19 Times Actors Played Instruments So Well It Impressed Me, An ~Actual~ Musician

Ok, so Hugh Grant is basically a virtuoso at this point.

There are loads of musical movies, but most actors don't know how to play instruments when they get the part.

CBS / CBS/Paramount+

As a musician, I can always tell when someone's faking it, but a fair few actors go the distance and actually learn to play.

NBC

Here are 19 actors who went full method for a musical role:

1. Tom Hiddleston — I Saw The Light, Only Lovers Left Alive

Sony Pictures Classics

Tom lived with singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell in Nashville for five weeks so he could practice Hank Williams' songs to make sure he got the country singer's style down, and learnt to yodel. He also learnt to play violin and lute for Only Lovers Left Alive, on top of his piano and guitar skills — get you a man who can do it all.

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2. Ryan Gosling — La La Land

Lionsgate

Ryan spent four months learning to play jazz piano for the film, and his co-star John Legend even said he was "kind of mad" that Gosling got so good so quickly. His practice clearly paid off — just look at that finger work! 

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3. Rami Malek — Bohemian Rhapsody

20th Century Fox

Rami learnt the intro to "Bohemian Rhapsody" on piano for his turn as Freddie Mercury. He also flew himself to London in between shooting Mr. Robot to take singing and piano lessons in preparation, a year before the film was actually greenlit. Now that's dedication. 

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4. Rachel Weisz — The Brothers Bloom

Summit Entertainment/The Weinstein Company

Rachel Weisz went all in for her role, learning banjo, guitar, violin, AND accordion for a single scene where her character shows off her many hobbies and talents. As a violinist, I'm so impressed with her bowing!

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5. Hugh Grant — About a Boy, Music And Lyrics, A Very English Scandal

Warner Bros. Pictures

Composer Paul Englishby taught Hugh Grant to play the guitar for the awkward "Killing Me Softly" scene in About a Boy. Hugh later learnt to play the piano for Music and Lyrics AND learnt violin for A Very English Scandal. The man could start a one-man band at this rate. 

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6. Nicholas Cage — Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

Buena Vista International

Nicholas had "no musical ability" when he learnt to play the mandolin for the film. Like Hugh Grant, he was taught by Paul Englishby. I know Nicholas Cage gets mixed reviews, but his playing is surprisingly heartfelt. 

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7. Bill Murray — Groundhog Day

Columbia Pictures

Bill Murray can't read music but learned piano by ear to play some of Rachmaninov’s "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", in the scene with his piano teacher. Like many of these films, a double was used for close-ups, but Bill was playing in the wider shots. 

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8. Robert Downey Jr. — Chaplin

Guild Film Distribution/TriStar Pictures

Robert spent a year learning to play the violin and tennis with his left hand, just like Chaplin did. That's some serious commitment — it took me years to master a standard right-handed violin!

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9. Matt Damon and Jude Law — The Talented Mr. Ripley

Buena Vista International)

Matt learnt to play the piano while Jude learnt the saxophone for this film, and their efforts are seen when their characters play "My Funny Valentine" in a jazz club. Watching that scene, I'd never have guessed Jude wasn't a pro.

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10. Adrien Brody — The Pianist

BAC Films /Tobis Film/Syrena Entertainment Group/Pathé Distribution

Adrien Brody had to practise the piano for four hours a day to play Władysław Szpilman, the titular pianist. Brody was so dedicated to preparing for the role, he left his girlfriend, sold his car, moved to Europe, and went on an extreme diet. It all paid off in the end, as he won an Academy Award, becoming the youngest person to win Best Actor.

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11. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon — Walk the Line

20th Century Fox

Reese and Joaquin were taught to play autoharp and guitar respectively by Kit Alderson, who also coached Catherine O'Hara for A Mighty Wind. Their vocal coach was Roger Love, and while they initially clashed during singing lessons, ultimately became close friends. 

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12. Bradley Cooper — A Star Is Born

Warner Bros

You knew he was gonna be on this list. Bradley did six months of guitar and piano lessons, and 18 months of vocal training to get Jackson Maine's voice right. He even performed at Glastonbury to prepare for the role! Lady Gaga was the one who convinced him to sing live during filming because she "couldn’t stand watching movies where it’s obvious an actor is lip-syncing". Same here.

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13. Jamie Foxx — Ray, The Soloist

Universal Pictures

Jamie had played the piano from age six, so he performed all the piano scenes in the Ray Charles biopic, and won himself an Oscar. He then took cello lessons for The Soloist. Jamie not only got to play Ray, but met the man himself — see them jamming together below. 

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14. Miles Teller — Whiplash

Sony Pictures Classics/Stage 6 Films

Miles taught himself to play the drums at 15, but had to learn a new, more intense style of jazz drumming for the film. He took additional drum lessons for four hours a day, three times a week, and even got blisters from the vigorous style. Musician, Nate Lang, who also starred in the film, trained Teller and his co-star, Austin Stowell, for their roles. 

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15. Keira Knightley — Begin Again

The Weinstein Company

Even though it was "out of [her] comfort zone", Keira learned to sing and play the guitar for her role as singer-songwriter, Gretta James. Her husband. James Righton, gave her guitar lessons, though she didn't enjoy them and ruled out a music career. Her voice is gentle but powerful — listen to the Oscar-nominated song "Lost Stars" below.

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16. Riz Ahmed — Sound Of Metal

Amazon Studios

For his role as a metal drummer who loses his hearing, Riz learnt to play the drums in just seven months. He was taught by Sean Powell and Guy Licata, who described him as "so dedicated." The film's audio was integral to the plot, and it won the Academy Award for Best Sound. 

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17. Taron Egerton — Rocketman

Paramount Pictures

Taron had never played piano before Michael L. Roberts gave him lessons for the movie. He did all the singing himself and much of the playing, though some parts were dubbed over later. According to Roberts, Taron was playing "for real" in the "Crocodile Rock", "Your Song", and "Benny and the Jets" scenes. He and Elton even became friends during filming. 

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18. Samuel L. Jackson — Black Snake Moan

Paramount Vantage

Samuel learned to play guitar over "six or seven months" while also shooting Snakes on A Plane at the same time. His character Lazarus is a blues player, and Jackson pulls off the soulful vibe really well!  

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19. Christopher Walken — A Late Quartet

Entertainment One

Walken played a cellist, and had lessons to make his playing look realistic. His bowing is a bit off, but his character had Parkinson's disease, and Walken was only required to simulate playing so we'll let him off. 

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And here's a bonus clip of some Avengers actors playing instruments, because why not:

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What do you think of these actors' musical stylings? Let us know in the comments!