6 musicians you didn’t know were also actors

Given that acting is an artistic career, it’s no surprise that there is a lot of overlap between actors and musicians. Several current stars are well known for their work in both acting and music, such as Janelle Monae, Lady Gaga, and most recently, Joe Keery.

However, you might be surprised to see some familiar faces that also have successful careers in music. Here are some actors that you didn’t know were also musicians.

#1. Dylan Minnette

Dylan Minnette began his career as a child actor and notably landed his first significant role around age 8 thanks to being spotted by a talent scout in Chicago. From early guest appearances on shows like Drake & Josh and Two and a Half Men, he went on to portray the younger version of Michael Scofield in Prison Break (2005–2006), star as Clay Norman in Saving Grace (2007–2010), and later achieved widespread acclaim as Clay Jensen in the hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020).

Parallel to his screen career, Minnette was (and still is) a founding member of the alternative rock band Wallows, active since 2011 and best known for their breakout single “Are You Bored Yet? (feat. Clairo).” The band released their third studio album, Model, on May 24, 2024, and followed it up with a new EP titled More in March 2025.

Currently, Wallows are touring Europe as part of their Model & More Tour. They’ve recently played shows including on August 19 in Glasgow and performed in Belfast and the Netherlands earlier in the tour. Tonight, August 20, the band is set to perform in London (O2 Academy Brixton), and headline appearances at major UK festivals such as the Leeds and Reading festivals from August 21 to 24.

#2. Lewis Pullman

You may recognize actor Lewis Pullman, son of Bill Pullman, from supporting roles in films such as Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Battle of the Sexes (2017), as well as his Emmy-nominated turn in the TV miniseries Lessons in Chemistry (2023).

Beyond acting, Pullman showcases his musical chops as the drummer for the indie-pop band Atta Boy, alongside Eden Brolin, Freddy Reish, and Dashel Thompson. The band, known for their albums Out of Sorts (released in 2012) and Big Heart Manners (2020), is currently gearing up to support the folk-rock group Caamp on select dates of their 2025 tour.

#3. Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves is known for iconic roles such as Nero in The Matrix and John Wick in the John Wick movie franchise. However, Reeves is also an accomplished musician and pursued a music career for over a decade as the bassist and singer for grunge band Dogstar.

After a long hiatus, the band quietly resumed jam sessions around the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, releasing their third album Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in 2023 and performing live in 2024.

#4. Ross Lynch

Most people know Ross Lynch for his roles in the Disney Channel series Austin and Ally or the Disney Channel original movie Teen Beach Movie. Outside of Disney Channel, he has also been in the Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the film My Friend Dahmer.

In addition to his acting, Lynch first made his mark as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the pop-rock band R5, formed with his siblings. They became well known in the early 2010s and released several successful albums and EPs. In 2018, he and his brother Rocky Lynch founded the alt-rock duo THE DRIVER ERA, signaling a shift toward more mature sound and genre-blending work. Since then, the duo has released four studio albums: X (2019), Girlfriend (2021), Summer Mixtape (2022), and Obsession (April 11, 2025).

To promote Obsession, THE DRIVER ERA launched the 2025 Obsession Tour, a global concert series that began on January 18, 2025, in Auckland, New Zealand, and concluded on July 18, 2025, in Los Angeles, spanning approximately 50 shows across Australia, New Zealand, South America, and North America.

#5. Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis has an accomplished acting career, which includes roles in films such as What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Cape Fear, and most recently, the TV series Yellowjackets.

Beyond acting, Lewis has nurtured a long-held passion for music. At 30, she formed the rock band Juliette and the Licks, driven by her desire to finally pursue her dream of making music. The band launched with an EP (…Like a Bolt of Lightning, 2004) followed by two full-length albums, You’re Speaking My Language (2005) and Four on the Floor (2006). Though they went on hiatus in 2009, they reunited for a performance in Los Angeles in 2015 and toured Europe in 2016.

#6. Craig Robinson

Craig Robinson is an actor and comedian best known for his role as Darryl Philbin in The Office. He also appeared in several films by Seth Rogen such as Hot Tub Time Machine and This Is the End. Robinson seamlessly integrates music into his comedy, which has been a hallmark of his creative persona for years, performing with fellow comedian Jerry Minor as musical duo L. Witherspoon and Chucky as a comedy routine.

Robinson also leads his own funk/soul band, The Nasty Delicious, which he fronts alongside his brother Chris Rob. He also has performed and produced music for the films Miss March, Dolemite Is My Name, and on the Hot Tub Time Machine soundtrack he performed renditions of “Jessie’s Girl” and “Let’s Get It Started.”