10 performers who cross the musical-acting divide

10 other performers who are credible both in drama and music:

August 21, 2014 at 6:29PM
Singer Jennifer Hudson performs on NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
Hudson (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

• Zooey Deschanel. She's equally cute in TV's "New Girl" and in her Linda Ronstadt-like role in the duo She & Him.

• Jamie Foxx. He proved his acting and music chops (and won an Oscar) with "Ray" but his Grammy-winning voice can be heard on such hits as Twista's "Slow Jamz" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger."

• Jennifer Hudson. "Idol," schmidol. She won a supporting actress Oscar for "Dreamgirls" and her Grammy-winning singing career has included the hit "Spotlight."

• Queen Latifah. She wears many crowns — rapper (she won a Grammy), jazz singer, TV talk-show host and Oscar-nominated actress for "Chicago."

• Jared Leto. He's been concentrating on his band 30 Seconds From Mars with his brother Shannon (they're at the State Fair Tuesday) but he took time out to pick up a best supporting actor Oscar for "Dallas Buyers Club."

• Jennifer Lopez. She was the first person to have a No. 1 movie and album in the same week.

• Ludacris. He's been as consistently impressive as a Grammy-winning rapper on such hits as "Stand Up" and "Money Maker" as he has been as an actor, notably in the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

• Mos Def. The acclaim has been steady for his work, whether as a rapper or an actor on TV ("Dexter," "House"), movies ("Brown Sugar," "The Woodsman") or Broadway ("Topdog/Underdog," "A Free Man of Color").

• Justin Timberlake. One of pop music's biggest-selling artists, the nine-time Grammy winner has also earned Emmys for his work on "Saturday Night Live" and strong reviews for such films as "Friends With Benefits" and "The Social Network."

• Dwight Yoakam. Since the mid-1980s, he's been a standard-bearer for California-styled traditional country music, while receiving raves for occasional acting gigs that included "Sling Blade." He's currently featured (without his hat or hairpiece) in CBS' "Under the Dome."

JON BREAM

Justin Timberlake performs at the Xcel Arena on Feb 9, 2014. ] Photo by Leslie Plesser • lplesser@startribune.com
Timberlake (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

More from No Section

See More
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer, everyone in the housing market has made the same plea to Washington: Send money — lots of it — that would keep renters in their homes and landlords afloat. (Melissa Golden/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT58
Melissa Golden/The New York Times

It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.