Acting fame can open doors, but it does not guarantee a music audience. Plenty of stars have tried to carry their screen popularity into the recording world, only to find out that a recognizable face is not the same thing as a hit song.
Some of these attempts were short-lived. A few were better than expected. These 10 actors tried music, but none built a lasting recording career.
10. Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt released several albums in the 1990s and early 2000s, and for a while, the move into pop looked serious. She had label backing and enough visibility to make it work on paper. The songs just never made a big enough impact. Acting stayed her stronger lane.
9. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling’s band Dead Man’s Bones was more niche than commercial. The 2009 album had a strange, theatrical style that earned some respect, but it never turned into a broader music career. It felt more like a creative side project. His acting career remained the clear priority.
8. Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks tried music with the 2004 single “Shake Ya Body.” It got attention because she was already famous, but attention alone does not build a career. The song did not lead anywhere bigger. Her TV and modeling work remained the real brand.
7. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time” was an actual hit, so this entry comes with a catch. The single worked, but the music career never developed into anything lasting. People still remember the song, though mostly as a pop culture oddity. His comedy and film work stayed far bigger.
6. Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy’s rap material surfaced years after he recorded it as a teenager. That makes this less of a failed public crossover and more of an early attempt that never became a real career. It is interesting as trivia, but it just never grew into anything commercial.
5. Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan had a more believable pop run than people sometimes remember. She released two albums, and the first had enough momentum to make the whole thing seem plausible. The second did not push her any further. Acting and celebrity coverage kept overshadowing the music.
4. Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian’s 2011 single “Jam (Turn It Up)” got plenty of attention, but not much respect. The song felt more like a celebrity experiment than the start of a serious music path. It became a curiosity almost immediately. That was about the end of the story.
3. Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson took music more seriously than many people expected. She released albums and worked with respected artists, which gave the projects some credibility. The problem was reach. The music stayed niche and never changed how most people viewed her career.
2. Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. released The Futurist in 2004 and showed he could sing better than many expected. The album had some sincerity behind it, so it did not feel like a joke. It still did not build into a second profession. Acting remained the main draw by a mile.
1. Brie Larson
Brie Larson had one of the clearest pop-star setups on this list. She released Finally Out of P.E. in 2005 and even toured with Jesse McCartney, which gave the launch some real structure. The music never broke through. Acting became the career that actually lasted.
Celebrity can create curiosity, but curiosity fades fast. A real music career needs stronger songs, stronger momentum, and a reason for listeners to come back. These actors had fame, but fame alone was not enough.
Read More:
- 15 Actors Who Became the Main Complaint About a Movie
- 15 Actors With a Screen Persona You Always Recognize
- 15 Songs So Good They Became Bigger Than the Movies
