It’s not uncommon to see music artists putting down the mic in exchange for scripts and acting credits. Out of all the musicians who followed that Hollywood blueprint, only a select few have managed to excel in both industries.
Check out our list of musicians who went from melody masters to elite actors.
Great Musicians Turned Actors [PHOTOS] was originally published on globalgrind.com
1. Will Smith
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Will Smith set the blueprint for musicians trying their hand at acting. Billions of dollars in box office sales later, Big Willy is still the blockbuster king. He also has the bragging rights of being the first rapper to win a Grammy.
2. LL Cool J
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Ladies weren’t the only ones that loved LL Cool J. James Todd Smith is still known as one of the forefathers of hip hop music. But in the early 2000’s, he gave up his microphone for TV and film scripts, reinventing his legacy for generations to come. Today’s kids may know him as “that guy that hosts Lip Sync Battle.
3. Ice Cube
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Ice Cube took his film dreams to another level after he split with N.W.A back in 1989. The South Central icon started out with roles in films like “Boyz In The Hood,” but found himself wanting to be more behind the camera than in front. Cube made his directorial debut in 1998 with “The Players Club” and hasn’t looked back since producing iconic films like Friday, Ride Along and Straight Outta Compton to name a few.
4. Tupac Shakur
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Tupac was one of music’s most profitable artists with number one albums like All Eyez On Me. Pac made his acting debut in Juice and went on to star in films like Poetic Justice, alongside Janet Jackson, and Above the Rim. Tupac’s was on the brink of Hollywood stardom before his untimely passing in 1996, but he will forever be remembered as a legend.
5. Diana Ross
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Diana Ross earned her title as a queen in both the music and film industries. Her role as Billie Holiday in 1972’s “Lady Sings the Blues” took Ms. Ross’s career to another stratosphere. Playing the first Black Dorothy in “The Wiz” was also no small feat.
6. T.I.
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T.I. had already established himself as the King of the South by the time he caught the acting bug. After his 2006 debut in the film “ATL”, Tip has been making waves on the big screen ever since starring in films like Takers, Ant-Man and Sleepless, along with a hit Reality TV series called T.I and Tiny: The Family Hustle.
