John Lennon once said that “Music is everybody’s possession,” and for Hollywood filmmakers, they have taken that “ownership” to portray the stories of some of the recording industry’s most renowned musicians.
Whether it be the rise and fall of one of Tejano music’s most noteworthy stars, or depicting the different facets of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan (in multiple movies), many of the actors’ portrayals have been recognized as prominent roles in their careers (some even earning Oscars along the way).
With the Dylan movie A Complete Unknown about to hit theaters, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at 33 films — from Selena to Walk the Line — depicting the lives of music legends.
’24-Hour Party People’
Maybe the first movie to tackle a city’s era-defining music scene — Manchester, from Joy Division’s late-’70s hatching of post-punk through the Madchester heyday of rave culture in the ’90s — this is also the story of Factory Records, the label that presented New Order, the Happy Mondays and James to the world; it’s also about Factory owner, TV presenter and scene captain Tony Wilson, played here by Steve Coogan in a role that introduced him globally. Ripping up the music biopic playbook, Coogan’s Wilson breaks the fourth wall throughout the loose plot; musicians appear as themselves to question the veracity of the film’s plot; and viewers are nodded into the legendary Hacienda nightclub (painstakingly re-created here). Wilson opened that club while running his label (eventually, into the ground) and DJ culture overtook the scene. Rooted in real events, clear rumors, urban myths and speculation, director Michael Winterbottom’s dizzying nostalgia trip invites you to the party and captures an era. — Kevin Dolak
‘8 Mile’
Inspired by Marshall Mathers‘ (aka Eminem) journey from being a struggling rapper in Detroit to a music sensation, the film stars the rapper himself as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith in his first leading role. Directed by Curtis Hanson, the film doesn’t refrain from detailing the gruesome hardships and struggles the rapper faced that would ultimately inspire his edgy music. Alongside Eminem are co-stars Mekhi Phifer, Kim Basinger and the late Brittany Murphy. The underdog story received praise from critics and audiences, and Eminem won an Academy Award for best original song for “Lose Yourself.” — Lexy Perez
‘All Eyez On Me’
Twenty-one years after the death of the rapper came the big-screen telling of Tupac Shakur’s story starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., who bears a striking resemblance to Shakur. Apart from their similar looks, Shipp has a personal connection with the late rapper, as his father produced “Toss It Up” for 2Pac’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album. Shipp and Jamal Woolard, who played Notorious B.I.G., wore actual replicas of the East Coast/West Coast rappers’ clothes. Woolard reprised his role as B.I.G. after first portraying the rapper in the 2009 biopic Notorious. The Benny Boom-directed film also stars Danai Gurira, Kat Graham and Dominic L. Santana. — Lexy Perez
‘Back to Black’
Back to Black, from Sam Taylor-Johnson, stars newcomer Marisa Abela as the late singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. It depicts the rise and fall of the beloved musician, from her teenage years on the streets of Enfield, north London, all the way to the 2008 Grammy-winning record “Rehab” and her tragic death from alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27. The Focus Features biopic also documents Winehouse’s fraught, on-off relationship with husband Blake Fielder-Civil while the two battle booze-binging and drug addiction, as well as her persistent harassment by the British tabloids. Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville star as her father and grandmother, respectively. The movie itself was widely criticized, with Taylor-Johnson facing accusations of exploiting Winehouse’s troubled personal life, but Abela earned high praise for her embodiment of who many deem one of the greatest musical talents of the 21st century. The actress sang all the numbers herself and scored a London Critics’ Circle Film Award nomination on Dec. 19. — Lily Ford
‘Backbeat’
The 1994 movie chronicles the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany, as they search for success in the music world. Backbeat, directed by Iain Softley, specifically centers on the relationship between Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff) and John Lennon (Ian Hart), as Stuart navigates his career and love life with girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr (Sheryl Lee). As for the other members, Gary Bakewell portrayed Paul McCartney, Chris O’Neill as George Harrison, Scot Williams as Pete Best and Paul Duckworth as Ringo Starr. Composer Don Was also went on to win the BAFTA for Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for Backbeat. — Carly Thomas
‘Bob Marley: One Love’
Bob Marley: One Love centers on the reggae singer and songwriter, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, from his rise to fame in the mid-1970s until he died in 1981. The film details a failed attempt on his life in his home in Kingston, Jamaica, which drove the legend to double down on his mission to bring a divided nation together. Reinaldo Marcus Green directed the One Love. Marley’s son, Ziggy Marley, served as a producer on the project. While speaking with THR at the film’s Los Angeles premiere, he explained that his father used singing to connect to others and overcome adversity. “Music is a powerful tool if you use it the right way, and that was his tool,” he said. “He kind of sacrificed himself for that message.” — Christy Piña
