Who is the best mult-genre star of all time?

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Who is the best mult-genre star of all time?

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Since he's fresh on my mind from another thread, I think I have to throw John Carpenter in this discussion. I know he probably doesn't fit the mold you were looking for but Carpenter wrote screenplays, directed films and wrote the scores for many of his own movies. And his films do vary genre's a bit in the types of movies he creates.

Bing Crosby
Gene Kelly
James Cagney
Prince
Will Smith

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Who?: --wrote good music --performed good music --acted well in good movies --did some other stuff too - maybe wrote books or whatnot

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Will Smith and Charlie Chaplin. Yes, that Charlie Chaplin. He wrote the scores to most of his movies and did a really good job with it.

Elvis obviously for his singing. And even though his movies werent all that great, but he did have a few that were really good and he showed he had some chops too.

Most people dont know Frank Sinatra was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. And im pretty sure he won for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity.

Zoey Deschanel and Jamie Foxx come to mind of late.

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Most people dont know Frank Sinatra was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. And im pretty sure he won for Best Supporting Actor in From Here to Eternity.

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I know about that, I just think he's laughably bad. In fairness, at least part of that was just the style of the day.

There is something about her that's appealing to me. Maybe it's all that you mentioned.

Mos Def. Fronted the seminal group Black Star and I think he's one of the best rapper turned actors.

Phil Collins. OK, he's a pretty terrible actor, but he was in Genesis and he managed to be pop sensation despite looking like Phil Collins.

Good calls on Sinatra and Yoakam already, though Sinatra didn't really write much material.

Henry Rollins. He's a mediocre actor at best, but he fronted Black Flag and then his own band, also his spoken word is hysterical.

Nick Cave is the best answer so far.

Steve Martin gets a nod. Amazing comedian, a surprisingly good writer, and can play the bejeezus out of some bluegrass banjo.

I actually thought about him b/c of Shopgirl. I knew he was a talented banjo player but never took him serious with it b/c I'm only familiar with it in his stand-up.