In this week’s new film, 20,000 Days on Earth, Australian musician-turned actor Nick Cave stars in a faux documentary drama about his life as an artist. In celebration of the film’s release, FilmJuice takes a look at some of the most impressive ‘cross media artists’. That’s singers turned actors to you and me…
Barbra Streisand
Known for her distinctive sound, Barbra Streisand is one of the best selling female artists of all time- with more than 245 million record sales worldwide. She made her film debut in 1968 with Funny Girl, for which she earned her first Academy Award. She’s also known for the films: Hello Dolly, The Way We Were, Yentl and A Star is Born. As someone with Oscars, Emmies, Grammies and Tony Awards on her mantle piece, Barbra Streisand is truly a cross media queen.
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie first rose to distinction as one of the founding members of the multi-platinum 1980s/’90s rock band: White Zombie. Since then, he has released five studio albums as a solo artist, five compilation albums, directed five films and has even dabbled with acting. He is best-known in film world for his House of 1,000 Corpses and the Halloween franchise. Looks like there is a undead theme in his work – from music to movies.
Juliette Lewis
Child-star Juliette Lewis started her career on The Wonder Years and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but it wasn’t until her 1991 role as Danielle Bowden in Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear that she received an Academy Award nomination. Lewis also showed off her musical ability in the film Strange Days (1995) when played a rock singer. When not singing for heads her own band, Juliette And The Licks, she continues to mix it up by providing the vocals for movie soundtracks.
Jared Leto
This past year, Jared Leto shocked the world with his Academy Award winning role in Dallas Buyers Club. In the film, Leto plays Rayon – a cross-dresser struggling with HIV/AIDS. Away from the screen, his band, Thirty Seconds To Mars, has been active since 1998 and is still making music and touring today. Leto is their main songwriter and vocalist, but impressively he also plays guitar, bass and keyboards.
Jennifer Hudson
Hudson began her career on television’s American Idol in 2004. Although she only made it to seventh place in the competition, her achievements have since eclipsed many other ‘Idol’ stars. Her film debut as Effie White in Dream Girls garnered a best supporting actress Academy Award and Golden Globe Award in 2006. Since then she’s appeared in films such as The Secret Life Of Bees and Sex And The City. She hasn’t turned her back on music though. In fact, she won a Grammy in 2008 for her debut album, making her a cross media star to watch.
Mark Wahlberg
A former teen pop idol, Wahlberg is now a well respected actor and producer, best known for his Oscar nominated role in The Departed, and the critically acclaimed The Fighter. He is also the producer of the hugely successful television shows Entourage and Boardwalk Empire.
Nick Cave
Nick Cave is best known as the lead singer of the post-punk band Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds. However, he’s also a songwriter, author, composer and actor. His career began with the 70s band The Birthday Party, which established Cave as a cult figure in Europe and Australia. The Seeds were formed in 1984 and since then the band has released 15 studio albums. In the upcoming film 20,000 Days on Earth (co-written by Cave, and directed by visual artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard), we follow 24 hours in the fictional life of Nick Cave, during the recording of his 2013 album Push The Sky Away. It’s already being hailed as a game-changing documentary – as unique and as inspirational as the singer-turned actor himself.
20,000 Days On Earth is in UK cinemas now.
