7 Singers Who Successfully Transitioned Into Acting

From the block to the big screen, Jennifer Lopez is the blueprint for how to be a successful actress and singer. Gaining dancing, acting, and singing experience from performing in stage musicals as a child, JLo got her big break in the 1986 film My Little Girl. Although her role was only small, it allowed Lopez to gain a foothold in the industry. After her time as one of the Fly Girls on In Living Color, Lopez put her full attention into acting, and by the mid-1990s she was a household name. Starring in box office hits, such as Selena, The Wedding Planner, and Maid in Manhattan, Lopez was breaking through in the world of acting. In 1999, she decided to try her hand at music and released her debut album, On the 6. The album was a hit and sold more than eight million copies worldwide. Now, JLo is a force to be reckoned with in both the acting and music world. She's started in a variety of hit movies, the most recent being her new rom-com Marry Me, and continues to release world-class music. 

Cher turned her status as a teen pop sensation into a pop culture icon. After moving to Los Angeles in her teen years, Cher met Salvatore (“Sonny”) Bono in 1962 and the pair became a singing duo. Topping the charts with their hit single "I Got You Babe," Cher and Sonny were pop culture's favorite couple. In 1971, the couple emerged in the world of TV with Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, a show in which the pair would sing and perform skits for their audience. It was during the prime of Sonny and Cher that Cher's personal career began to grow. After the couple split in 1974, Cher invested in her acting career. She starred in films such as Moonstruck, Tea With Mussolini, and Mermaids, as well as having several roles in Broadway plays. In conjunction with her movie roles, Cher was dropping hit albums that were defining the age of pop music. Her albums Cher and Heart of Stone topped the charts, and her single "Believe" earned her a Grammy in 2000. Now, Cher continues to woo our hearts with her iconic performances in Burlesque and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.

While Stefani Germanotta made her acting debut in 2001 as a background character in The Sopranos, she made a name for herself as Lady Gaga, the eccentric, boundary-pushing pop star that defined the late aughts and early 2010s. However, in 2015, she returned to the screen as a central character in American Horror Story: Hotel. In the years since, the "Paparazzi" artist has earned several acting nominations for her roles in A Star is Born and House of Gucci.

It goes without saying that Justin Timberlake is a double threat. Getting his acting start as a child actor on the TV show The New Mickey Mouse Club, alongside Ryan Gossling, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. After his days on The New Mickey Mouse Club, Timberlake was recruited to join the boyband *NSYNC. Although their first album did not do as well as expected, their second album, No Strings Attached, threw the group to the top of the pop world. With the chart-topping single, "It's Gonna Be Me", *NSYNC was taking over the hearts of teen girls across the world. After his breakup with Britney Spears and the release of *NSYNC's third album, Timberlake began to focus on his own musical career. Her first solo album, Justified, launched his solo career. However, Timberlake never stopped picking up acting roles. Gaining numerous awards for his role as Sean Parker in The Social Network and dominating the romantic comedy scene with his role in Friends with Benefits, Timberlake's acting career is now just as strong as his music career. 

We find ourselves asking every day, is there anything Harry Styles can't do? Getting his footing in music as a contestant on X Factor, Styles has become a pop culture icon. As a member of One Direction, Styles reached superstardom during his teen years. From consistently having successful albums, to breaking record after record, and going on gigantic world tours year after year, One Direction was unstoppable. After their indefinite hiatus was announced in 2016, Styles went on to focus on his own career. In 2017, Styles released his debut self-titled album and took the music charts by storm with his new sound. Since then, Styles has established himself as a wildly successful solo artist. His latest album, Fine Line, topped the charts again and Styles' hasn't looked back since. After his self-titled album release, the British pop star announced he would be starring in Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk. Now, Styles is getting back on the acting train with lead roles in Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman. To put the cherry on top of the cake, Styles joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a surprise post-credit appearance in Eternals. 

Like her co-star Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera got her acting start on The New Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She had great success on the show and went on to record the song "Reflection" for Disney's Mulan. After "Reflection" Aguilera pivoted her career from acting-based to music-based. In 1999, she released her debut album Christina Aguilera and became a pop sensation. Comprised of songs that defined the early 2000s, such as "Genie In A Bottle", Aguilera climbed the charts. The same year her debut album was released, she received a Grammy for Best New Artist. Throughout her music career, Aguilera experimented with different sounds. While sticking to primarily pop lyrics, she embraced her Ecuadorian culture with Mi reflejo in 2000, and introduced her blues and jazz background with her cover of "Lady Marmalade" alongside Pink, Mya, and Lil Kim, and with her album Back to Basics. Over her career, Aguilera had a series of movie and TV roles, most notably her role alongside Cher in Burlesque. Now Aguilera has served as a judge on The Voice, played roles in shows such as Nashville, and appeared in the hit movie Pitch Perfect 2. 

Receiving her musical beginnings as a singer in her church choir, Jennifer Hudson is a powerhouse of a performer. She came to fame as a fan favorite on Season 3 of American Idol. After her loss, Hudson took a leap of faith and auditioned for Dreamgirls in 2005. She beat out over 780 applicants, including season three American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. Dreamgirls put Hudson on the map as not only an actress but a singer as well. Hudson received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year, and a BAFTA Award for her role in the film. After Dreamgirls, Hudson released her debut self-titled album and starred in a selection of films, such as The Secret Life of Bees. In 2009, Hudson won her first Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues album. She has also starred in a variety of hit TV shows and movies, such as Confirmation, and has even had a series of successful Broadway roles, most notably in The Color Purple. More recently, Hudson received widespread accreditation for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect.