5 Country Music Stars Who Are Also Great TV Actors

Crossover careers are frequent within the leisure trade. Pop stars make films, actuality stars make Broadway debuts, and actors launch music careers. It is unsurprising that a number of the greatest stars within the nation music world have dabbled in performing. Which nation music stars have the expertise to make their performing careers final — not for the occasional film — however week after week, hour after hour on tv? 

It is a tougher feat than it may appear. Dolly Parton starred in two iconic movies within the ’80s — “9 to five” (1980) and “Metal Magnolias” (1989) — however when ABC tried to launch a spread present together with her in 1987 referred to as “Dolly,” it was canceled after one season. Parton even informed USA In the present day in 2020 that she was completely happy it ended, since she did not get pleasure from taking part in characters too removed from her personal character. And, sorry Swifties, whereas there have been rumors Taylor Swift made secret cameos on her favourite reveals like “The Handmaid’s Story,” she’s not precisely identified for her fictional roles. 

However there are various nation music stars whose time on TV was almost as profitable as their music careers. Whether or not they’ve been first on the decision sheet for years or are at first of growing their performing expertise, these nation artists are as charming to observe on tv, as they’re at stay music venues. 

Reba McEntire had received two Grammy awards by the point her sitcom, “Reba,” premiered in October 2001. Actually, her career-defining album, “Whoever’s in New England,” the primary to prime the Billboard nation albums chart, was launched in 1986. So, she was extra recognizable as a queen of nation music than a queen of comedy when the world met Reba Hart, whose personal world falls aside when she finds out her husband was leaving her for his pregnant mistress. It would not assist that her teenage daughter is pregnant inside the first jiffy of the present.

The quirky, country-fried comedy additionally starred Joanna Garcia Swisher, Melissa Peterman, and Steve Howey. It ran for six seasons on community TV, and was one in all solely a handful of reveals to outlive the channel’s rebranding from the WB to the CW. “Reba” labored partially because of McEntire’s nation roots taking part in an enormous function on the collection. 

“Reba” was profitable sufficient to have a small place in sitcom historical past and encourage McEntire to strive once more with the ABC sitcom “Malibu Nation,” which mixed the musician’s life as a performer with the premise of “Reba.” She moved farthest away from her precise life with NBC’s “Completely happy’s Place,” taking part in bar proprietor Bobbie who discovers she has a half-sister. Peterman performed her bartender, Gabby, and Swisher performs an actress employed to painting Bobbie in a visitor spot. Former “Reba” co-stars, Howey and Christopher Wealthy, additionally guest-starred on the short-lived collection. Though McEntire by no means disconnected from nation music, millennials have been the primary era to outline the “Vacationer” singer by each her comedy chops and her vocals. 

Jana Kramer was an actress earlier than she broke into nation music together with her self-titled 2012 album, three years after she debuted as Alex Dupre on “One Tree Hill,” which might turn into a career-defining function for her. It’d shock her informal followers that Kramer has solely launched two full-length nation albums to this point. Months after her self-titled launch, Kramer beat Sunny Sweeney and future nation music mega star, Kacey Musgraves, for the Academy of Nation Music Awards “New Feminine Artist of the Yr” honor. Though Kramer hasn’t launched an album in over a decade, she’s continued to file singles, together with the 2025 duet “Do It In Heels” with fellow nation music artist Jessie James Decker.

In her performing profession, Kramer’s three seasons as Alex (an actor and musician) gained her a following, however she had memorable visitor star arcs on different hit reveals like “Friday Evening Lights,” taking part in Smash Williams’ girlfriend, Noelle, in 2007 and 2008. After “FNL,” Kramer performed Lola on the Season 4, two-episode season finale of “Gray’s Anatomy.” She was the crush of a affected person named Andrew (James Immekus), who jumped right into a vat of moist cement to impress her and bought trapped. Kramer additionally had notable visitor spots on “90210” and “Entourage.” After “One Tree Hill,” the “Why Ya Wanna” singer discovered success on TV within the Christmas film style.

Collectively, Tim McGraw and Religion Hill make up one in all nation music’s (and Hollywood’s) greatest energy {couples}. It is simple that they are individually profitable of their music careers — Hill has 17 Grammy nominations and 5 wins, whereas McGraw has 20 nominations and three wins. A lot of their success has occurred collectively, together with the Grammy win for his or her mega-hit duet, “Let’s Make Love,” in 2000. It is sensible that a few of their most notable success in tv have occurred collectively, too. 

McGraw has extra performing credit than his spouse, whose solely notable credit score for a few years got here within the 2004 movie, “The Stepford Wives.” That’s, till Taylor Sheridan and his “Yellowstone” universe got here knocking. McGraw and Hill first appeared on display screen collectively in a Season 4 episode of the hit western collection in December 2021, taking part in the unique patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton household, James and Margaret Dutton. 

The “Dwell Like You Had been Dying” singer informed Forbes that when he was approached about being on the present, he informed Sheridan he wished a meaty function, and the TV producer got here again to him with the concept that he and Hill would play the unique Duttons. When the episode was filmed, Sheridan confirmed them to executives, who mentioned they wished to purchase a prequel, which grew to become “1883.” Neither McGraw nor Hill have had a protracted TV profession, however the truth that their performances impressed a prequel is each spectacular and unsurprising. 

Luke Grimes has a reputation made for nation music radio, however his performing profession is considerably extra established. He used his function on “Yellowstone” as Kayce Dutton, John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) youngest son torn between the ranch drama and his household life, to launch his music profession. His first single, “No Horse to Trip,” was launched on December 2022, and performed on an episode of the present. The only finally reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Nation Digital Track Gross sales Chart and led to a publishing take care of Warner Chappell Music. He launched his debut self-titled album in 2024 and adopted it up along with his second LP, “Crimson Chicken,” in April 2026. 

Grimes is at the moment main the “Yellowstone” spin-off, “Marshals,” which premiered in 2026 and follows Kayce’s journey after he leaves Yellowstone to go work for an elite crew of U.S. Marshals. The collection was renewed for a second season shortly after it premiered. Season 2 will premiere in October. 

LeAnn Rimes shot to nation music fame on the shockingly younger age of 13, with the discharge of her hit single and the album of the identical identify, “Blue,” in 1996. A yr later, she received the coveted greatest new artist Grammy and the very best feminine nation vocal efficiency Grammy for “Blue” in the identical evening — and the remainder is historical past. 

Rimes has been constantly been releasing music since her debut, with few breaks in between. Her performing profession is a extra scattered story. She made her performing debut on the hit NBC cleaning soap opera, “Days of Our Lives,” in 1998. Rimes performed a runaway teenager named Madison for a three-episode arc. Rimes largely performed herself in cameos after that, notably acting on a bar in 2000’s “Coyote Ugly,” which grew to become an iconic scene that modified her picture. The credit in her filmography level to Rimes being open to random alternatives that got here her method moderately than pursuing a critical performing profession.

Then, Rimes was forged as no-nonsense former pop star, Dixie Bennings, on ABC’s hit “9-1-1” spin-off, “9-1-1: Nashville,” which premiered in 2025. Her efficiency as a conniving mom who will do something to assist herself and her grown son, Blue (Hunter McVey), get forward borders on iconic. She steals each scene she’s in, whether or not she’s making an attempt to flirt together with her ex, Blue’s dad, Don (Chris O’Donnell), or almost come to blows along with his spouse, Blythe (Jessica Capshaw). Rimes proves she completely should pursue a TV profession after “9-1-1: Nashville” ends.