10 Actors Who Learned To Play Instruments For Their Roles
Going the extra mile to make their productions more authentic...
Acting in a movie is challenging enough. Doing something extra is even harder. As any musician will tell you, learning an instrument takes years of dedicated practice, doubly so if you wish to rank among the elite. When it comes to the filmmaking business however, moments with performed music only take up a small portion of screen-time.
Despite this, actors are often still expected to take things a step further. Learning and performing in front of the camera can take up a solid portion of the production time; performers in the industry are often put through rigorous practice regimes to get them prepped for just one sequence.
As you'll see in this list, it certainly became long and tedious for some. Yet when you see the final results on scene, it makes a colossal impact on the viewer. By enhancing the authenticity in the moment, we become much more invested in the story of characters. It's certainly a must in musicals, which live and die on the quality of their audio components.
Here are ten actors who took the time to learn an instrument for their performance.
10. Keira Knightley in Begin Again
Following appearances in the likes of Pirate of the Caribbean and Atonement, Keira Knightley had garnered a reputation for emotive, dramatic performances. She certainly wasn't known for being cast in musicals, let alone playing an instrument for a given production. That changed with 2014's Begin Again.
Directed by John Carney, this musical-comedy drama follows the bond that grows between struggling record label exec Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) who stumbles upon the talented indie musician Gretta James (Knightley). While relations between the lead actress and director were difficult at points, the greatest challenge for Keira came with learning both guitar and singing.
The actress took lessons from vocal coach Roger Love for a time and despite having no musical experience, she went on to wow critics and audiences alike. Keira said at the time she was no fan of singing, hating karaoke and didn't have a natural ability with the guitar. Regardless, she wanted to challenge herself and committed whole-heartedly to the production.
It certainly shows in the final film as Knightley delivers both a beautiful voice and a deft hand with the acoustics. Her performance of "Coming Up Roses" really hit home, seamlessly blending her more fragile, vulnerable persona with a more upbeat style and tone.