4 Acting Roles That Proved Kris Kristofferson Was More Than Just a Musician

The great Kris Kristofferson has passed away at the age of 88, and the country music world has been pouring out well-wishes to his family and tributes to the “Bobby McGee” hitmaker. However, we think that Kristofferson deserves more credit for his acting credits, rather than just his musical works. He’s a legend in outlaw country, but he was very much a double threat with a talent for acting that often went under the radar. Let’s look at four acting roles that proved Kris Kristofferson was more than just a musician!

1. ‘A Star Is Born’ (1976)

This is by far one of the best acting roles Kris Kristofferson ever took on. This film has been remade with new casts quite a few times through the years, but nobody did it quite like Barbara Streisand and Kristofferson. 

The story of A Star Is Born follows a romance that blossoms between two musicians with a not-so-great relationship with music. It’s a real heartbreaker, and Kristofferson plays the role of an addict who is spiraling downward with both grace and palpable pain. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper did the characters justice in the newest rendition, both these two had incredible chemistry in the 1976 film.

2. ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ (1974)

Kristofferson seemed to shine the most out of all of the cast of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore from 1974. This Martin Scorsese film is a comedy-drama about a widow who moves with her son to the American South and falls in love with (you guessed it!) Krisofferson’s character. In her defense, he’s very easy to fall in love with.

3. ‘Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid’ (1973)

In the mood for a solid Western? You might be surprised to see Kris Kristofferson pop up in Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid from 1973. This was the film that put Kristofferson on the map as an actor; he does an excellent job in this film.

This Western follows the story of Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid, childhood friends who grow up to operate on opposite sides of the law. The writing was criticized when it was first released; but if anything, that just proves that Kristofferson could play a character beautifully even without “good” dialogue or storylines.

4. ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (1980)

This drama-noir film from Michael Cimino is loosely based on the real-life Johnson County War. Kristofferson puts on an incredible performance alongside superstar actors Christopher Walken and Jeff Bridges. It’s wild to think that Heaven’s Gate was more or less a flop when it first came out. It’s really a terrific film.

Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives

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