With Hancock out this week, it got me thinking about who are the top performers when it comes to having both recording and acting careers. Admittedly, it's pretty subjective, but I think Will Smith may be the top dual threat performer of all time. His movies have grossed more than a billion dollars and he's been nominated for two Oscars; on the music side, he was awarded the first-ever rap Grammy and he's had several No. 1 hit singles.
That being said, I don't think it's a slam dunk. Here are the other four performers who I would consider to be in the top five. I'm sure that I am forgetting someone, so I am relying on you all to serve me up good
-- Frank Sinatra: The music side needs no discussion as he's maybe the most famous and loved crooner in American history. But he was no slouch on the big screen either, as he was nominated for best Oscar for The Man With the Golden Arm and he won the supporting actor award for From Here to Eternity.
-- Barbra Streisand: She may be Sinatra's female counterpart when it comes to music. On the movies front, she has been nominated for five Oscars, winning the best actress award for Funny Girl and for a song in the film A Star is Born. She also gave memorable performances in The Prince of Tides and The Way We Were.
-- Cher: Between her solo career and her duo with Sonny Bono, she's sold more than 275 million records worldwide and is resposible for the biggest selling dance single ever, "Believe". She won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Moonstruck and she picked up another GG for Silkwood, for which she was also Oscar-nominated.
-- Bette Midler: She's got a pair of Oscar nominations (For the Boys and The Rose) and four Grammies to show for her storried career (and a Tony to boot).
So there's the list. I also considered Elvis, but his movies were really more vehicles for him designed to sell more records. Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson also crossed my mind, but they all still have a ways to go to match this bunch. So, again I ask, who am I missing?
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How about Sinatra? An Oscar for From Here to Eternity, great performances in a handful of other films (The Man With the Golden Arm, Some Came Running). And yeah, he could sing a little too.
Paul, from Philadelphia PA writes in with a solid suggestion:
How about Diana Ross? She hasn’t been around for a while, but she was a member of the top-selling female vocal group of all time, had a successful solo career, received an Oscar nomination for her first film role, etc.
I guess I'd go with Smith in you're talking about box office, but Sinatra gets the edge for me. He was a one-of-a-kind singer, and his body of film work speaks for itself.
Bing Crosby.
Judy Garland.
Lena Horne.
Cyd Charisse, if you think dancing rather than singing.
Gene Kelly?
This is a fun topic, guys. A couple more contenders:
Doris Day - multiple #1 hits. very big box office draw. One endearing classic in "Que Sera Sera."
Kris Kristofferson - legendary songwriter, solid singer, a lot of movies, a couple great ones (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Lone Star, etc.)
From overseas:
Yves Montand
Magali Noel, a Fellini favorite.
Faye Wong, a Wong Kar-Wai favorite.
David Bowie and Mick Jagger each have starred/appeared in some pretty good films.
A funky one:
Levon Helm of The Band - RnR Hall of Famer and narrator/supporting player in The Right Stuff (and other movies).
The funny thing about Will Smith is that his cinematic accomplishments are actually stronger in this group than his musical ones. He's a huge box office star, a charismatic screen presence, and has turned himself into a better actor. That said, which one of the following doesn't belong:
New York, New York. Somewhere Over the Rainbow. White Christmas. Que Sera Sera. Blue Sky. Parents Just Don't Understand.