A Star is Born: Musicians Turned Actors

Lady Gaga Instagramed a picture of her and her A Star is Born co-star and director, Bradly Cooper filming scenes while at Coachella’s first weekend. While this won’t be Lady Gaga’s first turn in a full length motion picture (she had roles in 2013’s Machete Kills, 2014’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and played herself in Muppets Most Wanted) this will be her first big-screen staring role. Last year, Gaga got a real taste for being seen as an esteemed actress when she received a Golden Globe for her part in the TV series, American Horror Story.

Lady Gaga, who will be credited as Stefani Germanotta in A Star is Born is not the first singer to try and hit it big on the big screen there are plenty of musicians who have conquered both worlds.  

Cher – “Snap out of it!” Cher is an Academy Award winner and also an acclaimed singer. She released her first album in 1965 and appeared in a slew of movies in the 80’s and 90’s including, Silkwood, Mask, The Witches of Eastwick, Moonstruck, and Mermaids. She never stopped releasing music, churning out hit after hit through six decades! Songs include, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”, “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves”, “Half-Breed”, “If I Could Turn Back Time”, and “Believe”. Cher most recently announced residencies in both Las Vegas and Washington, DC.

Will Smith – Before he was saving the world from alien invasions he was complaining about how “Parents Just Don’t Understand” with DJ Jazzy Jeff. The duo would then transition on to the small screen for the TV-series Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Will Smith soon became a mega-movie star and an Oscar nominated actor. Taking roles in Bad Boys, Independence Day, Men in Black, Ali, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Concussion and Suicide Squad. His post actor, solo music career continued to spin top-ten hits, like “Men in Black”, “Getting’ Jiggy Wit It”, “Wild Wild West”, and “Switch”. There is an on-going rumor that Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff will hit the road together again though dates have not yet been announced. As far as the big screen goes, Smith can next be seen in Bright. 

To read about more musicians who were able to successfully cross over to the big screen, Click Here.

Written by Kristen

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