From movie set to music studio

By Genevieve Hassan
Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Scarlett Johansson is the latest Hollywood star to swap the film set for the recording studio, with an album out in the UK on Monday.

Can actors make a successful transition to the music world - or should they hang up their microphones for good?

Scarlett Johansson won a best actress Bafta for Lost in Translation

The first time most people heard Johansson stretch her vocal cords was in her Bafta-winning performance in Lost in Translation, singing karaoke to The Pretenders song Brass in Pocket.

Her vocals led to a track on the album Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars, which featured tunes performed by an array of film and TV actors.

So impressed were Warner Bros that they approached the 23-year-old to record her own album - and Anywhere I Lay My Head, a compilation of Tom Waits covers, is the result.

Even David Bowie has added his talents as a backing singer on two tracks.

But actors appear to have a harder time making it in the music industry than singers who try to break into Hollywood.

Will Smith, Barbra Streisand and Cher - who all started out as singers - have earned Oscar nominations or wins for their acting abilities.

You really don't want to hear the record Jamie Foxx made recently Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q magazine

But musical efforts by movie stars like Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, Keanu Reeves and Minnie Driver have not troubled the charts much - although Willis did have hits with Respect Yourself and Under the Boardwalk in 1987.

"In general, the history of actors who make albums is shocking," says Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q magazine.

"You really don't want to hear the record Jamie Foxx made recently, and especially not any of those made by Bruce Willis."

With that in mind, is it surprising Johansson is giving it a go? And could her album be a success?

David Bowie sings backing vocals on two tracks on the album

"It's not that crazy for a well-known personality who's friends with a lot of musicians to do," says Jonathan Cohen, senior editor of Billboard magazine.

"Her fans will probably buy it and the fact it was produced by [rock band] TV on the Radio means an indie crowd might be more interested - maybe just out of curiosity.

"I doubt it's going to be a blockbuster. It's not going to reach a mass audience - it covers pretty obscure songs and they would be foolish to think it would sell a million copies.

"But between her fanbase and TV on the Radio's, I think it'll do pretty well."

Q's Mr Grundy agrees. "It's not going to be a pop smash - it's an album of Tom Waits covers," he says.

"But it's the kind of thing that might appeal to people who liked the Lost In Translation soundtrack rather than, say, Johansson's work in The Other Boleyn Girl."

There are a few exceptions to the actor-turned-musician rule, though.

HOLLYWOOD DEBUT ALBUMS Bruce Willis - The Return of Bruno (1987) Russell Crowe (as 30 Odd Foot of Grunts) - Gasglight (1998) Minnie Driver - Everything I've Got In My Pocket (2004) Juliette Lewis (as Juliette and the Licks) - ...Like a Bolt of Lightning (2004)

Jennifer Lopez has had worldwide success as a pop star, while Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus have also had platinum-selling debut albums in the US.

And then there are the few actors who have become one hit wonders - like Nicole Kidman, whose duet with Robbie Williams on Somethin' Stupid went to number one in 2001.

So what is the secret of their success?

"Jennifer Lopez makes pop music and the fact she's a worldwide star making music that's very accessible is a winning combination," Mr Cohen says.

"People like Bruce Willis and Russell Crowe I think are doing it for fun and would really doubt they are interested in becoming worldwide superstars on the basis of their music, beyond the fame they already have."

One problem for actors being successful musicians is being able to juggle the two.

Juliette Lewis and her band performed at the V Festival in 2007

Keanu Reeves' rock band Dogstar folded in 2002 after two albums, partly because of his film commitments.

And Juliette Lewis has not been seen on screen for the last couple of years after devoting time to her rock band, Juliette and the Licks.

She says she is still battling for recognition and trying to be taken seriously.

But even if film stars devoted all their time to music, it is still no guarantee that the results would actually be any good.

Sales will tell if Johansson's album is a success - if not, at least she still has her acting talent to fall back on.

Anywhere I Lay My Head is released on 19 May by Rhino Records.