The "lifetime" roles of female pop stars
The success of “Wicked” at the November box office shows that there are many aspects that make a film appealing. Among them, the unexpected element like the case of pop star Ariana Grande also plays a big part.
It is undeniable that music and cinema always resonate and complement each other. There are films where actors show off their promising singing voices (like Nicole Kidman in "Moulin Rouge!" or Kate Winslet in "Christmas Carol: The Movie", Marion Cotillard in "Nine"...). Some silver screen stars even try their hand at music like Scarlett Johansson, Kate Hudson... On the contrary, not many singers and musicians have memorable roles on the silver screen, because film acting requires many factors. Below are famous Hollywood films where audiences were delighted by the acting ability of a series of the most famous female Pop stars!
(article from IndieWire and compiled from many sources)
Cher in "Moonstruck" (1987)
One of the most popular names, creating the clearest image in the North American entertainment industry, must be Cher. At the age of nearly 80, she still maintains a youthful figure, a vibrant voice when performing at Victoria's Secret in October this year, enough to prove that Cher is never an outdated name. At her peak in the 80s and 90s of the last century, she was also called an all-round artist when she was successful in both acting and singing. And Cher's most memorable role is Loretta Castorini - a widowed Italian-American woman who reluctantly accepts her boyfriend's proposal, then falls in love with his younger brother in "Moonstruck".
Before "Moonstruck", Cher was considered a talented actress when she received her first Oscar nomination in "Silkwood" and made her mark in "The Witches of Eastwick". However, the Best Actress award for "Moonstruck" truly affirmed Cher's ability, when she was able to transform into roles with complex psychology. Forgetting the sexy and strong singer image in the eyes of fans, Cher attracted viewers with her genuine emotions, and with the natural charm that radiated from her own personality. Loretta Castorini was just an ordinary woman, pursuing personal happiness, but Cher turned the character into a symbol of faith in a fallen world...
Madonna in "Evita" (1996)
If there is a typical character with the title "Role of a lifetime", it must be Madonna - the ageless queen of Pop music. "Evita" is not only the most successful musical film of the year, it is also the best film in Madonna's entire film career. If there is any music superstar who is passionate about cinema, it must be Madonna. Even though she is at the peak of the entertainment industry, earning a lot of money thanks to her singing role, Madonna still yearns for the Oscar!
Having played roles that showed off her bare body, then "demanded" to appear in the 007 series to become a Bond girl, Madonna even ventured into the film industry, determined to win the golden statue, or at least have for herself the role of a lifetime... the second after "Evita". But in the end, in the end, her only success was with the biographical musical film directed by Alan Parker. "Evita" revolves around the life of Eva Perón, the First Lady of Argentina, who came from a provincial background but had a strong will and a resilient nature, not succumbing to fate. With her singing talent and attractive appearance, Eva "updated" with her husband, Colonel Juan Perón, to become the most prominent political couple. However, Eva still had to face many criticisms, especially when she was nominated for the position of Vice President at a very young age.
As mentioned, even though she was at the peak of her career in the 90s, Madonna did not hide her ambition to become a silver screen star. She sent Alan Parker a long letter, stating her desire to have the role of Eva Perón and believing that she was the only choice. To prove that, she took vocal lessons to sing more difficult songs than she had originally thought, and traveled to Buenos Aires to rediscover the life of Eva Perón... Finally, Madonna overcame a "barrier" of real stars like Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer... to become Eva. "Evita" was a huge success, earning 141 million USD, while Madonna herself won two Golden Globes (Best Actress in a Musical/Best Song in a Film) and also took home an Oscar for the song "You Must Love Me". Since then, whenever Madonna is mentioned, people regret that she unexpectedly missed out on the Oscar nomination that year in an inexplicable way!
Björk in "Dancer in the Dark" (2000)
When it comes to Björk, people immediately think of her experimental albums, and above all, Björk's truly "lifetime" role in the classic work from director Lars von Trier. Lars von Trier is famous for writing perfect female characters with cruel fates, and the character of Selma Ježková in "Dancer in the Dark" is at the top. She is an immigrant woman who is gradually losing her eyesight and imagines herself in vibrant singing and dancing performances to cope with the pain...
