube, Mark WhalbergorWill Smith,Jennifer LopezandMadonna, and legendary stars, likePrince,Bowie,Cher,andthe late greatOlivia Newton-John. They would release numerous hits before starring in the beloved musical,Grease(1978).
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Some musicians use their extensive knowledge of music to turn to composing films, likeDanny Elfman, who formed the New Wave bandOingo Boingoin ‘79 before his lengthy career as a composer. Then there aremusicians turned directors, likeRob ZombieorRZA, the former who put his love of Kung Fu, prevalent in his rap groupWu-Tang Clan, into his feature filmThe Man with the Iron Fists. It’s no secret that these artists are bursting with talent, so it’s no surprise they can channel their creative drive and style into a new medium.
Harry Styles
Topping charts as one of the most popular musicians in recent years, fashionably promoting love across all spectrums,Harry Styleshas recently brought his career to the big screen. Starting as a contestant on the British music show,The X Factor(2004), the young singer would join the pop boy bandOne Direction. Styles went solo after the band’s hiatus in 2016 and released their first solo album in 2017, the same year of their first acting role,Dunkirk.
Like much of the large ensemble cast, Styles didn’t get too much dialogue inChristopher Nolan’s atmospheric WWII drama but don’t fret; Styles is stepping into more prominent roles. The pop sensation will soon star oppositeFlorence PughinDon’t Worry Darling, a psychological drama set in a suspiciously idealistic ’50s esque suburb.Styles took the lead role inThe Policeman, a romance film inspired by the book of the same name, and has officially entered the MCU, playingEros, Thanos’ younger brother, as seen in the end credits ofEternals. The future is undoubtedly bright for the former music competition contestant.
Halle Bailey
The young upcoming star,Halle Bailey, is best known for the R&B duoChloe x Hallealongside her sisterChloe Halle. The two went from Youtube stars to Disney stars to full-blown stars, putting out two studio albums in which they collected five Grammy nominations. The duo kick-started their careers after going viral with severalBeyoncécovers and gaining the attention of the megastar, who then took the sisters under her wing. The sister duo also had a few stints with Disney before starring inGrown-ish, the spinoff sitcom ofBlack-ish.
Currently, at just 22 years old, Halle’s most significant breakthrough in her young acting career came with the casting announcement for Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation ofThe Little Mermaid. Halle is set to star as the lead character of Ariel, the young mermaid who longs to discover what’s out there beyond her ocean home. Given that the upcoming film is said to be a musical, it’s obvious Halle will bring her impressive singing voice to the iconic role.
Damien Chazelle
Damien Chazellemade waves in the film festival community with his 2013 short filmWhiplash, the very short that would turn into the critically acclaimed feature filmWhiplash. The story goes that Chazelle had a not-so-successful career in music, attending a vigorous music class as a jazz drummer. This experience would inspire Chazelle’s breakout into film and provide the inspiration forJ.K. Simmons’Academy Award-winning performanceas the abusive music teacher, Terence Fletcher.
WithWhiplash, Chazelle showed an intimate understanding of music, effectively depicting the energy and physical emotion of music on the big screen. Chazelle would hit back-to-back successes with his follow-upLa La Land; the filmmaker’s first go at musicals, which starsEmma StoneandRyan Goslingas two struggling artists who fall in love, an actress and Jazz musician. The film garnered critical and audience praise before its infamous Best Picture loss toMoonlightafter mistakenly being declared the Oscar winner.
Widely known under his stage nameKid Cudi, the nameScott Mescudihas started to pop up in movie credits. The popular rapper and artist gained notoriety in the late 2000s after being noticed byKayne West,signing to his record label in 2008. Since then, Cudi has remained consistent in the music industry but recently made a major push into acting and directing.
Going under his real name, Mescudi was featured in a few minor films since 2010, but audiences saw his most acclaimed performance to date inTi West’s provocative slasher film,X, playing a 70s adult film star. Also inX(2022) is actressBrittany Snow, who has cast Mescudi in her directorial debut,September 17th(TBA), while Mescudi has announced his directorial debut,Teddy(TBA), a Netflix production inspired by the Kid Cudi song, “Pursuit of Happiness,” that is co-produced byJay-Z.
Alana Haim
Alana Haimis one of the three founding members of the aptly titled pop rock bandHaim, the band featuring Alana and her two sisters,EsteandDanielle Haim. The sibling trio achieved success in LA’s rock scene and has been nominated for the Grammy for Album of the Year with their 2020 release “Women in Music: Part III.” Alana then would make her acting debut inLicorice Pizza.