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
The movie that gave Rami Malek an Oscar, 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody zoomed in on the life and legacy of Queen’s Freddie Mercury (Malek), following the singer from the formation of the band in 1970 to their 1985 Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium. The 2018 film was divisive, and many critics said they were disappointed — THR called it a “conventional PG-13 portrait of an unconventional band.” But audience members raved at the impressive recreations of the band’s most epic moments, and the film outperformed expectations at the box office. In addition to Malek’s Academy Award, the movie took home best sound mixing, sound editing, film editing at that year’s Oscar ceremony. — Zoe G. Phillips
‘The Buddy Holly Story’
Gary Busey takes on the role of Buddy Holly in the ‘70s biopic of the Texas rock star who tragically died in a plane crash at age 22. Receiving an Oscar nomination for his portrayal, Busey’s role reintroduced Buddy’s music to audiences, for the film was released during the disco era. The film’s acclaimed success ultimately led to the Buddy Holly Lives greatest hits collection to rank at No. 55 on the Billboard album charts. — Lexy Perez
‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’
Receiving an Academy Award for best actress for her role as country icon Loretta Lynn, Sissy Spacek delivers an exceptional performance as she depicts Lynn’s journey to music stardom. Apart from portraying the singer during her early life in Kentucky and immediate success as a country star, Spacek also lends her vocals to the film. Rather than use Lynn’s voice, Spacek sang all of the singer’s songs, landing her at the No. 2 on the country charts. Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D’Angelo and Levon Helm also star in the film. — Lexy Perez
‘A Complete Unknown’
Based on the best-selling novel, Dylan Goes Electric!, A Complete Unknown follows Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan when he first arrived in New York at 19. The biopic chronicles his rise to fame, as he grows restless with folk music and makes the controversial choice to switch to rock. Along the way, he comes across many young women, including Suze Rotolo, slightly fictionalized in the James Mangold film and portrayed by Elle Fanning, and Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). In a THR cover story, Chalamet revealed that playing Dylan was the most he stretched himself for a role. “It became so biblical to me in terms of this man’s life and his work that I felt if I let my focus err for a second, that I’d be self-loathing about it for years to come,” he said. — Christy Piña
‘Dreamgirls’
Bill Condon (Kinsey) took on the tall task of adapting and directing the popular Broadway musical for the big screen, and he did so by bringing a cast of all stars in Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover and Anika Noni Rose. American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson took on the show-stopping role of Effie White and proved to be a breakout star by earning an Academy Award for best supporting actress, one of the film’s two wins from eight nominations. Loosely inspired by the Motown experiences of the Diana Ross-led Supremes, the 2006 pic followed a fictional Detroit girl group called The Dreams as they make their way through the music industry and cross paths with shady record executives and personal conflicts. It finished with $155 million at the box office, nearly doubling its budget. — Chris Gardner
‘Elvis’
Austin Butler channeled the king of rock ‘n’ roll for Baz Luhrmann’s epic Elvis, which also starred Tom Hanks. Despite telling Elvis Presley’s story, Hanks’ “Colonel” Tom Parker pilots the narrative of Presley’s rise to fame, relationship with Priscilla Presley and eventual personal and professional demise. Hanks’ Parker refutes his designated role as the villain of the story throughout his narration, but audiences can still see how Butler’s Presley artistic and personal freedom were impacted by Parker. For the role, Butler sang all the songs for the early part of Presley’s career, but his voice was blended with the icon for the later parts of Presley’s career. Butler went to great lengths to portray Presley, with his noticeably deeper, Presley-sounding voice eventually being a topic of conversation even months after the film was released — Butler cited all the singing and training for straining his voice. Despite the conversations, Butler’s commitment to portraying Presley as accurately as possible — his portrayal also received praise from Priscilla and the late Lisa Marie Presley — earned his first Oscar nomination for best actor in a leading role during the 2023 Academy Awards. — Lexy Perez
‘Get on Up’
Although the James Brown biopic did not have massive box office returns, Chadwick Boseman’s performance of the late singer received praise from critics. The Tate Taylor-directed film chronicles the entertainer’s life, from the 1930s to the 1980s. The film, which highlights Brown’s passionate work ethic and eccentric cadence onstage, also stars Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd and Viola Davis. — Lexy Perez
‘Great Balls of Fire!’
