Friday, June 29, 2007

Discussion about indie rockers in movies:

PUNK ACTORS IN FEATURE FILMS. I'll start, you add.
(Not regular ol' rock stars, but from the punk and indie rock crowd.)

* IGGY POP in "Cry Baby" with DEBBIE HARRY, and a few others.

* JOHN Doe of X appearing on the screen in everything from "Great Balls of Fire" to various episodes of "CSI" and "The West Wing."

* RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist FLEA making his screen debut in "Suburbia" and appearing in a dozen or so from then to now including "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "My Own Private Idaho"

* ANN MAGNUSON of BONGWATER was a regular on the 1980s Jamie Lee Curtis/Richard Lewis sitcom "Anything But Love." She's also had small roles in "Panic Room," "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," "Making Mr. Right" and "The Hunger." Magnuson was also on episodes of Nickelodeon's great "The Pete & Pete Show."

* JACK WHITE of the WHITE STRIPES in "Cold Mountain."

* COURTNEY LOVE, beginning way back with a bit part in "Sid & Nancy," to her critically-acclaimed turn in "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and several others.

* HENRY ROLLINS has been in a bunch of cruddy action movies.

* JOAN JETT (She has punk cred via The Runaways) opposite Michael J. Fox in the horrid "Light of Day."

I've also seen in movies JANE WEIDLIN of the Go-Go's, ELVIS COSTELLO, GRACE JONES, LOU REED, SUZI QUATRO, CYNDI LAUPER, and DAVID JOHANSEN of the New York Dolls.

8 comments:

Addison said...

Don't forget Daltrey was in an episode of CSI.

Dumbfound Me said...

Will Oldham of Palace Brothers has been in a bunch of films, including Matewan by John Sayles and the recent movie Old Joy.

Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney has been in at least three: Group, Fan Mail and Getting Stronger Everyday (the latter directed by Miranda July).

Does Eddie Vedder semi-playing himself in Singles count? How about Yo La Tengo portraying the Velvet Underground in I Shot Andy Warhol?

Gina Vivinetto said...

Excellent picks.
I've seen Carrie in "Group." And, just the other day I caught "Singles" on cable. How about the cameos of other Seattleites like Stone Gossard (of Pearl Jam) and Tad?

Gina Vivinetto said...

PS - I just added a few more to the main list. HELP. I know there are tons more that our slipping my mind.

Dumbfound Me said...

Um, the Waitresses playing themselves on the first episode of Square Pegs? But I realize musical cameo appearances aren't the same thing as musicians in acting roles.

I also sort of remember Debbie Harry playing some music industry mogul in the old CBS crime series Wiseguy. Assuming she counts.

Anonymous said...

Flea also played Nihilist #2, Kieffer, in The Big Lebowski.

Anonymous said...

Does Dolly Parton count as an indie rocker? What about Kevin Bacon? I need parameters!!

Anonymous said...

Yeay to the Will Oldham in Matewan post - we just went camping in West Virginia (with a union organizer no less)- and I've been thinking about that movie ever since.

Also... John Lurie in Stranger Than Paradise.
Tom Waits in Down By Law AND... drum roll, please for the wacky Mr. Waits.. Rumble Fish!

Courtney Love - say what you want about her now, but she was amazing in People vs Larry Flynt.

I can't really say I'd call him an indie rocker, but Chris Bridges aka Ludacris has turned in some really cool performances in Crash and Hustle and Flow.

Come to DC soon - the AFI has an 80's film series going on right now!