Top 10 Actors Who Moonlight as Musicians
These actors also make (made) music. We take into account their achievements as actors (movies, roles) and as musicians (albums, live shows).
Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and musician. He gained fame for his starring role performances in several blockbuster films, including comedies from the Bill and Ted franchise. Band - Dogstar
Genre - grunge / alternative rock
He was a bassist from 1991 to 2002. The band released 2 albums and an EP, played live worldwide, opened for Bon Jovi and David Bowie. In 1999 they performed at the Glastonbury Festival, UK. Weezer and Rancid were Dogstar's opening acts.
The band appeared in two movies: Ellie Parker and Me and Will.
Reeves left the band in 2002 because of his working schedule but still jams with them.
James Hugh Calum Laurie, is an English actor, writer, director, musician, singer, comedian, and author. Band - Band From T.V., solo
Band from T.V. is a charity cover band whose members are all actors from American T.V. series. They donate the proceeds to charities of their choice. They had world tours.
Hugh Laurie sings and plays keyboards.
He also has a solo career and released a solo album (jazz, blues).
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American actor, singer, musician and comedian. His acting career has been extensive, starring primarily in comedy films. Black is the lead vocalist of the comedic rock group Tenacious D, which he formed in 1994 with friend Kyle Gass. They have released the albums Tenacious ...read more.
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. ...read more.
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, singer-songwriter, model, and producer most known for her deadpan comedy roles in the films The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), and (500) Days of Summer ...read more.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has included critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, and a resurgence of commercial success in middle age.
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, dancer, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career with a guest appearance on the short-lived sitcom True Colors in 1990. Band - Wicked Wisdom
Genre - Hardcore, Metal
Her band opened for Britney Spears in 2004, played at Ozzfest in 2005, and released an album in 2006.
(Jada Pinkett Smith is Will Smith's wife)
Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor, musician, and producer. He began his career as a child star on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs including Are You Afraid of the Dark? Band - Dead Man's Bones (sounds like a death metal band but isn't)
Genre - Gosling described it as "light goth music". Wiki listed these genres: indie rock, folk rock, gothic rock, dark wave.
He provides: vocals, piano, guitar, bass, cello.
It's a duo he formed in 2007 that released one album in 2009. Rolling Stone described it as "Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and the cast of Sesame Street performing a Kurt Weill musical".
In 2010, they released two music videos for tracks: "Dead Hearts" and "Pa Pa Power".
One of their songs played on a Paris runway.
Their songs are love stories about ghosts and monsters (explains the bandname).
They are still active.
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, producer, writer and former singer and manager. Band - Seona Dancing
Genre - British new wave
He was the singer and lyricist.
But it was long ago, in the early 80s when Ricky Gervais was in this duo. Their music was kinda Bowie-esque.
The band recorded a demo tape with 16 songs. They weren't successful but their single "More to Lose" (1983) went on to become a teen anthem in the Philippines (! ). After their 2nd single "Bitter Heart" (1983) the band split up in 1984.
An unofficial CD was released in 2005 compiling all of their songs.
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedian, and musician. She rose to prominence on the NBC television show Saturday Night Live, where she was a cast member from 2000 to 2007. She has also starred in films such as Idiocracy, Away We Go, Grown Ups, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups 2, and Sisters. Bands - The Rentals, Princess
Genre - rock.
The Rentals is fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, the former bassist for Weezer.
Maya Rudolph of Saturday Night Live was a backing singer for this band (1995-99) and briefly a keyboardist. She also toured with them but for a short time.
She is in a Prince cover band called Princess.
Band - Dogstar.
He was the drummer for the rock band where Keanu Reeves was a bassist (see item Keanu Reeves).
Mailhouse is a T.V. actor who has appeared in the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, as well as Seinfeld.
Not a very famous actor compared to some names above but he plays for 2 bands!
Bands:
- The Honey Brothers (new wave folk, drums since 2002)
- Kid Friendly (vocals).
He tours with these bands.
Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is an American actress, model, and singer. She made her film debut in North. ...read more.
Jeremy Lee Renner is an American actor (born 1971) best known for his role as Clint Barton / Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American television producer, filmmaker, actor, and singer, working primarily in animation and comedy, as well as live-action and other genres.
Only an honorable mention because he isn't a permanent member - he just hepls when they need a bassist.
band - Mister Heavenly
Mister Heavenly is an indie supergroup.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse is an American actor, comedian and musician who has performed roles such as Fogell in Superbad, Augie Farcques in Role Models, and as Chris D'Amico in Kick-Ass and its sequel Kick-Ass 2.