Dennis Quaid played rockabilly star Jerry Lee Lewis in 1989’s Great Balls of Fire!. Named for what might be Lewis’ most long-lasting hit, the movie was based on a biography of the same name by Myra Lewis — the musician’s first wife, who was also his cousin, and whom he married when she was 13 and he was 22 (Lewis shared authorship of the book with Murray M. Silver Jr., and the movie’s screenplay was written by director Jim McBride and Jack Baran). The film depicts Jerry Lee’s rise to rock ‘n’ roll fame, followed by his marriage’s leading to the star’s eventual downfall. Alec Baldwin also stars as televangist Jimmy Swaggart, the singer’s second cousin, in a performance many critics applauded. Still, others criticized the film for romanticizing the darker sides of Jerry Lee’s story, and the movie holds a 65 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. — Zoe G. Phillips
‘Her Smell’
This underseen curiosity from filmmaker Alex Perry Ross takes a punk rock approach to tell the story of deeply troubled punk rock front woman, Becky Something (Elizabeth Moss, channeling Hole-era Courtney Love). Rather than shoehorn its themes into the adolescence-to-adulthood life story of this fictional tornado of a woman, as a traditional music biopic would, Her Smell consists of five long scenes set in single locations. The gimmick works, providing an immersive character study of a narcissist terrorizing everyone who loves her, torpedoing her band’s success and then, in a powerful time jump, coming out the other end the rock star ride a shell of her former self. This physical and chaotic performance may be Moss’s finest hour yet (bonus: she sings Bryan Adams’ “Heaven”) and it’s certainly Perry’s most distinctive film, allowing us into the nightmare of being, or being around, an unstable rock star. — Kevin Dolak
‘I’m Not There’
Paying homage to Bob Dylan, the Todd Haynes-directed biopic features an eclectic cast of Hollywood stars who each portray a different aspect of Dylan’s life. From Dylan’s youth (portrayed by Marcus Carl Franklin) to his emergence in New York (Christian Bale), the unconventional telling of the various facets of the singer-songwriter is captured for the biographical drama. The film also stars Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett and Ben Whishaw. Blanchett earned a Golden Globe Award best supporting actress and was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress. — Lexy Perez
‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’
Kasi Lemmons’sbiopic of the late Whitney Houston starred Naomi Ackie in the leading role with the film celebrating the singer’s life and legacy a decade after her death. The 2022 film, produced with the backing of Houston’s family and estate as well as Houston’s longtime music producer Clive Davis, also starred Stanley Tucci as Davis and Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown. Throughout the film, viewers watch Tucci’s Davis work alongside Houston from the beginning of her career, her rise to fame and tragic ending while exploring the trials and tribulations she experienced both personally and professionally. “It will tell you about her sexuality. It will tell you about her addiction to drugs. It will tell you how she and I worked together,” Davis told THR at the time of how the film allows the audience to learn more about who Houston was, also noting that the film “celebrates the music” they created together. Though Ackie sings in some scenes of the film, the music keeps Houston’s voice. — Lexy Perez
‘The Jacksons: An American Dream’
Based on Katherine Jackson’s 1990 autobiography, My Family, the miniseries chronicles the rise of one of music’s most infamous families. From their early days of “ABC” to the solo career of Michael and shocking allegations against the King of Pop, the two-part mini, which aired on ABC, attempts to unveil the unknown story of the musical family. — Lexy Perez
‘Jimi: All Is by My Side’
Director John Ridley’s feature centers on the start of Jimi Hendrix’s career as he leaves New York City behind for London. André Benjamin portrays Hendrix, with Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots and Ruth Negga rounding out the cast. Hendrix’s estate did not grant permission to use the musician’s original songs, with the film instead opting for covers that he performed at that time. THR’s review noted that the movie is “both thoughtful and convincing, sympathetic but not flattering to a man who had just three years after this period’s end to make himself immortal.” After premiering at TIFF in 2013, Jimi: All Is by My Side hit theaters from XLrator Media on Sept. 26, 2014. — Ryan Gajewski
‘La Bamba’
