California singer Becky G's career took off about three years ago. She rocks a gap-toothed smile almost as well as former model Lauren Hutton, and makes her blockbuster-movie debut playing the Yellow Ranger in the new, not-just-for-kids Power Rangers movie, which opens today.
Early reviews have been mixed, but Power Rangers still stands to make a bundle in the pre-summer blockbuster season. But whatever the movie's fate, Becky joins a long line of music stars who have appeared in movies throughout the decades. Doing both music and movies is a benefit of fame that doesn't always yield such nice results.
Here are 20 such times that made fans ask, "WTF, why is that musical performer in this movie?"
20. KELLY ROWLAND
Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)
Somewhere, Rowland is regretting making this choice. In atypical slasher-movie style, she doesn’t go out while having sex with another character. Instead, she loses her head while trying to play the dozens with Freddy.
19. BUSTA RHYMES
Halloween Resurrection (2002)
Busta’s acting career has been short-lived, and deservedly so. It’s hard to tell if his role in this movie was for comedy relief or to appeal to a new audience since Michael Myers fatigue was setting in by the time this Halloween film rolled around.
18. IGGY POP
The Crow: City of Angels (1996)
This abysmal sequel didn’t need Iggy Pop to play the role of the heavy. While he's great prancing and writhing onstage, the shtick just doesn’t work in a movie.
17. GUCCI MANE
Spring Breakers (2012)
How do you direct Gucci in a movie where he’s supposed to be a ruthless gangster type? That’s not even acting for him. Here, he gets to talk-rap a lot to James Franco before meeting an unhealthy demise. Given his prodigious rap output, it’s okay to expect more from him on film.
16. Q-TIP (A Tribe Called Quest)
Poetic Justice (1993)
To be fair, this was Tip’s first film role and he had to play against a talented musician-turned-actor in Janet Jackson. Not to mention Tupac was in the movie.
15. NAS and DMX
Belly (1998)
Everyone likes to point out how visually stunning this Hype Williams-directed picture was. But the story and acting left a lot more to be desired; DMX was overacting and Nas doing the opposite. For my money, however, Belly is good for two reasons: the don dada shootout scene, and the scene where a roomful of thugs are watching Harmony Korine’s Gummo.
14. RAEKWON
Black & White (1999)
This film really wanted to capitalize on the Wu-Tang Clan’s popularity. Several members of the crew are in the movie, but it’s producer Power Grant who really gets to shine. Raekwon the Chef, who pretty much plays himself (but with the name Cigar), mumbles a bunch of stuff throughout the picture.
13. JESSICA SIMPSON
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
For fans of the TV show, minus all that Confederate-flag action on the hood of the General Lee, the real fault of this movie was making Daisy Duke a blond. With Simpson taking on the role, it became the stereotypical dumb blond, but if you ever saw her reality show with ex-husband Nick Lachey, you’d know that wasn’t acting.
12. MARC ANTHONY
The Substitute (1996)
One of the least memorable of Hollywood’s 1990s hood action films starred Marc Anthony several years before he became a household name. He plays the main villain, all tough-guy preening and snarling, but is really just funny to look at.
11. RIHANNA
Battleship (2012)
It seemed bad enough that a studio was tricking people into buying tickets to a movie based on an old board game. But then RiRi’s people had to go and convince her to take a major role in the thing. The result: A bunch of explosions and a bunch of limp reactions from one of music’s biggest stars.