5 Best Rock Stars-Turned-Actors, Ranked

To quote the legendary AC/DC: It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll. It's probably even longer if you wanna break into Hollywood and be a recognized actor. Fortunately, there are a select few rock stars-turned-actors who proved it can be done. They dominated both their genre and Tinseltown to become rare double threats in the entertainment industry. The only question is, who's the best of the lot?

We have identified five major names who conquered both rock and acting. In terms of ranking them, we examined their filmographies and considered their respective impact in film and/or TV. Some of the considerations included: Did they have a big role in a well-known movie or series, or were they just bit players in the mix? Also, are they one-trick ponies, or are they able to play different types of roles across multiple genres?

So, let's crank it up and get to it, shall we? Here are the best rock stars-turned-actors, ranked.

Meat Loaf would have done anything for love, but he wouldn't do that. Maybe the "that" in question was whether he was to turn his back on music for a full-time career in acting. Regardless, he still left his mark on the latter. One of Meat Loaf's earlier but most memorable roles was as the rock 'n' roll rebel Eddie in 1975's "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The scorching-hot shake, rattle, and roll performance presented the opportunity for the singer to show off his enviable pipes. From an acting standpoint, he rose to the occasion, never looking out of place alongside esteemed actors like Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon.

From there onward, the musician went on to make appearances in everything from "Wayne's World" to "Spice World," receiving a steady stream of roles in TV and film throughout the decades. However, in Meat Loaf's acting career, one role stands above the rest. 

In 1999's "Fight Club," Meat Loaf portrays Robert "Bob" Paulson, a former bodybuilder who meets the unnamed narrator (Edward Norton) in a support group and then becomes a part of Project Mayhem. He dies for the cause, becoming a martyr for his peers. Bob might not have been the biggest role in "Fight Club," but Meat Loaf made the most of his minutes, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable characters from the film and turning the phrase "His name is Robert Paulson" into a pop culture milestone.

In January 2022, Meat Loaf died. He was 74 years old.

Mention rock star, and Courtney Love's face is one of the first that should come to mind. Whether it's her influence in the rise of grunge in the late '80s and '90s as part of Hole, or her lasting presence as a key figure of the alternative scene, Love remains a critical part of music history. Having said that, her leap into acting has been equally successful.

Even though Love had been acting since the '80s, she received widespread recognition and a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Althea Leisure Flynt in 1996's "The People vs. Larry Flynt." The real-life Althea had something of a rock star reputation, too, so it was only fitting that Love brought this controversial personality to life through her own lens — and garnered the deserved plaudits for her outstanding performance.

After this, Love didn't just take any part thrown her way; she carefully zigzagged between smaller and bigger projects. Yet filmmakers wanted to work with her, as evidenced by how Courtney Love was linked to the part of Harley Quinn in a live-action Batman movie. Major roles arrived in 1999's award-winning Andy Kaufman biopic "Man on the Moon," where she starred as Jim Carrey's love interest Lynne Margulies, and a complex but riveting turn as Cheryl in 2002's "Trapped." On the television front, Love has also featured in multiple episodes of popular shows like "Sons of Anarchy," "Revenge," and "Empire."

In January 2016, David Bowie passed away, but his undeniable influence on entertainment as a whole continues to be felt to this day. The artist once known as Ziggy Stardust not only ventured into the world of film, but he also wrote his name into legend. Lest we forget, Bowie's first starring role was as the alien Thomas Jerome Newton in 1976's "The Man Who Fell to Earth." The Nicolas Roeg-directed surreal sci-fi film became a cult classic largely thanks to Bowie's ethereal performance.

While this role took his career to another level, it must be said that two specific parts in the '80s transformed him into a movie star. The first arrived in 1986's "Labyrinth," in which David Bowie plays the irrepressible and charismatic Jareth, the king of goblins. Jareth's look and portrayal have become synonymous with the performer who turned this character into a fantasy legend. Then, in 1988, Bowie starred as Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ," which received a string of award nominations and paired him with one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

Bowie didn't rest on his laurels after this either, as he brought Phillip Jeffries to life in the "Twin Peaks" franchise and portrayed Nikola Tesla in Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige." That isn't all, though, as he also voiced Lord Royal Highness in "SpongeBob SquarePants."

Despite being around for decades, Tom Waits remains an enigma. It has helped both his music and acting career, as he's been able to shift lanes whenever necessary, and no one can predict what's to come from him.

As an actor, he's appeared in highly acclaimed and heavily nominated features, such as "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and "Licorice Pizza," working alongside some of the biggest actors and filmmakers of all time. While his roles haven't always been the largest, he wastes not a single second of screentime afforded to him. His most famous part, though, is as R. M. Renfield in Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 gothic horror "Bram Stoker's Dracula."

It's for this reason that Waits appears so high up on this list. Whenever anyone thinks of a classic character like Renfield, they will always remember Waits' unhinged performance in Coppola's masterpiece. Everyone gives out plaudits to Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins — and rightfully so — but Waits' turn as Count Dracula's lackey is a top-tier scene stealer as well. Renfield's unraveling in the mental institution as he speaks to Dracula is still one of the creepiest moments from the film.

Henry Rollins' position at No. 1 might raise a few eyebrows, but there's a method to the madness here. Consider who Rollins was before he transitioned to acting. He was seen as the hardcore guy from Black Flag and the Rollins Band before evolving into a spoken word artist. How many could have envisioned him making a successful career in acting as well?

Well, the joke's on anyone who doubted him. Rollins has had one of the most varied and interesting acting careers out of any rock stars-turned-actors. In 1995 alone, he rocked and rolled in two blockbusters, "Johnny Mnemonic" and "Heat." The former sees him appear as the punk rock doctor Spider who plays a critical role in Johnny's (Keanu Reeves) arc, while the latter features him as Hugh Benny, one of Roger Van Zant's (William Fichtner) thugs in what's easily one of the best heist movies of all time. Oh, and he's in David Lynch's "Lost Highway" too.

What makes Rollins stand out is that he doesn't settle for the same type of roles or linger in the same genre for too long. He's played everything from a warden in a comedy like "The New Guy" to a colonel in the horror "Wrong Turn 2: Dead End." In addition to this, he's demonstrated talent as a voice actor, portraying Kilowog in "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights," Zaheer in "The Legend of Korra," and Tri-Klops in "Masters of the Universe: Revelation." Is there anything that Rollins can't do?!