Actors and musicians both are tasked with baring their emotions in front of an audience. But, they are indeed very different arts, both difficult to master. Many have dipped their toes in both ponds. But,here’s five musicians, from the indie and alternative rock genres, who’ve proven to be good actors.
Iggy Pop
The fact that Iggy Pop is natural born performer, capable of drawing the public’s attention will come as no surprise. But, the godfather of punk’s ability as a character actor might. Through his acting , Iggy Pop has maintained the same work ethic that has characterized his music career. His appeared in numerous movies. Most notably he has starred in John Waters’ Cry-Baby and in a number of Jim Jarmusch movies. |The most recent of which is The dead don’t die alongside Bill Murray and Adam Driver.
Tom Waits
Speaking of musicians favored by director Jim Jarmusch for his movies, Tom Waits‘ natural knack for quirkiness lends itself perfectly to absurdist and tragic-comic performances. He’s appeared in some of Jarmusch’s movies such Coffee & Cigarettes, Down By Law. And, Waits‘ also exercised his range as a character actor with parts in movies like Seven Psychopaths and Wristcutters: A Love story.
Henry Rollins
Starting out as the singer of seminal punk rock band, Black Flag, Rollins has pursued his career like a man possessed. When he is not busy with music, spoken word engagements or writing, Rollins takes on the responsibility of acting. Our honest opinion is that Rollins’ skills have gotten sharper. He started with bit, sometimes awkward performances in movies like Johnny Mnemonic. Then, graduated to genuinely respectable performances in movies like He never died. Besides that, Henry Rollins has made a name for himself as voice actor, no small achievement in itself.
Bjork
Starting with the 1990s, the avantgarde-pop Icelandish singer has enjoyed considerable mainstream success. Her performances in some of the most imaginative music videos, recommended Bjork as a contender for serious acting roles. She got the chance to appear in Lars von Trier’s 2000 production, Dancer in the dark. The movie and Bjork’s performance receive almost universal acclaim. But, working with a highly demanding director may have left its mark on Bjork who has made few cinematic appearances since.
Courtney Love
Courtney Love is certainly a controversial figure in the world of rock music, as well as in mainstream culture. Love first gained notoriety as the wife of Nirvana‘s singer Kurt Cobain. Her band, Hole, released a highly-acclaimed sophomore album, Live through this, shortly after the singer’s untimely passing. But, regardless of her public image, Love proved to possess significant talent as an actor. She went on to appear in movies such as The people vs. Larry Flint and Man on the moon. She’s done some acting work in recent years. But, quite frankly, we are hoping her rare acting talent does not go to waste.
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