Top 10 Best Pop Star Castings in Movie Musicals

This TV movie adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical employed color-blind casting. A fairly novel idea in the mid-late 1990s, this would ensure its ongoing relevance with young audiences. Brandy was hand selected to play the title character by producer and co-star Whitney Houston, who had originally considered starring in the role herself. And Houston made the right call, as the star’s voice and demeanor are perfect for this updated fairy tale. While certain contemporary critics weren’t bowled over by her performance, ask any person who saw it as a kid, and they’ll most likely tell you as us. Brandy is our Cinderella.

Jennifer Hudson was still fresh off her stint on “American Idol” when she won her Oscar for playing Effie White. Her career was just on the verge of taking off. But it was Beyoncé who was just as surprising. Modeled somewhat on Diana Ross, her character, Deena, had some real-life parallels to her recent career. She and Destiny’s Child had disbanded, and she was focusing on a solo career in music and movies. While different, it’s a journey that has some similarities to Deena’s in “Dreamgirls.” Her work on the soundtrack is expectedly phenomenal. What many might have been surprised by was, though, that she could do drama. Beyoncé earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

In the 1970s, the king of pop was arguably in a transitional stage in his career. Luckily, the film adaptation of the R&B Broadway musical version of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” would give him a chance to sing, dance, and test his chops as a movie star. It was the perfect role for him. His flexibility and dance skills brought out the humor in how the jelly-limbed Scarecrow moves, but it’s his tenderness that really shines through. The movie didn’t have the audience turnout it deserved, which may be a reason why Jackson didn’t do more work on film. It’s a shame, because his performance here is magical.

Though its famous musical centerpiece doesn’t actually take place in a prison, Presley’s character does see the inside of a jail cell early on. The rock n’ roll megastar plays Vince Everett, a construction worker who starts out on a career as a musician after he’s imprisoned. Presley was perfectly cast as a fish out of water. Playing a country boy who’s suddenly thrown into a world of cutthroat music producers and hoity-toity folks, he proved he was charming and charismatic enough to carry a movie. It was only his third film, but he ended up making almost 30 more features. Considering how this one turned out, we’re not surprised.

Although she started in rap and hip hop, the pop star who earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Matron Mama Morton was no stranger to acting. “Chicago” is a movie all about duality. Queen Latifah is just as good in its more realistic moments as she is in her fantastical number. As a glittering jazz goddess, her “When You’re Good to Mama” is an unforgettable scene in a film chock full of great musical moments. Along with the Oscar nomination, Latifah was also notably nominated for a SAG, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award.

This Janis Joplin-inspired rock music extravaganza is full of long sequences of its title star tearing up the stage for thousands of adoring fans. Bette Midler wasn’t the film comedienne we know her to be today. She was a theater kid and cabaret singer who went legit in the pop music scene in the early 1970s and made her film debut here. Her character in “The Rose” is a rock star with substance use disorder who’s at the end of her rope. She plays each scene like she’s on the verge of collapse. The only time her protagonist feels fully alive is when she’s on stage, and even that is precarious. But her power as a musician and vocalist is what makes the movie all the more exhilarating to see.

Before she played Sandy, the big-voiced icon was a country and folk music star who had major success in Australia and the UK. It’s hard to imagine Olivia Newton-John being controversial, but some of her success was tempered by American artists who felt she wasn’t authentically country enough. “Grease” is what really made her catch on in the US and all around the world. Playing the good girl to John Travolta’s bad boy, her angelic voice and look was right at home in the 1950s-set musical. Some of her songs in the movie became huge hits, and helped her cultivate more pop-centric music that reached mainstream prominence.

To play Jareth, the double-talking, mythical Goblin King, director and puppeteer Jim Henson ultimately decided he wanted a musician. It was exactly what the chemistry of his fantastical musical needed. David Bowie’s eccentricity and charisma made him the natural choice. Jareth is an unforgettable character. He’s a smooth, captivating, and dangerous villain. As a pop star whose persona was always shifting, Bowie was the perfect person for the part. He makes us want to follow Jareth, just as much as he signals his evil intent. That’s all despite being surrounded by a cast almost entirely made up of puppets.

No one can deny this 1984 classic has a perfect soundtrack. But its star turn from music superstar Prince alone is worth the price of admission. “Purple Rain” follows the tortured frontman of a Minneapolis band. As he navigates an abusive home life and professional disappointments, it’s hard to separate the protagonist from the pop star portraying him, and that’s to the movie’s benefit. In the character known only as the Kid, the famously complex and enigmatic artist brings humanity to his persona. What started as something some studios may have seen as a vanity project ended up becoming a major hit with critics and audiences.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Björk, “Dancer in the Dark” (2000)
The Icelandic Musician Gives a Heartbreaking Performance in This Depressing Musical

Madonna, “Evita” (1996)
The Queen of Pop Played Argentina’s Former First Lady, Eva Perón

Fantasia Barrino, “The Color Purple” (2023)
The “American Idol” Winner Reprised the Role She Played on Stage to Great Acclaim

Fergie, “Nine” (2009)
The Pop Star Played Saraghina & Got One of the Movie’s Most Memorable Numbers

She had already won a Golden Globe for acting on television, but leading a major awards contender and sharing the screen with Bradley Cooper was a tall order for anyone. Yet Lady Gaga seamlessly followed in the footsteps of luminaries like Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand to bring her central character to life in “A Star Is Born.” Portraying a singer, Ally, whose rise to stardom begins to eclipse her famous music business veteran husband, Gaga dug into the story’s tragic underpinnings with ease and realism. She notably got an Oscar nomination for acting, a win for Best Original Song, and an entirely new legion of fans out of it.

Which pop star in a movie musical surprised you the most? Tell us your favorite in the comments.