There are loads of stage acts any person can establish for themselves to crush it in the entertainment industry. To carve a name for yourself in Hollywood, odds are, you’ve got to know how a thing or two. If you can’t act, sing, dance, or make people laugh as a comedian, you’re career will be over it starts. Without one of those skills, you’ll need to master something else that will garner attention. In some cases, it’s possible to catch wind of celebs who seem to be multitalented as jacks of all trades.
One major example would be Lady Gaga. She rose to fame with the hit song “Just Dance” in 2014. She kept the world on its toes with never-ending music releases after that. Then, she shocked just about everyone when she revealed that she also knew how to act. Projects like “A Star is Born,” “House of Gucci,” and “American Horror Story” serve as proof that Gaga knows what she’s doing with a microphone and a camera crew.
Another example is Selena Gomez. She’s been solid as an actress in projects like “Only Murders in the Building,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” and “Another Cinderella Story.” She’s also annihilated as a fabulous singer with bops for millennials and Gen-Zers to listen to swoon over. While celebs such as Gaga and Gomez can handle these types of accomplishments, the same sentiments can’t be applied to every celebrity in the world. While we’re on the topic of singers, click here to uncover the most popular music artists of all time.
To gather this list of singers who tried to make it as actors but failed, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment sources. These includes ScreenRant, Nicki Swift, and IMDb.
Beyoncé
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Recording artist Beyonce performs onstage during The 59th GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on February 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for NARAS)
It would be nearly impossible to strike a negative argument with someone against Beyoncé’s career as a singer. Time and time again, Beyoncé has proven that she’s worth all the laurels she’s received over the years. There’s a reason her fan base has labeled her “Queen Bey.” That same fan base calls themselves her “Bey Hive” as they buzz around, following her for all her new music releases and life updates.
More than 318 followers on Instagram are double-tapping her content lately. Is it because they can’t seem to get enough of her? Maybe! Her fans and followers are part of the reason she accrued a jumbo net worth of $760 million. When it comes to the general music scene, she’s an extraordinary juggernaut.
After taking home the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, the Billboard Music Award for Top Female Artist, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Artist, Beyoncé has sealed the deal as a modern-day powerhouse. Her attempt at becoming an actress didn’t exactly work out with as much simplicity, though. One example is when she agreed to film “Austin Powers Goldmember” in 2002. The movie wasn’t taken seriously at the time. To this day, people still poke fun whenever it’s brought up.
Britney Spears
Britney Spears has a loyal fan base that’s dedicated to seeing her win the game of life. When news broke out about the conservatorship she was trapped in for years, it led to an outpour of social media support. Folks who have been obsessed with her pop songs from day one were rallying.
As a reminder, Spears charmed millions of people when she released the hit banger “…Baby One More Time” in 1998. She instantly became the pop princess to root for after dancing around in a provocative schoolgirl uniform with pigtails for the music video. It was a risky move, but it worked for her.
Later on, Spears secured a residency in Las Vegas for a temporary time. She was “the moment.” When she tried her hand at acting, though, her fans weren’t so quick to jump on board. She regrettably filmed a movie called “Crossroads” in 2002. It was about a trio of girlfriends living it up on a road trip adventure. The comedy musical was a full-fledged flop since it only pulled in a 3.8-star IMDb rating out of 10.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is passionate about his craft. The singer-songwriter was born in Canada, but he brought his talents to America when he was ready. His unconventional style, heartbreaking lyrics, and soothing melodies are reasons why R&B fans are hooked.
His past relationships with esteemed celebs like Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid helped spread his fame even further. Beyond his love life, Tesfaye has always taken his working title as a musician seriously. There’s a reason he has 74.8 million followers on Instagram who’ve helped build his colossal net worth of $300 million.
But when he tried his hand at acting, it turned out to be an epic failure. He filmed one season of a show called “The Idol” in 2023 alongside Lily-Rose Depp. The show was criticized for hyper-sexualizing young women and glamorizing the abuse of cult leadership. It was bashed among social media users leading producers to drop the idea of a renewal for Season 2.
Christina Aguilera
Like moths to a flame, Christina Aguilera has fiercely lured fans in for two decades. She gagged society with a seductive banger called “Genie in a Bottle” in 1999. The sensual song showed the world that she was comfortable embracing her sexuality with flair. She wasn’t ashamed to be a sexually active woman who sought pleasure and physical connections with men. The song lyrics and music video were startling at the time.
