Double Take

If you've recently gone to a theater near you, you've probably caught a glimpse of frequent TRL guests crowding the silver screen. From Whitney Houston's star turn in The Bodyguard to Ice Cube's impressive repertoire of independent fare, recording artists are all over the film industry.

Putting music stars into movies is nothing new. In 1947, a young Billie Holiday starred opposite Louis Armstrong in the black-and-white flick New Orleans. A decade later, Elvis Presley steamed up the cinema in Jailhouse Rock and Blue Hawaii. Then came the smash hit Hard Day's Night, a hilarious, subversive flick featuring the Beatles.

In the early O80s, the public got a double dose of Madonna, first on MTV, and later in the movies Desperately Seeking Susan and Who's That Girl? Despite protests from conservatives, Catholics and Ciccones everywhere, Madonna continued her movie career with A League of Their Own, Girl 6, and the musical Evita, which won her a Golden Globe in 1996. Madonna's recent union with film director Guy Ritchie is a near-promise that more film is in the Material Girl's future. Look for her in Swept Away, the secretive Ritchie project debuting in 2002.

Another future feature (Not a Girl) stars Britney Spears, alongside Center Stage's Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning from Crazy/Beautiful. With Kim Catrall slated to play her mom, Britney may be outshined by her costars (but her contract probably states that she gets to show the most skin). Below, we've compiled some of the best acting performances by pop stars. Since they feature well-known recording artists, if you like the movie, chances are you'll love the soundtrack.

Bjork in Dancing in the Dark. This gutsy Lars Von Trier pic earned the indie-rock princess an Oscar nomination--and a swan-shaped dress that waddled down the red carpet.

Bon Jovi in Moonlight and Valentino. Bon Jovi delivers an intriguing performance in this low-key, well-acted ensemble flick, also starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Cher in Moonstruck. Do you believe in life after the O60s? Cher proves she's every woman by delivering a phenomenal performance opposite Nicolas Cage. After scoring an Oscar for Moonstruck, Cher went on to star in another great flick, Mermaids.

Meatloaf in Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dammit, Janet, Meatloaf does a mighty good job as a rock On roll biker and certified Hot Patootie in this cult classic.