10 Famous Actors Who Are Fantastic Dancers
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Actors have one of the toughest jobs on the planet. It’s a very exhausting job, honestly, and it requires a lot of patience and precision. A job guaranteed to take 100% of your time. But, did you know that some of these superstars also have other amazing talents? Here are some of Hollywood’s biggest household names who are also amazing dancers.
You may have seen some of them dance on set. While some of these stars take it as a hobby, others require the skills for the roles they perform on set. Brace yourself, as some of these names may shock you.
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman is one of those celebrities you would refer to as a ‘triple threat.’ From the ferocious role of the wolverine to the singing and dancing role of P.T. Barnum in the award-winning The Greatest Showman. The Oscar-nominated actor is known for his versatility in the movie industry. Hugh Jackman has been in love with dancing right from childhood.
However, the actor revealed that he almost gave up on dancing due to criticism from his elder brother who said to the then 11-year-old Hugh that dancing was for sissies. When he turned 18, though, his brother had a change of heart after seeing 42nd Street and encouraged Hugh to follow his heart.
Tom Holland
The 21-year-old actor first gained recognition after his appearance in the 2012 The Impossible. His first major role though was in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War (2016). Not surprisingly, Tom Holland happens to be an amazing dancer.
In fact, one of the major reasons for him being picked to play the role of the notable superhero in the Spider-Man franchise was his dancing skills. It probably didn’t hurt that he also learned gymnastics while performing in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2006. To accurately depict the hero (a very expressive Peter Parker), the actor had to have fluid body motion and Holland was perfect for the role.
Christopher Walken
Walken became very popular after his roles in Deer Hunter and Annie Hall. But he first shocked viewers with his dancing skills when he tap-danced in Pennies from Heaven. He is frequently depicted dancing on camera, sometimes as a spice to the role he plays. What most people don’t know, though, is that Walken actually started his career in the entertainment industry as a dancer.
Christopher Walken, reportedly, said he took his first dancing lessons when he was 3-years old. He attributes his extensive dancing skills to the early lessons and the fact that he had been around dancers since childhood. He also played roles in musicals before gaining recognition in the movie industry.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones is an Academy Award-winning actress. She rose to fame after her role in The Mark of Zorro and Entrapment. By age 4, Catherine had already started taking dancing lessons and by age 15 she dropped out of school to join The Pajama Game (a touring musical production).
She played the lead actress in the musical 42nd Street, at the age of 17. The actress also studied musical theatre in London before her rise to fame in Hollywood. When it comes to actors/actresses who can dance, Catherine Zeta-Jones is simply one of the best. She not only dances as an actress, but it’s also a hobby she enjoys.
Alfonso Ribeiro
Ribeiro is an actor best known for his role in the TV sitcom Fresh Prince, where he displays his superb dancing skills in what is popularly known as the ‘Carlton.’ He is no doubt a great dancer and has even participated in dancing competitions and was the winner of season 19 of Dancing With The Stars.
Alfonso Ribeiro once got up from behind the judges’ seat where he was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing to flaunt his superb dance moves to the audience during a performance by Katya and Mike. It was a delight for viewers as the actor went on to do his famous ‘Carlton’ dance on stage.
Sam Rockwell
This particular actor has quite some dance clips all over the internet. The Academy Award winner is best known for his role in 1997 Lawn Dogs. Some call him a ‘dancing machine’ owing to the fact that he always manages to sneak in a dance move here and there.
Sam has one or two dance moves in nearly all his movies except for Poltergeist. He specifically states that he didn’t dance in Poltergeist, humorously referring to it as progress for him, as he is fond of having at least one dance move in most of his movies.
Penelope Cruz
Yet another actress who can do the moves. Penelope Cruz states that her history in dancing helped her in her movie career, specifically in her roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. She has had appearances in notable movies such as Waking Up in Reno, Murder on the Orient Express, and also received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for each of her performances in both Nine and Volver.
No doubt a superb dancer, Cruz had focused on dancing early in her career. At Spain’s National Conservatory she studied classical ballet for nine years and later took three years of Spanish ballet. At Cristina Rota’s school, she studied an additional four years.
Amy Lou Adams
Amy is known for her role in Junebug, American Hustle and Enchanted. Though, an actress, Amy Adams once aspired to be a dancer. She trained as an apprentice at David Taylor Dance Company, with the ambition of becoming a ballerina. By the age of 18, the award-winning actress, who has been a winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress twice, decided she was not gifted enough to be a professional ballerina and took on a new path in musical theatre.
Her career as a dancer started in 1994, years before she would gain recognition as a professional actress and also win two Golden Globes, with six Academy Award nominations. Amy is a superb dancer and also talks about becoming a ‘dance mom’ for her kid, Aviana, who takes dance classes.
Zoe Saldana
Here we have the 2nd Highest Grossing Film Actress (as of 2019), and she loves to dance. Zoe has had appearances in some of the biggest movies of all times, including, Star Trek, Avatar, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame.
Zoe Saldana states that despite all the forms of dance she studied, the ballet was her passion, but she had to quit because she didn’t have the feet for it. Saldana occasionally works with NYCB dancers and is no doubt an excellent mover. Zoe is one of those actresses you wouldn’t expect to know how to dance as she has rarely done dancing on set.
Tom Hiddleston
The actor who plays the popular character of Loki, in Marvel’s Thor as well as sequel movies is an excellent mover. He once demonstrated his dancing skills at a Korean promotional event in 2013. In fact, Tom is so good that the internet has made several GIFs of him in ‘dance mode.’
There have also been clips of him where he does dance styles such as ‘snake hips,’ and ‘Gangnam Style,’ circulating the internet. Hiddleston is one of those actors who has been asked to dance on stage (during interviews) on several occasions, so much so that his dancing has become very popular with viewers.
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