10 Amazing Performances That Turned Teen Idols Into Legitimate Actors

4. Mandy Moore - Saved!

Mandy Moore. The sweet pop princess who slipped in under the radar during the late '90s while the twin behemoths of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were dominating the industry. Although she was first and foremost a singer, it always seemed like she had more to contribute as an actress. Her songs were light and fluffy, pretty much dealing exclusively with surface emotions, but she had a certain quality on film that made her more than just another pop singer trying their hand at acting because their agent thought it would be a good idea. She did the obligatory saccharine teen films, because those are the roles you get offered when you're a teenage superstar. But after she did A Walk To Remember and The Princess Diaries, she took a role that felt brilliantly subversive. Moore signed on for a supporting role in Saved!, a satirical teen comedy set in a high school populated by born-again Christians that does a lot of work exploring the hypocrisy of the deeply devout. She played the chaste, virtuous Hilary, poking fun at her own squeaky clean image. Moore was a clear highlight in the film, and it was really nice to see a pop star try something a little bit different in their film choices.