Lou Diamond Phillips was praised for his portrayal of the late Richie Valens, who was killed in a plane crash at the young age of 17. The biopic details the last eight months of the teen’s life as he transforms from being a high school student to a music sensation after releasing his hit single “La Bamba.” The film also highlights how Valens‘ musical success affected the lives of his troubled half-brother Bob (Esai Morales), mother (Rosanna DeSoto) and his girlfriend Donna (Danielle von Zerneck). Phillips earned high remarks for his performance, and the film was later nominated for a Golden Globe for best motion picture, drama in 1988. — Lexy Perez
‘Last Days’
Gus Van Sant’s 2005 pic isn’t the definitive music biopic based on the life and tragic final death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain but it is a film with a central story and characters inspired by the troubled rocker and his inner circle. “It’s a fictional thing,” Van Sant once said in reference to Cobain, who committed suicide in Seattle, Washington in April 1994. “It’s not supposed to explain literally Kurt’s last days but more poetically.” Van Sant also confirmed that Last Days closes a trilogy that includes Gerry and Elephant, films that are “bound by a [similar] style and subject matter.” Audiences and critics didn’t much love Last Days — it doesn’t feature any of Nirvana’s huge hits that not only catapulted the band and its front man to superstardom but helped define the ‘90s grunge generation — but many singled out the searing lead performance by Michael Pitt, who plays a Cobain-esque musician named Blake who is fresh from rehab and fraught with emotional entanglements. Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Kim Gordon, Nicole Vicius and Harmony Korine round out the cast. — Chris Gardner
‘Love and Mercy’
The 2014 Bill Pohlad-helmed film follows the life, love and genius of Brian Wilson, founder of the Beach Boys. It centers on his struggles with mental illness during the ‘60s and his years in the ‘80s, when he’s under the controlling influence of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). The movie features two timelines, with Paul Dano playing younger Brian Wilson and John Cusack playing the older version of the musician. Elizabeth Banks also portrays Brian’s love interest Melinda Ledbetter. Love and Mercy scored two Golden Globe nominations, including Dano for best supporting actor in a motion picture and best original song for “One Kind of Love.” — Carly Thomas
‘Nowhere Boy’
Aaron Johnson played John Lennon in this 2009 biopic, which followed the activist musician’s teenage years before The Beatles changed the world. The soundtrack features several hits from Lennon’s The Quarrymen, his first band, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster even learned to play guitar left-handed a la Paul McCartney. Producers negotiated with Yoko Ono for permission to use Lennon’s “Mother,” but fell short in securing the rights to other Beatles and rock songs of the era. The film scored neutral reactions from audiences and critics — the Associated Press called it a “passable look” into Lennon’s early life — and earned a nomination for outstanding British film at the BAFTAs. — Zoe G. Phillips
‘The Pianist’
Adapted from Jewish musician Wladyslaw Sziplman’s autobiography, Adrien Brody steps into the pianist’s shoes for an acclaimed performance. The biographical film depicts Sziplman’s survival from the Holocaust in the Warsaw ghetto. Directed by Roman Polanski, the film earned critical acclaim and was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. The film also proved to be victorious at the Academy Awards, with two wins and Brody winning the award for best actor. The film also starred Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay and Maureen Lipman. — Lexy Perez
‘Ray’
Jamie Foxx stars as the rhythm and blues pianist Ray Charles in the biographical film based on the famed musician. Directed by Taylor Hackford, the film chronicles Charles’s life from becoming blind at age 7 to growing into a musical protégé. Apart from Foxx, the film also stars Sharon Warren, Kerry Washington and Regina King. The film earned Foxx rave reviews over his leading performance. Foxx won an Academy Award for best actor, as well as a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award. Foxx became the second actor to win in the same category for all five awards. Charles died of liver disease a few months prior to the film’s premiere. — Lexy Perez
‘The Runaways’
Making a departure from her famous role in the Twilight franchise, Kristen Stewart portrays rocker Joan Jett of famous 1970s-era band The Runaways. The Floria Sigismondi-directed film was based on Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, a biography penned by the band’s former lead vocalist, Cherie Currie (portrayed by Dakota Fanning). The rocker film details the early inception of the band to the stress that ultimately led to Currie’s departure. Currie praised Fanning’s portrayal of her, but noted that the film didn’t include everything in her book. Jett believed the film captured the time well, but said she saw it as more of a narrative rather than a biopic. — Lexy Perez
‘Selena’
