MusicRadar

"Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in."

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Recently, MusicRadar told you about Steve Vai's big screen venture, executive producing the movie Crazy, in which he portrays country music legend Hank Williams. For Vai, who already put in a memorable performance in the film Crossroads, it could be one of many film roles he was born to play.

Since the movies learned to talk (and sing), with 1927's The Jazz Singer, the difference between musician and actor has been sometimes hard to distinguish. Throughout the '30s and '40s, musicals were big business - during those years, you couldn't get a job unless you could sing and dance and look happy doing it. It took Frank Sinatra, who tired of playing tepid screen swooners, to break the mold and demand weighty dramatic roles.

In the '50s and '60s, Elvis Presley and The Beatles would break things wide open for rock 'n' rollers on the silver screen, paving the way for the likes Mick Jagger, David Bowie and dozens more who would try their hand at acting.

The following is MusicRadar's list of the Top 10 Best Musician-Actors, those artists who have made as significant an impact on the big (and small) screen as on record. Grab some popcorn, sit back, and let the images flash before your eyes...

Frank Sinatra Ol' Blue Eyes. The Voice. Chairman Of The Board. As a singer, Frank Sinatra went by many names, but in his film career he was known as "One-Take Charlie" for his spontaneous approach to acting. Although his first films saw him playing parts that mirrored his own personality, Sinatra resisted typecasting and fought for the coveted role of Maggio in From Here To Eternity. He prevailed, and wound up with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Sinatra would later turn in strong performances in The Man With The Golden Arm, Suddenly and The Manchurian Candidate. His light-hearted heist comedies with his Rat Pack buddies were audience favorites.

Ice Cube Who would've guessed that a member of the controversial rap group N.W.A., a band that cut songs like Fuck Tha Police, would become a lovable father figure on the big screen? Ice Cube made a killer first impression with his role in Boyz N The Hood, and in movies such as Anaconda and Three Kings, he cemented his tough-guy film presence. But it was with Friday (which he co-wrote) that he started to refine his on screen image. Later smashes like Barber Shop and Are We There Yet? displayed an Ice Cube that even a mother (and family) could love.