Don't be scared. You did not have a rough weekend and sleep away three days like you may think. Today is Monday-Dan will be taking my place on Wednesday. We're going to discuss what happens when stars attempt \the crossover.""
We see it happen all too often when actors enjoy the spotlight too much and delve into music. This is a tricky business, and many times it is not successfully executed.
Juliette Lewis, who has been absent from film recently, formed a band called Juliette Lewis and the Licks. Their first full-length album is set for release May 17, but their EP ...Like a Bolt of Lightning, released last October, contains fun, danceable tracks. For now it is hard to say whether the music scene will embrace Lewis, but she does offer something new and refreshing.
Music proved to be central to the success of Alanis Morissette. For Morissette, however, music was not where she began. She starred in the children's comedy ""You Can't Do That on Television."" Morissette found that acting was not her forte, but music was. Since Jagged Little Pill, music has remained central in Morissette's career, but she still acts from time to time. Morissette's crossover proves she is more successful in music over acting.
And then there are those actors whose crossovers are not as refreshing. It is almost as though crossing over to music is expected from them, and they give only a poor, superficial effort merely to add to their resumes.
Actresses Lindsay Lohan and her nemesis Hilary Duff both released albums after ""establishing"" themselves as actresses. Duff's song ""Come Clean"" sounds absolutely out of tune and strained, yet it sold immensely among teenyboppers. Lohan, then, needed to catch-up to her rival and release an album of her own. Like Duff, her single ""Rumors"" adds nothing new to music and is just her complaining about the media attention she has received. Without this attention, no one would know who she is as an actress, much less as a singer.
Jennifer Lopez is also one who demonstrated a poor transition from acting to singing. Her role in ""Selena"" placed her in the acting spotlight, but she wanted to explore her abilities as a singer. Unfortunately, she's not particularly skilled in either medium. While she has a strong work ethic, Lopez fails to go deep enough. She should focus on acting and try to get out of the role she seems to play over and over again.
Then we have those who collaborate music within their acting roles. Jack Black started with smaller acting gigs, but eventually formed the immensely popular band, Tenacious D. Black used both his acting and musical abilities in ""School of Rock,"" which turned out to be extremely successful in both areas.
This type of collaboration is seen in movies ""A Mighty Wind,"" ""Chicago,"" and ""That Thing You Do."" All three of these had actors who either used their musical abilities or learned to sing and play music for their roles. ""Chicago,"" which used mainstream actors to fulfill the singing roles, won six Oscars. Not only could Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones sing, but they can also dance.
""A Mighty Wind,"" which paid tribute to the folk genre, used extremely talented actors who also demonstrated amazing musical capabilities. Their song, ""A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,"" was up for an Oscar. Similarly, the song ""That Thing You Do"" earned a nomination, and the cast learned how to play their own instruments. These attempts of placing actors in musical roles are difficult, but with practice, dedication and raw talent, the collaboration works.
After looking closely at all the attempts of the crossover, it seems those who are the most reputable actors can actually become successful in music. Talented actors may be able to assume the difficult role of musicians. However, for actors, crossing-over is not simple and can hinder future success.
Beth Wick is a junior majoring in journalism and history. You can contact her at eawick@wisc.edu. Dan Marfield's column, running on Wednesday, will discuss what happens when musicians face the hurdles of acting.
