Honestly, hardly anything can get fans of pop culture more thrilled than a celebrity who can juggle different fields and still give the impression that it’s child’s play. Perhaps a singer who suddenly becomes a huge hit in the film industry or an actor who flips the tables to dominate the music industry, anyway, these crossovers look like magic tricks. They reveal to us that not all of the stars are satisfied with just one way; they crave the entire motorway. Below are 10 of the most unexpected and triumphant transitions of famous people between music and films, sorted for a better suspense effect.
10. Taylor Momsen: From Cute Little Cindy Lou Who to Rock Star
Most probably, you will remember Taylor Momsen as little Cindy Lou Who if you were a child and had watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Momsen was cast in Gossip Girl as Jenny Humphrey and then left her acting career without any warning. However, she was never fully convinced that it was not her true calling, so she rekindled her music career when she formed the hard-rocking band The Pretty Reckless, and the rest is history. Now she has four records, global tours, and opening acts for Soundgarden and Evanescence behind her; thus, she has transformed from a child star to a rock goddess.
9. Kylie Minogue: From TV Darling to Pop Icon
Kylie Minogue was mainly known for her lead roles in popular Australian television serials such as The Sullivans and Neighbours before becoming a star in the music industry. Soon after the release of her single “The Locomotion,” which became the highest-selling track in Australia of the 80s, she started her music career that has now spanned over forty years. The celebrated career also features massive world tours, a slew of awards, and a string of hits like “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” She is the perfect example of one who, after leaving a soap opera, opts for superstardom right away.
8. Miley Cyrus: Leading the Double Life
Musically, she was born to become a star as Billy Ray Cyrus, a famous country singer, is her father. Nevertheless, Disney’s Hannah Montana unexpectedly made her a global phenomenon as she ironically played the part of a pop star who was also a normal child. When the show ended, Miley took off the Hannah Montana wig and started her own music career, which only made the world more conspicuous with her provocative performances and changing sounds. From Bangerz to Plastic Hearts, she has shown that redefinition is not her name-it is her secret power.
7. Jared Leto: The Oscar-Winning Rock Arena Jockeys
Most stars find it hard to keep their careers going in a balanced fashion, but Jared Leto is a different case. From making the audience fall in love with him in My So-Called Life and blowing up their minds with his acting in Requiem for a Dream, to winning an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, Leto has been in the limelight of cinema for various reasons. Besides, he is also the lead singer of Thirty Seconds to Mars, a band that has tremendous success with concerts and albums. The way Leto seamlessly transitions between being a movie star and the frontman of a band is one of the rare things that even the top celebrities can achieve in both fields and still get away with it.
6. Drake: From Degrassi to World Hip-Hop Throne
Before becoming a magazine cover darling, Drake was an actor in Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy Brooks. After committing himself for years to the Canadian teen drama series, he left the world of acting behind and hitched a ride to the music business, where he was putting in long, hard hours in the studio, and his mixtapes were getting labels to compete for him. Today, Drake is one of the most-streamed artists of all time, and his rap and R&B fusion has become a global phenomenon that rules radio and playlists. He sure has come a long way from his first television appearance when he was in a wheelchair.
5. Lady Gaga: From Pop Shock Value to Acting Powerhouse
Lady Gaga was probably never meant to be a conventional pop star, as she initially came to the spotlight adorned in glitter, meat gowns, and with her signature nightclub anthems. However, she was always an actress at heart. After auditioning for a few minor roles, she captured the whole world’s attention with her award-winning performance in American Horror Story and her Oscar-nominated performance in A Star Is Born. Gaga can stir up a crowd with her singing and captivate a movie theater with her acting; both are two aspects of the same uncontainable force.
4. Will Smith: The Fresh Prince Who Conquered Hollywood
It is not so obvious to remember at present, but Will Smith was initially half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, producing radio-friendly tracks such as “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” With the launch of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smith became the chest-thumping American middle-class family immediate hero. After that, he bravantly shifted to cinema with big-budget blockbusters such as Independence Day and Men in Black before earning Oscar-nominated credits in Ali and King Richard. He is a rarity, one artist who managed to bring his success in music, television, and film altogether without losing his flow.
3. Jennifer Lopez: The Real Triple Threat
J.Lo’s career is almost a guide for modern-day entertainers. She started as a dancer on In Living Color, then made a spectacular debut in the biopic Selena. She committed herself to music with her first album, On the 6, which was followed by several chart-topping hits. In her meantime, her movie career has been nothing but varied, consisting of rom-coms, thrillers, and dramas. Lopez has been at the helm of all these for twenty years and has never let a weakness take over the rest.
2. Mark Wahlberg: From Marky Mark to Hollywood Heavyweight
Initially, in the early 1990s, Mark Wahlberg was better known as Marky Mark, who led the Funky Bunch and appeared in Calvin Klein commercials showing off his abs. Despite the extensiveness of his musical life, it was his acting career that sealed his legacy. Starting with Boogie Nights, he has gained prominence in Hollywood with well-received performances in The Departed and The Fighter. Wahlberg has made a transformation from pop-rap joke to one of the most bankable artists in Hollywood, a hardly predictable progression
1. Madonna: Queen of Both Worlds’ Reinvention
No one star represents the idea of a crossover celebrity better than Madonna. Starting in the eighties, she became the Queen of Pop with “Like a Virgin,” and very soon after, she showed that she could act in Desperately Seeking Susan. She has A League of Their Own as a cult classic and has also won an Oscar for Evita. Besides that, she has also been the director of some movies and has always been changing her image in both music and movies. Not only is Madonna a crossover successbut she is also a model for creative evolution.
What these stars have in common is not necessarily talent, but it is their character. They all left their comfort zones, took a chance, and showed they could be just as successful in a second career. Whatever they did first on stage, screen, or in the studio, these stars still hold that going for a new identity is what matters in pop culture.