"Janie Jones" goes on tour with her burned-out, drug-fueled father, Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola), in the new movie that hits theaters October 28, 2011. Like every great rock star story, a musician finds out he fathered a young girl 13 years prior. His former fling enters rehab and the result of this partying lifestyle is the title character, who is forced to stay with her father as he ruins his career due to bad habits that consist of alcohol and drugs.
Fans automatically feel sorry for Janie, played by the talented Abigail Breslin from the sleeper hit "Little Miss Sunshine." What they don't realize is Janie inherits her father's musical blood, and together they salvage Ethan's life.
Actors Playing Musicians:
We all know actors can play musicians; they're actors, their job is to act. Brilliant portrayals include Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in "The Doors," Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," and Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens in "La Bamba."
Musicians As Actors:
But what about musicians who have turned to acting roles that didn't consist of music? There are obvious names like Will Smith and Justin Timberlake. Here are the top three musicians in acting roles that were surprisingly good but, more importantly, didn't involve playing musicians:
This Bush front man did an astounding job as Balthazar in the 2005 film "Constantine." Playing alongside Keanu Reeves, who portrayed a supernatural detective, Rossdale matched up toe to toe with the veteran actor whose tagline has become "Whoa!" Rossdale also appeared in the 2009 hit "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past."
Internationally known for his band Bon Jovi, front man Jon and owner of the new Soul Kitchen in New Jersey proved to have acting chops in the 2000 flick "Pay It Forward." Although the cast was composed of stars like Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, Bon Jovi played a nice role in Ricky McKinney, the alcoholic ex-husband of Hunt.
This multi-talented musician has made a second career in acting. It was exploited in several movies but the one that stood out was Connick's portrayal of Justin Matisse in the 1998 film "Hope Floats." Co-starring with Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock, the "Copycat" actor went from bit part to lead actor. Since "Hope Floats," Connick has appeared in more than a dozen films.
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