Another Top 10 Actors Who Are Unexpectedly Good Singers

Top 10 Actors Who Are Unexpectedly Good Singers

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You’ve seen them in movies and on TV, but the next time you seem them just might be in concert. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for another top 10 actors who are unexpectedly good singers. For this list, we’re looking at celebrities who became famous thanks to their acting chops, but surprised us later on in their career by showing off a wicked set of pipes. And, as the title suggests, we’re excluding actors who had a long reputation of singing prior to fame, or actors who had established singing careers prior to acting. Sorry, Neil Patrick Harris. If you don’t see a celeb or star you think should be on the list, be sure to check out our first list of the Top 10 Actors Who Are Unexpectedly Good Singers.

#10: Nicole Kidman

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With countless nominations and wins of Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe awards, this Australian beauty happens to be as good as a singer as she is an actress. First showing off her set of pipes in the 1986 Australian romantic comedy “Windrider,” Nicole Kidman went on to dazzle us with her leading role as cabaret actress and courtesan Satine in the musical “Moulin Rouge!” Even off-screen, however, her talents have landed her duets with English singer Robbie Williams and with her current husband Keith Urban.

While most of us may know her from her performances in “21 Jump Street,” “Don Jon,” or her critically-praised role in “Short Term 12,” dedicated television viewers will recognize Brie Larson in her roles on the shows like “United States of Tara.” However, there’s a great voice to go along with her pretty face, which she showed off to great effect as Envy Adams in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” However, she has also launched a separate career as a musician, having released some hit songs after making a record deal with Casablanca Records.

Dark, swarthy, and ruggedly good-looking, Antonio Banderas has captured more than a few hearts as the lead in films like “The Mask of Zorro,” “Evita,” and “Assassins.” However, it’s perhaps when he using his vocal cords that he’s at his most charming, ideally demonstrated in the intro to “Desperado.” However, with appearances in concert and in musical theater performing hits from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Zorba,” and “Nine,” Banderas has established his flexibility and dexterity in using his voice, as his singing in “Shrek 2” also aptly demonstrated.

Kidman isn’t the only one who impressed in “Moulin Rouge!” This Scottish actor and tenor outdid himself when, after appearing in hits like “Trainspotting” and “Star Wars,” he showcased his delightful tenor vocals in this popular 2001 musical. It wasn’t the first or last time he did, however; his singing the year before in “Nora” and a few years after in “Down with Love,” to name a few, captivated us, and his lively contribution to classic musicals like “Guys and Dolls” cemented him as a force to be reckoned with.

#6: Johnny Depp

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Even though this legendary A-list actor struck fame in the late 1980s on television and later on in film for his incredible acting ability, it seemed like he wasn’t born to sing; his vocals in the 1990 film “Cry-Baby” were actually lent by musician James Intveld. So the question remained: He could act, he could play guitar, but could he sing? The answer came with his mesmerizing singing in the Golden Globe-winning “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and he followed that up with some noteworthy songs in his performance in “Into the Woods.”

#5: Jackie Chan

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No, this isn’t a mistake; the Chinese martial artist, actor, and cultural icon known for his death-defying stunts is also a popular singer all over Asia. He was educated at the Peking Opera School in his childhood and has released 20 successful albums since the 1980s, performing in multiple languages. Among other accomplishments, he performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, sang an Elvis tribute song on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, and released a Cantonese version of one of the hit songs from Disney’s “Mulan.”

Having acted in hit TV shows like “The Tudors” and “Dracula,” and films like “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and “Match Point,” this Irish actor and model has been able to add another occupation to his list of accomplishments: singer. In fact, for his role as singer-songwriter Louis Connelly in 2007’s “August Rush,” he even sang for a few songs for the soundtrack. Going back in time, he also sang in his role as fictional pop star Brian Slade in one of his earliest film roles in “Velvet Goldmine.”

#3: Seth MacFarlane

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Although you may best known him as the creator, actor, and voice behind films like “A Million Ways to Die In the West” and “Ted,” as well as shows like “Family Guy”, you probably didn’t know that he is also a talented pianist and singer who was instructed by the same coaches who trained Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra. He has since performed at quite a few concerts and signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records, and his debut studio album was even nominated for a Grammy.

#2: Keira Knightley

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Keira Knightley is no stranger to fame; the talented and versatile English actress started acting on TV as a child and later made her debut in film, where she’s appeared in period dramas, science fiction, film noir, and comedies. It was only in 2014, however, that most of us realized that she has quite the wicked pipes as heard in the hit musical-drama “Begin Again,” where she starred opposite Mark Ruffalo. However, Knightley fans will remember her singing in 2008’s “The Edge of Love” and even “Pirates of the Caribbean 3.” Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions: - Billy Boyd - Jason Segel - Amy Adams - Jensen Ackles

#1: Robert Downey Jr.

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Are we ever glad this multi-talented actor and producer made his legendary comeback! In addition to dazzling us in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and as “Iron Man” in the new millennium, his fantastic voice is one of the best to come out of Hollywood. His role in the hit show “Ally McBeal” was perhaps some of his best work with his renditions of “River” and “Every Breath You Take,” though his vocals in 1993’s “Heart and Souls,” his concert with Sting, and his singing on his 2004 musical album The Futurist are also memorable. Do you agree with our list? What actors surprised you with their golden voices? For more entertaining top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.