Pop star acting calamities

As anyone who has followed his music career for the last year or two will recognise, Ben Drew is of the opinion there is little that is beyond him. The artist usually known as Plan B was once a rapper but has gone on to earn massive acclaim and commercial success as a reborn soul sensation.

Not only does Drew speak confidently about moving into other musical territories but he also has acting ambitions. This week it was confirmed he will star alongside Ray Winstone in a film version of 'The Sweeney', describing the role as "a dream come true". Of course, he's not the first musician to take such a plunge.

Ever since Elvis Presley swapped his blue suede shoes for a career in Hollywood, the lure of the big screen has proved irresistible to countless pop icons. But which chart stars set a new low in their cinematic careers and which films should really never have been made, for the sake of us all? Find out below...

LL Cool J - 'Deep Blue Sea'
"There have been some dumb killer-animal movies made before it, but 'Deep Blue Sea' could set a new industry low in that genre's intelligence level," said one critic about the 1999 sci-fi thriller. Universally panned, rapper LL Cool J played a Gospel-obsessed cook nicknamed 'Preach', with a swearing parrot as his sidekick. No, really. You thought 'Snakes On A Plane' was bad? Try this for size.

Mick Jagger - 'Freejack'
Mick Jagger's acting career is not without its highlights. His debut, 'Performance', is widely regarded as a classic. Sadly, 1992's 'Freejack' is not. Reviewers were not shy in putting the boot into his bounty hunter role. One suggested it made the rocker "look as if his face is starting to melt", another stated he is "lucky to have other employment," while the movie was described as "absolutely moronic."

Marilyn Manson - 'Party Monster'
Marilyn Manson has been trying to convince the world he's not of this Earth for many years now. Perhaps the closest he's got is in a rather patchy acting career, which 'peaked' with 2003's 'Party Monster'. Starring alongside drug-addled lead Macaulay Culkin, he plays Christina, an even more drug-addled transvestite, a role which helped film-makers recoup just $750,000 of the $5m budget.

Vanilla Ice - 'Cool As Ice'
Intended as a vehicle for the emerging rapper, it's fair to see his 1991 movie bow crashed into a brick wall. Gwyneth Paltrow's father forbade her from accepting a role, while director David Kellogg later disowned it. Why? Because it stank. Ice's performance has since been ranked as the seventh worst by a musician turned actor in the history of cinema. We are happy to make the same judgement.

Britney Spears - 'Crossroads'
Britney made millions at the box office with her debut movie, even impressing some in her portrayal of a pretty, singing adolescent confronting the world. Sadly, most others either fell asleep or pointed out playing yourself is hardly a stretch. It's called acting. "Those who loved 'Cool As Ice' have at last found a worthy follow-up," wrote one critic, underlining the film's eternal pop culture damnation.

Beyonce - 'The Pink Panther'
To be fair, Mrs Z has earned a reputation as having at least the minimum skills to make it in movies, after widescreen hits like 'Dreamgirls' and 'Cadillac Records'. But her contribution to 'The Pink Panther' has been viewed rather differently. One review said she had "but two requirements to fulfil: to look like Beyonce and sing like Beyonce," while another insisted she "is distinctively bereft of acting skills."

50 Cent - 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin''
"If Eminem can do it, why can't I?" seemed to be 50 Cent's logic going into this 2005 biopic. How long have you got, would be our response. His performance as mumbling drug dealer Marcus turned mumbling music star Marcus was viewed as "utterly lacking in charisma", or, to put it more succinctly: "50 Cent dies for our sins in disappointing screen debut." At least he managed the "get rich" part.

Snoop Dogg - 'Soul Plane'
A portrayal of Huggy Bear in 'Starsky & Hutch' may have wowed some but Snoop Dogg's next move was seen very differently. "It offers nothing," sledgehammered one reviewer, as accusations of sexism, homophobia and racism flew. In fact, the demands of this part were so taxing it basically asked him to carry on the habit of a lifetime (being a drug addict) in full public view, while pretending to be a pilot.

Madonna - 'Who's That Girl'
When it comes to Madonna's worst film, it's take your pick, pretty much. But 'Who's That Girl', the 1987 movie which spawned a single, soundtrack album and live tour of the same name, received perhaps the most abuse from international critics, becoming a commercial failure. Even director James Foley thought it was a bad idea. "I knew it was doomed before even filming started," he later admitted.

Mariah Carey - 'Glitter'
Mariah Carey may have justifiably won the hearts of fans and critics alike with her part in 'Precious' but 2001's 'Glitter' has gone down as one of the worst films ever. It took home six nominations at the 22nd Golden Raspberry Awards - including Worst Actress and Worst Screen Couple (her cleavage) - eventually grossing $5.2m, less than a quarter of its $22m budget. Clearly, all that 'Glitter' is not gold.

What do you think of our picks? Are these the worst cinema efforts in the history of singer turned actor? Which have we missed out? Have your say below...