Top 30 Moments We Found Out an Actor Was a Great Singer
Where were these actors hiding those voices? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments when an actor's singing talents broke out and were revealed to a wide audience.
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00:00 "What you doing round here?"
00:02 "Well I, uh, come a-singing to ya."
00:05 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the moments when an actor's
00:09 singing talents broke out and were revealed to a wide audience.
00:13 "Oh a cover is nice but a cover is not that bo-"
00:17 Number 30.
00:19 Emilia Clarke - Last Christmas
00:20 "Give me that song, Kate!"
00:23 "A song?
00:24 I think I've got one up my sleeve."
00:28 As Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke was too busy raising dragons
00:33 and trying to reclaim the Iron Throne to spend any time singing a song.
00:37 So while the HBO show made her famous, it didn't expose us to her singing abilities.
00:42 For that, we had to wait for the 2019 film Last Christmas.
00:45 "Once bitten and twice shy.
00:48 I keep my distance but you still catch my eye.
00:52 Tell me baby, do you recognize me?
00:55 Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me."
00:59 This sweet rom-com gets its title from the hit George Michael song, and it is that song
01:04 which Clarke sings in the big penultimate scene.
01:06 And not only does she sing it beautifully, she bouts out the first verse totally acapella.
01:11 "This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special."
01:19 Number 29.
01:21 Taron Egerton, Rocketman.
01:25 "Biggest chick I ever got.
01:34 I stood a bank on the crocodile rock.
01:35 While the other kids were rockin' 'round the clock.
01:36 We were hoppin' and poppin' to the crocodile rock."
01:37 While the younger crowd became aware of Taron Egerton's vocal talents in the 2016 animated
01:40 movie Sing, it wasn't until 2019 that the wider moviegoing audience learned just how
01:45 good he is.
01:46 In Sing, Egerton voices Johnny the Gorilla, who wows the audience with his rendition of
01:51 Elton John's I'm Still Standing.
01:53 This is ironic, of course, because that 2019 movie we alluded to was the Elton John biopic
01:59 Rocketman.
02:00 "You'd be a clown by now.
02:01 And I'm still feeling better than I ever did.
02:02 Looking like a true survivor.
02:03 Feeling like a little kid."
02:14 Egerton sings all the songs in the film, and according to the film's musical director,
02:19 John told him that quote, "I don't think I've heard anyone sing my songs better than Taron."
02:23 High praise indeed.
02:41 Number 28.
02:42 Robert Downey Jr.
02:43 – Ally McBeal
02:44 "Thank you all for coming.
02:45 It's good to be in Boston.
02:46 Here's a little something."
02:53 Robert Downey Jr. has actually done quite a bit of singing on screen over his decades-long
02:57 career.
02:58 You might even remember that back in 2003, he was the lead in a film called The Singing
03:02 Detective.
03:03 However, it was actually on the Ally McBeal television show that many first got to hear
03:08 his singing voice.
03:21 RDJ had a recurring role on the series, and he was known to bust out a tune or two.
03:27 Fans were treated to a range spanning from Joni Mitchell's lovely "River" to an
03:31 every-breath-you-take duet with Sting.
03:41 Number 27.
03:42 Mike Feist – West Side Story
03:44 "When you're a jet, you're the top cat in town.
03:47 You're the gold medal kid with the heavyweight crown."
03:51 We don't want to anger all the Broadway fans out there.
03:54 We are one of you.
03:55 We know that Mike Feist originated and played the role of Connor Murphy in the stage production
03:59 of Dear Evan Hansen for three years beginning in 2015.
04:03 However, as great as he was in that show, the size of the Broadway audience doesn't
04:07 compare to the number of eyes and ears laid on him with his performance in Steven Spielberg's
04:12 2021 remake of West Side Story.
04:22 The film was roundly praised, and many, including Quentin Tarantino, singled out Feist's performance
04:28 as a standout.
04:29 Movie fans now know what theater fans had known for years.
04:39 Number 26.
04:40 Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
04:42 "Black eyes don't mean white.
04:43 It's time to testify.
04:44 There's no room for lies in everyone's way for you."
04:54 Sure we all know Bradley Cooper is a great singer now.
04:57 That's an obvious statement to make in the years since the release of A Star Is Born.
05:01 But try thinking back prior to 2018 when that was not an obvious thing to say.
05:14 In 2012, Cooper showed us he could dance in Silver Lining's playbook.