When people reflect on Aguilera’s early days, it’s clear she loved leaving people speechless.She went on to collect awards including the Billboard Music Award for Top Female Artist, the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Female. As a singer, Aguilera has always dominated. On the contrary, things didn’t run as smoothly for acting. She starred in a movie called “Burlesque” in 2010. The musical romance pulled in a mortifying Tomatometer score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rihanna
If you’re a diehard fan of Rihanna, you’re likely part of her “Rihanna Navy.” That’s the affectionate nickname given to her most dedicated well-wishers. Rihanna’s Navy has fervently been waiting for the Barbados-born singer to flood them with fresh music since 2016.
Rihanna hasn’t been focused on studio time, though. Her attention has shifted in an entrepreneurial direction. Rihanna’s cosmetic line, Fenty, has been flourishing. On top of that, her lingerie line (Savage X Fenty) has also been taking home the gold.
Her lingerie and makeup brands are doing well, but Rihanna’s Navy is still desperately praying for new music also. Regardless of the manifestations from her fans, Rihanna geared up to film a movie called “Oceans 8” in 2018 instead. The comedy crime film was negatively criticized to the point of losing the opportunity for a sequel. Plans for a movie called “Ocean’s 9″ were discussed, but that never happened.
Jason Derulo
Tracks from Jason Derulo have always fit flawlessly in the R&B and pop brackets. The singer-songwriter has been in the game since 2009 after “Whatcha Say” hit the radio as his debut single. The heartbreaking ballad chronicles the tale of a man admitting to regret over infidelity.
In the lyrics, he begs the girl to forgive him with promises to spoil her with wealth and riches in the future. The song did so well for Derulo that he moved forward with his career as a singer right away. He came out with more hit songs like “Talk Dirty” and “Wiggle.”
One thing Derulo knows well is creating fun songs for people to dance to on a regular basis. Unfortunately for him, his knowledge as a musician didn’t exactly spread into the acting industry. In 2019, he filmed a movie called “Cats” – and it was an epic failure. It starred Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, and James Corden. Still, none of their star power could save the day. In 2024, people still crack jokes about “Cats” whenever it’s brought up.
Jessica Simpson
In 1999, Jessica Simpson splashed onto the music scene and changed the course of her career forever. She released a song called “I Wanna Love You Forever,” which showcase her heartfelt and emotional side. The early 2000s continued to be a wonderful era for Simpson since she successfully put out love songs for hopeless romantics to enjoy.
After growing up as a singer in her church choir as a youngster, she knew she wanted something more for herself in the music industry. She signed with Columbia records at the age of 17, and finally had the opportunity to glow-up as a performer. Simpson’s reputation as an A-list celebrity could’ve stopped there with the world thinking of her as a talented singer forever.
Instead, she tried to dip her toes into acting – and it didn’t go well. Most notably, she filmed a movie called “The Dukes of Hazzard” in 2005. The movie was based on the beloved show from the 80s. Simpson’s presence in the movie was supposed to attract the male gaze, but the movie still didn’t do well. It earned a 5.1 star rating out of 10 from viewers on IMDb.
Kelly Clarkson
Nearly the entire world fell in love with Kelly Clarkson as a singer after watching her compete for the winning spot on “American Idol” in 2004. It was a magical moment witnessing the 20-year-old starlet win it all against runner-up, Justin Guarini. She finished out the finale by singing “A Moment Like This.” The song ended up being her first single and radio stations played it on repeat for the rest of that year.
Clarkson was definitely at the top of her game at the time. However, things definitely hit a snag when Clarkson and Guarini agreed to film a movie called “From Justin to Kelly” together. The movie only raked in $4.9 million at the box office, which is shockingly low for a feature film being aired in theaters. It became glaringly obvious that people wanted to support Clarkson as a singer, but not as an actress.
In recent history, we’ve seen tons of singers dabble in the acting world against their own best interest. In the worst cases of all, it’s clear that these beloved musicians should have simply stayed in their lanes instead of trying to branch out into acting. As a musician, it’s your job to memorize lyrics of three-minute songs to perform on stage for millions of people in a crowd. The job of an actor is a little more complex and intense. Someone should’ve offered Clarkson that advice.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is versatile, fun, energetic, and suave,. He’s had the opportunity to collaborate with other big names in the game like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Future and Lil Baby. He even collaborated with Luke Combs, Eminem, J Balvin, and Bring Me The Horizon.
Sheeran’s story as an up-and-coming musician gives folks with aspirations of fame hope and inspiration. He started writing lovey-dovey lyrics when he was only 11 years old. Later, he independently released music in 2011. Eventually, he became so beloved as an artist that he was gifted accolades like the Grammy Award for Song of the Year, the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Artist.
