We have seen that many musicians turn into actors after gaining success. But only a few movie stars turn towards singing who are actually very talented. Following are some of the amazing and successful actors who not only act well but also sing or play so well that they can rather be in a band.
Jack Black
This talented man is an all-rounder. He is funny, a great actor and also a good musician. His resume has many feature films, five music albums, and an HBO series. In 1994, he formed the band called “The Tenacious D” which was a comedy rock duo. In one interview, he said that performing live makes him feel like he is a part of the most tremendous band in the world. The feeling of ecstasy that he experiences on the stage is unreal.
James Franco
This non-serious man can whip up some seriously good music. James Franco not only is a good singer but also is a pretty good guitarist. In 2014, he launched a Smiths tribute album called “Let Me Get What I Want”. It proved to be a huge success and he was signed by the greatest independent music publishers in the world.
Jared Leto
Jared Leto is not only an exceptional actor but also a renowned musician. He was the main songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and lead vocalist in the famous band, Thirty Seconds to Mars. He started that band in 1998 with Shannon Leto, his big brother.
In 2019, pictures of Leto were posted on social media by the band, showing a cult of women following Leto dressed in white robes. This shows the outstanding fan following that he has. Many fans have even gotten tattoos in honor of the band.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp was part of the Hollywood Vampires super group that also featured Joe Perry and Alice Cooper. The band predominantly performed cover songs for honoring the 1970s rock stars who died due to drug abuse. In the second album, they started making their music as well. The lyrics written by Depp showed a lot of anger and frustration that he felt from the false tabloid rumors.
Juliette Lewis
This talented actress started a band called Julliette and the Licks. If you haven’t seen it, and wondering what kind of a performer she is on stage, then you are in for a surprise. The singer Juliette makes her famous character of Mallory Knox in Natural Born Killers seem very chill. Before the band decided to break up, the performances given by Juliette in a hurtful voice and with a Viking helmet on were one to watch.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves was part of a band called Dogstar. Just like the name, the music of the band was also very average. The critics said that though the band wasn’t good but it wasn’t bad either. However, it was only Reeves whose bass performance dragged the band for so long. Even if he abandons acting, he has got another career panned out for him.
Macauley Culkin
In 2013, Macauley Culkin started a comedy rock band naming The Pizza Underground. Though goofy, it was a legit band with good music. Culkin said in an interview that his band was like a good idea that you think of when you have had too much to drink and you forget about it afterward.
Michael Cera
Michael Cera and Clark Duke (his co-star) made an indie LA-based band, known as the Long Goodbye. The band made some very Weezer-Esque songs for the band’s Myspace page. However, the band broke up and stopped making music despite Cera’s amazing talent.
Ricky Gervais
It wasn’t just David Brent who dreamed of being a pop star. Rickey Gervais also formed a band with his college mate, called Seona Dancing. In 1985, the duo released the song “More to Lose” which became notoriously famous. Even to this day, Ricky laughs on his singing days saying that at least at that time he had thick hair and a nice jawline.
Steve Martin
Steep Canyon Rangers was a bluegrass band that was discovered by none other than the talented Steve Martin. The band started famously collaborating with the amazing actor in 2009. Steve said that he has always been a solo performer and found it difficult to perform with a band, but this collaboration changed the game.
Zoe Kravitz
The singer and actress Zoe Kravitz formed an electropop and R&B duo with producer and drummer Jimmy Giannopoulos. The band was called LOLAWOLF. Kravitz said in an interview that it was easier for her to be in a music band than acting. She said that acting provides a challenge to the actor as he/she has to portray a specific character or personality. But while performing her songs, she can do whatever she wants and whatever she likes. The name of the band was inspired by the names of her step-siblings, Nakoa-Wolf and Lola.
Zooey Deschanel
She & Him was a musical duo started by Zoey Deschanel along with M. Ward. Zoey not only sang in her angelic voice in the band but also played the ukulele and piano. Most of She & Him’s songs were written by Zoey as well.
Other than her band, Zoey Deschanel is a talented powerhouse that can bring the house down with her singing. She has sung many songs in different TV series, movies and taken part in musical theatre as well.