Aspiring actors may get big breaks right away in a TV show or a movie, but there are plenty who were featured in music videos before their fame arrived. For any artist, a great music video can be the key to major success for a particular song, so getting the story right is essential. Some will choose to make the video as big as possible and cast current stars, like Green Day with Gaten Matarazzo in "Meet Me on the Roof."
Blink-182 even took this approach for "Happy Days." However, for every case like that, there are many artists who simply see something special in an actor and want to give them a chance. It's incredible how often starring in a music video pays off, but that's the power of the medium. In many ways, music is universal.
Therefore, it draws the attention of a larger audience than most anything else, as, nowadays, it is not uncommon to see a video on YouTube reach hundreds of millions of views. There are certainly more positives to an actor getting a role in a music video, and it's likely this is a practice that will always continue. The following are actors who all opted to appear in music videos prior to blowing up in fame with their acting careers.
10 Courteney Cox
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark
During the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen was a household name. Known for hits like the title track, "Born in the U.S.A.," "Glory Days," and "I'm on Fire," Springsteen took over the airwaves with his 1984 album, Born in the U.S.A. Also on the record was the popular "Dancing In the Dark." This became a dance hit of the '80s and to show just how much the song resonated, Springsteen opted to make a video of him performing it to a live audience.
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As one would expect, the crowd is moving and losing their minds because of "The Boss." Throughout the video, viewers will see that in the crowd is a young Courteney Cox. Toward the end, Springsteen actually pulls Cox up on stage and the two dance together. This was a huge appearance for the aspiring actor who would, of course, go on to star in movies like Scream, and perhaps the biggest TV show ever, Friends.
9 Pedro Pascal
Sia - Fire Meet Gasoline
For a career that started in the mid '90s, it took Sia over a decade to begin finding the success she truly desired. By the time 2014 came around, Sia was about to ascend to a level of superstardom unlike ever before. The release of her platinum-selling album, 1000 Forms of Fear, spawned many hits, including "Elastic Heart," and one of her biggest hits ever, "Chandelier." However, one of the most memorable parts associated with the record was the 2015 release of the "Fire Meet Gasoline" music video.
Not only did the video star model and television personality, Heidi Klum, but her co-star was Pedro Pascal.
Not only did the video star model and television personality, Heidi Klum, but her co-star was Pedro Pascal. At this time, Pascal was gaining more notoriety than ever before after his performances in Game of Thrones and Bloodsucking Bastards. The video follows a relationship between Pascal and Klum, and it only helped to raise Pascal's profile. From there, he went on to act in Netflix's Narcos and plenty of blockbuster films, though he catapulted to fame after playing Din Djarin in Star Wars' The Mandalorian and Joel Miller in HBO's The Last of Us.
8 Diego Luna
Katy Perry - The One That Got Away
Teaming up with one of the biggest pop-stars in the world is an opportunity most actors wouldn't turn down. When presented with the chance to star alongside Perry, Diego Luna seized it. He had been building his career working with the likes of Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Kevin Costner, but a chance to collaborate with an international superstar meant Luna would be part of something that would only grow in time.
There is no doubt his decision paid off, as this video now has over one billion views. This further demonstrates the power music has regarding exposure. After his role alongside Perry, Luna went on to secure his biggest acting opportunity, being cast as Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - which has since generated the franchise's best TV show, Andor. Luna is now associated with not only one of the biggest music artists ever, but also one of the largest franchises, making his career a truly remarkable one.
7 Jeremy Renner
P!NK - Trouble
From the day P!nk released her first debut solo album, Can't Take Me Home, she has been a star. By the time her third record, Try This, was released, fans were expecting continued success. One of the songs that helped her further cement her place in music history was "Trouble." It is a classic pop tune that, once heard, will be stuck in your head. To make it even more memorable, the music video is straight out of a Western.
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Of course, for any great Western, there must be a classic story of the bandit and the jailer. In this case, P!nk was the one they were after, and Jeremy Renner played the jailer. Eventually, P!nk would break free from Renner, but it didn't make this role any less impactful. Since then, Renner has gone on to star as Hawkeye in multiple Marvel movies, and even in the Mission: Impossible franchise. He may not be able to keep P!nk locked up, but he certainly knows how to land a big role.
6 Zooey Deschanel
The Offspring - She's Got Issues
Beginning an acting career alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood is a great way to get noticed. Throughout her early career, Zooey Deschanel acted alongside the likes of Tim Allen, Jennifer Aniston, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Additionally, she teamed up with one of the biggest punk rock bands, The Offspring. At the time, no one knew how big their Americana album would become, but now as it sits 5x Platinum in the United States, it's safe to say this was a fantastic project for Deschanel to be attached to.
