From Stages To Film Sets: Singers Who Have Traded Microphones For Acting Careers

It seems if you can sing, you should be able to act with a whole host of super singers putting down their microphones and picking up a script instead. Justin Timberlake has made one of the most impressive transferences from stage to screen with exciting supporting roles in hits including The Social Network and the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis and taking the lead role opposite Mila Kunis in Friends With Benefits. 

Beyoncé successfully combined both singing and acting in the musical drama, Dreamgirls, and also tried her hand at pure acting in everyone's favourite detective film, The Pink Panther and in American thriller, Obsessed. 

Of course, there are some popstars that are unlikely to ever find themselves in Oscar contention, such as Justin Bieber following his role in two episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation back in 2010, and Joss Stone's slightly more substantial TV role as Anne of Cleves in The Tudors. But which serious fan of The Spice Girls didn't love their whirlwind musical comedy Spice World? And who didn't enjoy Britney Spears' turn in the girls on tour comedy Crossroads? 

However, The Spice Girls are long gone and Britney hasn't made a movie in a long while. So who are the current pop stars making the crossover from the big stage to the big screen?

Andre 3000 - All Is By My Side
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from OutKast, Andre 3000, is playing Jimi Hendrix in a biopic of the musician’s life entitled All Is By My Side.

The film will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September, despite rumours of disapproval from the Hendrix estate. The film will tell the story of the recording of Hendrix’s first album, Are You Experienced. This isn't Andre's first venture into acting, however; he's shown his face quite a few times over the years with small roles in 2003 action Hollywood Homicide and crime comedy Be Cool, and he played one of the Four Brothers in the film of the same name. He was even joined by bandmate Big Boi in the musical film Idlewild.

MORE: Andre Is Effortlessly Cool In All Is By My Side

Iggy Azalea - Fast and Furious 7
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea will make her acting debut in Fast and Furious 7. Lead star, Vin Diesel, let it slip while promoting his new movie, Guardians of the Galaxy.

Just how big her part in the film is, is currently unknown but if audiences are willing to wait, they’ll find out when the latest in the FF franchise comes out in 2015. It's surprising to see such a new singer coming on to the movie scene, but it just goes to show how much ambition our stars are showing nowadays.

MORE: Vin Diesel Remembers Tragic Paul Walker On Film Set

Harley Sylvester from Rizzle Kicks - The Guvnors
Better known for his catchy pop tunes, Harley Sylvester of Rizzle Kicks fame goes over to the dark side in the UK film, The Guvnors. Sporting a scar on his cheek and a chip on his shoulder, Sylvester plays a troubled gang leader seeking respect on a London estate.

Will he be any good or will his mama have the hump after she sees it? We’ll find out when it’s released across the UK in August 2014.

Rita Ora - Fast & Furious 6 and Fifty Shades of Grey
Iggy is not the only pop starlet to appear in the vehicular action franchise either; Rita Ora made an uncredited appearance as a racer in Fast & Furious 6 which may have been brief, but was still memorable. Since then she has been cast in the forthcoming erotic drama Fifty Shades Of Grey in which she will play Mia Grey, the younger sister of BDSM-obsessed leading male Christian Grey.

Her previous ventures into acting took place back in 2004 where she had a small part in the British drama Spivs and a role in the short lived crime series The Brief.

MORE: Why We Should Leave Naturally Slim Keira Knightley Alone

Adam Levine - Begin Again
Acting with the beautiful Keira Knightley must be quite a daunting prospect unless you are the equally beautiful Adam Levine, of course.

The singer from Maroon 5 tries his hand at a bit of drama in the musical film, Begin Again. And apparently he didn’t do half bad. While critics have suggested he is simply playing an aggravated version of his normal persona, others have called his character extremely likeable which is a wonderful addition to being quite handsome as well.

Rihanna - Battleship and This Is The End
Rihanna has shown her acting face to the showbiz world a couple of times now. Her first acting outing was in 2012 for Battleship in which she got to say more than a couple of lines and shoot some big guns at some aliens. She's probably the only pop superstar who's really ventured out of her comfort zone here; such a serious sci-fi picture is bound to render any new actor a little nervous. Kudos to her for taking on such a heavy project.

In Seth Rogen’s hilarious comedy, This Is The End, Rihanna is one of a whole host of famous people who fight against, and fail to win, a battle against the apocalypse.