Taylor Swift has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Though Swift earned her invitation with her many musical contributions to film, she has also had her fair share of moments on screen.
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From teen epics to romantic comedies and period dramas, Swift has shown off her acting chops in a myriad of genres throughout the years. We have feted Swift on her songwriting abilities more than a few times. Now, let’s take a look at her appearances on the big (and little) screen in honor of this new feather in her cap.
9. New Girl (2013)
We love Swift’s appearance in New Girl, but we have to put it in last place because of how brief it is. The episode that Swift appears in follows one of the main characters, Cece, as she prepares to marry the wrong man. In the end, she decides to call off the wedding–much to her would’ve been husband’s glee. In the end, everyone is happy, including Swift who plays the groom’s secret love, Elaine. Swift got to flex her comedic chops as well as her acting ones.
8. CSI (2009)
Swift jump-started her career on screen as many burgeoning actors have: on an episode of CSI. At the time of her appearance, Swift had an “America’s sweetheart” reputation. The character she plays on the show is anything but. Donning dark eye makeup and a lip piercing, Swift plays a ne’er-do-well teen who meets her untimely fate in a motel parking lot.
Though she has had more iconic roles since we can’t discount CSI for giving Swift her big acting break. Plus, who could forget the iconic use of “You’re Not Sorry” while the camera pans over a recently stabbed Swift?
7. Cats (2019)
Very few people were on board with Cats–so much so that we toyed with putting this Swift performance dead last. But we ultimately gave it some grace because Swift was a high point in an otherwise lackluster film. The singer/songwriter played a playful Bengal cat named Bombalurina. It was somewhat of a full circle moment for Swift, given her self-proclaimed “cat lady” status.
6. Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
Swift had a brief appearance in the feature film version of Hannah Montana. She plays a small-town singer who performs a lulling ballad during a fundraiser for Miley Stewart’s hometown, Crowley Corners. Though the whole sequence runs just a few minutes in length, it introduced many preteens to a young Swift in 2009. The song she performs, “Crazier,” is still a favorite among fans and would’ve been a great addition to Taylor’s Version of Fearless.
5. Valentine’s Day (2010)
Swift brought her comedic chops back out for Valentine’s Day in 2010. This role marked Swift’s first in a feature film, which would open her up to other, more dramatic, roles. Swift plays the spacey, yet lovable high school girlfriend of Taylor Lautner’s character–who she would later date in real life. She leaves little nods to her Swifties throughout the film, notably a painted ’13’ on her hand. It’s a nostalgic snapshot of a younger Swift at the height of her country era.
4. The Lorax (2012)
So this is not a Swift appearance on screen, it’s just her voice, but The Lorax is a childhood favorite of many Swifties. Whether they stumbled upon Swift playing red-headed Audrey or they watched the movie specifically for her, they were gifted this heart-warming animated feature that still holds up more than a decade later.
3. Amsterdam (2022)
Swift’s latest appearance in film saw her act alongside Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, and John David Washington. It’s undoubtedly her role with the most to chew on. The period drama follows three friends who witness a murder and subsequently uncover a major conspiracy. Swift has a small, but mighty, role in the film as the daughter of the murdered man. Her acting skills show a clear improvement in this film and have primed her for, hopefully, more robust acting roles in the future.
2. All Too Well: The Short Film (2021)
Not only does Swift make an appearance at the end of All Too Well: The Short Film, but she also wrote and directed it. The name-sake song is one of Swift’s most stunning musical efforts to date so it only stands to reason that her directorial debut centered around it would be similarly affecting. She perfectly captures the story she lays out in the song both behind the camera and in front.
1. The Giver (2014)
The Giver was Swift’s first role that touted her potential to become a dramatic actor. She had already been in a feature film, Valentine’s Day, but her role in this teen dystopian film was in a whole new league. The Giver had far bigger stakes than Valentine’s Day. Swift’s performance itself far exceeded the world’s expectations for the type of film project the singer could be involved in and she blew it out of the water.
(Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
