Typically, a biopic is the closest movie stars get to depicting full-blown rock stars. As much as they might seem similar, the magic of actors and artists is a bit different. We’ve seen it in how they try to cross over into each other’s fields. Bruce Willis and Eddie Murphy didn’t stick it out in music for the long haul. Even though Mos Def was good at it, he preferred the art of rhyming instead.

But some actors didn’t even want to act at first. They wanted music stardom long before they ever heard ‘action’ behind the camera. Here are three full-blown movie stars who didn’t even come to Hollywood for acting at first. Instead, they showed up to the city of stars to blow up as singers.

Three Movie Stars Who Initially Had Visions of Being a Rock Star before acting

Jeff Bridges

It’s hard for a lot of people to imagine Jeff Bridges as anything other than The Dude. But instead of relying solely on acting, he wanted to make music. “I dug what an actor did, but it took me a while to feel it, to truly appreciate the craft and the preparation. Plus, I was still playing music a lot, and I guess I had a hard time choosing,” Bridges recalled to Guitar Aficionado Magazine (via Reuters). “Was I an actor or a musician, or could I be both?”

Although he wasn’t nearly as big of a singer, he still accomplished the dreams he had. He’ll frequently play guitar and even record ambient, spoken word albums in his spare time.

Johnny Depp

Before we knew him as Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp was your everyday guitarist. Because he’s actually great with the instrument, he’s been a part of some serious supergroups across his career. In the 90s, he was a part of P, a band with members of the Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sex Pistols alike.

Then, in 2015, he worked with more rock & roll royalty by forming Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. Together, they’ve toured three world tours and released two albums.

Jason Schwartzman

Anyone who has ever watched a Wes Anderson movie has seen Jason Schwartzman. The characters he typically plays don’t immediately scream rockstar, but that was his love first. Before he found his calling on the big screen, he co-founded Phantom Planet in 1994. By 2003, though, he made acting his sole focus. Over time, he’s still tinkered around with music. He has appeared in TV series like Smallville and Slackers.

Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images for Illumination And Universal Pictures

The post 3 Iconic Movie Stars Who Originally Came To Hollywood to Be a Rock Star appeared first on VICE.

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For a long time, Li’l Romeo was just trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. When the old man Master P founded the No Limit Militia, what do you do besides try and be like him? That was the case for Romeo Miller, or as we know him, Lil’ Romeo. At the time, Lil’ Bow Wow was carving out a serious space for himself in hip-hop at just 13 years old. Rather than leave that lane of kids rapping unattended, Miller and his dad threw his hat in the ring.

Insert his eponymous debut album in 2001 with his hit single “My Baby”. Featuring his uncle Silkk The Shocker and others, the record did moderately well, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard 200.

Romeo Miller kept rapping, releasing a couple more albums and his fair share of EPs and mixtapes. But just like his father, he wasn’t satisfied with just rapping. While some fans might recognize him for his rapping career, older Gen Z adults will probably remember Romeo! on Nickelodeon in 2003. There, he played a fictionalized version of himself and leveraged his fame and attachment to Master P for 53 episodes across three seasons.

Romeo Miller Goes From Hip-Hop to Nickelodeon

Lil’ Romeo has continuously acted throughout his career, whether in Tyler Perry and Lifetime movies or in those infamous ICDC College commercials. Moreover, he kept tinkering with his many other talents. He never quite made it to the NBA like Master P, but he made it to USC on his basketball talent. At the time, he played alongside future NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, though not for long.

Romeo Miller also took up a little modeling and even launched his own clothing brand called College Boyys. The goal there was to provide something formal and nice without breaking the bank on clothes.

“I want to implant the same positive message to young boys as they dress themselves each day with a feeling of success. They can look in the mirror at themselves with a positive goal in mind for their bright future, knowing that going to college can make a big difference in their lives. College Boyys clothing style is classy, cool, and urban with a message: ‘It’s actually cool to be smart,” he said in 2010.

Turning 37 years old today, he’s just Romeo Miller, still making music, acting, and trying a litany of different things. He celebrated his birthday by sharing his upcoming album, New Lane, for pre-order.

Photo by Josh Brasted/Getty Images

The post Born 37 Years Ago Today in the Big Easy, the Rapper Who Followed His Famous Father Into Hip-Hop Before Becoming a Nickelodeon Star appeared first on VICE.

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