The 15 Best Bands Fronted By Movie Stars

Even actors and actresses secretly want to be rock stars.

Kelly McClure

Jan 22, 2016

Not too long ago, we did a rundown of our favorite music videos that contained cameos by movie stars. To take that one step further, we’re back with a roundup of movie stars who have their own damn bands. What this proves is that everyone, even famous actors like Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, and Kevin Bacon, wants to be a rock star.

1. Dead Man’s Bones

Ryan Gosling and his friend Zach Shields are the driving forces behind this band. They released their first self-titled album on Anti in 2009. Two questionable facts listed about the band on its Wikipedia page are that the inspiration for it came from a mutual love for the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, and that Gosling performs under the alias “Baby Goose.”

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2. 30 Seconds to Mars

Jared Leto and his brother Shannon have been keeping this band going since the late ’90s. They’ve released four albums to date and are rumored to be a cult of some sort, though that rumor is based on very loose, unhinged “facts.”

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3. The Ordinary Fear of God

This band is what emerged from the ashes of Russell Crowe’s former band 30 Odd Foots of Grunts. The band released an album called My Hand, My Heart and played a series of sold-out dates in Australia in 2005.

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4. Truth Movement

Corey Feldman tries. I mean, he just really really tries.

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5. The Bacon Brothers

Kevin Bacon is still cutting loose. He’s been performing in this band with his brother Michael since 1995.

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6. The Boxmasters

Aside from the fact that he had this band, all you really need to know about Billy Bob Thornton is that he has repeatedly put his penis inside of Angelina Jolie. Like, it happened. No one will ever be able to take that away from him.

7. She & Him

Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward have been recording as She & Him since 2006. Also, did you know that Deschanel’s mom played Donna’s mom on Twin Peaks? Not really related to what we’re talking about here, but I like to bring that up whenever I can.

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8. Dogstar

Most of Keanu Reeves’ acting roles are hilarious (whether intentionally or unintentionally) but this band is no laughing matter.

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9. Wicked Wisdom

Chances are you didn’t know Jada Pinkett Smith is in a band. Well, she is, and it’s pretty awesome.

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10. Juliette and the Licks

Juliette Lewis is, safe to say, one of the coolest women alive today. Her stage presence is electrifying and she brings just as much energy to her band as she does her film roles.

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11. Phantom Planet

This band, fronted by Jason Schwartzman, hasn’t been active for awhile, but they’re still fun to listen to.

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12. Big Japan

The coolest band Adam Brody’s been involved with since Low Shoulder. (That’s a Jennifer’s Body joke.)

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13. The Rock Bottom Remainders

This is a band comprised of all famous writers, the most famous of them being Stephen King. Dave Barry, who’s also in the band, has been quoted as saying “We play music as well as Metallica writes novels.” And yeah, while Stephen King is the only one in this list who isn’t a movie star per se, he makes cameos in the majority of the films based on his novels, so that counts.

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14. The Pizza Underground

Macaulay Culkin is in a band that does pizza themed versions of Velvet Underground songs. Sure, why not?

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15. Sons of an Illustrious Father

Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) plays drums and sings in this New York-based band, and it’s impressively good.

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Mentioned in this article: Entertainment Ezra Miller Juliette Lewis Macaulay Culkin movies Music music news Ryan Gosling