Awkward Times In Pop Culture When Some Actors Tried To Be Musicians And Vice Versa

Did you know RDJ actually tried to have a career in music?

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• November 16, 2022

Have you ever watched a musician act in a film and thought to yourself, "They should just definitely stick with writing and singing songs" because of how horrible they were on-screen?

Well, not really horrible, but many people find it really cringe-y to see a known artist try to have an acting career after many years of being in the mainstream as a full-blown musician or artist.

Sure, there are a lot of talented people in Hollywood who aren't masters of a single craft only, a lot of our favorite celebrities are triple kills: they can sing, act, and dance and they do it without fail. It's also never wrong for celebrities to dip their toes in other crafts that are different from what we usually know them from, but let's face it—it can sometimes be a bad idea for them to experiment, too.

Okay, it's not necessarily right to call it a bad idea, but hey, some artists should really just stick to what they are good at and leave all the other talents in other areas for people who are actually good at them (no offense).

But lo and behold, there were actually a lot of times in pop culture wherein some actors tried to pursue a music career, and contrastingly, musicians tried to pursue an acting career—and it's safe to say it kind of flopped in the long run so they just went back to what they do best, a wise move to say the least.

Here are some six musicians who tried to be actors, and six actors who tried to be musicians:

1. Robert Downey Jr. – Music

Before he landed his most iconic role as Tony Stark, Robert Downy Jr. actually tried to pursue a music career, and even released an album called "The Futurist."

“Downey displays neither a supple voice nor the ability to at least keep the beat,” says Entertainment Weekly.

Good thing his stint with Marvel erased that out of people's memories, but here we are reminding you of it once again!

2. Mick Jagger – Acting

Mick Jagger from Rolling Stones has been featured in some movies, as he tried his luck with an acting career. However, his particular performance in "Ned Kelly," was described by the director as "as good as having a stillborn child."

3. Ryan Gosling – Music

The Ken Adams of the roaring 20s, Ryan Gosling actually has a background with music—he has played the keys and guitar and even sang with the goth rock band called "Dead Man's Bones." Honestly speaking, he wasn't all that bad, but his acting career is really what led his fame to skyrocket.

4. Rihanna – Acting

Rihanna, the icon that she is, also tried her luck with acting. Her most significant role was in "Battleship," but a lot of people did not really dig her performance as much as they loved her music.

5. Jeremy Renner – Music

Yep, Jeremy Renner actually released an album called "Medicine" in the middle of—wait for it—the Coronavirus pandemic. As it turns out, it wasn't really the kind of medicine we needed at that time.

6. Britney Spears – Acting

Britney has been featured in many movies, but things took a downward turn when she signed for "Crossroads," especially when she was at the peak of her career back then. It flopped at the box office, and many people questioned the director's choice of even casting her.

She did appear in one episode of Glee, though, and it was an iconic one so it kind of makes up for everything.

7. Lindsay Lohan – Music

2000s "It" girl Lindsay Lohan was a Disney chick, so she was bound to have a singing career. Her album "Speak" was a success in 2004, but her second one wasn't heard of much so she said goodbye to music.

8. Bruce Willis – Music

Bruce Willis was a performer in 1980s, playing a character named "Bruno." His album, "The Return of Bruno" in 1987 didn't receive much support, and many people were saying Bruno shouldn't have returned at all.

9. Adam Levine – Acting

Many Maroon 5 fans were thrilled when Adam Levine was cast in "Begin Again," but it only led to disappointment and had Levine decide not to touch acting again.

10. Scarlett Johansson – Music

Yes, ScarJo has always been a goddess—but honestly speaking, her album "Anywhere I Lay My Head" in 2008 wasn't just as marvelous as her acting credits. People went as far as calling her a karaoke enthusiast.

11. Madonna – Acting

Everybody loves some good Madonna, but not the movie critics, apparently. Seems like she's only fit for films when it's just her music involved, unfortunately!

12. 50 Cent – Acting

50 cent tried his luck with acting when he debuted on "Get Rich Or Die Tryin," which is his own biopic. However, he didn't have much luck at all nor was able to capture a lot of cents—even Samuel Jackson turned down a role for the movie because he believed the singer was inexperienced.

Well, it seems like not everyone can be a Zendaya or a Justin Timberlake, after all. These artists may have been phenomenal as actors or musicians, but they are also a living testament that sometimes, it's better to just be a master of one.

Do you know any other celebrities who tried to experiment with their careers? Comment down your thoughts, or share this article for all your family and friends to see!

Sophia