It always seems quite logical when singers turn into actors. It’s like the next step in their career, and it’s pretty easy for singers to act on stage or screen as they freely express their emotions singing about different feelings. But, it is really odd when famous actors, loved and admired by their fans suddenly want to sing. Maybe it’s a touch of arrogance that overtakes them where they feel they can do anything or maybe they’ve aspired to venture into music for quite some time. I would say – both,or… No, I would say who cares. Oh My God they do sing good. Anyway, it is up to you to decide. We’ve chosen the actors who didn’t stop acting (to my great relief) and unexpectedly started singing (to my huge joy). By the way most of them admit it was a shock to them, too.
1. Robert Downey
After a long-time in rehab, and returning to his acting carrer, Downey suddenly surprised all of his fans with his debute album, titled “The Futurist”. Barely anyone could believe that this brilliant actor could have such a bluesy pure voice and write such honest and self-revelatory poetry. Sadly, it was the only album he released, but he showed his versatility again in an incredible performance with Sting at the singer’s 60th birthday celebration in 2011. The actor joined his friend on the stage singing “Driven to tears”.
2. Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley has never thought of music or singing as an adjunct to her acting. But being a very devoted actress she managed to overcome her fears starring in the movie “Begin Again”. The actress confessed that she never liked even singing in karaoke and she doesn’t listen to music a lot. Nevertheless, she decided to play Greta, the singer and songwriter, whose boyfriend left her alone in New York. In the movie scene Keira tried singing to herself and she pleasantly surprised her co-workers and herself! It’s never too late to discover your talents. The actress said it was a great experience and a challenge to accomplish.
3. Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis needed to overcome fear and emotional stress. He in his childhood started acting in the school drama club, then he took part in a folk blues ensemble called the “Accelerators” and learned to play the harmonica. After that he never neglected an opportunity to play or sing. He released a couple of solo country albums: “The Return of Bruno” 1987, and “If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger”, 1989. And another: “Classic Bruce Willis: The Universal Masters Collection”, 2001. In Hollywood, they call him Bruno, it’s his alter ego. For the most part Bruno has dissapeared. Willis however still often makes toures performing in concerts.
4. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt can easily melt anyone’s heart, and he constantly does that not only acting and portraying fascinatingly charming characters, but also singing perfectly as a true hot rock star. He never misses an opportunity to sing alone or to perform with his friends (he teamed up with Lady Gaga and Zooey Deschanel), but no matter who he sings with, boy, he does that good!
5. Zooey Deschanel
Music in Zoe’s life plays an equal role with the movies. Since childhood the actress played the drums, piano and banjo and composed songs. In 2006, when Deschanel starred in the film “Luck” together with an actor and guitarist Matthew Ward, the couple recorded a song that sounded in the credits of the movie, and later merged into the indie band She & Him. They’ve already released five albums and made two tours throughout the U.S. and Europe.
6. Scarlett Johansson
In 2008, Scarlett released the album “Anywhere I Lay My Head” with covers of the rock singer Tom Waits. A year later came the second album Break Up, in which she sings with guitarist Pete Yorn. Then a pretty long pause in the music that lasted for six years, but at last Scarlett went back to it: in February of this year she collected a girly pop group “The Singles” and has already recorded a dance song “Candy”. She once said she wanted her band to be ironic and maybe to be taken sort of tongue-in-cheek. To Scarlett’s surprise and to others a band named “the Singles” already existed in Los Angeles. They claimed ownership of the brand name and accused the actress of stealing their idea. Was it Scarlett’s joke?
7. Nicole Kidman
We first noticed Nicole’s amazing voice in the Mouline Rouge movie in 2001. This gorgeous Australian actress proved she is musically talented and may still surprise us a lot. Fans jokingly say she found her voice as she broke up with Tom Cruise. She and Katy Holmes both got a whole lot chattier and vocal after Tom disappeared from their lives. In 2014 the internet exploded with a heart-warming performance of Nicole and her husband Keith Urban singing Amazing Grace at Children’s Hospital in Australia. I bet, he gave her some emotional lessons in that session.
