Actors Who Released Albums You May Not Know About

Some actors sing for a movie role.

Others go further and release full albums.

Sometimes the music is a side project. Sometimes it becomes a serious second career. And sometimes it is just a strange, fascinating chapter fans discover years later.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson released Anywhere I Lay My Head in 2008.

The album was mostly made up of Tom Waits covers and featured production from Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio. David Bowie also appeared on the project, which gave it more music-world weight than many expected from an actor’s album.

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling released music through the band Dead Man’s Bones.

The self-titled album came out in 2009 and was made with Zach Shields. The project had a spooky indie-folk sound and included the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves is not just an actor. He is also the bassist for Dogstar.

The band formed in the 1990s and returned years later with new music and touring. Dogstar’s comeback drew attention because many fans knew Reeves from John Wick and The Matrix, not from an alternative rock band.

Brie Larson

Before her Oscar-winning acting career, Brie Larson released a pop album called Finally Out of P.E.

The album came out in 2005, and Larson even opened for Jesse McCartney during his Beautiful Soul tour. She later looked back on that pop-star chapter as a strange but memorable part of her early career.

Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel released music as one half of She & Him with M. Ward.

Their debut album, Volume One, came out in 2008 through Merge Records. The project helped show that Deschanel’s music career was not just a novelty connected to acting.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke has built a real music career alongside acting.

Her debut album Blush was released in 2020, followed by later albums including Moss, Chaos Angel, and Maitreya Cors. Hawke has described releasing personal music as emotionally difficult because it can feel like sharing a diary.

Michael Cera

Michael Cera surprised fans in 2014 when he released true that on Bandcamp.

The album had a lo-fi, indie-folk sound and was self-released. It felt far removed from the awkward comedy roles that made him famous in Superbad, Juno, and Arrested Development.

Joe Pesci

Joe Pesci has released more music than many fans realize.

His 1998 album Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You was inspired by his My Cousin Vinny character. It mixed comedy, jazz, blues, and hip-hop, making it one of the stranger actor albums on this list.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton released Private Radio in 2001.

The album leaned into country music and arrived after he was already known for films like Sling Blade and A Simple Plan. It was his first major recorded music project after becoming a successful actor.

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland released his debut album Down in a Hole in 2016.

The album moved into country and Americana, with songs written by Sutherland and Jude Cole. He later continued recording and touring, building a music career alongside his acting work.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges released albums outside his acting career.

His music fits naturally with the image many fans connect to Crazy Heart, but Bridges had musical interests beyond that role. His albums show a quieter, rootsy side of a star many viewers know first from film.

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie released blues albums after becoming famous for acting.

Known to many fans as Dr. House, Laurie showed a very different side through music rooted in New Orleans blues and classic American sounds. His music career surprised people who only knew him from television.

Jared Leto

Jared Leto is a special case because many fans know him as both actor and musician.

He became the frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars while also building an acting career in films like Requiem for a Dream, Dallas Buyers Club, and Blade Runner 2049.

Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis released music with Juliette and the Licks.

Her rock career had a raw, high-energy style that matched her unpredictable screen presence. Lewis did not approach music like a polished celebrity vanity project. She performed like someone who wanted the stage to feel loud and physical.

Minnie Driver

Minnie Driver released albums as a singer-songwriter.

Her music career surprised some fans who mainly knew her from Good Will Hunting and The Riches. Driver’s albums leaned into a more intimate, folk-pop sound.

Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester released music after becoming known for Gossip Girl.

Her album Heartstrings showed a softer singer-songwriter side, very different from Blair Waldorf’s sharp television persona. It gave fans a look at her creative life outside acting.

Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale released a country album after her rise on Pretty Little Liars.

Her music leaned into Nashville pop-country rather than the teen-drama image fans knew from television. Hale’s album showed that she had been interested in singing long before many viewers discovered her music.

David Duchovny

David Duchovny released albums after decades of acting fame.

Known for The X-Files and Californication, he later moved into music with a singer-songwriter style. His albums added another creative chapter to a career already built across television, film, and books.

Kevin Bacon

Kevin Bacon has released music with The Bacon Brothers.

The band, formed with his brother Michael Bacon, has put out several albums over the years. Bacon’s music career feels less like a quick celebrity experiment and more like a long-running family project.

Taryn Manning

Taryn Manning has worked as both an actor and musician.

Known for roles in Orange Is the New Black, 8 Mile, and Hustle & Flow, she also released music through Boomkat and as a solo artist. Her music career fits her edgy screen image, but it exists on its own too.

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe has released music through band projects for years.

Before and after his biggest Hollywood roles, he performed with groups including 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and later projects. For fans who know him mainly from Gladiator, his music career can feel like a hidden second life.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph is best known for comedy and acting, but she has also performed music seriously.

She was connected to the band The Rentals before becoming widely known on Saturday Night Live. While she is more famous for comedy, her musical background helps explain her strong live-performance instincts.

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