10 Musicians Who Are Actually Good Actors

10. Ed Sheeran

Playing yourself is harder than it can look. The temptation to self aggrandise, or to go too broad and ludicrous, is real, and many times celebrities’ attempts to gently send themselves up onscreen has backfired. Ed Sheeran pulls this off with real grace in Danny Boyle’s Yesterday. While the film itself is seriously flawed, the singer-songwriter is able to portray himself as a rounded character, hugely talented but full of self doubt, too.

He was impressive in The Bastard Executioner, too. Kurt Sutter’s 14th century drama was never going to be a hit, but Ed Sheeran’s presence was much more than stunt casting. He plays Sir Cormac, a soldier involved in some of the show’s grizzliest moments. It’s a mystery why Sheeran took this particular role - again, this show was never going to take off - but he does a great job of demonstrating his range.

Sheeran’s cheeky persona shines through in his onscreen appearances, but he evidently has a desire to prove his range beyond that. Expect a lot more from him.