25 actors who are also successful musicians

Kevin Bacon has been in every movie ever made. OK, it just seems that way, and there's even a game about that phenomenon. What some might not know about the Footloose star is that he's one fine musician. Along with brother Michael, the The Bacon Brothers have put out nine studio and compilation albums, with another slated to come out this summer. The popularity of the brothers' country/folk rock have allowed them to tour North America and Europe over the years. 

The Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl star, like many, has shown her versatility by also starring on stage. However, Bell unleashed her vocal chops while starring as the voice of Anna in the animated musical smash Frozen, and its sequel. Bell has a wonderful, surprisingly powerful, voice that has allowed her branch out and become a true entertainment superstar. 

In addition to being one of the most popular actors in the world, Black (High Fidelity, School of Rock)  has also enjoyed plenty of success with his band Tenacious D. Along with bandmate Kyle Gass, the duo, known for its comedic brand of rock, has a big fan and frequent collaborator in Dave Grohl. The band's cover of Dio's  "The Last in Line" won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2012.  

There were probably a large share of movie fans who had no idea how musically talented Cooper was until A Star Is Born came out. He co-wrote and performed "Black Eyes," "Out of Time" and "Alibi" from the movie. However, it was his vocal performance during the film that garnered serious praise, especially on the hit "Shallow," and earned him an Oscar nod for Best Actor.

Costner's second career as a musician doesn't always get the recognition it might deserve. His band, Kevin Costner & Modern West, have been going strong since 2007, and provides a nice outlet for the star of such classics as Dances With Wolves, Field of Dreams and Bull Durham. The band's sound is a mix of country and rock, and produced four studio albums as of 2012. 

TV fans should remember Denton from Desperate Housewives, and currently as one of the stars of Good Witch on the Hallmark Channel. Born in Nashville, however, Denton much has music in his blood  and is quite the accomplished guitar player. He has played in the charity cover act Band from TV, featuring Hugh Laurie (more from him in a little bit).

Depp might be as well connected in the music world as he is in within the film industry. The guy has played in bands with the likes of Flea, Steve Jones and the Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes. Not to mention the Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. Not bad company. Deep has proven himself to be an above-average guitar player with the ability to shred, and earn some respect on stage. 

The Lizzie McGuire, Cheaper by the Dozen and Younger star did what plenty of young Disney television stars do: they became singers. As of 2015, Duff's pop music career has resulted in four studio albums and four tours. Though Duff had what many would be considered a solid singing career , it obviously never reached the heights of other Disney alums like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato.

Elba, who battled Covid-19 earlier this year, is best known for his roles in The Wire, Beasts of No Nation and time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Elba is also a pretty hot DJ. Performing under the name DJ Big Driis, Elba managed to earn a slot at Coachella in 2019. He's also worked with Taylor Swift and started his own record label - 7Wallace Music - in the summer of 2018.

He's an Academy Award winner (for Ray from 2004). Oh yeah, Foxx also happens to be a Grammy Award-winning artist. Which should not be a surprise since he's often shown his pop/R&B/Soul chops on screen. In fact, Foxx put out his first album, Peep This in 1994 while a member of the In Living Color cast. Foxx's most recent studio release came out in 2015.

Glover can pretty much do it all, and we as consumers and fans continue to eat it up. As an actor, Glover has shined in Community, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Atlanta. Of course, he's probably more loved these days as hip-hop superstar Childish Gambino. When we talk about versatility as an entertainer, at the moment, Glover needs to be praised significantly for all that he's done - and continues to do. 

Whether her charming role in The Princess Diaries franchise to serious turns in Brokeback Mountain or her outstanding Oscar-winning effort in Les Misérables (2012), Hathaway is among the elite actors in the business. Of course, Hathaway has shown off her splendid voice in many of her movies. None more so than Les Mis, where her vocal talent and range was on full display. It's no doubt her most powerful and dynamic appearance, showing off her immense talent in the process.

