What’s great about acting is that anyone can try and do it. While some require time and practice to become professional actors, it comes more naturally for others. Celebrities such as Björk, Eminem, and Oprah Winfrey, were only known in their respective fields, and wouldn't have taken up acting unless they believed they could do it or when opportunities were presented to them.
And while not all non-actors become ground-breaking actors who win Academy Awards, plenty of them have proven their courage and hidden talent for acting. Whether they proved their worthiness as a serious actor or wanted to give acting a go, these movies are great exhibits for these unlikely stars.
Jimmy Fallon - ‘Fever Pitch’ (2005)
Before his talk show, Jimmy Fallon starred in Fever Pitch, a romantic comedy-drama that follows a school teacher and die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, Ben Wrightman (Fallon). On a school trip, Ben meets a successful corporate executive, Lindsay Meeks (Drew Barrymore), and soon begins dating her. Ben and Lindsey begin to attend games together, but tension arises when Lindsey gets a work promotion, and Ben’s excessive loyalty to the Red Sox becomes problematic.
Although the film received mixed reviews, film critic Roger Ebert praised the film and particularly Fallon’s portrayal as Ben Wright.
Rihanna - ‘Ocean’s 8’ (2018)
Ocean’s 8 is the all-female spin-off of the Ocean’s trilogy and film franchise. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister of the late Danny Ocean (George Clooney), is planning on a grand heist to steal a $150 million Cartier necklace from the Met Gala. Together with her former partner-in-crime 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 (Awkwafina), and fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson).
Although Ocean’s 8 is not Rihanna’s first acting role, many were surprised to see the glamorous R&B singer and mogul successfully turn into a badass hacker in the film.
Björk - ‘Dancer in the Dark’ (2000)
In Björk’s second acting debut in a feature film, she takes on the leading role of Selma Ježková, a Czech immigrant who has moved to the United States with her 12-year-old son, Gene Ježek (Vladica Kostic). They live in poverty, and Selma works at a factory with her good friend Kathy (Catherine Deneuve), or as she likes to call her, Cvalda. Her salvation in life is her passion for music and Hollywood musicals, in which she often daydreams about being the star of one.
In reality, however, her financial troubles are further heightened by her degenerative eye condition, which causes her to lose her eyesight. Things get even worse when a neighbor accuses Selma of trying to steal his savings when it’s the other way around.
Eminem - ‘8 Mile’ (2002)
In Eminem’s film debut in the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, Eminem stars as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr., a blue-collar worker who dreams of being a rapper but lives in a trailer park with his dysfunctional family in Warren, Michigan. Jimmy is friends with a radio DJ, Wink (Eugene Byrd), who has ties with a record label promoter. But their relationship is strained when Jimmy discovers that Wink is doing promotional work for Jimmy’s rivals, a rap group called the “Leaders of the Free World”.
In retaliation, Jimmy agrees to compete against the Leaders of the Free World at the rap battle hosted by his best friend, Future (Mekhi Phifer). In an unforgettable finale, Jimmy crushes the battles against each member of the Leaders of the Free World, earning the respect of those who doubted his rapping ability 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 that serves as Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, Lady Gaga stars in the leading role of Ally Maine, a struggling singer-songwriter about to give up on her dream as a famous singer. Her life changes when she meets the country rock singer Jack Maine (Bradley Cooper).
They fall in love, but as Ally’s career takes off, it causes a shift in their personal relationship. The film owes its success to Cooper’s ability to give a fresh take on retelling the story and his and Gaga’s on-screen chemistry.
Tyra Banks - ‘Life-Size’ (2000)
Life-Size is a fantasy comedy television film that stars a young Lindsay Lohan in the role of Casey Stuart and Tyra Banks as Eve. Casey is a seventh grader who has recently just lost her mother. Later, at a bookstore, Casey gains hope of bringing her mother back to life as she finds “The Book of Awakenings”, a book that teaches her how to resurrect the dead. But instead of resurrecting her mother, Casey accidentally brings her doll, Eve, to life. Eve, who was a doll, has no idea what real life entails, and so needed the help of Casey and her father Ben (Jere Stuart) to teach her how to live a normal everyday life.
Although Tyra Banks has had a number of acting roles credited to her name, she is most recognized for her role as Eve. The sequel, Life-Size 2, was released in 2018, and Banks has revealed that Life-Size 3 is also in the works.
The Beatles - ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964)
The Beatles’ feature film debut, A Hard Day’s Night, shows a day in the life of a rock band. Shot in a semi-documentary style, this is what a day in their lives looks like: being chased around by screaming fans, recording songs, performing, getting on a helicopter, and doing press conferences. But most of all, despite being the most famous rock band in the world, A Hard Day’s Night showcased their free-spirited souls.
In 1996, film critic Roger Ebert wrote a review of A Hard Day’s Night. He described the legacy that the movie has left us, “After more than three decades, it has not aged and is not dated; it stands outside its time, its genre, and even rock. It is one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies.”
Mariah Carey - ‘Precious’ (2009)
Precious tells the heartbreaking tale of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an illiterate and overweight 16-year-old who is currently pregnant with her second child. Both her first child with Down syndrome, Mongo, and her second child are the results of rape by her biological father, who is now absent from her life. Seeing Precious’ situation motivated her high school principal to convince her to attend an alternative school, where she hopes Precious can receive better help.
Not only that, Precious starts meeting social worker Ms. Weiss (Mariah Carey) and shares about the abuse she had endured from both her parents from a young age. Upon learning this, Ms. Weiss frees Precious from her abusive mother, Mary (Mo’Nique), who she had been living with, to start a new life where she has the freedom to dictate her future.
Oprah Winfrey -‘The Color Purple’ (1985)
The Color Purple follows the story of the African-American women who lived in the 20th Century of rural Georgia. Celie Harris (Whoopie Goldberg), Nettie Harris (Akosua Busia), and Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) are female victims of abuse who choose not to let their life tragedies stop them from becoming who they want to be.
Winfrey received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of Sofia.
Mos Def - ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ (2005)
One morning, Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) discovers that his house will get demolished to make way for a bypass. Arthur's friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def), brings him to a pub for a few drinks to make him feel better. Later, Ford admits that he is an alien from Betelgeuse and a journalist working on the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book. Ford also warns Arthur that, similar to his home, Earth will soon also get demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass.
Arthur is introduced to the double-headed president of the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, an Earth woman, Trillian McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), and a depressed robot, Marvin the Paranoid Android (Warwick Davis) on the ship Heart of Gold. Amidst all the obscurity of his new world, Arthur seeks the meaning of life.