Music’s biggest night, the 63rd Annual Grammys was held Sunday. And since we still have a little over a month until cinema’s biggest night, I figured we should celebrate a few multitalented actors. These are actors who already had well established careers by the time they picked up the mic and became renowned singers. So singers who later became actors, like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Barbara Streisand didn’t make the cut. Without further ado, here are 5 talented actors who became successful singers.
Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
Donald Glover rose to fame for his writing on “30 Rock” before being cast as a main character on “Community.” While Glover starred in the NBC sitcom he began releasing music under the stage name, Childish Gambino. Glover quickly found huge success in the music industry. His 2013 album, “Because the Internet,” was nominated for a Grammy. In 2016, Glover created and starred the FX comedy series, “Atlanta” and released his third studio album, “Awaken, My Love!”. The second half of last decade saw Glover bring home four Grammy awards and star in multiple blockbusters including “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and “The Lion King.”
Jennifer Lopez
Mid-to-late 90s hits “Selena” and “Anaconda” thrusted Jennifer Lopez into movie stardom. Quickly thereafter, J Lo released her debut album, “On the 6,” to much appraise. Lopez singlehandedly ran the early 2000s. She is the only woman to ever have the number one album and number one film at the same time. Both her film “The Wedding Planner” and her album “J.Lo” were chart toppers in 2001. Just last year Lopez performed at the Super Bowl while there was an Oscar campaign for her role in “Hustlers.”
Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars)
After starring in critically acclaimed films “Fight Club,” “American Psycho” and “Requiem for a Dream,” Jared Leto formed the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. As the band’s lead singer, Thirty Seconds to Mars has put out numerous radio hits. Their songs “The Kill (Bury Me)” and “Kings and Queens” each spent time on the Billboard Hot 100. While his band has lost popularity, Leto remains a top actor. He won an Oscar for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club” and he will appear in the much awaited Synder Cut of “Justice League.”
Zooey Deschanel
Roles in 2000s comedies “Elf,” “Yes Man,” and “500 Days of Summer,” helped Zooey Deschanel rise to fame. After a successful film career Deschanel began playing Jessica Day on Fox’s “New Girl” from 2011-2018. Her role as the titular character brought home an Emmy nomination in 2014. While lighting up both the TV and film industry, Deschanel started the band She & Him with M. Ward. As the band’s lead vocalist, their 2010 album “Volume Two,” debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200.
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx starred in his own sitcom, “The Jamie Foxx Show,” from 1996 to 2001. He later starred in “Ali” opposite of Will Smith before an incredible Oscar run in 2004. For his performances in “Ray” and “Collateral”, Foxx became the third actor to be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year. Foxx went on to win Best Actor for the aforementioned “Ray” performance. Meanwhile, his song “Slow Jamz” with Kanye West and Twista became a number one hit. His second collaboration with Kayne West, “Gold Digger” remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks. Foxx’s most successful song as the leading artist is “Blame It” which reached number two on the Billboard charts. The song went on to win a Grammy at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
