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THE HOLLYWOOD.COM 2008 YEAR IN REVIEW
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It’s a known fact: smooth singers have been acting for years. Some credibly. (Right, Sinatra?) Some not so much. (Right, Elvis?) But in 2008, they were out in full force. Here are the best crossover performances of the year. Not on the list: Will Smith, Queen Latifah – they’re not really singers anymore now, are they?
WHO: Common
WHAT: Wanted; Street Kings
A stone cold assassin — with a burning fire hidden behind that enigmatic stare — is the confidently stealthy character Mr. Mind Control channeled in both flicks. To stand your ground and then some, opposite the feline assassin Ms. Jolie — and then to be a cop flying in the face of the LAPD — Common proved to be a quite a player, in fact. He gets our cross-over stamp of approval.
KEEP READING: Alicia Keyes
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THE HOLLYWOOD.COM 2008 YEAR IN REVIEW
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WHO: Alicia Keyes
WHAT: The Secret Life of Bees
No disrespect to the two other music divas — Latifah and Jennifer Hudson — who also shared the secret, but Keyes’ boisterous yet nuanced performance as the freshly empowered, NAACP-bound, feminist femme fatale falling in love … well, rocked.
KEEP READING: Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges
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WHO: Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges
WHAT: Rocknrolla; Max Payne
From a music promoting mid-level thug to an Internal Affairs cop, the real-life Chris Bridges played both sides of the vice coin. It’s been well worth the long wait since Crash.
KEEP READING: Tim McGraw
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WHO: Tim McGraw
WHAT: Four Christmases
Country music superstar nailed it as the redneck, tormenting brother of Vince Vaughn. Either slacking or banging heads, in his fatigue pants and head-wrap, McGraw just plain got on our nerves. And we mean that in a good way.
KEEP READING: Mos Def
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WHO: Mos Def
WHAT: Cadillac Records; Be Kind Rewind
From rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry to a video clerk caught up in his own “sweding” movement, reenacting mainstream movie classics such as Rush Hour and Ghostbustes with his crackpot friend (Jack Black), Mos stretched the widest with polar opposite roles. Big ups Mos!
KEEP READING: Hilary Duff
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WHO: Hilary Duff
WHAT: War, Inc.
Lordie, she put a scorpion down her pants in the name of acting. What else do you want?! Yes, Hilary took a plunge playing a vampy, off-key Eastern Euro pop singer driving tensions high in John Cusack‘s clever political satire War, Inc.. And bonus points for not insisting on a crotch stunt double.
KEEP READING: Beyonce
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WHO: Beyonce
WHAT: Cadillac Records
While the world buzzed about “Sasha Fierce” — Beyonce‘s flashy, sensual, stage-bound alter-ego — she unleashed an entirely different, the gritty, plucky, tortured soul legend Etta James. Something new for Beyonce: “At Last.”
KEEP READING: Isaac Hayes
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WHO: Isaac Hayes
WHAT: Soul Men
The late South Park-leaving, Academy Award-winning musician who brought you the “Theme From Shaft” gave audiences one final gift, with them being able to see him, non-animated, playing “Isaac Hayes” opposite Bernie Mac in the music-driven dramedy about two bickering, reunited soul singers on tour. Yes, the movie got mixed reviews but we say: Shut your mouth!
KEEP READING: Jennifer Hudson
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WHO: Jennifer Hudson
WHAT: Sex and the City: The Movie; The Secret Life of Bees
A dash of flavor finally came to SATC when Jennifer‘s Louise is at a bar talking to SJP’s inquiring Carrie about “Boootaaaay call” and such. With two film releases, an album gone gold — and unspeakable personal tragedy — it’s been a madness rollercoaster ride for the former Idol finalist. So we give her our special jury prize for holding on strong.
KEEP READING: “Xzibit”
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WHO: Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner
WHAT: X-Files: I Want to Believe
Joining the team with Mulder and Scully: Xzibit‘s disgruntled FBI agent with a baaaad attitude. The formerly corn-rowed rapper’s choice to be in a movie that was met with mixed reviews may not have taken his career to new heights, but it sure gave him enough solid screen-time to hint at the rise of a new breakout film star.
KEEP READING: David Bowie
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WHO: David Bowie
WHAT: August
An icy Bowie is featured in a supporting role as a callous investor in this film that should probably be re-released right about now. Why? It’s about an ambitious dotcom entrepreneur and his brother attempting to keep their company afloat as the stock market begins to collapse … in August 2001.
