Since the dawning of MTV, music videos have become a main component in the presentation of a new artist. If the song is mediocre, you might be able to have a hit song if the video is on point. The music video has become so important to our culture, models have harnessed their five seconds of camera time into solid acting careers. Once cast as the love interest in Fab’s “I’m So Into You” visual, K.D. Aubert showed her acting chops in Friday After Next, Soul Plane, and In The Mix. Here, we take a look at some other models who’ve made their way into Hollywood by way of the music video.
10. Tae Heckard
Spotted In: Dru Hill’s “I Love You” and Ne-Yo’s “Do You”
This African-American and Korean stunner is not your average video vixen. Influenced by her military upbring, Tae Heckard joined the U.S. Reserve and went to Stephen F. Austin University in Texas. Since then, Heckard has parlayed her spots in Busta’s “I Know What You Want” and Dru Hill’s “I Should Be” clips into a recurring role on the hit dramedy, The Game. Maybe she really does know what we want.
9. Lauren London
Spotted In: Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and Tyrese “Signs of Love Making”
Weezy’s former flame stepped into the spotlight with roles in films like ‘ATL’ and ‘This Christmas.’ Previously, Lauren was recognized as
the girl pouring Snoop’s Chandon in a French maid’s uniform. On account of motherhood, she’s took a brief hiatus from the silver screen, but can be seen in Tyler Perry’s latest Madea flick. We have a feeling she’ll be granted MILF status in Hollywood because of those looks and acting skills.
8. Elise Neal
Spotted In: Father MC “Lisa Baby” and Black Sheep “Strobelight Honey”
As evidenced by her past spread in King Magazine, Elise Neal has thelooks and body to be a bikini clad model. However, she is a classically trained dancer, actor, and singer. In the late nineties,Neal was known for her role on the ABC sitcom, “The Hughleys” and a main role in John Singleton’s ‘Rosewood.’ Her previous gigs include busting pirouettes in videos for Dannii Minogue and Father MC.
7. Adam Rodriguez
Spotted In: Jennifer Lopez “If You Had My Love” and 50 Cent “Many Men”
A great deal of people are familiar with the Cuban/Puerto Rican actor for playing Eric Delko on “CSI:Miami.”
Before getting the slot as Delko, Adam was the man checking out J.Lo’s website in her sexy debut video. Rodriguez made the jump to the big screen with a spot in Tyler
Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” He returned to videos as Melanie Fiona’s love interest in flick for the Grammy nominated song, “It Kills Me.”
6. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Spotted In: Mary J. Blige “Love No Limit” and En Vogue “Giving Him
Something He Can Feel”
Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje creeped audiences out when he played Simon Adebisi on the HBO hit, Oz. Once Oz had run its course, he took up the
role as Mr. Eko on the survivor series, Lost. Earlier in his career, he modeled in fashion and made small appearances in videos for the Funky Divas and the Queen of Hip Hop Soul.
5. Boris Kodjoe
Spotted In: TLC “Red Light Special” and Faith Evans “Never Let You Go”
Women fell in love with Kodjoe’s dashing looks in 1994. He played a game of strip poker with the fiery ATL trio, TLC, and the ladies of the world collectively swooned. Boris Kodjoe worked his way from model to actor by taking bit parts in films like Love and Basketball. He scored the ultimate job in the Showtime series,” Soul Food”. He was recently cast in a new pilot for ABC called, “Georgetown”.
4. LisaRaye
Spotted In: 2Pac “Toss It Up” and Sisqo “Incomplete”
The Chicago born LisaRaye can always be seen wearing anything white; that’s become her signature. Back in the 1996, she had men wondering who was the light skinned honey in the gold dress from 2Pac’s “Toss It Up” video. Her moments of tv time got her the role of her career. As Diamond in The Player’s Club, LisaRaye captured our attention and hasn’t let it go since. After turns in “The Wood,” “Gang of Roses,” and “All of Us,” she’s letting America into her home on the TVOne
reality show, “The Real McCoy.”
3. Wesley Snipes
Spotted In: Michael Jackson “Bad”
Shadow from Mo’ Better Blues isn’t in the best of situations. With all the media coverage of Snipes’ tax evasion charges, it’s easy to dismiss his star turns in “Jungle Fever,” “White Men Can’t Jump,” and “Blade.” However, his first forray into our homes was in the Scorsese directed flick for the King of Pop’s title single, “Bad.” Don’t we all crack up hearing MJ yell at Wesley, “You aint bad! You aint nothin’!”
2. Jennifer Lopez
Spotted In: Janet Jackson “That’s The Way Love Goes” and Puff Daddy “Been Around The World”
In spite of her talent, Jennifer Lopez represents the image of curvy figured beauties everywhere. We admired her cleavage and spice in Janet’s “That’s The Way Love Goes.” The former Fly Girl used that credit to get into film. The “Selena” star now is a judge on the runaway hit American Idol. When movie goers dismissed her as an actress in Anaconda, she showed us she had the desire to be a star. Now she can yell at us the way she did Ms. Jackson in the video. Listen to her when she’s talking to you!
1. Djimon Hounsou
Spotted In: En Vogue “Hold On” and Janet Jackson “Love Will Never Do”
Djimon Hounsou has made the journey from a three minute video to carrying big budgeted films look like a cake walk. The two time Oscar nominated actor leveraged his spots in pop videos to get a role as a
doorman on Beverly Hills, 90210. Since his early days, he’s stood toe to toe in scenes with the likes of Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Laurence Fishburne. Dame might have had that show, The Ultimate
Hustler, but Djimon is the embodiment of it.
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