Second Lyle Lovett in The Player.

Ice Cube seems to hold his own in acting roles, as well as Queen Latifah.

Tom Waits in Bram Stoker's Dracula is probably my favorite in this category.

Isaac Hayes has had some fun small roles. I particuarly enjoyed him as "the duke of New York" in Escape from New York.

Always enjoyed Gladys Knight in Pipe Dream. She should have continued in more film roles.

I also liked Bobby Darin's part in Captain Newman MD. I think he was nominated for the Oscar for the role.

How about Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate?

or Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg in Boogie Nights?

My favorites would have to be
-Ringo on Thomas the Tank Engine
-Flea as a Nihlist in The Big Lebowski
-Iggy Pop on Pete and Pete
-Isaac Hayes as Chef on South Park

quote:

Ice Cube seems to hold his own in acting roles, as well as Queen Latifah.

Ice Cube - Barbershop
Queen Latifah - Chicago

Kyle Gass, Jack Black's Ten.D-mate, was pretty funny in Elf. I wouldn't say a good actor, but he might have a future in comedy

I think Johnny Depp used to be in a rock band and started acting almost by chance, but I could be wrong about that.

Was Madonna good in Evita? I didn't see it, but it doesn't look horrible.

I thought Bjork was really good in Dancer in the Dark, but does that really count? There was a good deal of acting, and not the easiest acting mind you, but a large part of her role was kind of a music video.

Maybe 20% of the movie was her singing I would say, and the pieces were all so theatrical that it would be fair not to call that acting either . And even discounting that, the other 80% where she was acting "for real" was excellent.

Has anyone mantioned Steven Van Zandt yet? He holds his own next to some of the greatest actors on television in the Sopranos.

More:

Kris Kristofferson in John Sayles' Lone Star.

Busta Rhymes turned in a pretty good performance in Narc.

and I almost forgot Ludacris in last year's best picture winner Crash.

I agree with a lot that's come before. I read that Dean Wareham, of the excellent band Luna, was slated to star in a movie with John C. Reilly. Anyone heard anything about this?

Dwight Yoakum absolutely, in Panic Room too.

most of today's artist acting like they can sing.

quote:

Originally posted by jack nance:
most of today's artist acting like they can sing.

[grumpyoldmanvoice]In my day we didn't have this new-fangled rock and roll music. If Sinatra didn't like you, you couldn't even get on the radio. And we liked it. We liked it just fine. [/grumpyoldmanvoice]

I think jack is doing pretty well since he's been dead for a tad, plus grumpyoldmanvoiceericg75, you spoke in complete sentences. For shame!

The best performance by a Musician by far....hands down....no contest is by David Bowie when he played the role of Andy Warhol in the movie Basquiat (1996) If you haven't seen it...rent it...it is well worth it!!!

quote:

Originally posted by finnfinn:
The best performance by a Musician by far....hands down....no contest is by David Bowie when he played the role of Andy Warhol in the movie Basquiat (1996) If you haven't seen it...rent it...it is well worth it!!!

That's one of my favorite movies, and I agree completely. Also, Bowie was great in The Prestige as Nikola Tesla.

I also agree with Tupac in Gridlock'd and Mos Def in Something the Lord Made, an HBO movie that is really good.

All this talk of Tom Waits acting career is reminding me of his part in Mystery Men. I wouldn't say it was the best 'musician in an acting role' experience, but it was awesome, and I watched it twice before I realized it was him.

One of my favorite movies this year is an Irish movie called Once. Glen Hansgard (lead singer of the Frames) and Marketa Irglova (I believe she's a musician first) are both fantastic. Anyone seen it? I thought it was great.