05:18 And in 2014, he amazed us all with his ability to act while holding a doll and pretending
05:23 it was a real baby in American Sniper.
05:25 But it wasn't until we heard him belt out "Black Eyes" and "Shallow" in A Star
05:29 Is Born that his talented singing chops were put on full display.
05:33 Is there anything this man can't do?
05:46 Number 25.
05:47 Carrie Mulligan – Shame
05:59 Although she's married to Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons, Carrie Mulligan should
06:03 feel no shame or doubt about her ability to hold her own with her hubby when singing.
06:07 The pair were married in 2012, and maybe it was her beautiful rendition of "New York,
06:12 New York" in the 2011 film Shame that sealed the deal with Mr. Mumford.
06:16 "I'm king of the hill, top of the hill."
06:28 But regardless, it was that scene that sealed the deal with audiences concerning our discovery
06:32 of a beautiful and talented actress who could also belt out an amazing tune as well.
06:38 "New York, New York, New York, New York."
06:51 Number 24.
06:52 Scarlett Johansson – Sing
07:00 Scarlett Johansson not only has two Academy Award nominations, she also has two studio
07:05 albums to her name.
07:06 That's right, back near the end of the aughts, Johansson put out two full-length studio
07:11 albums over the course of a couple of years.
07:16 They're good, but sales were minimal, and the highest either of them reached on the
07:26 charts was 15 in Switzerland.
07:28 So it would be fair to say that going into 2016, Johansson's singing talents were still
07:33 not widely known.
07:34 And then came Sing and Johansson's voicing of Ash, the rocking porcupine.
07:38 And needless to say, she rocked it.
07:55 Number 23.
07:56 Florence Pugh – A Good Person
08:08 Florence Pugh made her film debut back in 2014 and hit it big just five years later
08:12 with roles in two acclaimed films, Midsommar and Little Women.
08:16 However, although by 2019 she was becoming a household name, there weren't many, if
08:21 any, who would associate that name with a great singing voice.
08:32 In 2023, she starred in A Good Person, showing the world a whole new facet of her talents
08:37 as a performer.
08:38 And not only did she wonderfully sing a couple of truly beautiful songs in that movie, she
08:43 also wrote them.
08:57 Number 22.
08:58 Evan Rachel Wood – Across the Universe
09:09 Evan Rachel Wood starred in her school's production of The Little Mermaid, but we're
09:13 going to go out on a limb and assume none of you saw that.
09:16 What many did see, though, was the Beatles' jukebox musical Across the Universe.
09:33 Evan Rachel Wood plays Lucy and sings multiple songs throughout the movie.
09:37 While that was really the first time fans got to hear her sing, Wood has shown off her
09:40 vocal talents a bunch more times both on and off screen in the intervening years.
09:45 Along with her role as Queen Iduna in Frozen 2, she's also been part of a couple of bands,
09:50 including Evan and Zayn, who put out a record of cover songs in 2022.
10:00 Number 21.
10:01 Kerry Washington – The Prom
10:03 That's right, Olivia Pope can sing.
10:10 Now her job as a fixer and crisis management expert in Washington, D.C. didn't really
10:15 give her much opportunity to burst out into song.
10:18 But as we learned in 2020, if she'd needed to, Kerry Washington would've nailed it,
10:23 as she did when the singing opportunity arose in the musical comedy The Prom.
10:39 Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, The Prom did get a limited release in
10:43 theaters before setting up shop at Netflix.
10:46 Which means millions of people have had the opportunity to Netflix and chill and learn
10:50 that Kerry Washington can sing.
10:57 Number 20.
10:58 Riley Keough – Daisy Jones and the Six
11:05 Given that she is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, you might have assumed that Riley
11:09 Keough could sing.
11:11 But it wasn't until she took on the titular role of Daisy Jones in Daisy Jones and the
11:15 Six that all our assumptions bore out.
11:29 The miniseries debuted on Prime Video in March of 2023 and tells the fictional tale of the
11:34 rise and fall of the band Daisy Jones and the Six in the 1970s.
11:39 As you might imagine, being the lead female vocalist in a band required Keough to do a
11:43 lot of singing.
11:45 And saying she pulled it off is an understatement.
11:54 Number 19.
11:55 Meryl Streep – Postcards from the Edge
12:06 A new generation of moviegoers might have been surprised by Meryl Streep's singing
12:09 abilities in films like Mamma Mia and Into the Woods.
