Casting in Hollywood: Are Random Celebrities Taking the Place of Talented Actors?

Many movies are being cast in such a manner that makes it difficult to define who a true actor really is. Dreamgirls, Smokin' Aces, you name it. Hollywood movies are being cast with singers, rappers and other artists. This move puts artists like Beyonce', Alicia Keys, Common and Andre 2000 in roles that could have been filled by bona fide actors. Casting directors are choosing a person based on their level of stardom and relationships more than pure talent and a good history of performances in previous films. This creates a poor defined line between actors and music artists. It also makes it difficult to understand the position of an artist or actor. Who is Tyra Banks? She is a supermodel. Who is Donald Trump? He is a business mogul. Their positions are clearly defined. They may have added other titles to their names, but they are well known for what they do best.

Music artists should not be placed above real actors when it comes to casting a movie. Pirates of The Carribean would have sucked more than likely if Justin Timberlake played Jack Sparrow instead of Johnny Depp. The same goes for music. Imagine Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/Lovesounds album being created by Matt Damon. It would not be nominated for any Grammys. Actors should be selected for movie roles. Music arists should do what they do best, create good music. This does not mean that music artists should never venture into the world of Hollywood movies.

There are many musical artists who do possess talent in both areas. Jamie Foxx has exhibited great acting talent in movies such as Ray and Jarhead. He has also released a very popular music album, Unpredictable. Jamie Foxx has achieved success in both music and movies. He is a popular comedian as well. Rapper Ice T has also been able to do well in acting. He has an ongoing role as a detective on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. However, these cases are not the norm for every music artist. Hollywood casting directors should not select music artists just because of his or her celebrity status.