A great actor, even one with musical talent, doesn’t always make a convincing rock star.
The skills used on-screen or in live theater aren’t naturally transferrable to rock and roll. It takes a special kind of talent to excel at both. Still, legends like Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Dolly Parton, Madonna, Mandy Moore, Queen Latifa, and Jennifer Lopez all enjoyed successful parallel careers.
But what about a leading actor becoming a rock star? This list highlights four actors who became rock stars after fans first fell in love with them on the big screen.
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis has been working in film since she was a teenager, famous for her off-kilter and darkly complex characters. She became famous in films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Cape Fear. Lewis navigated life in Hollywood as a teenager, playing characters whose youth is often brutally taken from them by the unforgiving events of circumstance.
She’s also a rock star. Lewis formed Juliette and the Licks in 2003 and the indie group has released two studio albums. In 2009, Lewis worked with Omar Rodríguez-López on her debut solo album. The Licks are a primal and direct indie rock band with punk roots. But Lewis’ solo debut features the experimental and collaged sonics Rodríguez-López is known for in The Mars Volta. Her voice is raspy, cathartic, desperate. She didn’t explore music publicly until her 30s. Musician Linda Perry told The New York Times, “She was not an actress becoming a singer. She was a rock star stepping into her rightful position.”
Jack Black
Some of Jack Black’s famous roles revolve around music: School of Rock, High Fidelity, and The Holiday. Black’s absurdist comedy often involves singing, and not only is he a great vocalist, but he is obviously well-schooled in rock history.
His comedy rock duo Tenacious D formed in Los Angeles in 1994. Black and Kyle Glass have toured with Pearl Jam, Weezer, and Beck. Dave Grohl is a friend and frequent collaborator, notably on their defining anthem “Tribute.” Tenacious D starred in the 2006 musical comedy Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. The film follows the duo as they search for Satan’s guitar pick, which has the power to convert ordinary musicians into rock stars.
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel does cool detachment better than anyone. She’s famous for her roles in The Good Girl, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and 500 Days of Summer. Deschanel also starred in the sitcom New Girl, portraying Jess Day, the sole female roommate whom the show promoted as “Simply Adorkable.”
Deschanel formed the indie duo She & Him with M. Ward in 2006 in Portland, Oregon. The band mirrors her characters, with whimsical songs that use childlike innocence and earnestness to create warm acoustic-oriented indie folk. You can hear echoes of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson in the production. The sound is easy, constructed on sweetness, and well-suited for wintry TV commercials.
Jared Leto
Jared Leto portrayed the angsty teen Jordan Catalano in the ’90s drama My So-Called Life. The series is a time capsule of Gen X condensed into a single season. Leto is an Academy Award-winning actor, famous for twisting himself physically—sometimes controversially—into roles like a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club and using his method acting as the Joker in Suicide Squad.
In 2002, Leto and his brother Shannon debuted Thirty Seconds to Mars. The alternative rock group has since sold more than 15 million albums. Early on, Leto kept his acting career separate while promoting the band, allowing Thirty Seconds to Mars to grow without relying on his Hollywood fame. He’s one of a few actors who’s led a successful rock group alongside his extraordinary day job. Thirty Seconds to Mars is conceptual and theatrical. They are an ambitious rock band with the same boldness that characterizes Leto’s acting.
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