Beyoncé is a tour de force. At 36 years old and with 20 years in the music industry under her belt, Bey is at her peak but still climbing. She proved it at Coachella—aka Beychella—and will likely top that performance in the future. But while she’s widely recognized for her genius musical creations, including her mastery of the art of visual albums with her self-titled album and Lemonade, her films don’t get quite as much love.
Back in 2013, she gave us a glimpse into her “real” life with her documentary, Life is But a Dream. It’s not a “movie role,” technically, but it did land a nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary, and it left us aching for more film content from the queen.
Beyoncé’s filmography is short but sweet, with a wide variety of roles ranging from voice work in animated movies to glamorous pop star in a big-budget film. And lest we forget when she starred opposite Idris Elba in the beautiful thriller Obsessed, or when she joked around with Verne Troyer’s Mini-Me (rest in peace) in Austin Powers in Goldmember.
Of course, Queen Bey isn’t the only one to achieve this feat. There’s a long list of divas who have dabbled in the acting business, including Whitney Houston, Madonna, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Aaliyah, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand, and Cher. And we can’t forget Jennifer Hudson, who introduced her powerful vocals on American Idol before winning an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls, in which she starred alongside Bey.
As we wait in anticipation for Beyoncé to embody the voice of Nala in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Lion King next year, we’re looking back at her body of work in film thus far. Here are Beyoncé’s movie roles, ranked.
9. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubb Idol (2009)
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Even the hardest of hardcore fans of Beyoncé probably don’t know Queen Bey lent her voice to the TV animated film, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubb Idol. After releasing I Am... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé voiced Shine, the leader of the The Wubb Girlz group. In the film, the successful girl group holds a talent contest for someone to open up for their show. This ends up sending the characters on a journey of learning about star power and friendship. It’s a cute film, but definitely not peak cinema.
8. The Pink Panther (2006)
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Beyoncé was supposed to contribute the catchy Bun B and Slim Thug–featured track “Check On It” to the soundtrack for the 2006 film, The Pink Panther, but it ultimately didn’t make the cut. Luckily, that wasn’t her only tie to the film. Bey also starred alongside Steve Martin as Xania, a pop star and No. 1 murder suspect in her boyfriend’s case. It’s fun, but we prefer the song over her performance here.
7. Epic (2013)
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Beyoncé has actually lent her voice to two animated films. In Epic, Bey joins a superstar cast including Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O'Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, and Steven Tyler. Although it gained mixed reviews at the time, Bey’s work as Queen Tara was notable as it gave us a black queen in animated form.
6. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
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Before Beyoncé dropped her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, she signed up for her theatrical debut with the third installment of Mike Myers’ Austin Powers franchise. From the iconic looks (including her righteous ‘fro) to the nods to the blaxploitation era—her character’s name, Foxxy Cleopatra, is a reference to ‘70s heroes Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones—Bey’s character made a mark. It’s safe to say this film wouldn’t have been as good without Bey being a “whole lotta woman” on the big screen.
5. The Fighting Temptations (2003)
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Beyoncé followed up her major debut in Goldmember with a darling film, The Fighting Temptations. In the movie, Bey, who plays a lounge singer named Lily, joins Cuba Gooding Jr., who plays scheming Darrin Hill, an ad exec who has returned to his hometown after running into trouble. The two work together to restore the town’s church choir to its former glory in order to win a gospel competition. Mike Epps, Steve Harvey, and Faizon Love also star in this comedic film. On top of the touching story, the film’s soundtrack stands out as well, thanks to production from the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
4. Obsessed (2009)
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Beyoncé really showed Hollywood what she was working with in 2009’s Obsessed, in which she stars opposite Idris Elba. Could there be a more on-screen dynamic duo? In the thriller, Elba, who plays Bey’s husband, Derek Charles, runs into issues with a temporary worker, Lisa Sheridan, who won’t take no for an answer as she attempts to start a sexual relationship with him. It all ends with an epic faceoff between Bey and Lisa that makes us wonder why Bey hasn’t been in an action film yet. This film also gave an iconic line that rivals Liam Neeson’s in Taken: “You listen to me. You know exactly who this is. You came into my house? You touched my child? You think you're crazy? I'll show you crazy. Just try me, bitch.”
3. Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001)
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“A Hip Hopera”? Sold. Based on Georges Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen, the 2001 version reimagines it in modern times with an all-black ensemble cast. Not only was this Bey’s first acting role, it was also one of the few times we got to hear her rapping skills. Bey stars opposite Mekhi Phifer, a cop who falls for Carmen’s troublemaking ways. Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Mekhi Phifer, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil' Bow Wow also star in this classic film.
2. Cadillac Records (2008)
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In Cadillac Records, Beyoncé embodies the illustrious Etta James in her first biographical musical film. Not only does she provide some stellar renditions of James’ classic cuts “All I Could Do Is Cry,” and “At Last,” she also gives one of the best scenes in the film, singing “I’d Rather Go Blind” with tearful eyes for Leonard Chess. The film also stars Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon, Mos Def as Chuck Berry, Columbus Short as Little Walter, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, and Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf. Beyoncé performed “At Last” for then-President Barack Obama and Forever FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s first dance at the inaugural ball the following year.
1. Dreamgirls (2006)
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Dreamgirls is undoubtedly Beyoncé’s greatest film to date. Similar to The Five Heartbeats, the story is loosely based on a number of musical groups in the ‘60s. (It’s also adapted from the 1981 play of the same name.) The story mimics that of Diana Ross and The Supremes—the girl group starts out as a trio until Bey’s character, Deena Jones, ricochets off into a successful solo career. (It kind of mirrors Bey’s real life, too.) Dreamgirls also ushered Jennifer Hudson to superstar status for her rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” and once again showed off Eddie Murphy’s knack for music. Between the big budget, the show-stopping musical numbers, and incredible performances by the entire cast, it’s easily the best film in Bey’s filmography. Dreamgirls also won three Golden Globes and two Oscars.
