Pop singer Zara Larsson is set to make her acting debut in a new Netflix film titled A Part of You, which has released its first look.

Singers and musicians delving into acting is nothing new, but in recent years it seems to have become more common, with the likes of Harry Styles and Lady Gaga both landing big roles on screen.

The team at Betway has looked at the most influential musicians turned actors over the years, determined by their number of Instagram followers.

1. Beyonce – 309 million followers (@beyonce) 

Taking the top spot with the highest number of Instagram followers is the iconic pop superstar, Beyonce. Starting off her career with Destiny’s Child, Beyonce has since had a long and highly successful solo career with a string of hits. 

She began her acting career in the 2002 Bond parody film Austin Powers: Goldmember, before starring in various other films such as Pink Panther (2006) and more recently the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King.

2. Rihanna – 150 million followers (@badgalriri) 

Up next is Rihanna, another internationally renowned pop star turned actress. Recently causing shockwaves across social media as she announced her pregnancy during her Superbowl halftime show, it’s clear her influence is massive.

Rihanna’s acting career began in 2006 in the film Bring It On: All Or Nothing. She has since appeared in films such as Battleship (2012), Annie (2014) and Ocean’s Eight (2018). 

3. Justin Timberlake – 69.7 million followers (@justintimberlake)

Justin Timberlake’s career took off when he joined The Mickey Mouse Club, a popular children’s TV show that also featured Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez, his future bandmate in ‘NSync. 

However, it wasn’t until his boy band days started to decline that Timberlake found success as an actor, in films such as The Social Network (2010) and Bad Teacher (2011). 

4. Will Smith – 62.7 million followers (@willsmith)

In the mid-80s, Will Smith launched a successful rap career with Jeff Townes under the moniker DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince when Smith was a teenager in the 80s. Their debut album hit the Billboard Hot 200.

In 1991, NBC developed a sitcom centred around Smith famously known as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air which led Will Smith to Hollywood stardom. He’s now most well-known for films such as Men in Black (1997) and I Am Legend (2007). 

5. Lady Gaga – 55.1 million followers (@ladygaga) 

Whilst appearing uncredited in an episode of The Sopranos back in 2001, Lady Gaga didn’t become a Hollywood star until she was already an established pop star. After releasing a string of top 10 hits, she starred in Sin City: A Dame To Kill (2014) and subsequently two series of American Horror Story.

Since these roles, she’s starred in various big-screen hits including A Star is Born (2018) and House of Gucci (2021), as well as appearing in the upcoming sequel of Joker. 

6. Harry Styles – 48.8 million followers (@harrystyles) 

The One Direction heart-throb Harry Styles was already a household name before any acting roles because of 1D’s international acclaim, but it was a role in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017) that got him to the big screen.

Since then, Styles has starred in films such as My Policeman and Don’t Worry Darling last year, where the presence of Styles alone attracted the attention of moviegoers. 

7. Mark Wahlberg – 23.5 million followers (@markwahlberg) 

Following his brother Donnie into the seminal boyband New Kids on the Block, Mark Wahlberg went under the moniker Marky Mark and had a very successful music career with the band, as well as solo material. 

His acting career skyrocketed after appearing in the 1997 film Boogie Nights, and led him to appear in huge films such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Ted and Planet of the Apes.

8. Ludacris – 15.2 million followers (@ludacris) 

Ludacris spent the late ’90s and early 2000s becoming a hit on the music charts with various top 10 hits, and then began acting under his stage name, first appearing in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Recently, Ludacris has starred in huge blockbuster movies, most recently being a character in the Fast and Furious series.