Scarlett can do it all and even find time to make the odd movie. Admittedly not ones that make money, but hey, you can't have everything right?
Now, like so many before her, Scarlett's decided that, actually, what she really wants to do is make music. Or, in this case, make somebody else's music: Tom Waits' music to be precise. This has resulted in lots of fawning, because Scarlett is the kind of actress that the critics adore and gravelly -voiced troubador Waits is the darling of the music press. Never mind that Scarlett had never mentioned her musical ambitions, this sort of collaboration is bound to be better than Keanu Reeves' posturings, isn't it?
In a word, no. It's not that she can't sing. She's got a pleasant voice –think Sinead O'Connor without the soul –and the production is expensive and dreamy. Plus, of course, you've got guest artists like David Bowie sticking their experienced oars in. But if she wasn't Scarlett Johansson, would this have got a release? Of course it wouldn't. It's just not that good.
So why do these people try and change careers? In the instance of model / actress / singer Paris Hilton, it's understandable: the more she tries, the more chance she has of finding something she's good at (for the record, Paris, it's porn, alright?). But what makes a Scarlett go musical or a Britney try and act? Because, 99 times out of a 100 – at least - it's a disaster.
There are exceptions. Will Smith can do the double threat thing, ditto J-Lo. Timberlake's acting is annoyingly good. Norah Jones was the best thing in My Blueberry Nights, although it's debatable if that was her innate thespian abiilities or the fact that anyone / thing appearing opposite Jude Law looks like an acting genius. Including furniture.
Is it time, perhaps, to just stamp all of this crossover stuff and make the buggers choose one career? Nip it in the bud while there's still time? Sure, we'll miss out on a few Getting Jiggy With Its – by which we mean Will Smith's recording career, not Paris Hilton's life philosophy – and, er, Hilary Duff movies. But surely better that than the almost inevitable Christina Aguilera's Lady Macbeth or Tommy Lee Jones sings Alanis Morrissette?
