Actors vs. Musicians

Reading about Billy Bob Thornton’s recent bizarre interview with CBC Canada made me think about various interviews I’ve read or seen with other Hollywood actors who’ve also battled to get their music taken seriously. BB T had been interviewed by a Canadian radio station which referred to his acting first, rather than his music, despite the fact that he was sitting there with his band, doing an interview for his appearances in Canada with his band. He responded with truculent, terse “I don’t know what you’re taking about” type phrases, clearly peeved at the tone of the interview. I also read an interview with Alyssa Milano who, according to some sources, is better known as a singer than an actor in Japan, where albums she produced in her teens sold platinum. Asked if she would consider a serious musical career here and now, she responded with the observation that “actors aren’t taken seriously as musicians”. I’ve read a similar quote from Jennifer Love Hewitt. Perhaps the greatest and most outlandish example of this is the metamorphosing of the actor Joaquin Phoenix into the bearded rapper that you now see.

Because of my own music, this makes me think of Steve Martin. I’m a bluegrass musician, and as such when I think of Steve Martin, I don’t think “comedian”. I think “extremely good banjo player”. He’s not only very accomplished on the instrument, he’s also one of the biggest collectors and fans. And yet, to most of us, his playing his always been a sort of goofy prop to his comedy. Which is a shame. (Not that I’m out to evangelize for the bluegrass banjo, but if you think it’s some silly hillbilly toy instrument, just try playing one once. Sound of me stepping down off my soap box). I’ll put it this way; I’ve been playing for 40 years and I’m not as good as him. But, because he’s a comedian, he’ll never be taken seriously as a musician.

It’s not so much that this stigmatizing might be limiting these people from pursuing music seriously, it’s that the flow in the opposite direction doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as impeded. Hollywood seems to be experiencing a flush of newly minted actors who were formerly (or are presently) successful musicians. Here’s a first blush short list: Harry Connick Jr., Harry Belafonte, Mark Wahlberg, and Will Smith seem to have made pretty decent careers of it. David Bowie, LL Cool J, and in fact, many rappers have made this jump. (Ice T most notably).
One actor that appears to be simultaneously bridging this gap is Zooey Deschanel. Not only is she becoming a sought after A list actor, but she is being taken very seriously as a singer with a sultry chanteuse-ish voice that sounds wise and sophisticated beyond her years. Perhaps it’s because she is breaking out as both and actor and a singer at about the same time. That is to say that maybe she’s not yet will known enough as an actress to preclude her being taken seriously as something other than an actor.

I think the irony of all this is that musicians rarely, if ever, have any sort of dramatic training. Conversely, most trained actors took voice and singing lessons. It seems like the predilection for movement from one to the other almost ought to be to the actors. I’m always amazed when I hear the singing voices of actors. This year’s Academy Awards were topped, I think, but Hugh Jackman’s song and dance as host. Alyssa Milano and Jennifer Love Hewitt have beautiful voices. Lacey Chabert (formerly Claudia on Party of Five, now all grown up and beautiful, still acting, most recently in the newly released “Ghost of Girl Friends Past”) sang on the Ed McMahon hosted “Star Search” as a child, and sang the role of Cosette in Les Miserable on Broadway. These guys can sing.

So what is it with musicians coming in as actors? I think of Dave Mathew's role in the great kids movie “Because of Winn Dixie”. I don’t remember hearing anybody bust his chops for trying to pull off acting. Sure, no academy award noms, but not a shabby job. I’m thinking that this probably has to do with the fact that singing is something that people are all over the radar on in terms of self assessment. Almost everyone will say “I hate my voice.” This may lead extroverted actors, springboarding from their fame, to sing when perhaps they shouldn’t. And there are cases of this, no doubt. I remember both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy putting out albums at the height of Star Wars fame.

So, let’s cut the musicians cum actors some slack. Sure, Billy Bob’s a little quirky, but then so am I.

Later.