Licorice Pizzastars Haim and fellow newcomerCooper Hoffmanas two interact in a flirtatious relationship while seeking out business endeavors in 1973’s San Fernando Valley. Acclaimed filmmakerPaul Thomas Andersondirected the film, but it wasn’t his first collaboration with Haim.Anderson has directed many music videosfor artists likeFiona Apple,Radiohead,and, you guessed it, Haim. Anderson has directed ten projects with the pop rock band, so casting the inexperienced actress inLicorice Pizzamakes all the more sense.
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompsonis one of the most prominent drummers of his generation, most known for his hip-hop group,The Roots. Thompson and The Roots have been the longstanding in-house band forJimmy Fallon’s various late-night talk shows, among different TV, guest, and event appearances. However,Thompsonhas recently taken his music industry expertise (particularly the Black history of the industry) to filmmaking and preserving the past with documentaries.
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His first time as director was for the music documentarySummer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The documentary unearths never before seen footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that featured legendary black musicians likeNina Simone,Stevie Wonder,B.B. King,and many more. The documentary was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and Thompson is already busy producing the recently announced documentary seriesJames Brown: Say It Loud(TBA).
This Icelandic songwriter, lyricist, novelist, poet, and fresh new screenwriter is professionally known asSjón. Sjón is most prominently known for his many collaborations as a songwriter with fellow Icelandic musician,Björk. Sjón collaborated with Björk on the song “I’ve Seen It All” for the filmDancer in the Dark, a musical drama starring Björk that would see the two nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Sjón has recently taken his writing talents to the big screen with two features as a screenwriter. The first isLamb, starringNoomi Rapace, a folk horror film that follows a grieving mother who finds a strange newborn on her farm. Björk would also introduce Sjón toRobber Eggers,the director of the surreal period piecesThe WitchandThe Lighthouse, and the two would go on to co-write the script forThe Northman.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Trent ReznorandAtticus Rossfirst gained popularity as the two principal songwriters and performers of the industrial rock bandNine Inch Nails(NIN). NIN made its debut in 1989, and Reznor had been the band’s sole permanent member before inducting Ross in 2016. The duo had worked long before then, with Ross making contributions since NIN’s 2005 recordWith Teeth. The two started branching out in 2010, pursuing composing for movies and TV.
Reznor and Ross’s first significant composing role came withThe Social Network, garnering critical acclaim and winning the Oscar for Best Original Score. The team would go on to composeThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,Gone Girl,Mid90s, and the television seriesWatchmen. The duo has stayed busy, piling up the credits and even battling themselves during award season. During the 93rd Academy Awards, Reznor and Ross were nominated for Best Original Score for bothMankandSoul, winning for the latter.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Mirandahas begun to sink his musical fingers into many facets of entertainment. Miranda is best known as a stage and theater actor, nominated for 13 Tony awards, with his passion for the stage coming from a young age. Over the years, Miranda has stayed busy as a playwright, freestyle improv and comedy rapper, songwriter, and composer and steadily drifted towards film.
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Miranda started to make waves withDisney, composing and writing songs forMoana. Amidst Miranda’s skyrocketing popularity with the streamed stage playHamilton, Miranda co-wrote the story and composed songs for Disney’sEncanto. The film would be quickly popularized by the viral song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which became thenumber one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Miranda took his passion to his first director’s chair withTick, Tick… Boom!based onJonathan Larsonand the creation of the iconic stage musicalRent, and now producing the upcomingThe Little Mermaid.
Lady Gagahas been a powerhouse in the music scene for over a decade, with her innovative outfits, exciting live performances, and absolutely no fear. The multi-talented artist has won 13 Grammys to date but is not only a musician but an activist, entrepreneur, and most recently, an accomplished actress. Gaga took a few roles in some not-so-memorable movies in the early 2010s but officially launched her path into acting with her Academy Award-winning performance inA Star is Born, using her musical talents for the character, Ally Maine an aspiring singer.
Gaga would then move away from music-based roles for her lead performance inHouse of Gucci, the biographical drama directed byRidley Scott. The film stars Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani andAdam Driveras Maurizio Gucci, who fight over control of the fashion brand Gucci. Gaga was most recently announced to play Harley Quinn oppositeJoaquin Phoenixin the sequel toJoker,Joker: Folie à Deuxhinted to be a musical and estimated to hit theaters in 2024.
