Top 20 Moments We Found Out an Actor Was a Great Dancer
Who knew these actors were great dancers? For this list, we’ll be looking at those moments in film, TV or elsewhere, when actors grabbed the public’s attention for their ability to bust a move. Our countdown includes "Evita," "Step Up," "Wednesday," and more! Which of these dancing actors surprised YOU the most? Leave us a comment below!
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Which of these dancing actors surprised YOU the most? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 20 Celebrities That Are Surprisingly Good Dancers - kzhead.info/sun/l6amXcmCjH56e2g/bejne.html
Where's Jon Heder? That dance scene was the highlight of Napoleon Dynamite!
NONE
I am really not surprised. Back in the day, if you wanted to get into acting, you had to know how to sing and dance. In fact, Morgan Freeman was told to learn how to dance though he has done very little. He danced for a short time in Million Dollar Baby. Just so he could just once in his career
I didn't realize that Charlize was The Astronaut's Wife.
I knew the original Wednesday was an incredible dancer. The moves she busted with Lurch...
Patrick Swayze a surprise??? Anyone who didn't know he was one of the most exceptional dancers of his generation...was living under a rock!!!
Likewise Channing Tatum.
Didn't his mom own a dance studio?
Swayze performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the Harkness, and was a principal dancer with Eliot Feld Dance Company. If you don't know that you're not a fan of his
He was a dancer and then we were surprised that he could act.
I knew he was a great dancer.. I was surprised he was a really good singer.
How could you forget these icons like Brandon Frazier, Kevin Bacon, John Travolta? All amazing dancers!
Steve Martin! His tap with Gregory Hines is phenomenal
I can’t believe that people didn’t already know Patrick Swayze was practically born dancing- he also helped other choreographers with helping John travolta learn disco dance
Vou are completely right !!!!👑👑
I wish Patrick Swayze was still here. Gone too soon!
Stanley Tucci!! I was blown away by his dancing skills in Shall We Dance!
I was surprised at how well he danced
You forget to include John Travolta...big oversight.
That's incredibly surprising. If you think about it, he's danced in every movie he's ever made (in one way or another). I can't think of an exception.
And Patrick Swayze ,Fred Astair etc. In the golden age of Hollywood one had to sing, dance and act.
That is because there was not a moment we found out he could dance. We always knew he could dance from the jump. John Travolta is the GOAT dancer. ❤
Big Oversight!!!
Look at the title, it's about actors we didn't know could dance, that is, we didn't expect to be great dancers. The ones not mentioned we knew from the get go were dancers
Sam Rockwell is an actor/artist whose criminally underrated.
I agree...he was such a horrible, evil wild Bill in The Green Mile (should have got a best actor oscar), When I saw him in Three Billboards ...I said "he will get an oscar for that and he did. but a better dance than John Travolta who never even got a mention noooooooo!!
John Travolta should have been included! His dancing in Michael and Pulp Fiction is just fantastic!
Agree... but i was ready to diss this entire video if they left out Christopher Walken. Glad they got him in at number one.
Sis, it's all about Saturday Night Live!
@@That_Girl_Muse For sure.......and don't forget Grease !
Yup, I was totally waiting for John Travolta's name to be mentioned.
and as someone else mentioned...Travolta in Grease and also Staying alive
They TOTALLY forgot Joseph Gordon Levitt. He got thrown under the bus! He's an amazing dancer!!!
Agreed!!!!
The phrase "Getting thrown under the bus" doesn't fit here. It basically means taking the fall for someone else.
They also left out his best dance partner - Zooey DeSchanel.
"500 Days of Summer"
Agreed and Anna Kendrick 😊
I think Tom Hiddleston deserved more than honorable mention
I agree.
Swayze is definitely the best and greatest dancing actor! Absolutely adorable and exceptional.
What can’t Paul Rudd do, he’s multi talented, gorgeous ,modest ,funny , the boy next door type, the one you take home 😂
Natalie Portman in Black Swan??? She was amazing.
Christopher Walken did a wonderful dance in Pennies from Heaven ❤That was my first experience of his further marvelousness as a dancer 😘😘😘
THAT'S RIGHT !!! Thanks for that reminder.
Yes, I loved that movie! Christopher Walken is fantastic in everything he does, especially, “I need more cow bells!” on SNL!
I agree. He was amazing. Though he had a background in dance. We just didn't know it.
