Ten Favorite Film Performances by Musicians
(I’m restricting myself here to performances by celebrities who remain far better known as musicians than actors—so no, say, Boogie Nights with Mark Wahlberg—and I’m trying to constrain my judgement to the quality of their acting rather than the quality of their music—so no, say, Purple Rain with Prince. I’ve arranged this list in order of preference by film, rather than in order of preference by performance.)
Kylie Minogue: Holy Motors (directed by Leos Carax, 2012)
Harry Connick, Jr.: The Iron Giant (directed by Brad Bird, 1999)
Janelle Monáe: Moonlight (directed by Barry Jenkins, 2016)
Lyle Lovett: The Player (directed by Robert Altman, 1992)
Paul Simon: Annie Hall (directed by Woody Allen, 1977)
Justin Timberlake: The Social Network (directed by David Fincher, 2010)
Cher: Moonstruck (directed by Norman Jewison, 1987)
Gary and Martin Kemp: The Krays (directed by Peter Medak, 1990)
David Bowie: The Man Who Fell to Earth (directed by Nicolas Roeg, 1976)
Tom Waits: Short Cuts (directed by Robert Altman, 1993)
— September 13, 2021