Will A-List Musicians Make A Film Industry Comeback?

The clear-cut musician-to-actor pipeline, once a Hollywood staple, appears to have been relegated to the sidelines for many of today’s biggest stars. In an era of increasingly demanding recording and touring schedules, as well as a packed musical landscape that makes it harder than ever for an artist to stay relevant, many musicians have had less time to meaningfully venture into other creative spheres.

Further complicating the diminished presence of the mere musician-actor is the rise of a relatively new multihyphenate, the celebrity-businessperson. No longer content with simply endorsing products, many top stars have now launched entire entrepreneurial ventures of their own. Leading this trend are Rihanna’s Fenty brands, Gwyneth Paltrow’s ever-controversial Goop, and a seemingly endless cadre of celebrities populating cosmetics stores around the globe with beauty brands championing their “signature” looks.

What does this mean for film and television? Although they still get plenty of crossover from the musical realm, you just don’t see as many of today’s music stars vying for screen time as you once did. Beyoncé’s acting era for example, seems to have been left in the past. Where she was once taking on minimal live-action roles like in the “Austin Powers” franchise, she now leaves most of her contributions to film soundtracks. And she’s not alone: Many more newly-minted stars, such as Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, have declined to try their hand at acting and instead enter the world of fragrances or, in Lipa’s case, a new email newsletter with an accompanying podcast. And with Olivia Rodrigo, a fresh recruit into the uppermost echelon of celebrity, we see an example of the exact opposite of the musician-to-actor pipeline: a young actress who used her TV career as a way to break into the music industry.

A similar trend can be seen in today’s mainstream rappers. Drake’s acting career appears to have ended with “Degrassi,” and many of his fellow chart-toppers — like Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Doja Cat, or the members of Migos — don’t seem to be keen on continuing the film and television legacies left by the likes of Tupac Shakur and Ice-T.

Although it may be less common, the benefits for those musicians who do continue to break into acting largely remain as plentiful as they have always been. Alana Haim of sister band HAIM earned widespread critical acclaim for her part in the new“Licorice Pizza,” and Rina Sawayama and Wale both have hotly anticipated film projects on the horizon with “John Wick: Chapter 4” (2023) and “Ambulance” (2022), respectively. The film musical is also doing exceptionally well right now, with 2021 additions “In the Heights,” “West Side Story,” and “Encanto” all faring well.

“A Star is Born,” first made in 1937, is perhaps the best example of the film musical as a sure role for musicians on the silver screen. Though the original film told the story of an aspiring actress played by Janet Gaynor, each subsequent remake transformed the character into an aspiring musician. Singer-actress Judy Garland took on the role in 1954, followed by Barbra Streisand in 1976 and Lady Gaga in 2018. With Garland’s casting, the film began to further the connections between music and acting, a phenomenon that only grew with each successive remake. Gaga’s 2018 version proves the culmination of this, and set the stage for acting roles to come — the most recent of those being 2021’s “House of Gucci.”

Though less common now, there are endless examples of different musical stars from different eras who have had similar career arcs and been rewarded immensely for it. Method Man and Ice Cube have had prolific and successful acting careers that continue into the present, Madonna earned acclaim for her role in “Evita” (1996), and the 2000s brought with it the smashing success of the musical film “Dreamgirls” (2006), starring Beyoncé.

Of course, in a fickle entertainment industry, even the most famous only learn that distinction after years of fighting to stay relevant. Time will only tell if more of today’s top musicians choose to dedicate a growing portion of their career to film and television. If they do, they will be led by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, who is kicking off the new year with a pair of romantic-comedy films, and Ariana Grande, whose previous status as a Nickelodeon mainstay and minor role in “Don’t Look Up” left her fans anxiously waiting for the release of her promising turn as Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked.” Even Taylor Swift — perhaps best known in the film world as one of several big-ticket names attached to the disastrous “Cats” (2019) — is slated to make an appearance in a star-studded and yet-to-be-titled David O. Russell film.

It will certainly be interesting to see just how influential their returns to the silver screen prove to be at the box office and in the cultural consciousness.