18 country music stars who made the jump to acting

Starting in the early 1970s, country star Kris Kristofferson starred in a slew of films, perhaps most notably alongside Barbra Streisand in the 1976 adaptation of "A Star Is Born." Kristofferson took home a Best Actor Golden Globe for that performance and has continued to act throughout the decades. 

In addition to being a modern steward of country's classic Bakersfield sound, popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam is also an accomplished, critically acclaimed actor in films like "Cry Macho." His performance alongside Billy Bob Thornton in "Sling Blade" is legendary, and Yoakam reunited with the actor for the streaming series "Goliath." 

Tim McGraw made his first film appearance in the much-beloved film adaptation of Buzz Bissinger's novel about Texas high school football, "Friday Night Lights." Later, he starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the Oscar-winning film "The Blind Side," and continued his acting career with a turn as James Dutton in the "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883." 

It just makes sense that George Strait would star in a film about a crooner who's strayed too far from his country roots, and that's exactly what he did in 1992's "Pure Country." He's also done some voice acting, appearing in a cameo on cult-favorite animated series "King of the Hill." 

Perhaps no country artist has made as many iconic performances in film as Dolly Parton. She's a pretty prolific actress, starring in beloved favorites like "The Best Little Whōrehouse in Texas," "Steel Magnolias," and 2013's heartwarming "Joyful Noise," but her most-loved performance came in 1980, when she starred in — and wrote the theme for — "9 to 5" alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. 

Call him a "rhinestone cowboy" if you must, but Glen Campbell got the opportunity to play a real cowboy on the big screen alongside arguably the most famous TV cowboy of all time: John Wayne. Campbell stars alongside Wayne in 1969's "True Grit," and even did a little voice acting in the 1991 animated film "Rock-a-Doodle."  

Pretty much everyone knows about Reba McEntire's long-running eponymous sitcom, but her acting career began much earlier. In addition to roles in films like 1990's "Tremors" and kids' film "The Little Rascals," she's also starred on Broadway as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun," and recently made a seriously hilarious appearance in the 2021 film "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar." 

For most of his career, Elvis Presley was as much an actor as a singer. His appearances in films like "Blue Hawaii," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Love Me Tender" were just as popular as his biggest musical hits. 

After a few guest-starring roles on television in the '90s, LeAnn Rimes appeared in the 2000 cult classic "Coyote Ugly" in addition to recording multiple songs for the film's wildly popular soundtrack. Since she's made TV cameos on shows like "Drop Dead Diva" and "Anger Management." 

More than a decade after "Achy Breaky Heart" topped the country music charts, Billy Ray Cyrus was starring as the father of his real-life daughter Miley on "Hannah Montana." In addition to this long-running Disney series, Cyrus also appeared in 2001's "Mulholland Drive" and the second installment of the irresistibly goofy "Sharknado" series. 

Starring alongside Nicole Kidman, Faith Hill made the jump from being the queen of pop country to the world of acting in 2004 in "The Stepford Wives." Most recently, she's earned acclaim starring alongside Tim McGraw in the "Yellowstone" prequel "1883," in which she plays a tough pioneer woman headed to Montana during the land rush. 

Trace Adkins is a pretty prolific actor, with his most prominent role coming in 2011s "The Lincoln Lawyer" alongside Matthew McConaughey. He's also made tons of TV appearances, on shows like "Hollywood Squares" and "King of the Hill." 

Even though he only starred in two feature films, Kenny Rogers brought his character in his most iconic song to life in the made-for-TV movie "The Gambler: The Adventure Continues" in 1983. A sequel was released in 1991. 

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, traditionalist crooner Randy Travis made appearances in a wide range of television shows and films, including guest spots on "Touched By an Angel" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." He also starred alongside Patrick Swayze in "Black Dog," and joined Matt Damon in "The Rainmaker," an adaptation of a popular John Grisham novel. 

Starting in 1979, Willie Nelson headed to Hollywood for appearances in both film and popular television shows, including "Songwriter," "Miami Vice" and "Stagecoach." In 1986, he teamed up with Morgan Fairchild for a film adaptation of his seminal album "Red Headed Stranger." 

Along with hosting his own eponymous variety show, Johnny Cash made appearances in multiple films throughout the decades, including "A Gunfight" and "The Road to Nashville," which also featured fellow country artist Marty Robbins, and a starring role in Bill Karn's 1961 film noir "Five Minutes to Live." 

With guest spots on "Sesame Street" and "How I Met Your Mother," Carrie Underwood showed off her acting chops. She also appeared as a youth minister in the inspirational film "Soul Surfer," and portrayed Maria Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music Live." 

As one half of legendary duo Brooks & Dunn, Kix Brooks made country music history. As an actor, he's appeared in a number of TV films, including 2020's "A Nashville Christmas Carol."