20 famous actors you didn’t know can sing

If you get the chance, you should give these 20 actors a listen.

Scarlett Johansson has a great voice. The Oscar-nominated actor used it in the animated movie series Sing. She also had a short-lived music career, and you can stream her work if you don’t want to watch a children’s movie to hear her voice. 

Sarah Hyland showed off her vocal chops briefly in an episode of Modern Family, but she never got the opportunity to show off just how good of a singer she is. But she’s since sung some covers and appeared on Broadway, all of which she’s done beautifully.

To be fair, Angelina Jolie didn’t know she could sing, either. The Oscar winner trained in operatic singing for her role in Maria, and along the way, she discovered that she’s actually quite a lovely singer. 

Pretty soon, people are going to forget that Gwyneth Paltrow acts. But don’t let Goop serve as Paltrow erasure. This woman is wildly talented, and she can sing, too. She made an iconic appearance on Glee and sang the best cover of “Forget You” to date. 

You better believe that Robert Pattinson can sing. What can’t that man do? He even lent his voice to a couple of songs on the Twilight soundtrack. Thanks to him and Suki Waterhouse, imagine how talented their children will be. 

Maya Rudolph’s mother was Minnie Riperton, one of the most iconic singers of her time with an insane whistle register. Of course, Rudolph can sing, too. She mostly reserves her musical talent for her work with the cover band Princess. 

If you’re only familiar with Emmy Rossum from Shameless, you probably don’t know that she’s also an incredibly talented singer. Rossum played Christine in the 2004 screen adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera and absolutely killed it. She’s a trained opera singer. 

Again, if you haven’t seen The Phantom of the Opera, you’re not going to know about all the actors who are also talented singers. Gerard Butler played the eponymous Phantom in the film, and he gave a riveting performance. 

You might know that Sterling K. Brown had a role in Frozen 2, but you probably didn’t know that he was initially supposed to sing in the role. The song was removed from the script, but Brown’s musical talent remains. He showcased his talent while part of the cast of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

Why Jason Sudeikis didn’t break out his singing chops in an episode of Ted Lasso is beyond us. Ted would’ve been epic in a bit of karaoke. Instead, Sudeikis left that responsibility up to Hannah Waddingham, another incredibly talented vocalist. 

The Smith children aren’t talented by accident. Will Smith isn’t the only person in his marriage who’s got some musicality. Jada Pinkett Smith is also a great vocalist. She needs to perform some songs with her kids. 

Kate Winslet has a lovely singing voice, too. She doesn’t use it much in her work, but it’s definitely there. Winslet has proven she’s talented time and again, though, so we can trust that she’s a good singer without hearing her much. 

Reese Witherspoon doesn’t sing much, but when she does, she does a fantastic job. Witherspoon won her first Oscar for her role as June Carter in Walk the Line, and it was her vocals in the film. She also had a singing role in the series Sing.

Alongside Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line was none other than Joaquin Phoenix. The actor played Johnny Cash and did an exceptional job with the vocals, earning an Oscar nomination in the process. 

The only thing that would’ve made Barbie better is if Allan, played by Michael Cera, had sung. Would it have made much sense? No, probably not. But Cera is actually a very talented singer, so it would’ve been worth the bizarre moment.  

Kate Hudson also appeared on Glee, and she showed just how talented a vocalist she is. Prior to that, Hudson showed her musicality when she sang “You’re So Vain” on How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (though to be fair, that didn’t quite show off Hudson’s full capabilities).

Kevin Bacon is such a good singer that he and his brother have a band. They’re called The Bacon Brothers, and they’ve been releasing music since 1995. 

Sarah Jessica Parker is best known for playing Carrie Bradshaw, and Carrie isn’t much of a singer. Parker, however, is. She started in the musical theater world, and she’s been singing ever since, though most of her musical work has been done on stage. 

Kerry Washington has a great voice; audiences just never get to hear it. She’s sung in some interviews, as well as a Disney sing-along, and it’s easy to find videos of her beautiful voice, but she doesn’t tend to sing in her acting work. 

If you’re wondering where Daniel Radcliffe has been since his Harry Potter days ended, the answer is Broadway. Radcliffe has starred in multiple stage productions on the iconic street because he’s a great singer. He’s even got a Tony Award to show for it.