If you’re working on your playlist of Christmas songs, don’t forget to add these melodic gems from some unexpected celebrities.
Some actors just act, some singers just sing, and some do both and those celebrities. You shouldn’t put creative individuals in a box!
Like many, we were taken with the news that Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keating released a Christmas song, ‘First Christmas‘ in time for the holidays and so we decided to do a round-up of some of the actors who dabbled in Christmas songs over the years. Some are quite surprising.
Read on to find out which famous actors have released Christmas songs…
01
Diane Keaton
As aforementioned, Diane has released a Christmas track.
Known for her iconic roles in Annie Hall, First Wives Club, and Somethings Gotta Give just to name a few, the Oscar-winning actress has released a Christmas song, right on time for the festive season.
The original song, ‘First Christmas’, was written by award-winning songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Jonas Myrin who have previously worked on songs performed by artists like Cher and Barbra Streisand.
She shared the news on her Instagram, where she described the experience of working on the song as “the most beautiful gift I could ever imagine.
02
Kate Winslet
That’s right, the award-winning British actress, famed for Titanic, The Holiday, Mare of Eastown, The Reader, and many more iconic roles, released a Christmas song.
Well technically, it’s a love song about heartbreak and wondering “What if?”. However, it was recorded for the soundtrack album to the film Christmas Carol: The Movie. Kate voiced the character of Belle in the feature which is based on the Dickens classic.
The song soared to the number one spot of the Irish, Austrian and Flanders charts over Christmas. It managed to hit the sixth spot in the UK.
As per Kate’s request, all proceeds from the single were donated to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Sargent Cancer Care for Children.
03 & 04
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta
That’s right, the Grease duo reunited for a one-off Christmas album in 2012, This Christmas’.
Both are known for their vocal talent and acting chops, however, this album received mixed reviews from critics.
The album features recordings of some of the world’s favourite Christmas tunes including ‘Deck the Halls’, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, and ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’.
Definitely, a good choice to add to your Christmas playlist over the holiday period.
05
Leighton Meester
Although Leighton is best recognised for her starring role as Blair Waldorf on the worldwide television show Gossip Girl, she’s also an accomplished singer
She collaborated on the album A Very Special Christmas 7 which was released in 2009 – the seventh in a series of Christmas albums. For the compilation album, she performed a cover of the pop song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) originally sung by Darlene Love.
06
Zooey Deschanel
You might be aware of her vocal talent from her roles on New Girl and Elf, but Zooey Deschanel is also a member of the folk/indie rock band She & Him with musician M. Ward.
They released a Christmas album A Very She & Him Christmas in October 2011.
We got a taste of Zooey’s Christmas singing prowess during Elf. She played the role of Josie, Will Ferrell’s character Buddy’s coworker-turned-girlfriend. In the movie, the two sing a version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” However, on the album, we can enjoy a longer (arguably better) version without Will.
07
David Hasselhoff
Perhaps the most surprising inclusion on this list is the Hoff himself, David Hasselhoff.
Surprisingly, in 2004, David released a much-derided album The Night Before Christmas.
The Nightrider and Bay Watch star failed to make an impact on the Christmas charts with his spin on yuletide classics.
Maybe you should leave it as a fun fact to share at the Christmas dinner table instead of adding it to your Christmas songs playlist.
08
Bill Nighy
Honourable mention goes to British actor Bill Nighy’s character of Billy Mack in the classic Christmas feature film Love Actually. In the Christmas movie, Billy Mack records a cover of the Troggs song “Love Is All Around” with a festive twist: “Christmas Is All Around”.
Spoiler alert, his track becomes a Christmas number-one single (in the movie) and on our Christmas playlist.
And with the news that we may be getting a sequel to the now-classic Christmas movie, maybe we’ll see a resurgence in the real-life song charts…
The British actor followed up his festive hit with another song for a movie. This time, for the film Arthur Christmas. Bill recorded ‘Make Someone Happy’ for the soundtrack to this festive flick.
