What’s great about acting is that anyone can try and do it. While some take time and practice to become professional actors, for others it comes more naturally. Celebrities like Bjork, Eminemas well as Oprah Winfreywere known only in their fields and would not have taken up acting if they did not believe they could do it, or when opportunities presented themselves.
And while not all non-actors become groundbreaking Oscar-winning actors, many of them have proven their courage and hidden talent for acting. Whether they’ve proven their worth as a serious actor or wanted to try their hand at acting, these films are great showpieces for these extraordinary stars.
Jimmy Fallon - “Fever Pitch” (2005)
Before his talk show Jimmy Fallon starred in Fever, a romantic comedy-drama about schoolteacher and diehard Boston Red Sox fan Ben Reitman (Fallon). During a school trip, Ben meets successful corporate executive Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore), and soon begins dating her. Ben and Lindsey start attending games together, but tension arises when Lindsey gets a promotion and Ben’s over-loyalty to the Red Sox becomes a problem.
Although the film received mixed reviews, film critic Roger Ebert praised the film and especially Fallon’s performance as Ben Wright.
Rihanna - Ocean’s 8 (2018)
8 Ocean’s Friends all-female spin-off series Oceantrilogy and film franchise. Debbie Ocean (English)Sandra Bullock), sister of the late Danny Ocean (George Clooney), is planning a massive heist to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace from the Met Gala. Together with his former accomplice Lou (Cate Blanchett), they assemble their team: fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter) who owes money to the IRS; jeweler Amita (Mindy Kaling), who wants independence from her mother; hacker Nine Ball / Leslie (Rihanna), pickpocket Constance (Aquafina), and Tammy’s fence (Sarah Paulson).
Although 8 Ocean’s Friends This isn’t Rihanna’s first acting role, many were surprised to see how the glamorous R&B singer and mogul successfully turned into a badass hacker in the film.
Björk - “Dancing in the Dark” (2000)
In Björk’s second feature film acting debut, she takes on the lead role of Selma Jezhkov, a Czech immigrant who has moved to the United States with her 12-year-old son Gene Jezhek (Vladika Kostich). They live in poverty, and Selma works in a factory with her good friend Kathy (Catherine Deneuve), or, as she likes to call her, Kvalda. Her salvation in life is her passion for music and Hollywood musicals, in which she often dreams of becoming the star of one of them.
However, in reality, her financial problems are exacerbated by a degenerative eye disease that causes her to lose her sight. Things get even worse when a neighbor accuses Selma of trying to steal his savings when the opposite is true.
Eminem - “8 Mile” (2002)
Eminem’s film debut in a semi-autobiographical film 8 mileEminem plays Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr., a laborer who dreams of becoming a rapper but lives in a trailer park with his dysfunctional family in Warren, Michigan. Jimmy befriends radio DJ Wink (Eugene Bird), who has ties to a record label promoter. But their relationship escalates when Jimmy discovers that Wink is advertising for Jimmy’s rivals, a rap group called the Leaders of the Free World.
In revenge, Jimmy agrees to compete against the Leaders of the Free World in a rap battle hosted by his best friend Future (Mekhi Phifer). In a memorable finale, Jimmy crushes battles against every member of the Leaders of the Free World, earning the respect of those who questioned his ability to rap because of his skin color.
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born (2018)
A star is born needs no introduction. In the fourth remake of the film, which serves Bradley Cooperdirectorial debut, Lady Gaga stars starring Ellie Maine, a struggling singer-songwriter who is about to give up her dream of becoming a famous singer. Her life changes when she meets country rock singer Jack Man (Bradley Cooper).
They fall in love, but as Ellie’s career takes off, it causes a shift in their personal relationship. The film owes its success to Cooper’s ability to take a fresh look at retelling the story, as well as to the on-screen chemistry between him and Gaga.
Tyra Banks - “Life Size” (2000)
Real size comedy fantasy television film starring a young Lindsey Lohan as Casey Stewart and Tyra Banks like Eva. Casey is a seventh grader who recently lost her mother. Later at the bookstore, Casey gains hope to bring her mother back to life when she finds The Book of Awakening, a book that teaches her how to raise the dead. But instead of resurrecting his mother, Casey accidentally brings her Eve doll to life. Eve, who was a doll, has no idea what real life entails and thus needed the help of Casey and her father Ben (Jer Stewart) to teach her to live a normal daily life.
Although Tyra Banks has played several roles attributed to her, she is best known for her role as Eve. Continuation, life size 2was released in 2018 and Banks revealed that life size 3 also at work.
The Beatles - “A Hard Day’s Evening” (1964)
The Beatles’ feature film debut Hard day night, shows one day in the life of a rock band. Filmed in a semi-documentary style, this is what a day in their lives looks like: they are chased by screaming fans, recording songs, performing, getting into a helicopter and holding press conferences. But most importantly, despite the fact that this is the most famous rock band in the world, Hard day night showed their freedom-loving soul.
In 1996 film critic Roger Ebert wrote a review on Hard day night. He described the legacy the film left us with: “After more than three decades, it has not aged or outdated; he stands outside his time, his genre and even rock. It’s one of the great life-affirming milestones of cinema.”
Mariah Carey - Treasure (2009)
Precious tells the heartbreaking story of Clarice “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an illiterate, overweight 16-year-old girl who is currently pregnant with her second child. Both her first child with Down syndrome, Mongo, and her second child are the result of rape by her biological father, who is now absent from her life. Seeing Preshes’ situation, her high school principal convinced her to go to an alternative school where she hopes Preshes can get better help.
Not only that, Precious starts dating social worker Ms. Weiss (Mariah Carey) and talks about the abuse she suffered from both parents from a young age. Upon learning of this, Miss Weiss frees Jewel from Mary’s cruel mother (Monique) with whom she lived to start a new life in which she has the freedom to dictate her future.
Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple (1985)
Purple follows the story of African American women who lived in 20th century rural Georgia. Sely Harris (ur.Whoopi Goldberg), Nettie Harris (Akosua Busia) and Sophia (Oprah Winfrey) are abused women who choose not to let their life’s tragedies stop them from becoming who they want to be.
Winfrey was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of Sophia.
Mos Def - “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005)
One morning Arthur DentMartin Freeman) discovers that his house will be demolished to make way for a bypass road. Arthur’s friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def), takes him to a pub for a drink to make him feel better. Ford later confesses that he is a Betelgeuse alien and a journalist working for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book. Ford also warns Arthur that, like his home, Earth will soon be destroyed as well to make way for the hyperspace bypass.
Arthur meets the two-headed president of the galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox, a woman from Earth Trillian Macmillan (Zooey Deschanel) and the depressive robot, the paranoid android Marvin (Warwick Davis) on the ship “Golden Heart”. In the midst of all the darkness of his new world, Arthur searches for the meaning of life.
Source: Collider