The interesting side story of the film is that Björk was almost... forced into the main role of Selma Ježková, because initially Lars von Trier only invited her to compose the music for the film. But then Lars von Trier himself had to postpone the project for a year to... convince Björk to act in the film because he thought she had the soul of Selma Ježková, and no one could understand and transform into this character better than an artist with a deep imagination like Björk. Meanwhile, Björk was both reluctant and... miserable when she got caught up in a role that she had almost no experience with. However, the scandals surrounding "Dancer in the Dark" made it and Björk even more famous, especially when she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for an Oscar for the soundtrack song "I've Seen It All".
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls" (2006)
Based on the 1981 musical of the same name, "Dreamgirls" is one of the rare films that exploits the popular RnB music genre of black artists, with relative success, and dedicated roles from Jennifer Hudson, and a cast of music stars such as Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx... Hudson was famous at that time from American Idol season three, although she did not win the award, she was highly appreciated by the press for her powerful voice. Immediately after the competition ended, Hudson was immediately selected for "Dreamgirls" even though she was not yet a star or a prominent name. There were many doubts about this black singer, but Bill Condon still decided to choose her instead of other famous candidates (also singers).
Even though it was her first role, Hudson still worked hard to practice and gain weight to meet the requirements, and as a result, the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress went to Jennifer Hudson, while the song she performed in the film - "Love You I Do" - was also nominated for Best Original Song. Before that, Hudson also won a Golden Globe for acting, and a Grammy for "Love You I Do". An impressive achievement for a face that was just entering the film industry. Unfortunately, Effie White was Hudson's only "lifetime" role, because after this film, despite her great efforts, she still could not regain the glory of the screen!
Lady Gaga in "A Star Is Born" (2018)
The new generation pop icon, Lady Gaga, before coming to the female lead role in "A Star Is Born", had... rubbed shoulders with acting through season 5 of the series "American Horror Story" released in 2015 and won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Miniseries. Although she is at the peak of her music with "Born This Way", "Artpop" and especially the spectacular transformation in "Joanne", Lady Gaga still does not forget her ambition to conquer the silver screen, and "A Star Is Born" is an affirmation that she is serious about cinema!
In "A Star Is Born", Lady Gaga plays Ally Campana - a young singer discovered by Jack, a veteran but addicted rock star. However, with love and faith, the two of them cling to each other to reach the top. The work was released at a time when unfinished love stories due to profit, circumstances... were a trend, "A Star Is Born" immediately became a box office hit even though its story was no longer new. With her natural acting, singing and composing ability, Lady Gaga herself seemed to be "revived" for the second time in the North American entertainment industry. The film helped her reap an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and win the award for the "super hit" soundtrack - "Shallow"!
After the resounding success of "A Star is Born", Lady Gaga continued to devote time to cinema and almost had a certain position in Hollywood after "House of Gucci" or most recently "Joker: Folie à Deux". Thanks to her position as a rising star, every film project of Lady Gaga attracts media attention. It is admirable that, despite her talent as an actress, Lady Gaga has not forgotten about music and still works hard to contribute "hit" songs at the present time.
Ariana Grande in "Wicked" (2024)
From a promising singer, Grande gradually became a pop star with widespread appeal. At the age of 31, Grande has been active in music for 16 years, with a series of "hits" such as "Side to Side", "7 Rings", "We Can't Be Friends"... Grande even just received three 2025 Grammy nominations for the album "Eternal Sunshine". In cinema, Grande was once compared to... Taylor Swift or Dua Lipa... contemporary stars who participate in movies to... support the producer to make a splash, more than having a real role.
However, "Wicked," released on November 22, may change the prejudices about acting of many pop stars. In the film, Grande plays Galinda Upland - a promising witch of the North, thanks to her kindness and empathy. To be selected for the film, Grande had to audition five times, surpassing many competitors with better acting experience. The performance of the petite singer received many positive responses, including IndieWire, The Playlist, Vanity Fair... Most were impressed by the deep inner feelings in Grande's acting, while the musical parts were spectacular, showing off her strengths.
Film critics believe that both the female lead Cynthia Erivo and the supporting actress Ariana Grande have the ability to compete at the year-end film awards such as the Golden Globes, or the Oscars early next year, especially when the film premieres in the "final" phase of the votes from the Film Critics Associations across the US. If the film wins big at the box office and Ariana Grande continues to receive "winged" criticism, she will be the "dark horse" of this year's awards season!
