Typically, a biopic is the closest movie stars get to depicting full-blown rock stars. As much as they might seem similar, the magic of actors and artists is a bit different. We’ve seen it in how they try to cross over into each other’s fields. Bruce Willis and Eddie Murphy didn’t stick it out in music for the long haul. Even though Mos Def was good at it, he preferred the art of rhyming instead.
But some actors didn’t even want to act at first. They wanted music stardom long before they ever heard ‘action’ behind the camera. Here are three full-blown movie stars who didn’t even come to Hollywood for acting at first. Instead, they showed up to the city of stars to blow up as singers.
Three Movie Stars Who Initially Had Visions of Being a Rock Star before acting
Jeff Bridges
It’s hard for a lot of people to imagine Jeff Bridges as anything other than The Dude. But instead of relying solely on acting, he wanted to make music. “I dug what an actor did, but it took me a while to feel it, to truly appreciate the craft and the preparation. Plus, I was still playing music a lot, and I guess I had a hard time choosing,” Bridges recalled to Guitar Aficionado Magazine (via Reuters). “Was I an actor or a musician, or could I be both?”
Although he wasn’t nearly as big of a singer, he still accomplished the dreams he had. He’ll frequently play guitar and even record ambient, spoken word albums in his spare time.
Johnny Depp
Before we knew him as Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp was your everyday guitarist. Because he’s actually great with the instrument, he’s been a part of some serious supergroups across his career. In the 90s, he was a part of P, a band with members of the Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sex Pistols alike.
Then, in 2015, he worked with more rock & roll royalty by forming Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. Together, they’ve toured three world tours and released two albums.
Jason Schwartzman
Anyone who has ever watched a Wes Anderson movie has seen Jason Schwartzman. The characters he typically plays don’t immediately scream rockstar, but that was his love first. Before he found his calling on the big screen, he co-founded Phantom Planet in 1994. By 2003, though, he made acting his sole focus. Over time, he’s still tinkered around with music. He has appeared in TV series like Smallville and Slackers.
Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for Illumination And Universal Pictures
The post 3 Iconic Movie Stars Who Originally Came To Hollywood to Be a Rock Star appeared first on VICE.
