- 9 hours ago
When movie musicals get it just right, the casting feels effortless—as if the role was written with that actor in mind. From powerhouse vocal performances to unforgettable character portrayals, these actors brought their roles to life with incredible passion and authenticity. Watch as we highlight some of the most perfect casting choices that set the bar for every musical film to follow!
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00:00There's no fight we cannot win.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the musical movie performances that were so well cast,
00:11we couldn't imagine anyone else in the role.
00:14I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above.
00:21Number 10. Jennifer Hudson as Effie White, Dreamgirls.
00:25I feel just like the Titanic. I'm always going down, down, down, down.
00:32This role just naturally makes a star out of anyone who accepts it.
00:3625 years after Jennifer Holliday received a Tony and a Grammy for her show-stopping work as Effie White,
00:41Jennifer Hudson was given the enviable task of bringing Effie to the big screen.
00:46Curtis.
00:47Hey, baby, you know my sister.
00:49Tell me something.
00:50Do you think it's right to promote an amateur performer over a professional?
00:54Uh, I don't know what this is about.
00:56It's about fairness, Curtis.
00:58As she had done on American Idol, Hudson proved herself every bit as much of a scene-stealer,
01:03not just with her remarkable singing voice, but also with her poise and confidence.
01:08Effie has big dreams and the conviction to stand by them,
01:11and Hudson respectfully maintains that same level of dedication throughout the movie.
01:16By the time she belts out the final notes of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going,
01:20there's no doubt we've witnessed true talent.
01:22And you, I'm you, I'm you, I'm you, you're going to love me.
01:30Number 9.
01:31Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, Chicago.
01:34Come on, babe, why don't we paint the town?
01:40And all that jazz.
01:42This Best Picture winner hinges much of its success on a cast that brings their absolute A-game.
01:47But Catherine Zeta-Jones leads the pack with her award-winning transformation into Velma Kelly.
01:51From the moment she began to sing All That Jazz, she floored audiences who mostly knew her for comedy and action.
01:58As the vaudevillian on Murderess' Row, Zeta-Jones is one with her character.
02:02The three of us losing, having a few laughs.
02:06And we run out of ice, so I go out to get some.
02:10I come back, open the door,
02:12and there's Veronica and Charlie doing number 17.
02:18The Spread Eagle.
02:20Using her snazzy singing voice and animated dance moves to characterize Velma's rage and her desire to stay on top.
02:27It's hard not to think about iconic routines like Cell Block Tango without reminiscing about Zeta-Jones' everlasting take on the material.
02:34They had it come, they had it come, they had it come, they had it come, they had it come, they had it come, they had it come all along.
02:42The fact that she was pregnant while filming only further sells us on her commitment to making Chicago a modern classic.
02:48You can't even marry Harry, but mess around with Ike.
02:57Number 8.
02:58Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, Tick Tick Boom.
03:01They're singing happy birthday, you just want to lay down and cry.
03:07Just as Rent seemingly came out of nowhere to reshape musical theater,
03:11our spider senses completely failed to detect Andrew Garfield's mesmerizing singing voice.
03:15Said the fools, who should eat at home?
03:25Functioning as both a musical adaptation and biopic,
03:28Tick Tick Boom follows Rent creator Jonathan Larson as he tries to make a name for himself.
03:33In playing someone married to their work, Garfield threw himself into the role entirely,
03:38taking piano and vocal lessons for over a year.
03:41And his dedication more than paid off.
03:44I were you and I done what I done, I do what you did when I gave you the ring, have you accept what I say?
03:50In fact, his lack of previous singing experience only underscores his authenticity
03:54as an artist struggling to leave their mark on the world.
03:57Garfield is so convincing, in fact,
03:59that you begin to wonder if Larson came back to Earth to give him a helping hand.
04:04Cages or wings?
04:06Which do you prefer?
04:08Number 7.
04:09Judy Garland as Vicki Lester.
04:11A star is born.
04:12Mirror, mirror on the wall.
04:14Who is the greatest star of them all?
04:17Do you know the mirror answers?