12:12 However, if they'd just asked their parents, they could have told them about a film from
12:16 1990 called Postcards from the Edge.
12:29 The film featured the uber-talented actor showing off her melodic voice and some country
12:34 twang with a great performance of a song called "I'm Checkin' Out."
12:38 Country music, big musical numbers, ABBA?
12:41 What can't this woman do?
12:43 When we figure it out, we'll let you know.
12:51 Number 18.
12:52 Eddie Redmayne – Les Miserables
13:07 Eddie Redmayne discovered his love of acting and singing at a young age when, as a 10-year-old,
13:12 he attended the Jackie Palmer Stage School.
13:14 But while he's had a love for singing since childhood, the vast moviegoing audience wasn't
13:19 really aware of his abilities until 2012.
13:31 When Redmayne appeared in the big Les Miserables movie, he blew many of us away with his vocal
13:36 talents.
13:37 While his verses in red and black were good, it was his take on "empty chairs at empty
13:42 tables" that was the "aha" moment.
13:57 Number 17.
13:58 Emmy Rossum – The Phantom of the Opera
14:06 With the release of two albums and a Christmas EP between 2007 and 2013, Emmy Rossum can
14:12 now be labeled as a hyphenate actor-singer.
14:15 Prior to that, the latter may have come as a surprise to fans who only knew her as an
14:19 actor – that is, until The Phantom of the Opera hit theaters in 2004.
14:24 And Rossum wowed fans and critics with both her acting and singing as the film's female
14:29 lead Christine Daae.
14:40 The truth is, we shouldn't be surprised given that she joined the Metropolitan Opera Children's
14:44 Chorus at age 7.
14:46 Before she was 12 years old, Rossum had performed with both Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
14:54 Number 16.
15:05 Brittany Murphy – Happy Feet
15:07 Brittany Murphy gave us a tiny little taste of her vocal talents in Clueless.
15:18 Nice to be sure, but that one lyric wasn't enough for us to know she could really, like,
15:23 really sing.
15:24 That ability was revealed to a wide movie-going audience over 10 years later when Murphy voiced
15:29 Gloria the Penguin in the animated hit Happy Feet.
15:42 Gloria definitely stands out as one of the most talented songbirds among the Penguins.
15:47 From Somebody to Love to Boogie Wonderland, Murphy's awesome pipes were a highlight of
15:51 the film.
15:59 Number 15.
16:00 Dwayne Johnson – Moana
16:07 Dwayne Johnson's ability on the mic has never been in doubt.
16:11 His ability to engage and bring a crowd to their feet with his words is legendary.
16:16 But doing it in a song?
16:17 Well, that's not something we knew he could do until Moana.
16:24 Sure, he was featured on the Wyclef Jean track It Doesn't Matter, but that was all spoken
16:33 word.
16:34 As the voice of the demigod Maui in the 2016 Disney animated hit, Johnson showed us that
16:39 he could totally carry a tune.
16:41 And to that we say, thank you.
16:47 Number 14.
16:49 Kristen Bell – Frozen
16:51 Kristen Bell did appear on Broadway early in her career.
16:55 And as Veronica Mars, Bell did rock it at Karaoke Night in season one.
16:59 But it wasn't until a few years later that we all really got to appreciate Bell's singing
17:03 abilities in 2013's Frozen.
17:20 Bell lent her voice to Queen Elsa's sister, Princess Anna.
17:23 In the beginning of the film, when Elsa, fearing her powers, hides away in her room, Anna continues
17:28 to attempt to bring her out of isolation.
17:42 Do You Wanna Build a Snowman is a sweet song that cuts to the heart of a child's loneliness
17:47 and desire to just spend time with her sister again.
17:50 That's when we knew Bell was a great singer.
18:05 Number 13.
18:06 Ewan McGregor – Moulin Rouge
18:08 With Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor showed the world that he could recite awesome movie opening
18:13 monologues.
18:14 But it wasn't until Moulin Rouge that he showed the world he could sing.
18:29 He had multiple opportunities to show off as well.
18:32 From Your Song to Come What May and more, McGregor's vocal chops were put to the test
18:37 throughout the film.
18:39 And he was up to the challenge each and every time.
18:57 His musical abilities may have come as a surprise, but they haven't gone to waste since Moulin
19:01 Rouge.
19:02 McGregor's singing has been featured in several projects he's undertaken in the intervening
19:07 years.
19:15 Number 12.
