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10 Black Musicians Who Became Successful Actors

10 Black Musicians Who Became Successful Actors

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It’s tempting to think that once a person is famous, he can just hop from one industry to the next based on name value alone. These musicians-turned-actors made the successful transition based on merit. They’re good. Here are 10 black musicians who became successful actors.

en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

Beyonce Knowles

Beyonce has appeared in several musical movies including “Dreamgirls,” (nominated for a Golden Globe), “The Fighting Temptations,” and “Carmen: A Hip Hopera” but she was also hilarious in the 2002 comedy, “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikimedia.org
wikimedia.org

Mariah Carey

The Grammy Award-winning artist has appeared in several award-winning films, including “The Butler” and “Precious,” plus a few more light-hearted films such as  “Glitter,” and “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan.”

Source: Imdb.com

zh.wikipedia.org
zh.wikipedia.org

Michael Jackson

The winner of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award acted as the scarecrow in the highly popular musical film, “The Wiz,” and he acted in “Men In Black II” as well as appearing in several episodes of the TV series, “The Lionhearts.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Snoop Dogg

The rapper has appeared in several comedies including “Scary Movie 5,” and “Soul Plane,” and he was in the huge box office hit, “Training Day.” He also appeared in award-winning shows such as “Monk” and “The L Word.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Queen Latifah

The rapper has conquered several industries. She’s a model, comedian and talk show host. She’s won a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She appeared in the award-winning musical “Chicago,” as well as comedies like “Last Holiday” and “Bringing Down the House” alongside Steve Martin.

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Ludacris

Ludacris is a Grammy Award winner, but he was also awarded by the Screen Actors Guild. He appeared in the three-time Academy Award-winning film “Crash,” as well as projects on the lighter side including three of the “Fast and the Furious” sequels.

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

LL Cool J

The rapper who has released 13 studio albums currently stars as a special agent on “NCIS: Los Angeles.” He also acted in a star cast that included Al Pacino and Dennis Quaid in the drama “Any Given Sunday.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Sean Combs

The three-time Grammy Award-winning artist has quite a range when it comes to his acting abilities. He appeared in the drama “Monster’s Ball” as a convicted murderer and Halle Berry’s former love interest, but he also acted in the wildly popular comedy, “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Ice Cube

Rapper Ice Cube is heavily involved in projects for the big screen. He was one of the producers on the Showtime series “Barbershop” and the TBS series “Are We There Yet?” And of course he acted in “Boyz ‘n the Hood” and starred in the popular film series “Friday,” “Next Friday” and “Friday After Next.”

Source: Imdb.com

wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org

Jennifer Hudson

The American Idol finalist won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Dreamgirls” and has also been awarded a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She starred in “Winnie Mandela” for which she was nominated for an NAACP (National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People) Image Award for Outstanding Actress and appeared in the “Sex and the City” movie.

Source: Idmb.com