Though plenty of pop and (especially) hip-hop stars have dabbled in acting, they're not the only musicians who have second careers as thespians. Here are ten indie rock/alternative rock musicians who have acted in films and television.
1. Will Oldham
As a child, Will Oldham was an actor before he pursued a career in music, but over the years he's occasionally appeared in some independent films, including Junebug, Old Joy, and most surprisingly, R. Kelly's epic Trapped in the Closet videos
2. Jenny Lewis
Like Will Oldham, Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis was a child actor before she turned to music, though her career was considerably more successful. She appeared in episodes of The Golden Girls and Roseanne and in films such as Pleasantville and Don's Plum. Her most recent acting job was in an episode of American Dad from 2010.
3. Bradford Cox
Though he doesn't have many lines, Deerhunter's Bradford Cox made his film debut in Dallas Buyers Club, playing the boyfriend of Jared Leto's character Rayon. In real life, Cox's unusual appearance stems from Marfan's Syndrome, though it also made him look very convincing as an HIV/AIDS sufferer.
4. Jack White
Though I wrote about the White Stripes in my article for film cameos made by musicians, Jack White has also appeared in films playing characters other than himself. He most famously played Elvis in a brief scene in the comedy Walk Hard, though he also made an appearance in the Academy Award-winning film Cold Mountain with his then-girlfriend Renee Zellweger.
5. Michael Stipe
If you ever find yourself doubting how cool Nickelodeon was in the '90s, just remind yourself that R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe once played an ice cream man in an episode of The Adventures of Pete & Pete. In fact, Stipe wasn't the only rock singer to appear in the show...
6. Iggy Pop
Though Michael Stipe made one appearance of Pete & Pete, Iggy Pop was a series regular, playing one of the character's dads. Pop's been in a number of films too, including John Waters' Cry-Baby and Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, both alongside Johnny Depp.
7. Björk
Though Björk hasn't appeared in many films, her incredible performance in Lars Von Trier's Dancer in the Dark earned her many awards, including Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival.
8. Henry Rollins
In between his spoken word tours, former Black Flag frontman has appeared in small roles in several films, including classics such as Michael Mann's Heat and one of my favorite films, David Lynch's Lost Highway.
9. Dean Wareham
Even though I'm a big fan of Galaxie 500, for some reason I didn't realize that guitarist Dean Wareham had a small role in the film Frances Ha until weeks after I saw it. I should really start reading the credits more often.
10. Flea
For anyone my age, Flea will always be known not as the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but as Donny from The Wild Thornberries. He also played one of the German nihilists in The Big Lebowski, and is the reason I'm physically incapable of saying the "Lebowski" with anything other than a German accent.
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