One of the best actors currently working, Johansson has certainly shown her versatility as a star of screen and the stage (where she won a Tony). However, some might not know just how talented of a singer ScarJo really is. She's released a couple of studio albums, collaborated with the likes of Pete Yorn and even took to the Coachella stage with the Jesus and Mary Chain back in 2007. 

Renowned for his starring role on the medical drama House, as well as splendid guest work on Veep, Laurie is considered one of the best in the business. He's also enjoyed some decent side work in the music industry, and is accomplished on the piano. Laurie's fancy for blues, tinged with some soul and jazz, has produced two albums and numerous singles. His music is actually more soothing than some of the characters he's played.  

Leto burst on the scene as Jordan Catalano in the underappreciated ABC teen-drama My So-Called Life (1994). He's gone on to become a film superstar, and won an Oscar for his role of a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club, from 2013. He's also the lead singer and guitarist for alternative rockers Thirty Seconds to Mars, along with his drummer brother Shannon. The band has released five albums and toured extensively.

Lewis was a rather popular child star of movies like Troop Beverly Hills and The Wizard. As an adult, Lewis turned her attention to music, where she's enjoyed consistent success. First, with indie rockers Rilo Kiley (with fellow kid star Blake Sennett) and then on her own. Her fourth solo album, On the Line  (2019) featured help from Beck and Ringo Starr. 

Lewis has always been a rebel in her personal life. She's a great actor (Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers), but has also been able to hold her own as a singer, with that same rebel attitude. She fronted the rock outfit - with a little punk flare - Juliette and the Licks (putting out three albums), and has also thrived as a solo artist. Who delivers a high-energy show and gets into it on stage as she would a screen role. 

Fans of Family Guy, know show creator MacFarlane has enjoyed incorporating music into the project. Especially, those Broadway, show-stopping numbers. Outside of the animated hit, MacFarlane has released five studio albums, encompassing styles from pop to big band to swing vocals. He's also been nominated for five Grammy Awards. 

She truly made a name for herself on the HBO series Girls. However, Mamet also earned recognition with apparences on United States of Tara and Mad Men. During that stretch of television success during the last decade, Mamet also sang lead in a band called ChaCha. She enjoyed some modest success as a musician, or at least enough to supplement her acting income.  

Meester blossomed as hyper-determined Blair Waldorf on The CW hit series Gossip Girl. Most recently, Meester starred in the ABC sitcom Single Parents, but that was canceled this year. She's also forayed into music. Most notably with a guest vocal appearance on Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad" from 2009. She eventually released a studio album, the alt-pop Heartstrings in 2014.

Another talent known for her work on Gossip Girl, Momsen is also an accomplished singer and songwriter. In fact, music has pretty much been a full-time job for Momsen, who has not made a significant TV appearance since her Gossip Girl days ended in 2012. Since early last decade, Momsen has fronted alt-rock outfit The Pretty Reckless, to some solid acclaim.

He's Talia Shire's son. Also, the star of Rushmore (1998). But Schwartzman has enjoyed a pretty good side gig as a musician. He's probably most well-known musically as the drummer with Phantom Planet. His band had a relatively big hit with "California," the theme from The O.C. These days, Schwartzman reportedly is still releasing solo material.

Fans of Full House should remember music regularly found its way into Uncle Jesse's storylines. In fact, Jesse & The Rippers might be one of the best fictional bands in television history. Stamos, who has also enjoyed stage success, played with the Beach Boys over the years, and added some percussion work on the legendary band's 1980s hit "Kokomo," and covered its song "Forever" on the show.

Steinfeld started acting at age 10 and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for her performance as teenager Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers' version of True Grit (2010). However, she hit it big musically with Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), when her voice won the day with "Flashlight." She put out an EP that same year and has since opened for the likes of Meghan Trainor and  Katy Perry.

Often eccentric, Thornton is one of the great actors of a generation. He's been nominated for three Oscars. Winning the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sling Blade (1997). His fans are also well aware that Thornton has enjoyed success moonlighting as a singer. He's pretty much been involved with music on some level his entire life, and released several solo albums. Thornton's raspy take on Johnny Cash's classic "Ring of Fire" is worth a listen.