Discuss: Should Musicians Become Movie Stars?
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Fandom
We're only a few days in, and there's already been a lot of music-themed film news this week -- from word of an Ozzy documentary to Roger Daltry's disappointment with possible scripts for that Keith Moon flick. But those are nothing compared to the little nugget over at MTV. Even without "I'm Going Slightly Mad" on the media player, this tidbit sounds so utterly nuts that it must be discussed.
It seems that way back when, stunt coordinator Joel Kramer went to James Cameron's office to look at storyboards for Terminator 2, and "I was like, 'Jim, these storyboards look just like Billy Idol!' And he was like, 'Yeah, he was my first pick.' But Billy had gotten into a motorcycle accident and broke his leg, so it didn't work out, because he would have to be in lean running shape." Those are storyboards for the T-1000. Yes folks, that means that before Robert Patrick, James Cameron wanted Billy frickin' Idol. Billy Idol! I mean, sure, Billy can curl his lip like he's liquid metal, but that's not quite good enough for being an almost-unbeatable Terminator. (I love ya, Billy ... just not for a part in T2.)
And now, if you watch The Sarah Connor Chronicles, you know that Shirley Manson (the ever-lovely front-woman for Garbage) is a T-1001. I don't get this obsession with rock icons and liquid metal people, so I'll just stick with the easier question: Should musicians become movie stars? I mean, can you imagine the Rebel Yell sounding as Edward Furlong ran for his life? Helping Robbie get Julia before she married Glenn Goulia was cool, but that's not quite the same thing as hunting down the scourge of machines in the future.
Sometimes it works. I don't think anyone else could have been Jareth in Labyrinth. Dolly Parton was perfect for 9 to 5. Marky Mark became Mark Wahlberg, and there's probably no better example than Will Smith. But then sometimes... Mariah Carey in anything, Sting in Dune, Madonna...
Weigh in below!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-16-2008 @ 9:21PM
StanleyNickels said...
As long as they can act well, I have no problem with it. Jason Schwartzman, for example, is a good actor who had a pretty respectable music career with Phantom Planet before he decided to act full time.
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9-16-2008 @ 9:39PM
David said...
Sting was better than just fine in "Stormy Monday" and "Brimstone and Treacle." I actually thought he was a pretty compelling screen presence and I'm sorry he seems to have given it up.
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9-16-2008 @ 9:47PM
cough said...
Well, not leading roles, let's not get crazy. Maybe minor but AWESOME roles, like Jack White as Elvis. Or Keith Richards as the father of Depp.
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9-16-2008 @ 9:55PM
Chelsea said...
There are quite a few rock stars who've made the leap to acting with some skill and ability: John Doe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits...Granted, they're playing versions of themselves in independent films, and the stakes aren't as high, but they've done a respectable-to-good job. So there's that.
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9-16-2008 @ 11:02PM
Kurt said...
I agree with the above--you gotta look at it case-by-case. All hail Flea.
What almost never works, however, is when an actor decides to go into music. Scarlett Johannssonnn anyone? Steven Segal? Granted, 30 Seconds to Mars has had some success...
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9-16-2008 @ 11:12PM
mbuzz said...
I have no problem with musicians or rock stars becoming actors, so long as they have the talent to back it up (ie, Johnny Depp, Queen Latifah and... yeah, that's all I've got right now), but when it comes to the likes of Billy Idol... why try to turn Billy Idol into an actor when you can find someone like James Marsters who is an actor and musician and is physically similar? He may not be an Oscar winner, but in comparison with Billy Idol, he may as well be. There's an actor for everything and everyone. No need looking to the music world when you can find who you need by calling the right casting department.
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9-17-2008 @ 12:17AM
gottacook said...
David Bowie did good work in the early 1980s in The Hunger and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. And of course there was his "Fame" collaborator John Lennon in Richard Lester's How I Won the War, in 1966.
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9-19-2008 @ 5:34PM
Tom said...
In addition to Bowie, around the same time period K. Kristopherson, Phil Collins and Glen Frey (Eagles), all did respectable work in several different shows. Some who should have forgone attempts were Dylan and Tom Petty.
9-17-2008 @ 12:35AM
Mike said...
The problem I have with it is that they're taking opportunities away from people who have taken the time to learn the craft. Oftentimes they only get the part because they're a name, not because they can actually do the job.
That said, those who prove to be untalented will most likely be weeded out soon enough while those who do show promise will continue to receive opportunities. I just hate that it's so easy for musicians to get a chance based on their success in a completely different medium.
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9-17-2008 @ 1:13AM
Ghonious said...
For some studios, it's about box office draw. For others, it's about image making. Any musician out there (on a major label) has to some degree invested time in their image; creating it, fashioning it, spreading it. By logic if you're already "known", regardless of what art you do, placing you in a film will draw a crowd. The film can suck, it won't matter -- you've spent time designing your image, your audience has responded and the results are in the soundscans and sales numbers. Studios like seeing numbers as it places value on their investment. Is any LL COOL J movie good? Was Blueberry nights as good as Nora's albums? Could Billy have pulled off t2? Justin Timberlake? Doesn't matter. There's talent than there's manufactured talent. You can have one or the other and chances are the audience won't know the difference, so it's easier to toss in a say, Ice Cube, or Jack White. You can cast the new people in supporting roles and wait until they put out a one chord rock record or clever nursery rhyme.
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9-17-2008 @ 2:20AM
fuz said...
Don't you feel like this trend started to really take off in the 80s? With the start of MTV and music videos, I think a lot of musicians felt like if thy could "act" in a music video, they could just extend that for a film. I will agree with some of the previous posts that Bowie does a nice job, but then again, he was quite the performer even as a musician. I don't think the question should be whether or not musicians should be come actors, but whether or not being a musician just entitles them to be an actor (echoing Mike's remark "learn the craft").
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9-17-2008 @ 9:39AM
Jason Seaver said...
Not really. When the musical was a more popular form, it was much more common for performers to move between media. See Frank Sinatra, for instance. To a certain extent, I think that general performance skill than anything else, and musicians often have that instinctively.
Also, there's a bit of a difference between musicians becoming "movie stars" and "actors". A movie star can get by on the sort of larger-than-life persona that is a musician's stock in trade, though many musicians may not be able to handle the really fine work necessary to be considered a great actor.
9-17-2008 @ 9:43AM
ML said...
I think it depends. Some singers bring a certain amount of acting skill to their performances and that sometimes translates ... sometimes not. But to select someone for a certain look without audition is a gamble. If you're going to do that, make sure it's a part that requires no skill and is primarily for show, I say. Otherwise, audition them just like anyone else if you want a good performance.
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9-18-2008 @ 6:35AM
Ben said...
A good argument for not letting musos become actors is "Freejack" from 1992 - it's hard to tell what's more wooden the sets or Mick Jagger's acting.
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