Actors and Actresses who have also done some singing!

Recently,  The Greatest Showman, a musical starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Michelle Williams among others was released. Nominated for three golden globes (winning one for Best original song) and getting a Academy Award (Oscars) nomination for the same category. That song in question was This is Me by Settle.

The film and particularly the soundtrack was a success (the soundtrack is currently enjoying a 5th week at number 1 on the UK albums chart) and featured singing from a generally non-singing cast and this got me thinking...which other actors and actresses have also tried their hand at singing?

1. Meryl Streep

Meryl had previously done a bit of singing in the classic (but weird film), Death Becomes Her. However, it was in the film adaptation of hit musical Mamma Mia that she had the chance to really show off her vocals.

She landed the coveted role of Donna and sang many Abba hits, including Mamma Mia and Money, Money, Money and surprised me (and probably a lot of people) with her very good vocals.

Since Mamma Mia, she also starred in Into the Woods, which was also a musical but she didn't have a  massive singing part compared to her previous role. However, it is interesting to note that she became a recent meme, where a picture at an awards show of her shouting about something was accompanied with song lyrics in capitals, as if it was her belting them out. Was this the internet's way of saying Ms Streep needs more singing roles? I think so!

2. Arielle Vandenberg

She's known for being on Vine, being an actress, with small roles in things including The Ugly Truth, How I Met Your Mother and Nerve, and for being OBSESSED with Justin Bieber (she has dressed up as him twice for Halloween) but did you know that Arielle Vandenberg is also a good singer?

In December 2017, she decided that she would wish her 1.1 million Instagram followers a Merry Christmas by singing some Christmas classics, such as All I Want For Christmas is You, Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire and Santa Baby and she was good! Now, where do I start a petition to get Arielle to sing more on her Instagram?.

3. James Corden

For me and my fellow Brits, he will always be known as Smithy from Gavin and Stacey but nowadays he is a fully fledged TV host in America. But what you probably didn't know about James Corden is that he is also  an occasional singer.

One notable project that allows Corden to show of his vocals is his popular segment during his show,  Carpool Karaoke, where he invites some of the world's biggest stars to sing with him and talk about their careers. Celebrities have included Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, One Direction and Sam Smith. Furthermore, he has also accompanied Gary Barlow on stage to duet on Take That's hit single Pray and duetted with Kylie Minogue on her Christmas album, covering Only You.

In addition to this, like Meryl Streep, he also starred in Into the Woods, giving the chance for him to show what a good vocalist he is.

4. Anne Hathaway

Ok, she played Mia Thermopolis in the film adaptation of The Princess Diaries but what do you think her other well known role was? Apart from Andrea from The Devil Wears Prada? Well, I'm sure if you ask a lot of people, they'll say this is her role as Fantine in Les Miserables. As part of her role, she got to sing, probably, the most famous song in the musical, I Dreamed a Dream, her vocals really showing the true emotion that was needed during this scene. You may be interested to know that to prepare for her role, she cut her hair for real. For the role, she won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for best supporting actress.

Les Miserables is not the only film that allowed Ms Hathaway to showcase her vocals. In Ella Enchanted, she starred as the lead role and performed covers of Somebody to Love, by Queen, and Don't Go Breaking My Heart, by Elton John and Kiki Dee.

However, I think we can all agree that I Dreamed a Dream was her best performance.

5. Ryan Gosling

In the smash hit, La La Land, Gosling was cast as the lead, Sebastian along with Emma Roberts who was picked to play his love interest, Mia. Despite his early start into stardom, when he was part of the Mickey Mouse Club, this is his first all singing and all dancing role.

Within the film, Gosling sang two songs: A Lovely Night and City of Stars, with the latter being later repeated in the form of a duet with Emma Stone. His singing must have been good as City Of Stars was nominated for, and won Best Original Score and Best Original Song at the Oscars. The film itself also kind of won Best Film...the less said about that the better...

Anyway, further success was that the album hit number 2 on the Billboard US albums chart and number 1 on the UK album chart. Hmmm...it seems that Ryan Gosling may want to be in another role that involves singing...

6.  Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane is known for three main things; Family Guy, American Dad and Ted but if you're a regular Family Guy viewer, you will know that there are some songs featured in the show, mainly sung by Brian and Stewie, who just so happen to be voiced by MacFarlane himself.

However, Family Guy isn't the only thing he has done, which involves singing. He has also recorded his own albums, including a Frank Sinatra tribute album and a Family Guy album. Along with Christmas Time is Killing Us, a song recorded for a Christmas episode of Family Guy, his albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards multiple times. He also received an Oscar Nomination for Everybody Needs a Best Friend from hit comedy, Ted.

It seems that Seth should continue his singing, whether it's as part of his roles or as himself, judging by those award nominations!

7. Anna Kendrick

The first glimpse we got of Anna Kendrick's acting career was way back in 2008, when she played Bella's friend, Jessica, in Twilight. "Seriously?! Twilight came out 10 years ago?!" I hear you yell. Yep, I know shocking right! Anyway, Ms Kendrick soon got the chance to bag a lead role herself, in the form of Becca in comedy, Pitch Perfect. As part of her role, she performed a number of covers, including Simple Minds' Don't You Forget About Me, and the cup song, which involved her singing When I'm Gone, from The Carter Family, whilst doing the beat using a sequence of movements with cups intertwined with claps.

It seemed her songs within the film were popular, with Cups being released as a single and entering at number 71 in the UK singles chart.  As for Anna Kendrick? Well, she has since starred in Into the Woods (there seems to be a pattern within this blog post!) and two other Pitch Perfect films. I wonder whether she will get asked to perform in more singing roles?

8. Kate Winslet

I bet everyone has started thinking "Did she once sing My Heart Will Go On, and we didn't know about it?" Erm...unfortunately, that's not quite where I'm going with this. However, she has done some singing.

Way back in 2001, A Christmas Carol- The Movie (yes...another version of the Christmas classic) was released in cinemas and Winslet voiced Scrooge's first love, Belle. However, she had an additional role in the movie...she provided the film's song as well! Called What If?, it was a surprise hit, giving Winslet her first (as far as I know) top 10 hit in the UK, entering at number in the UK singles chart.

Now, considering it's 20 years since THAT movie came out, I think we need a cover of My Heart Will Go On...

9.  Cameron Diaz

I feel like Cameron Diaz has been in everything...What To Expect When You're Expecting, The Holiday, Charlie's Angels and What Happens in Vegas among others. Some of her films have required her to go out of her comfort zone: singing.

In the latest adaptation of Annie, Diaz had the chance to add another string to her bow, playing the awful Miss Hannigan. Singing classic Annie songs, Little Girls and Easy Street, Diaz proved that singing is her forte.

So...considering she's had the chance to show off her singing skills...will she have the chance to do any more singing in future roles?

10. Jack Black

I couldn't really have an "Actors and Actresses who have also done some singing" list without Jack Black. Yes, nowadays he is probably known, particularly among kids, as voicing a panda called Po in Kung Fu Panda but for those who love movies from early noughties, he is known for his role as an eccentric guy who just wants to educate everyone around him about good music...yep I'm talking about his lead role as Dewey Finn in the School of Rock.

During the film, Jack Black sang and played small bits of guitar. However, this isn't the only time that he has tried his hand at music...he's in an actual band! Yep...along with Kyle Glass, Black is in a band called Tenacious D and has released 3 albums, with the most recent being last released in 2012.

Of course, Jack Black now focuses mainly on acting these days but who knows...maybe we'll get another Tenacious D album in the future?

I hope you enjoyed reading this. See you soon.

Em x