10 Actors Who Actually Sang in Rock Movies

There have been a lot of biopics made about rock and metal artists and, in some cases, the actors actually sang in the movies too.

It’s one thing to portray an iconic musician and lip sync to their music, but to actually perform the artists’ songs is a whole other story.

In the 2018 biopic about Queen‘s Freddie Mercury, the filmmakers used Mercury’s actual vocals and combined them with those of Canadian singer Marc Martel, whose voice is known for having an uncanny similarity to Mercury’s.

Actor Rami Malek, who plays Mercury in the movie, contributed a little to the vocals, but it’s mostly Mercury and Martel that viewers hear.

For many other films, the artist’s authentic studio recordings were featured as part of the soundtrack, but the actors also sang in parts to make them seem more realistic. The majority of them worked with professional vocal coaches to specifically prepare for the role.

While these films inevitably draw criticism from people who feel the need to point out that the actor doesn’t sound exactly like the musician they’re playing, it makes the role feel more genuine than if were to just lip sync to the real songs.

Below, view the actors and actresses who sang in rock music movies.

We didn’t include anyone who already has a music career on the side, so although Bradley Cooper is noted for his role in A Star Is Born, his co-star in the film, pop star Lady Gaga, is not.