Actors and musicians have a lot in common as they both entertain fans in their own way. However, while not every actor can play a musical instrument or carry a note singing, many musicians can't cut it as an actor. However, few actors and musicians crossed over and proved to be excellent in both roles.
While most movies with real-life musicians in them are movies about music, there are also those cases where a musician wants to act in a different kind of movie, from action flicks and thrillers to comedies to carrying degrees. Here is a look at the five best and five worst performances by real musicians in films.
BEST: JENNIFER LOPEZ, OUT OF SIGHT (1998)
Jennifer Lopez's talent as an actress surprises no one today. She has a pair of Golden Globe nominations for Selena and Hustlers, and many felt she deserved Oscar consideration for the latter role. However, in 1998, she lit up the screen in the Stephen Soderbergh film Out of Sight opposite George Clooney. It was proof that Lopez could do just about anything on the big screen and that the best was yet to come.
WORST: TOBY KEITH, BEER FOR MY HORSES (2008)
Toby Keith is one of the most successful country music artists in history. He has released 19 studio albums and 61 singles and has 20 country music hits that reached the top of the charts. However, in 2003, Keith tried to combine his music with an acting career. He starred in Beer for My Horses, based on his song of the same name.
Keith and Rodney Carrington starred as deputy sheriffs for a small town in Oklahoma who end up on a big adventure to Mexico and back to Oklahoma. The movie has a zero percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
BEST: DAVID BOWIE, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976)
When people think of David Bowie and his acting career, most people talk about Labyrinth, where Bowie was the Goblin King. That was a great movie and an excellent performance by Bowie, who got to sing as well as act.
However, his best role came in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. Bowie is an alien who comes to Earth to get water to bring back to his home planet, which is in a draught.
WORST: MADONNA, SWEPT AWAY (2002)
There was a time early in the 2000s where fans of Guy Ritchie accused his wife, Madonna, of ruining his career. Many point to the movie Swept Away as an example.
Madonna had proven to be a quality actress in the past, but this movie about a spoiled socialite and deckhand strange on an island together was a box office bomb. It was five Razzies, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress for Madonna.
BEST: ICE CUBE, BOYZ IN THE HOOD (1991)
Ice Cube has proven to be one of the best rap stars turned actors in cinema history. He has become known almost more for his acting skills than his music in recent years. However, look back and see that it all started in 1991 with his film debut in Boyz in the Hood.
The film picked up John Singleton, a Best Director nomination at the Oscars and the movie stands the test of time, with a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
WORST: BRITNEY SPEARS, CROSSROADS (2002)
Britney Spears was on top of the world in 2002. Her first album went 14 times Platinum, her second reached Diamond status, and her third was four-times Platinum. She tried to capitalize on it in 2002 when she starred in the movie Crossroads.
The movie, a comedy about three teenagers taking a road trip, ended up as a box office success thanks to Spears' fans, but Spears herself won the Worst Actress award at the Razzies.
BEST: MARIAH CAREY, PRECIOUS (2009)
Most people see Mariah Carey as the true definition of a Diva, a singer who cares as much about her looks and reputation as her music. She also had one of the best voices in music in the '90s, making her one of the most successful musical artists of the decade. In 2009, Carey shocked the world when she stripped off her makeup and took on a role in Lee Daniels' Precious, to great critical acclaim.
WORST: CHRISTINA AGUILERA, BURLESQUE (2010)
In 2010, Burlesque brought two of the most famous Divas in music history together when Cher and Christina Aguilera teamed up both as the stars of the movie and contributors to the soundtrack.
Aguilera is Ali, a youngster who falls in love with burlesque dancing and catches the eye of Tess (Cher). While Cher received a Razzie nomination, Aguilera didn't turn too many heads. Luckily, with her incredible singing talent, she didn't need to bother too much with a secondary career.
BEST: EMINEM, 8 MILE (2002)
It is surprising that, after 8 Mile that Eminem has not appeared in more movies. He became the first rapper in history to win an Oscar for the soundtrack song "Lose Yourself." Of course, it was easy for Eminem because he played a version of himself in a story based loosely on his upbringing in Detroit. Eminem also picked up a Best Male Performance award at the MTV Movie Awards.
WORST: KELLY CLARKSON, FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY (2003)
American Idol wanted to push its brand in 2003 and decided that a movie could help get more eyes on the singing competition. It backfired. Kelly Clarkson is one of the most successful winners to come out of the show, and in From Justin to Kelly, she stars with runner-up Justin Guarini in a pairing that had zero chemistry. Luckily, Clarkson concentrated more on music after this, and it remains a curiosity in cinema history.