5 Country Music Stars Who Are Also Great TV Actors

Crossover careers are common in the entertainment industry. Pop stars make movies, reality stars make Broadway debuts, and actors launch music careers. It's unsurprising that some of the biggest stars in the country music world have dabbled in acting. Which country music stars have the talent to make their acting careers last — not for the occasional movie — but week after week, hour after hour on television? 

It's a harder feat than it might seem. Dolly Parton starred in two iconic films in the '80s — "9 to 5" (1980) and "Steel Magnolias" (1989) — but when ABC tried to launch a variety show with her in 1987 called "Dolly," it was canceled after one season. Parton even told USA Today in 2020 that she was happy it ended, since she didn't enjoy playing characters too far from her own personality. And, sorry Swifties, while there were rumors Taylor Swift made secret cameos on her favorite shows like "The Handmaid's Tale," she's not exactly known for her fictional roles. 

But there are many country music stars whose time on TV was nearly as successful as their music careers. Whether they've been first on the call sheet for years or are at the beginning of developing their acting talent, these country artists are as captivating to watch on television, as they are at live music venues. 

Reba McEntire had won two Grammy awards by the time her sitcom, "Reba," premiered in October 2001. In fact, her career-defining album, "Whoever's in New England," the first to top the Billboard country albums chart, was released in 1986. So, she was more recognizable as a queen of country music than a queen of comedy when the world met Reba Hart, whose own world falls apart when she finds out her husband was leaving her for his pregnant mistress. It doesn't help that her teenage daughter is pregnant within the first few minutes of the show.

The quirky, country-fried comedy also starred Joanna Garcia Swisher, Melissa Peterman, and Steve Howey. It ran for six seasons on network TV, and was one of only a handful of shows to survive the channel's rebranding from the WB to the CW. "Reba" worked in part thanks to McEntire's country roots playing a huge role on the series. 

"Reba" was successful enough to have a small place in sitcom history and inspire McEntire to try again with the ABC sitcom "Malibu Country," which combined the musician's life as a performer with the premise of "Reba." She moved farthest away from her actual life with NBC's "Happy's Place," playing bar owner Bobbie who discovers she has a half-sister. Peterman played her bartender, Gabby, and Swisher plays an actress hired to portray Bobbie in a guest spot. Former "Reba" co-stars, Howey and Christopher Rich, also guest-starred on the short-lived series. Although McEntire never disconnected from country music, millennials were the first generation to define the "Tourist" singer by both her comedy chops and her vocals. 

Jana Kramer was an actress before she broke into country music with her self-titled 2012 album, three years after she debuted as Alex Dupre on "One Tree Hill," which would become a career-defining role for her. It might surprise her casual fans that Kramer has only released two full-length country albums to date. Months after her self-titled release, Kramer beat Sunny Sweeney and future country music mega star, Kacey Musgraves, for the Academy of Country Music Awards "New Female Artist of the Year" honor. Although Kramer hasn't released an album in over a decade, she's continued to record singles, including the 2025 duet "Do It In Heels" with fellow country music artist Jessie James Decker.

In her acting career, Kramer's three seasons as Alex (an actor and musician) gained her a following, but she had memorable guest star arcs on other hit shows like "Friday Night Lights," playing Smash Williams' girlfriend, Noelle, in 2007 and 2008. After "FNL," Kramer played Lola on the Season 4, two-episode season finale of "Grey's Anatomy." She was the crush of a patient named Andrew (James Immekus), who jumped into a vat of wet cement to impress her and got trapped. Kramer also had notable guest spots on "90210" and "Entourage." After "One Tree Hill," the "Why Ya Wanna" singer found success on TV in the Christmas movie genre.

Together, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill make up one of country music's (and Hollywood's) biggest power couples. It's undeniable that they're individually successful in their music careers — Hill has 17 Grammy nominations and five wins, while McGraw has 20 nominations and three wins. So much of their success has happened together, including the Grammy win for their mega-hit duet, "Let's Make Love," in 2000. It makes sense that some of their most notable success in television have happened together, too. 

McGraw has more acting credits than his wife, whose only notable credit for many years came in the 2004 film, "The Stepford Wives." That is, until Taylor Sheridan and his "Yellowstone" universe came knocking. McGraw and Hill first appeared on screen together in a Season 4 episode of the hit western series in December 2021, playing the original patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family, James and Margaret Dutton. 

The "Live Like You Were Dying" singer told Forbes that when he was approached about being on the show, he told Sheridan he wanted a meaty role, and the TV producer came back to him with the idea that he and Hill would play the original Duttons. When the episode was filmed, Sheridan showed them to executives, who said they wanted to buy a prequel, which became "1883." Neither McGraw nor Hill have had a long TV career, but the fact that their performances inspired a prequel is both impressive and unsurprising. 

Luke Grimes has a name made for country music radio, but his acting career is significantly more established. He used his role on "Yellowstone" as Kayce Dutton, John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) youngest son torn between the ranch drama and his family life, to launch his music career. His first single, "No Horse to Ride," was released on December 2022, and played on an episode of the show. The single ultimately reached No. 7 on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales Chart and led to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. He released his debut self-titled album in 2024 and followed it up with his second LP, "Red Bird," in April 2026. 

Grimes is currently leading the "Yellowstone" spin-off, "Marshals," which premiered in 2026 and follows Kayce's journey after he leaves Yellowstone to go work for an elite team of U.S. Marshals. The series was renewed for a second season shortly after it premiered. Season 2 will premiere in October. 

LeAnn Rimes shot to country music fame at the shockingly young age of 13, with the release of her hit single and the album of the same name, "Blue," in 1996. A year later, she won the coveted best new artist Grammy and the best female country vocal performance Grammy for "Blue" in the same night — and the rest is history. 

Rimes has been consistently been releasing music since her debut, with few breaks in between. Her acting career is a more scattered story. She made her acting debut on the hit NBC soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," in 1998. Rimes played a runaway teenager named Madison for a three-episode arc. Rimes mostly played herself in cameos after that, notably performing on a bar in 2000's "Coyote Ugly," which became an iconic scene that changed her image. The credits in her filmography point to Rimes being open to random opportunities that came her way rather than pursuing a serious acting career.

Then, Rimes was cast as no-nonsense former pop star, Dixie Bennings, on ABC's hit "9-1-1" spin-off, "9-1-1: Nashville," which premiered in 2025. Her performance as a conniving mother who will do anything to help herself and her grown son, Blue (Hunter McVey), get ahead borders on iconic. She steals every scene she's in, whether she's trying to flirt with her ex, Blue's dad, Don (Chris O'Donnell), or nearly come to blows with his wife, Blythe (Jessica Capshaw). Rimes proves she absolutely must pursue a TV career after "9-1-1: Nashville" ends.