8. David Duchovny
David Duchovny has delivered a lot good news to his fans. The X-Files has recently been revived; he is also starring in the upcoming series “Atlantis”; plus he has published his first novel Holy Cow A Modern-Day Dairy Tale. Finally, turning his attention to music he released his debut album Hell or Highwater on May 12! Duchovny admits it’s a dream coming true, although he head never dreamed of becoming a singer.
9. Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie has always managed to combine everything in a very inconsistent, incoherent, and disorderly fashion. He first became famous in Britain as a comedian from the TV shows “Jeeves and Wooster” and “A Bit of Fry and Laurie”, and then he conquered the world with his role as the cynical doctor from the series “House” and then in 2010 he finally declared himself a jazz singer. Laurie already has two award plaques presented by the prestigious label Warner Music, and a world tour is on tap. Laurie has a musical past. He was a keyboardist in the “Band From TV”, which consisted of TV stars, who collected money for charity. Also he performed concerts with the r’n’b-team Poor White Thrash.
10. Robert Pattinson
Who said vampires don’t sing? When you think Robert Pattinson can’t get any hotter, he starts singing. The actor, mostly known for The Harry Potter and Twilight movies constantly composes and plays his own music. By the way, he sings two songs in the Twilight film series. Probably, Bella (or Kristen?) inspired him. We all need to thank our God above that he didn’t stop singing, ’cause this man is a true dreamboat lover-boy when singing and I’d say he has a very deep soul based on the songs he’s composed.
11. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling received his musical education as a co-star on the TV show “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Next Gosling took on a more serious project – an indie-rock band Dead Man’s Bones. Ryan and his bandmate Zach Shields united by the love to horror movies and wrote two songs which became the soundtracks for the series “Cub” and the movie “Spell”. These songs also appeared in their debut album. Gosling himself sang for his character in the film “Valentine” and “Lars and the Real Girl.” Both movies earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
12. Kate Winslet
Yes! Kate “Titanic” Winslet! Who knew that in 2001 we would be shocked not by “Christmas Carol: The Movie.” itself, but by the amazing song “What If”, performed by the lovely Kate. Producers were so amazed by her singing that they immediately decided to release it as a single.
13. Michael Fassbender
Being a teenager Michael dreamed of becoming a lead guitarist in a band, but it was hard to compose for a real band and he now recalls, that he was not good enough. Still, becoming an actor he proved his musical abilities not playing but singing. The singer has a mysteriously deep voice that charmed everyone. Finally his teenage dream came true when he starred in Lenny Abrahamson’s movie where he played a frontman in a band wearing a large papier-mache head. By the way the guests at the premiere of the movie were lucky and got to see his life performances at the afterparty.
14. Kevin Spacey
Another example of an ingeniously talented person. Kevin Spacey acts like a pro, dances like a pro and sings like a pro! Is there anything he can’t do? He sings simply everywhere: at the movies (e.g Beyond the Sea), at the late shows, at the Olivier Awards; he even gave a full concert to benefit his Kevin Spacey Foundation.
15. Anne Hathaway
As a child, Hathaway sang in the school choir, and in one of her first movies “Ella Enchanted” performed Queen’s single “Somebody To Love”. Later, the actress often entertained the audience with her music performances: shoked the public rapping during the Conan O’Brien show, then was singing Christmas songs on Jimmy Fallon’s show and amused the audience with her song about Hugh Jackman at the Oscars. But in the musical “Les Miserables” she won everyone’s heart once for all. During the casting for the role of Fantine Anne she sang “I Dream A Dream”. Tom Hooper, the director of the movie actually burst into tears during the performance by Hathaway.This helped her get the role and then the “Oscar”.
16. Jackie Chan
No, this isn’t a mistake. The Chinese marshall artist, actor and cultural icon known for his death defying stunts is also a popular singer all over Asia. He was educated in Peking Opera School in his childhood and has released 20 successful albums since the 1980s performing in multiple languages. Among other accomplishments he performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, sang an Elvis tribute song on the Ellen Degeneres Show and released a Cantonese version of one of the hit songs from Disney’s Mulan.
They say: “A talented person is talented in everything!”