It’s impossible to get your hands on awards like those if you aren’t a worthwhile individual. As an actor, though, Sheeran hasn’t received as much respect. His infamous appearance in an episode of “Game of Thrones“ during the eighth season was not well-received. Some fans fussed that seeing Sheeran in the episode took away from its integrity and seriousness.
Madonna
True fans of Madonna might get slightly ticked off if you don’t refer to her as “the Queen of Pop.” Her decades-long career as a singer, songwriter, and performer is fabulous to reflect on. Madonna always attracted attention based on her attention-grabbing lyrics. Her sultry dance moves and eccentric outfits helped, too. In the 80s, she released tracks like “Like a Prayer,” “Material Girl,” and “Like a Virgin.”
The dauntlessness of her music kept fans hooked. Since the 80s, Madonna has successfully linked up with other major names in the game like Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West. Her collabs are concrete evidence that she’s willing to slingshot herself into any music genre without hesitation.
Should Madonna have been a little more hesitant before trying her hand at acting, though? The answer is… Probably. She regrettably agreed to film a romantic comedy called “Swept Away” in 2002. The movie received a score of 3.6 out of 10 on IMDb from viewers and only earned a little over $1 million at the box office. It prompted Madonna to take a step back from acting – forever.
Carrie Underwood
Like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood rose to fame on “American Idol” as well. Her win went down in 2005 at the end of Season 4. Underwood was 21 years old at the time, but despite her young age, she certainly seemed ready to take on a lifestyle of fame and fortune. She released songs that fit perfectly into the country music genre, which was something country music lovers were extremely grateful for.
Having a country music star win a show like “American Idol” solidified the fact that pop music wasn’t always going to be everyone’s main focus forever. Underwood successfully connected with victims who’ve been cheated on by their partners when she released “Before He Cheats” as a powerful breakup anthem in 2005. Anyone who had ever been slighted by a romantic partner felt like they could connect to Underwood based on her dynamic and ferocious lyrics.
Underwood didn’t get as much support when she tried to make it as an actress, though. She starred in “Soul Surfer” in 2011, but society wasn’t stoked about seeing her on screen. The movie highlighted the life of Bethany Hamilton, a girl who tragically lost her arm to a shark while surfing. The movie was meant to be taken seriously by audiences. Viewers whined that Underwood didn’t make sense in the cast lineup.
Mariah Carey
There’s a high chance folks will be head over heels in love with Mariah Carey until the end of time. With more than 13.4 million followers on Instagram, it’s obvious she has some pull among music lovers everywhere. Her net worth is estimated to fall somewhere around $350 million, which makes a lot of sense when you consider the way she dominates the music scene every single holiday season. Whenever Christmas time rules around, people start bumping her version of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on repeat.
The song was definitely a game-changer and Carrie’s life, but it was also a game-changer in the lives of individuals who celebrate Christmas. After all, the song has such a fun and festive vibe to it. Dominating as a musician beyond the Christmas season has always been in the cards for Carey, but dominating as an actress never ended up happening for her. Carey starred in a movie called “Glitter” in 2001, and it was heavily criticized by the masses. It received a disturbingly low rating of 2.4 out of 10 stars on IMDb. It only raked in $5.3 million at the box office, despite its budget of $22 million.
Actors must memorize full scripts and work alongside cast and crew members who rely on them to get the job done. A lot of hard work, dedication, and determination goes into both singing and acting, but they can’t be looked at as interchangeable or identical. Singers without acting experience often assume they can skip back-and-forth between both career paths without skipping a beat, but that isn’t always possible.
Garth Brooks
Country music will likely always be cherished across America. That’s why Garth Brooks rose to fame in 1989. He released “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” and suddenly, he had country music lovers in a chokehold. After that, Brooks went on to incorporate elements of rock music and pop music into his tracks, which helped him garner support from folks who weren’t inherently obsessed with country music alone.
He proved how versatile he was and handled business at enough sold-out performances to accrue a sturdy net worth of $400 million. Living a successful life as a musician seemed to always be in the cards for Brooks. Making it as an actor is a different story, though. He was set to start in a movie called “The Life of Chris Gaines” in the titular role back in the late 90s.
After pre-recording a soundtrack for the movie, it was revealed that no one was actually excited for the movie to come out. Plans for the movie were axed before Brooks had a chance to film real scenes for it. Now that we know about all the singers who shouldn’t have attempted to start acting, there’s more to uncover in the entertainment realm. Click here for the the best one album wonders in history.