The Rules: Second Careers

However multi-talented you are, or think you are, face the fact that you're only ever going to be famous for one thing. Most people would love to be well known and respected just for one thing. If you're going to get the huff because people want to talk about your movies instead of your music, it doesn't make you look like more of an artist, it makes you look like more of a jerk

You see, Joaquin, Keanu, Billy Bob.... the only reason you have a music career, is because you have a film career. No matter how good your music may be, the only reason anyone is interested is because they've heard of you as an actor. If you accept that fact with good grace, more people are likely to come and hear you play than if you act all spoilt and demand to be treated like a proper musician. Most proper musicians launch their careers in dive bars playing to a dozen or so people and coming a poor second to the pool game, not on national talk shows – so if you really want to keep it real, do it properly.

And it's not as if rock stars don't try to be actors either. But you don't often see David Bowie or Madonna or Sting refusing to talk about anything other than their latest movie. They know why they got the gig. And it's not like Tony Bennett will insist on speaking only about painting. That's probably because he's a far better painter Joaquin is a singer. You see, if you were really confident in your music, you wouldn't have to protest so much that you're a serious artist.