Gregory Nava wrote and directed the biographical film about the late Tejano singer Selena, who was fatally shot and killed by her fan club president, Yolnda Saldivar. The film marked Jennifer Lopez’s breakout role as the Mexican American singer, as she starred alongside co-stars Edward James Olmos as Selena’s father, Abraham, and Constance Marie, who portrays Selena’s mother, Marcella. The Quintanilla family worked closely with Lopez as she prepared for her role, by offering to let the actress (making her film debut) to stay in their home. Abraham Quintanilla served as producer of the film and aimed for the film to immortalize his late daughter. The film received high praise. — Lexy Perez
‘Stardust’
Johnny Flynn stars as David Bowie in the 2020 film focusing on the music superstar’s first trip to the U.S. in 1971, with the visit leading to the creation of alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Jena Malone and Marc Maron co-star in director Gabriel Range’s feature. Stardust did not get signoff from Bowie’s estate to use the singer’s music, with the film instead showing him doing covers that he performed in that era. In his review for THR, chief film critic David Rooney deemed Stardust “a mostly listless odyssey, its lack of excitement compounded by the absence of Bowie’s music.” IFC Films released Stardust on Nov. 25, 2020. — Ryan Gajewski
‘Straight Outta Compton’
Three decades later, NWA members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre return to their early beginnings in the hip-hop biopic they produced. Offering an authorized biography of the successful hip-hop group, Cube and Dre detail their journey from being aspiring teens to passionately working to make it in the then-white dominant industry. From Eazy-E’s struggle with HIV to their falling-out with their former manager, the film chronicles the trailblazing story of what would be the most successful hip-hop group in the music industry. The film stars Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. portraying his father, Corey Hawkins as Dre and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay. — Lexy Perez
‘This Is Spinal Tap’
This Is Spinal Tap, as it happens, was not the first rock and roll “mockumentary.” That distinction belongs to The Rutles, a 1978 British parody cooked up by Eric Idol and fellow Python contributor Neil Innes poking gentle fun of The Beatles (the film’s original title was All You Need Is Cash). Still, today nobody remembers The Rutles — outside a handful of obsessive-compulsive entertainment journalists who desperately need to get a life — whereas snippets of Spinal Tap dialogue will likely reverberate through the culture forever (“The numbers go all the way up to 11!”). Rob Reiner’s inspired 1984 spoof about a fictional heavy metal group, famous for being “one of England’s loudest bands,” remains the greatest rock ‘n’ roll comedy of all time, a monolithic cinematic achievement that will no doubt endure for as long as Stonehenge itself (the big ones in Salisbury Plains, not the 18-inch props the band mistakenly ordered for its stage show). A sequel is in the works. — Benjamin Svetkey
‘Walk the Line’
Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny Cash in the 2005 biopic of the late country star. The film chronicles Cash’s early life and entry into the country music scene, along with his struggles with drug addiction. Much of the film also centers on Johnny and June Carter’s (portrayed by Reese Witherspoon) relationship. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for five Academy Awards including best actor and actress nods for Phoenix and Witherspoon. — Lexy Perez
‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’
Those who have caught pieces of Al Yankovic’s career might wonder where the parody musician came from, how he got his start or what exactly makes him tick… His biopic answers very few of those questions. Instead, in appropriate “Weird Al” fashion, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a parody of biopics itself, with a kooky, musical script co-written by Yankovic and Eric Appel. An enthusiastic Daniel Radcliffe plays the titular star, for which he nabbed his first-ever Emmy nomination and won a Critics Choice trophy. Evan Rachel Wood plays his love interest, Madonna (yes, Madonna). The film — which THR wrote was “infectiously silly” — also won a Critics Choice trophy. — Zoe G. Phillips
‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’
The 1993 film adapts Tina Turner’s best-selling autobiography, I, Tina: My Story. The film stars Angela Bassett in the title role and Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner. Although chronicling Turner’s journey into music stardom, the film centers on the singer’s violent marriage with Ike, who physically abused her. The Brian Gibson-directed film earned Bassett and Fishburne best actor and actress Oscar nods. Bassett won a Golden Globe for best actress and the film was praised by critics. — Lexy Perez
