These 20 singers have surprisingly never tried to have an acting career

Given his star status and early start in the world of celebrities, it’s shocking Justin Bieber doesn’t have loads of acting credits to his name. The singer has appeared as himself in multiple projects, but aside from those and a turn on The Simpsons, his acting career has been limited to SNL skits. 

The famed rapper has his fair share of experiences as a producer, but he’s never gotten into acting. His wife, of course, has starred in multiple projects, but it apparently doesn’t interest Jay-Z. 

Adele has told plenty of stories through her music, and she seems to have a flair for the dramatic, which makes it surprising that she’s never tried her hand at acting. She did host SNL one evening, though, and if she wanted to have a film career, she could. 

We shouldn’t be surprised that Kanye West has never gotten into acting. He did once rap “all the way in Hollywood, and I can’t even act.” Still, with his very specific brand of humor, the right filmmaker could find an iconic part for Ye, or at the very least, a hilarious cameo. 

Stevie Nicks is clearly all about the music. The most significant acting credits to her name are from music videos. The Fleetwood Mac singer did portray a fictionalized version of herself in American Horror Story, though, and some say it’s hardest to play yourself, so perhaps Nicks missed another artistic calling. 

With a nickname like The Boss, you’d think that if Bruce Springsteen wanted an acting career, he’d have one by now, which leads us to believe he’s simply opted to keep music at the forefront. It’s been a lucrative endeavor for him, so we can see why he doesn’t feel the need to add anything more to his plate. 

SZA is one of the hottest artists in music today, but aside from a one-episode appearance in Insecure, her IMDb is limited to music videos. She does, however, have an Oscar nomination for being featured on the song “All the Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack. 

Doja Cat has a knack for telling stories, and she’s got a chronically online personality. Add in her current popularity, and it’s a recipe for a successful acting career. She has yet to try, but we’re of the opinion that she’d do a fantastic job on SNL or American Horror Story. 

Sam Smith does have an Oscar, but it has nothing to do with their acting abilities (or lack thereof). They earned it for Best Original Song. Smith’s most notable acting gig to date was a self cameo in an episode of And Just Like That…

Lana Del Rey’s music videos are all essentially short films. She clearly knows how to portray a character, and given her other artistic sensibilities, it’s surprising she’s never taken a stab at a film or television role. The singer seems to enjoy life out of the spotlight, though, so she must be content with her life in music. 

At first, it’s surprising that Garth Brooks has never tried acting, considering his level of fame, but after we think about it more, he must be too busy touring to have time to act. If he did want to try his hand at the craft, we think he’d do well in the Yellowstone universe. 

As one of the zaniest presences in music history, he’s never seriously taken his career to film or television. His most notable credit is a quick appearance in an episode of The A-Team. He has worked on Broadway but as a lyricist for the musical Taboo, not an actor. 

Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore, clearly isn’t interested in an acting career. The singer has seemingly never stepped foot on a film or television set to perform a written role, instead lending her talents to visual media by way of soundtracks. 

Bruno Mars has lent his voice to multiple projects, including both Rio animated films, but it seems as though he’d rather use his voice than let his entire self be seen on screen — for film and television, that is. He’s been filmed for many a music video. 

Zayn Malik’s most notable acting role to date was his appearance as himself in an episode of iCarly alongside his former One Direction bandmates. Apparently, he’s letting Harry Styles carry the torch for the One Direction crew when it comes to acting gigs. 

Like Zayn Malik, Liam Payne has largely abstained from a career in acting. He was in an episode of Family Guy, but many a singer has lent their voice for one or two animated programs, and one episode of The Simpsons does not an actor make. 

Niall Horan hasn’t tried to become an actor, either. With his One Direction fame and moderate success as a solo artist, he’d probably be able to at least get an audition, but acting must not be Horan’s hope for his life. 

Bono could do anything he wanted, so acting must not be something he wants to do (save some cameos). The U2 singer did flex his musical talents for a stage production, though. He provided the music and lyrics for the 2014 Broadway production of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. 

Tracy Chapman certainly has the connections to pursue an acting career if she’d like, but instead, she’s kept steady with her music career, proving that you can still be a successful entertainer without having your hand in every opportunity possible. 

Aside from a couple of television cameos, Billy Joel’s one foray into acting was voicing a character in the 1988 film Oliver & Company. Whether it was a one-off for the Piano Man or it just wasn’t a fit isn’t clear, but Mr. Joel seems to be far more interested in tickling the ivories than memorizing lines.