19:16 Amanda Seyfried – Mamma Mia
19:26 Amanda Seyfried first won us over with her portrayal of Karen Smith in 2004's Mean Girls.
19:32 Little did we know that her musical talents extended far beyond an impromptu rendition
19:36 of Jingle Bell Rock.
19:38 That changed when she was cast in the hit 2008 jukebox musical Mamma Mia.
19:48 Seyfried sings multiple songs in the movie, and we gotta say to her, "Honey, honey, you
19:53 are good."
19:54 And just to put a cherry on this Sunday, check out her beautiful rendition of Fleetwood
19:58 Mac's song Bird.
19:59 Notice, she also plays the piano.
20:13 Number 11.
20:14 Andrew Garfield – Tick Tick Boom
20:16 There were probably some who scoffed at the thought of Andrew Garfield playing Spider-Man
20:20 until he web-slung his way to the top.
20:23 And similarly, there were surely some who didn't think he could pull off the lead role
20:27 in Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2021 musical Tick Tick Boom.
20:43 While Garfield had never done anything similar before, he dedicated a year to intense vocal
20:49 training in preparation for his role as Jonathan Larson.
20:52 The results speak for themselves.
21:05 Garfield proved his doubters wrong one song at a time.
21:09 If anything, his lack of prior experience just makes his vocal chops even more impressive.
21:14 By the end of the movie, he had sung straight into our hearts.
21:25 Number 10.
21:26 Emma Stone – Easy A
21:28 Early in her career, Emma Stone showed that she could easily steal a scene with roles
21:32 like Wichita in Zombieland.
21:34 But it was her role as Olive in Easy A that fully brought her into the spotlight.
21:46 The teen film showed off her comedy and musical skills.
21:50 In the latter part of the story, her character Olive needs to get the attention of the entire
21:54 school in order to later lay down some trudes.
21:57 What better way to do that than by breaking into a rendition of Knock On Wood at a pep
22:01 rally?
22:17 Stone's raspy belting in this classic was a sneak peek at her future musical accolades.
22:22 Her role in La La Land notably earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
22:38 Number 9.
22:39 Antonio Banderas – Evita
22:50 As Banderas' first English-speaking role, 1992's The Mambo Kings probably marked the
22:55 first time many North American audiences heard the actor sing.
22:59 However, it was a smaller part, and he wasn't a huge star yet.
23:03 After solidifying his status as an extremely talented individual in projects like Desperado
23:08 and Interview with the Vampire, Banderas brought Che to life in 1996's musical drama Evita.
23:16 He's the voice of the Argentinian people, expressing how they view Eva Perón and what
23:36 a voice he has.
23:38 He clearly holds his own with co-star Madonna, showing that he's a musical star to be reckoned
23:43 with.
23:52 Number 8.
23:53 Anne Hathaway – Ella Enchanted
24:12 Anne Hathaway had audiences sobbing as Fantine in the 2012 film version of Les Misérables.
24:17 However, her absolutely mesmerizing singing voice was actually revealed in one of her
24:22 earlier films, Ella Enchanted.
24:24 When Hathaway's plucky heroine Ella is magically compelled to sing for a crowded tavern full
24:29 of giants, she belts out a rousing rendition of Queen's "Somebody to Love."
24:34 The fun number shows the star's range, proving she can completely enchant us with her sound.
24:52 The award-winning actress isn't one to shy away from the microphone, even triumphing
24:56 in a playful singing battle against Kelly Clarkson.
25:10 Number 7.
25:11 Michelle Pfeiffer – The Fabulous Baker Boys
25:13 Many people are shocked when they realize the sassy blonde singing "Cool Rider,"
25:17 among other tunes, in Grease 2, is Michelle Pfeiffer in her first big turn as a leading
25:22 lady.
25:35 The film wasn't as well-known as other projects of hers, like Scarface or Married to the Mob,
25:40 so when her character Susie Diamond auditioned in The Fabulous Baker Boys, many folks watching
25:45 were probably just as surprised as the two pianists at her sultry voice.
26:08 In the film, Diamond sings a variety of jazz standards.
26:11 However, it's her sensual performance of "Makin' Whoopie" that has become truly
26:16 iconic.
26:17 And for good reason.
26:19 Just look at her go.
26:31 Number 6.
26:32 Amy Adams – Enchanted
26:34 Audiences and critics first noticed Amy Adams in her award-winning role as a cheerful chatterbox
26:39 in 2005's Junebug, but she struggled to match those accolades until she fully embraced
26:45 her inner princess.
