Many talented singers are known for their Grammy Award-winning voices. Some of them are even classically trained from childhood. While we have so many of them in the industry, in some instances, we also have untrained actors who land musical roles.
Because singing is a major part of these kinds of movies, actors need to undergo voice lessons. For some, it takes a few months to transform their voices into musical-worthy range. For others, it just comes naturally like a hidden and untapped skill waiting to be awakened. We’ve got a list of brilliant actors who went for singing lessons for their respective roles and actually nailed the job.
Bradley Cooper
A Star Is Born actor Bradley Cooper trained with dialect coach Tim Monich a year before the film was released. His deep, rough-hewn voice was patterned after Sam Elliot who also starred in the movie.
Cooper’s country vibe kind of drunk style singing was the goal for his baritone voice. He says his character was different from all the ones he did before. This performance earned him an Oscar nomination.
Anne Hathaway
The Les Miserables star Anne Hathaway sought help from vocal coach Joan Lader for her role in the Victor Hugo film adaptation. This movie gave her the Best Performance in a Supporting Role award in 2012. They sung all of the songs live while being recorded in real-time. Hathaway trained with her coach twice a week.
Meryl Streep
The veteran actress has appeared in several musical movies and there is no doubt that she could sing. Take her performance in the hit summer musical Mamma Mia! and Netflix’s The Prom.
Aside from that, she had rigorous training for her role in Foster Florence Jenkins. She plays an ambitious opera singer which earned Streep her 20th Oscar nomination. Streep trained with Arthur Levy who mostly trains Broadway singers.
Emily Blunt
The Into The Woods star Emily Blunt confessed to having lots of singing lessons before her performance in the musical film. She was also able to use that for her role in Mary Poppins Returns.
Blunt finds it nerve-wracking to sing in front of a lot of people. For someone who does not really sing for a living, it is a “knee-knocking experience”, as she puts it.
Tom Hiddleston
The British actor had rigorous vocal training to cover up his British accent and master the southern country vibe in I Saw The Light. Hiddleston trained with singing coach Rodney Cowell.
Hiddleston told Vanity Fair, “There’s a moment in a man’s life when he’s never yodelled and there’s a moment when he’s asked to yodel. And, it’s a scary moment because you don’t know what sound is going to come out of your mouth.”
Tom Cruise
For his role in Rock of Ages, Tom Cruise trained with vocal coach Ron Anderson. Cruise’s only singing experience before this role was when he was 14. Although his role did not demand a sky-high vocal range, Cruise was praised for his ability to belt ‘80s rock songs.
