10 Musicians Who Are Actually Good Actors

As a singer-songwriter who has been everywhere and done everything, Kris Kristofferson exudes legitimacy. He has put this grizzled believability to great use onscreen, where he has racked up an incredible filmography featuring everything from cult curios to major blockbusters.

Among his most prominent roles is Whistler, the mentor figure in the Blade series. An aging Kristofferson is a superb foil to Wesley Snipes, and he’s a large part of the success of the first two films.

Prior to that, though, Kristofferson had racked up some enviable credits. He worked with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckinpah, Michael Cimino. He starred in the latter’s Heaven’s Gate, which bombed at the time but is now established as a sensational and seminal neo-western.

It’s a brilliantly varied resume, from mainstream melodrama A Star Is Born to the criminally underrated noir Lone Star, featuring the beloved country star at his most villainous. At 84, he’s still going strong: the man’s an institution.