26:58 Adams sang her way into everyone's hearts as the sweet and bubbly Giselle.
27:02 Although tunes like "True Love's Kiss" and "Happy Working Song" poke a little
27:05 fun at the Disney musical traditions, Adams' sweet tone and genuine delivery gives them
27:11 their own truth.
27:25 She continued to show off her stunning vocals in films like The Muppets and appeared again
27:29 as Giselle in Disenchanted.
27:32 No matter the part, Adams never fails to deliver both on the acting and singing fronts.
27:45 Number 5.
27:46 Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line
28:02 The spunky energy Witherspoon brought to characters like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde made her
28:07 a perfect fit for the sassy June Carter.
28:10 However, Witherspoon had no professional singing experience.
28:13 After extensive training, though, she showed audiences she could take the stage with energy
28:18 and some impressive vocals.
28:28 She wasn't the only one to stun in this film, either.
28:31 Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Johnny Cash had critics like Roger Ebert wondering if
28:35 he was lip-syncing to the original artist.
28:38 But nope, both actors perform all of their own music for the film, and when their voices
28:42 combine, it's true cinematic magic.
28:56 Number 4.
28:58 Emily Blunt – Into the Woods
29:07 Emily Blunt excels at portraying confident women, whether it's as the sarcastic assistant,
29:12 in The Devil Wears Prada, or as the destroyer of aliens in Edge of Tomorrow.
29:18 So it's somewhat surprising to hear that she was apprehensive about singing as the
29:22 baker's wife in Into the Woods.
29:34 Sometimes music is notoriously difficult, but Blunt's first song in the film makes
29:39 it clear that she had no reason to be worried.
29:41 It's a good thing, too, because just a few years later, she expertly brought the one
29:46 and only Mary Poppins to life.
29:48 Her charming musical performance as the magical nanny even has her keeping up with an all-star
29:53 like Lin-Manuel Miranda.
30:03 Number 3.
30:04 Jeremy Renner – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
30:07 If you caught a few of Jeremy Renner's early movies, you might have noticed that he could
30:11 carry a tune.
30:12 There's notably a brief moment in 2005's North Country where we hear him do some credible
30:17 karaoke.
30:20 However, once he started slinging arrows in the MCU, it was hard to think of Renner as
30:27 anything but Hawkeye.
30:29 So it was a fun moment for all when he combined his singing background with his action hero
30:33 status on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
30:49 In the segment, Renner sits down at a piano in costume, fully in character, and belts
30:54 about the character's many unappreciated talents.
30:58 If you want more of that, he's also released music of his own.
31:01 Where's his part in Rogers' The Musical?
31:11 Number 2.
31:12 Hugh Jackman – The Tony Awards Hugh Jackman had his breakout as Wolverine
31:17 in the X-Men franchise.
31:19 So it might have surprised those action fans to learn that he has an extensive musical
31:23 theater background.
31:31 Interestingly, one of his first acting jobs was playing Gaston in the stage version of
31:38 Beauty and the Beast.
31:40 We'd also be remiss not to mention his work in The Boy from Oz.
31:58 His performance as Jean Valjean in 2012's Les Miserables movie further demonstrated
32:02 his vocal prowess to a wide audience.
32:05 However, he blew many out of the water when he put his skills on display as the host of
32:09 the Tony Awards several times.
32:12 Jackman seemingly had a great time showing off his singing talents for musical theater
32:15 fans with a variety of cheeky melodies.
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32:47 Number 1.
32:49 Catherine Zeta-Jones – Chicago Chicago director Rob Marshall says that Catherine
33:03 Zeta-Jones was an easy choice for his film.
33:06 Indeed, her musical theater experience started with a West End production of Annie when she
33:10 was still just a kid.
33:12 However, until Chicago, many fans mainly knew her as a leading lady in action and comedy
33:17 flicks.
33:18 When Zeta-Jones made her sultry entrance as the merry murderess Velma Kelly, her powerful
33:23 vocals were a delightful surprise.
33:37 Her passionate and powerful voice not only stole the show, but also earned her an Academy
33:42 Award for Best Supporting Actress.
33:44 Considering the way she fully immerses herself into and sells each of the film's songs
33:49 with gusto, it's easy to see why.
33:58 Do you remember a moment when you were introduced to an actor with a surprisingly great singing
34:02 voice?
34:03 Let us know in the comments.
34:14 Do you agree with our picks?
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