Nowadays, it’s almost inevitable that any world-famous music star will also try their hand at acting in some capacity. Of course, this goes both ways and many movie and TV stars often have the ability to whip out a tune or two, or at least that’s what they think.
The decision to release music can come in the form of an actor looking to break out before their acting career kicks off. It may be a star who’s already had success on the big screen and is now looking to expand their talents. Or it may just possibly be a good way to try and cash in on recent success or popularity. Either way, here are some of the forgotten actors that put their musical talents on disc.
Tom Hardy
Back in 1999, a young Tom Hardy, still in his early 20s, was waiting for his big acting break. Before becoming a well-respected, Oscar-nominated actor, he released an album made up of hip-hop tracks, which was released online and featured a rapping Hardy under his alias "Tommy No 1."
The album, entitled Falling on Your Arse in 1999, was a selection of mixtapes made by both Hardy and Ed Tracy, as "Eddie Too Tall," in their bedroom in the late '90s. Hardy provided the lyrics and the vocals, whilst Tracy wrote the music.
Brie Larson
Long before scoring her first Oscar in 2016 for her role in Lenny Abrahamson's Marvel star, Brie Larson, had a short-lived musical career. In 2005, she released her first and only album, entitled Finally Out of P.E.
The 13-track album, which Larson herself helped co-write, dealt with her struggles and life experiences of being a teenager. The album managed to sell a total of just 4,000 copies in the United States.
Bruce Willis
Actor Bruce Willis will likely be ed more as an action star, but many people may have forgotten that during the upward trajectory of his career, he also showcased his vocal talents.
Willis unveiled his debut studio album in 1987, just a year after he appeared on a track on the Moonlighting soundtrack. His first album, The Return of Bruno, was released on the Motown Records label and featured a cover version of The Drifter's 1964 R&B hit, "Under the Boardwalk."
William Shatner
William Shatner's musical career kicked off back in the late '60s with the release of his debut album, The Transformed Man. The album featured several play recitals voiced by the Star Trek legend, mixed with a surprising collection of famous songs, such as The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," all of which were performed in Shatner's unique style.
Since then, Shatner has released four more albums over the years, including 2018's Why Not Me, his first country music album to date. He announced that he'll be releasing a sixth album later this year.
Leonard Nimoy
William Shatner is not the only original Star Trek actor to try his hand at music. Co-star Leonard Nimoy, best known for playing Spock in the sci-fi series, has also got several albums under his belt.
In 1967, Nimoy released his debut studio album, Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space. The album itself was an attempt to cash in on the success of the popular TV series and featured many space-themed songs, as well as narration and other sound effects.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.’s acting career has certainly seen some highs and lows. In 2004, just four years before his acting career was well and truly revived with his first appearance as Marvel’s Iron Man, Downey released his first and only studio album with Sony Classical.
The album, entitled The Futurist, featured several pop tracks which were written by Downey, along with a couple of cover songs. Downey even played piano on the album.
Zooey Deschanel
Since many have already heard Zooey Deschanel showcasing her vocal talents on screen in 2003's Christmas comedy movie, Elf, it should be no surprise that the talented actress has plenty of musical experience.
In 2006, she ed up with American singer-songwriter M. Ward and formed the indie-pop duo, She & Him. It was Ward who had heard her singing in Elf and was surprised to discover that besides writing music, Deschanel had never released anything. Since the bands' formation, they have gone on to release six studio albums.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is the third Marvel Avengers actor to make it on this list, which includes Robert Downey Jr. and Brie Larson. Her debut album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, was released in May of 2008 and mostly consisted of Tom Waits cover songs.
A few years later, Johansson teamed up with singer-songwriter Pete Yorn and released Break-Up, a collaborative effort inspired by the work of French musician, Serge Gainsbourg. The following year saw Johansson the Marvel Cinematic Universe when she was cast as Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in Iron Man 2.
Hugh Laurie
Versatile British actor, Hugh Laurie, better known for playing the title role in the award-winning medical drama TV show, House, released his debut album in 2011.
His blues-inspired album Let Them Talk was a collaboration of songs where Laurie not only provided the lead vocals but also played guitar and piano. A couple of years later, he released his follow-up album, Didn't It Rain, which featured a mixture of musical genres, including blues, R&B, jazz, and tango.
David Hasselhoff
Knight Rider star, David Hasselhoff, has an enviable music career that has spanned six decades. In the mid-'80s Hasselhoff released his first studio album, Night Rocker, which performed extremely well across Europe and went platinum in Austria.
Over the next 36 years, Hasselhoff went on to release a further 14 studio albums, two of which went triple-platinum in Switzerland in the late '80s, as well as 12 compilation albums.