04:20The moment, mate.
04:21Absolutely correct, Miss, um...
04:26Budget, Esther Budget.
04:28Judy Garland lent her one-of-a-kind talent to numerous classics during her career,
04:33including Meet Me in St. Louis and, of course, The Wizard of Oz.
04:36Somewhere over the rainbow.
04:43But in hindsight, few of her performances are as indelible and loosely autobiographical as her turn in A Star is Born.
04:50Fools will be fools, and where's he gone to?
05:00Playing rising actress Vicki Lester, who falls for a screen veteran in a downward spiral,
05:05Garland brings grace and dignity to someone experiencing the darker side of the industry.
05:10Her ability to imbue the film's grander set pieces with joyful exuberance
05:14makes for a chilling contrast to her dramatic chops during the quieter, more intense moments.
05:19It was during the matinee on Friday...
05:27Garland tells us about herself in ways few can understand,
05:30making her performance, and the movie's portrayal of self-destruction, even more noteworthy.
05:35I'd give the world if I could only be
05:40Sitting on my mammy's knee...
05:42Sometimes the correct casting choice is the most obvious one.
05:56That was certainly the case when Tim Curry stepped up to play this boundary-pushing antagonist.
06:01Having debuted the role of Dr. Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror's original London production,
06:17Curry slips back into the mad scientist's fishnets and heels with ease.
06:21But his transition to the screen goes above and beyond,
06:24as he doubles down on the character's ability to both seduce and terrify.
06:28Since you're such an exceptional beauty, I'm prepared to forgive you.
06:33Putting the extra in extraterrestrial,
06:36Frank constantly leaves us unsure if we should visit his lab or run away,
06:40and Curry's delivery encapsulates his otherworldliness to a T.
06:44It's one of the most unique performances in movie history,
06:47defying stereotypes and expectations until what remains is something wholly original.
06:52Can't you just see it?
07:01Number 5, Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood, singing in the rain.
07:06I've had one motto which I've always lived by.
07:10Dignity.
07:11Always dignity.
07:13Arguably the greatest triple threat in the history of entertainment,
07:16Gene Kelly could seemingly do no wrong whenever he was on screen.
07:19So it says something that he still manages to be the most memorable part of a musical
07:24that also features pitch-perfect performances from both Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor.
07:28Good morning, good morning to you.
07:33Co-directing, choreographing, and starring in Singing in the Rain,
07:37Kelly's passion and charisma are off the charts as Don Lockwood.
07:41Although the character finds himself at a crossroads in his career,
07:44they're simply no denying the actor's commitment to finding the harmony between song and dance.
07:49They're out of style for Broadway, always wears a smile.
07:57Kelly masterfully adjusts his body language to allow each number to tell a different story within the story,
08:02and the result is nothing less than euphoric.
08:05I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain.
08:12What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again.
08:18Number four, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Alphaba and Glinda.
08:23Wicked.
08:29What is this feeling, you may ask?
08:33It's two perfectly cast roles for the price of one.
08:36As one of the most popular musicals ever,
08:39the Wicked movie brought major expectations from fans.
08:41While Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande may not have sounded like ideal casting at first,
08:56both quickly proved themselves irreplaceable as Alphaba and Glinda.
09:00The two defy gravity and skepticism,
09:10not just with their spectacular singing voices,
09:13but with their ability to inhabit their roles without preconceived images getting in the way.
09:17Even in your case...
09:19They bring dramatic depth and unexpected comedic brilliance when necessary,
09:43crafting fully formed characters we can't get enough of.
09:46Our next trip over the rainbow can't come soon enough.
09:49As it's safe to say, these two have changed us for good.
09:52Two good friends, two best friends.
09:59Number three, Rita Moreno as Anita, West Side Story.
10:03Listen, with those boys you can start in dancing and end up praying.
10:08Querida, one little inch.
10:11Un poquititi, un poquititi, un poquititi.
10:14Bernardo made me promise.
10:14Bernardo.
10:14Even with ten Oscars to West Side Story's name,
10:17Rita Moreno's supporting actress win may have been the most deserving one of all.
