“Every singer is an actress”: Chappell Roan admits encouragement from director John Waters for acting debut

Washington DC [US], May 5 (ANI): After the acting ventures of pop stars Cher, Madonna and Lady Gaga, the Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan might add this actress’ fame to her resume.

The Grammy winner revealed that she recently met legendary cult filmmaker John Waters, who encouraged Roan to embrace her inner thespian and give acting a try, reported Deadline.

“I met John Waters last night, which was insane,” she told W Magazine as quoted by Deadline.

“One of my idols! And I was talking about how there are only so many ‘firsts’ you can have with your career. And he said, ‘No, no, no–there are all the firsts to go through when you become an actress!’ And I said, ‘I’m not an actress–what are you talking about?’ He said, ‘Every singer is an actress!’ And I was like, okay, maybe I am! Damn! If John Waters says I’m an actress, maybe I am!,” added Roan as quoted by Deadline.

According to the outlet, after breaking out with her 2023 debut studio album ‘The Rise and Fall’ of a Midwest Princess, Roan won her first Grammy for Best New Artist this year.

While accepting her trophy, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer used her speech to address an important issue–how record labels treat artists, according to Variety.

After thanking her family, friends, and team, Roan made a strong statement about the struggles that many musicians face.

“I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially developing artists,” she said according to Variety.

The audience responded with cheers and applause as Roan shared her personal experience. The American singer shared that she was signed as a minor but was later dropped by her label. Without job experience, she struggled to find work during the pandemic and couldn’t afford health insurance.

Meanwhile, Waters’ two-decade hiatus from filmmaking after his 2004 satire A Dirty Shame was interrupted when Village Roadshow Entertainment optioned his novel Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance in 2022, with Waters set to write and direct, reported Deadline.

Although Waters said in April 2024 that he had a good script in place, with Aubrey Plaza onboard to star as the titular Marsha ‘Liarmouth’ Sprinkle, they “don’t have the money to make it.”

In November, he revealed that the adaptation is no longer happening, reported Deadline.