In the music video, she plays the lead role of a red-haired girl trying to navigate a confusing world. As the title "She's Got Issues" would foreshadow, she is seen engaging in some questionable acts and also talking with a therapist at one point in time. In some fans' eyes, Deschanel will always be Jessica Day from New Girl or Jovie from Elf. However, for any fan of The Offspring, they will never forget her role as the girl with issues.
5 Nikki & Brie Garcia (The Bella Twins)
Atreyu - Right Side Of The Bed
Atreyu burst onto the metalcore scene in the early 2000s trying to break through. Although their first album gained attention, they truly cemented their place in the genre with their sophomore record, The Curse. From the album, arguably the biggest song was "Right Side of the Bed." As soon as the music video starts for the song, Nikki and Brie Garcia are seen. Of course, the two would go on to be known as the "Bella Twins," and their identical nature was unmistakable here.
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Before the two found their calling with WWE, they not only appeared in this music video but also on the Fox show Meet My Folks, and participated in an advertising campaign for the World Cup representing Budweiser. Nikki and Brie took their early opportunities and turned it into a Hall of Fame career with WWE. They had multiple shows on E! Network, and both have hosted shows for NBC TV Network. They are a prime example of why making the most of every opportunity counts.
4 Matt LeBlanc
Jon Bon Jovi - Miracle
One of the most iconic television characters of all time is Joey Tribbiani from Friends, played by Matt LeBlanc. Of course, LeBlanc became known for his comedic timing, and the way he was able to endear the world to Tribbiani. However, before his classic run on the show began, he was just trying to make a name for himself in the business, and one of the ways he did so was by acting in music videos.
These weren't just any gigs either; he was teaming up with some of the biggest names in music. Perhaps his most memorable one was his first one, where LeBlanc starred in Jon Bon Jovi's "Miracle" video. From there, LeBlanc went on to appear in a video for Tom Petty, one for Alanis Morissette, one for Bob Seger, and another for Bon Jovi. It's incredible the talent Matt LeBlanc got to be alongside, and he has made the most of each casting.
3 Joey King
Taylor Swift - Mean
There is probably a long list of actors in the world today who, regardless of their status, would jump at the opportunity to be in a Taylor Swift music video. After all, Swift is arguably the biggest music star across the globe, and being associated with her only helps raise someone's profile. To be able to be alongside her as a young up-and-coming child star is an even bigger deal, but this is exactly what happened to Joey King.
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Up to that point, King had roles in many different projects, starting when she was four years old. Following her appearance in the music video for "Mean," King has continued to act in countless TV shows and movies. She has even been in a few more music videos, including one in 2018 for Sabrina Carpenter. Fans were also elated when, in 2023, she appeared in another Taylor Swift video, this time for the song "I Can See You."
2 Alicia Silverstone
Aerosmith - Cryin’
When magic is created, it can form a perfect partnership that continues to grow. For Aerosmith, they learned the true meaning of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," when they cast Alicia Silverstone for the "Cryin'" music video. Silverstone was so good that Aerosmith brought her back for not one, but two more appearances. These were for the songs "Amazing" and "Crazy." There was something about her that just fit exactly what they were looking for, but they weren't the only ones paying attention.
While Silverstone's role in the 1993 film The Crush played a huge part, the desire for her to be in the film Clueless was cemented after these music videos. Of course, she would go on to star in Clueless as Cher Horowitz, which became arguably the role she is most known for. Ultimately, it was a series of fortunate events that saw Silverstone use one opportunity as a building block for the next.
1 Aaron Paul
Korn - Thoughtless
Korn has managed to make themselves not only one of the biggest names in nu-metal, but in all music. As a band, they have released hit after hit, but for all the mainstream things they are known for, there is a cool aspect of their history that doesn't get mentioned enough: their music video for "Thoughtless" features one of the world's biggest actors, Aaron Paul, who had a meteoric rise to fame after starring in what many consider to be the greatest television show ever, Breaking Bad.
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Aaron Paul became iconic for his role as Jesse Pinkman, which he played alongside Bryan Cranston as Walter White. Over his career, Paul has appeared in other major films, such as Need for Speed, but it's his role in Breaking Bad that has truly made him a legend. Therefore, for all his fans that want to see Aaron Paul acting right around the same age he became Jesse Pinkman, this Korn music video can deliver just that.