10:22A musical that pulses with as much energy as this would be nothing without a performer like Moreno to provide the spark.
10:28Always the population growing.
10:33And the money owing.
10:35As the virtuous Anita, she not only tackles the movie's signature music and choreography like it's nothing,
10:41but is also the glue binding many of its themes together.
10:44It's a testament to her abilities that she emits bubbliness during a tune like America
10:53as easily as she conveys devastation during the movie's darker second half.
10:57Anita's gonna get her kicks tonight.
11:01We'll have our private little mix tonight.
11:06Moreno's legacy speaks for itself,
11:08and she even returned for the 2021 remake,
11:10where we saw another genius casting in Mike Feist as Riff.
11:19Number 2.
11:20Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice.
11:22Funny Girl.
11:23Hello, gorgeous.
11:26If Tim Curry was the right choice to reprise his iconic stage role for the big screen,
11:31then Barbara Streisand was a no-brainer.
11:33You think beautiful girls are gonna stay in style forever?
11:35Yeah.
11:36I should say that.
11:37Any minute now, they're gonna be out.
11:38Finished!
11:39Then it'll be my turn!
11:41Move!
11:42But regardless of what medium she did it for,
11:44Streisand was born to play Fanny Brice.
11:47Her first scene alone makes it clear that she deserved to share her incomparable talent with the whole world.
11:52And that's only scratching the surface of what she brings to Funny Girl.
11:55I'd rather be blue
11:57Thinking of you
12:00I'd rather be blue
12:02Streisand stays true to the character's onstage essence and her troubled life away from the spotlight,
12:08backing up her impressive comedic timing with an essential flair for the dramatic.
12:12It's one of the most memorable film debuts of all time,
12:15and Streisand more than made up for her Tony loss with a dynamic Oscar win.
12:19I simply gotta march my heart for drama
12:22Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade
12:27Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:32Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn, Little Shop of Horrors.
12:36He's made this clumsy botanist the adorkable icon he is today.
12:40Suddenly Seymour
12:44He's here to provide you
12:48Amy Adams as Giselle, Enchanted.
12:51If you're gonna start a musical number in Central Park, you better do it as well as her.
12:55Well, does he leave a little note to tell you you are on the climb?
13:01Chaim Topol as Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof.
13:04His performance makes revisiting this musical a certifiable tradition.
13:08It wouldn't have to work hard
13:10Yabbi-dibbi-dibbi-dibbi-dibbi-dibbi-dibbi-dibbi-dum
13:14Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Les Miserables.
13:18I Dreamed a Dream is all the proof we need.
13:21He took my childhood in his stride!
13:27Ewan McGregor as Christian, Moulin Rouge.
13:30Come what may, we'll love this performance till our dying day.
13:34And there's no mountains too high, no river too wide.
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13:58Number 1. Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins.
14:03There aren't enough delightfully nonsensical words to describe a casting choice like this.
14:07Hmm, rather inclined to giggle, doesn't put things away.
14:10How about you?
14:13Very well, hold this for me.
14:22As I expected, Mary Poppins practically perfect in every way.
14:27Another proven stage actress awaiting her film debut, Julie Andrews was passed over for the film adaptation of My Fair Lady,
14:34despite originating the role of Eliza. Luckily, she was soon offered the role of a magical nanny with a cheery disposition.
14:41And the rest is history.
14:43Pour a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down.
14:52As Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews is whimsy incarnate, finding fun in even the most mundane situations with the snap of a finger.
14:59Snap! The job's a game!
15:01But her captivating presence is made whole by the elegant tenderness she brings to the role.
15:12Extolling goodwill and kindness, Andrews won a well-deserved Oscar for her effort,
15:17and would bring the same qualities to her subsequent turn in The Sound of Music.
15:21The hills are alive with the sound of music.
15:28Which movie musical would you never recast? Which one needs to be recast as soon as possible?
15:33Let us know down in the comments.
15:35Oh, come on Brad, admit it. You liked it, didn't you?
15:40There's no crime in giving yourself over to pleasure.
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