I can't believe nobody mentioned
Sebastian Cabot Actor: Bob Dylan Poet
They had it in my church library. I took it out and my English teacher and I laughed our tails off listening to it.
Buffy and Jody's butler can really get his intone on.

I see it's still on Amazon:
[Import, Original Recording Remastered]

I object to the flippant treatment of Hugh Laurie's blues album, "Let Them Talk". The album is worth the time to savior. Hugh Laurie followed his passion to new Orleans and recorded with some of their best musicians, including Dr.John. If this were elevator music as alluded, I wouldn't mind being stuck for its duration.

Also, Chris Isaak. But I think he was a musician before he started acting.

In 2000, while a music editor at BN.com, I reviewed (of all things) the "Ally McBeal" Christmas album.

Here's what I wrote then: "Robert Downey Jr. lends an astoundingly good vocal to a gorgeous rendition of Joni Mitchell's 'River'."

11 years later, it was the first thing that came to mind when I heard your call for comments. Downey has a beautiful voice.

Clint Eastwood sings cowboy favorites! also Merle Haggard featuring Clint Eastwood "Bar room Buddies" great stuff

Just listed to Crispin (Hellion) Glover 's these boots are made for walk.. all I can say is wooooow .. ha!

Ruben Blades

Remember when David Soul's hit Don't Give Up On Us Baby? I had the 45, maybe even still do. Love it then, would laugh at it now but could probably still sing all the words...

Also, NO to Zoe Deschanel, her voice sounds like a frog trying to flirt with an idiot in a Bright Eyes haircut and a plaid baseball cap.

If Don Johnson stops you in your tracks, the songs of Crispin (Hellion) Glover - found on the album "The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution, The Solution Equals Let It Be" - will take your breath away. Promise.

Bruce Willis! The Return of Bruno!!

Don't forget Rick Springfield.

How about Jack Wagner -crystal blue persuasion

Telly Savalas' "If":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J94-_w9ARX0

He out-sprechgesangs even the might Shatner — pure gorgeousness!!!!!

How about Eddie Murphy and "Party All the Time". Hilariously AWFUL!

What about Puff Daddy? Who has made tons of completely horrendous music and can't act to save his life? (Giving passes to "Ready To Die" and "Made" - in the one, he helped make the beats and had a few BORING verses, in the other, he basically acted like the arrogant "gangsta'" he considers himself to be.)

for me Brent Spiner

Don't forget the travesty that is Steven Segal's music career. ;-)

ScarJo's albums are both TERRIBLE, though I do like her as an actor. Eddie Murphy is great when he sings on the "Dream Girls" cast recording.

scarlett johansson's album is really great... big fan

What, no "Party All The Time" by Eddie Murphy?

What about Rex Harrison?

so what is the deal,if you are first known as an actor,you can't make music ?! how silly is that ?

Robert Mitchum: The album is "Calypso is like so". It's incredible! Awful - yet awesome...! Too funny.

As an actor? Bridges. In this case Robbins hands down. The autotune is like aural diabetes, yech...

Why is it that so many musicians seem to be pretty good actors, but the converse is so rare?

I gotta love what Jared Leto has done with his band 30 Seconds to Mars. Their newest album, This Is War, has a range of musicality and showcases lyrics that though debatable at least mean he is up to date with current events

Juliette Lewis has done some good work. I'm over her now but the first two albums were great and her shows confirmed she's a great entertainer.

i love Diane Keaton

LL Cool J, Will Smith old school hip hop artists became very good successful actors.

What - no Crispin Hellion Glover?

What - no Crispin Hellion Glover?

Probably the most successful actor/songwriter right now is Jared Leto in 30 Seconds to Mars which is really big on social media right now. Won't pass judgment on the music as I haven't heard it but he's experienced great success.

How about Peter Sellers?

I really enjoyed Milla Jovovich's record "The Divine Comedy" quite a bit. I'm not sure if she ever released another.

CRISPIN HELLION GLOVER!!! most complete shift and thoroughly delightful. i thought someone would have mentioned this already...

Zooey DeChannel's two She & Him albums w/ M. Ward work for me.
As for the flip side, there's Tom Waits' turns as Renfield in Bram Stocker's Dracula, or Down By Law.

Shatner vs. Nimoy
that is indeed the greatest actor/musician smackdown of all time -
they actively competed with each other to seemingly create the most amazingly insane music ever put to tape

"Lost in Space" by Jeff Bridges on the John and Mary soundtrack from 1969.
Kinda overlooked in my opinion- but its produced by QUINCEY JONES. And has this sweet innocence that gets me everytime. LISTEN TO IT!

I'm almost offended that no one has mentioned the important work of William Shatner.

I have to confess to having been a big fan of Russell Crowe's TOFOG band around 10 years ago. I was young, he was hunky & played Austin bars. I knew at the time it was subpar music but I had so much fun at the concerts I did not care.

I guess I judge actor/songwriters by a different standard. Their charisma can make up for a lot of mediocre tunes, at least in live performance. But they can't hide a lack of talent in the recording studio.

Don Johnson - Heartbeat. a crime against humanity that has still gone unpunished!

Actor Album Classic:
Don Johnson in his Miami Vice Prime!

"Heartbeat" by Don Johnson, enough said.

"Tunnel of Love" is Bruce's divorce album? It was the first album he released after marrying Phillips.

Charlie Chaplin. The best

I will never understand why Americans are more than willing to accept a musician who transitions to acting (Kristofferson, Bowie, etc) and loath to embrace an actor who decides to make music. Any actor who's spent their life devoted to the craft of performance has more than likely had training as a singer - it's a more sensible transition than becoming a glassblower or a theoretical physicist.

Too much autotune on Badblake.. Also, he's sounds emotionally flat and nasally. Tim Robbins sounds like he's dying.

Too much autotune on Badblake.. Also, he's sounds emotionally flat and nasally. Tim Robbins sounds like he's dying.

Jason Schwartzman is perhaps the best working actor/musician. He scored Funny People nicely and has done nice work as Coconut Records.

These vanity albums made by famous actors are no better, nor no worse, than tons of stuff being released by so called "legitimate" recording artists. They're just part of the American product stream. The finest albums ever made by an actor are the ones by William Shatner, which skirt genius.

Oh, that Tim Robbins song is awful. I hope you play another one that is better. I love him as an actor.

Jeff Bridges, on the other hand, sounds great.

Charlotte Gainsborough Yes
Scarlett Johansen No

This works better the other way 'round. Think Kristofferson.