Beyoncé’s major talent lies in her vocal ability and her stage presence. But being a music industry superstar isn’t all the Houston-born singer is cut out for. She has also taken on several acting projects while slowly building her music career.
Often portraying characters that have some kind of musical ability, Beyoncé has also appeared in films that have pushed her out of her comfort zone and forced her to explore her acting potential. Keep reading to see our ranking of Beyoncé’s 10 acting and voice-over roles based on the believability of the character and the versatility required of the role.
Shine (Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!)
You’d be forgiven for not knowing that Beyoncé ever lent her famous voice to the children’s educational flash animated series Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! The show tells the story of a creature called Wubbzy and his friends, Widget and Walden.
Beyoncé played a secondary character called Shine. The character is obviously blue and is widely known among members of the “BeyHive” Beyoncé fan base to be the singer’s favorite. Of course, Beyoncé’s voice sounds as amazing in this role as it always does. The only problem with Shine’s appearance on the show is that it’s over so quickly!
Carmen Brown (Carmen: A Hip Hopera)
Carmen Brown: A Hip Hopera did not receive positive views from critics. Despite its low IMDb rating of 4.6 stars, Beyoncé fans still love watching the singer take on the starring role of Carmen Brown. The story follows Carmen as she falls in love with a policeman from Philadelphia, played by Mekhi Phifer, who happens to be engaged.
Beyoncé doesn’t play a singer in this film, but an aspiring actress who sadly meets a tragic end without ever finding the fame she desires.
Xania (The Pink Panther)
A reboot of The Pink Panther franchise was released in 2006. The tenth installment in the series, the film stars Beyoncé as Xania, a pop star who is also the girlfriend of a man called Yves Gluant. Beyoncé is charming as Xania, but as she plays a pop star, she doesn’t have to bring much versatility to the role.
For the film, Beyoncé performed two songs: ‘Woman Like Me’ and her smash hit ‘Check On It.’ A sequel was released in 2009 but Beyoncé did not return to reprise her role as Xania.
Lilly (The Fighting Temptations)
The Fighting Temptations is a feel-good story about a man who returns to his hometown to claim his inheritance of $150,000 but first must improve the condition of the local choir. Enter Beyoncé as Lilly, the childhood friend of protagonist Darrin Hill, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., who is a nightclub singer.
Darrin and Lilly reconnect and end up falling in love, getting married, and having a baby. The highlight of the film for Beyoncé fans is witnessing the singer’s phenomenal musical scenes. Although she can still act, it’s always the vocals that make Beyoncé shine in any performance.
Sharon (Obsessed)
In the 2009 thriller Obsessed, Beyoncé plays a character who is worlds away from her true persona. The film follows the story of a man who is stalked by a crazed temp working at his office and Beyoncé portrays his wife, Sharon.
The most remarkable thing about this role was that it allowed Beyoncé to step out of her comfort zone and swap the stage for a gritty violent climax, where she finally confronted the woman who had fallen in love with her husband. Obsessed definitely showed us that Beyoncé can be versatile with her acting roles.
Deena Jones (Dreamgirls)
Loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes, Dreamgirls centers around Deena Jones and the Dreams. Beyoncé stars as Deena, the lead singer of the group who goes on to have a successful solo career and marry a huge record executive.
Beyoncé’s vocals are impressive as ever in the film, but the majority of the praise went to co-star Jennifer Hudson for her portrayal of Effie White. Effie is cast out of the spotlight despite her amazing vocal range, exploring the idea that the music industry values looks above talent.
Queen Tara (Epic)
She’s often hailed as the queen of the music industry so it seems fitting that Beyoncé would play a queen. Loosely based on the children’s book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, Epic was released in 2013 and starred Beyoncé as Queen Tara.
Queen Tara is the queen of the forest and the childhood love of Ronin, a Leafman warrior and leader of the Leafmen. Beyoncé doesn’t have a huge amount of lines, but fans love hearing her regal voice when it does appear in the story.
Nala (The Lion King)
The remake of The Lion King was one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2019. Once again, Beyoncé lent her voice talents to an animated role, this time portraying the lioness Nala. Nala’s role in the remake is slightly larger than in the original animated version. You can tell from the authority in Beyoncé’s voice as she plays Nala that she has grown a lot as an actress since her Carmen Brown days.
Along with portraying Nala, Beyoncé also recorded music for the film’s soundtrack and released her own album that was inspired by the film entitled The Lion King: The Gift. It features the soundtrack’s lead single ‘Spirit.’
Etta James (Cadillac Records)
In Cadillac Records, Beyoncé may have played another music star but that doesn’t mean the role was similar to her own life. In order to portray Etta James, Beyoncé had to explore dark emotions and put on a much more intense performance than she previously had to for any of her other musical roles.
The film received positive reviews and Beyoncé’s vocal performance, including a rendition of the classic Etta James song ‘At Last,’ was widely praised by critics.
Foxxy Cleopatra (Austin Powers In Goldmember)
Austin Powers in Goldmember is not the most highly rated movie that Beyoncé has appeared in but her role as Foxxy Cleopatra made her shine like no other. Although roles like Etta James allowed Beyoncé to explore the more serious side of her acting potential, playing Foxxy allowed her to tap into her sassy side.
Beyoncé was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, an MTV Movie Award, a Kids’ Choice Award, and a Black Reel Award for her portrayal of Foxxy.
