Whether they are opera stars or pop idols, when famous musicians test their skills in front of the camera, it doesn't always turn out to be a success.
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5 musicians who've bombed at acting
Whether they are opera stars or pop idols, when famous musicians test their skills in front of the camera, it doesn't always turn out to be a success.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives
Sting
Sting has won many awards over the course of his music career, both with his band The Police and for solo projects. He's also made a few memorable appearances on screen, such as in the science-fiction film "Dune" from 1984. Who could forget his wild hair - or his weak performance.
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Serge Gainsbourg
The French chansonnier drew attention with his scandalous song "Je t'aime" and his relationship with actress Jane Birkin. He's less well known for his acting. He played a hit man in the gangster film "Cannabis." While the movie was a flop, Gainsbourg was praised for his work on the soundtrack.
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Luciano Pavarotti
Opera star Luciano Pavarotti also seems a bit out of place on screen - though he only made one movie. In 1982, he played an opera singer - more or less himself - in the film "Yes, Giorgio." The singer loses his voice and is treated by a beautiful doctor whom he falls in love with. Critics weren't convinced and it earned Pavarotti a Golden Raspberry nomination. Luckily, he didn't quit his day job.
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Enrique Iglesias
In 2003, Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias (pictured far right) dared an essay in film. In "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" he played - not surprisingly - a ladies' man, but couldn't compete with his co-stars Johnny Depp and Salma Hayek. Following the film, Iglesias was only offered guest appearances in two series.
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Nena
In 1982, German pop star Nena played a bored high school student who befriends a showman at the fairgrounds in "Gib Gas - Ich will Spass" (Step on the gas - I want fun). Only Nena's die-hard fans enjoyed it though. Fortunately, her big break as a singer came just a year later and Nena became world-famous with her single "99 Balloons."
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Genre hopping is popular among celebrities that get bored with their day jobs. There are the soap stars that dabble in modeling, models that try acting, and actors that sing - and vice versa. But being talented in one area doesn't necessarily mean you're talented in others.
While some actors like Juliette Lewis (Juliette and the Licks) and Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars) manage to be just as successful with their music as they are with their films, not all renowned musicians who try their hand at acting do quite as well.
In 1984, for example, Sting played a small role as the villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the science-fiction film "Dune." He only had to speak two lines - but they were enough to prove he should have stuck to music.
And Sting isn't alone. Click through the gallery above for more European musicians who have flopped on camera.