OMG I was thinking about cow bells a few days ago LOL
Don’t overlook the music video for “Weapon of Choice”
How did John Travolta miss this list?
Well, his dancing skills are not really a surprise.
@@nakinilerak Yes, they were. We watched him on Welcome Back, Kotter. Then he was in Saturday Night Fever. Nobody knew he could dance.
thank you
They were a huge surprise! He didn’t study dance at all before he prepared for Saturday Night Fever. Nothing against Christopher Walken, but John deserves the #1 spot.
, Travolta, please! Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Michael😮
Ryan Gosling is an incredible artist! I really like his movies, but I also saw his childhood dance videos: Super!
Shout out to Elite Dance Studio!
I JUST LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM, HE'S THE BEST HUMAN‼️‼️‼️❤️🤩😍🥰👍🕺🏆🥇🎬🎭🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎥🎤🎧🪄🎩
Renee Zellweger’s dancing in Chicago was excellent.💃🏼 Also Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle (Barrymore, Liu, & Diaz), dancing to Can’t Touch This, MC Hammer.💃🏼💃🏻💃🏽
I'm sooo glad Christopher Walken is number one! Such a good actor and a great dancer!
Absolutely he was, he's an amazing dancer, along with Travolta, Patrick swayze, they've missed some brilliant dancers
I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Gosling play Ken 💙
I remember watching Graham Norton, and Ryan Gosling watched a video of himself dancing when he was younger
His face....that was hilarious.
He was a mouseketeer obviously had to know how to dance.
I can't believe they left out Brenden Fraser in both Blast From The Past and Mrs. Winterborne.
In the fringe covered silver outfit, Kate Hudson reminded me SO much of her mom’s days on Laugh In!!
Goldie used to be a dancer before Laugh In.
@@debinnashville2009 - okay. I was very little when Laugh-In was on.
Kate also sang the song she was dancing to.
where is JOHN TRAVOLTA pls ???
Right he is a really good dancer. Especially in staying alive 2
Travolta was the star of 3 huge movies that were music and dance-themed -- Urban Cowboy, Grease, Saturday Night Fever (and sequel). His talents were surprising when the first of the 3 came out because his very popular character's role on Welcome Back Kotter didn't involve dancing or singing.
My biggest surprise was Brendan Fraser dancing in Blast from the Past. Such elegance, and great attention to his partners. Perfection.
What about Kevin Bacon in Footloose? Or was that mostly a stand-in? In any case, it was spectacular.
@@MrDubocehe's in another one of these vids; my apologies, I can't say which one. John Travolta was nominated as well
Gosh that's someone I didn't know. Thanks will check him out!
Check out "School ties" I call him blue eyed soul brother. Sexy
Brendan Fraser is underrated for most things.
Gregory Hines..Never forget!
John Travolta is missing on this list. Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction are among the movies featured that he's a natural in dancing.
Don’t forget Urban Cowboy
omg yes! @@vickistotts9316
But this is supposed to be a list of actors we didn't know could dance well. Everybody knows John Travolta can dance better than anyone else on this list.
@@vickistotts9316 But neither of these are surprises.
Antonio Banderas had his American movie breakthrough in The Mambo Kings, so it wasn't really a surprise he could dance and sing.
Paul Rudd, Antonio Banderas, Bradley Cooper, Donald Faison, Patrick Sawyze, Ryan Gosling, Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Jenna Ortega, Penélope Cruz, Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Terry Crews, Tom Hiddleston, Salma Hayek, Daniel Craig, Robert Downey Jr. and Christopher Walken are all the Best Fantabulous Dancers I've ever seen from all over the past years! They're all Super Incredible, Remarkable, Spectacular, Magnificent, Awesome and Epic Badass Dancers I Absolutely Love, Respect and Appreciate! 😄😁👌👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Your not the only one!!! ❤❤❤❤
@@AnnRita45 Yay! 😄😁
Always with the modern actors. For me the dance surprise was watching James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on TV. I later found the clip of George M Cohan on KZhead - Jimmy had Cohan's signature move down pat.
James Cagney started out dancing in a chorus line on stage. That's where he met his wife. Before he became famous for his gangster roles, prior to YDD, he danced in a few of his early movies.
i've always loved that movie! and i absolutely love his dancing. also, there was an autobiographical movie about eddie foy, maybe, and that part was done by bob hope. cagney had a short spot reprising his cohan role, and the 2 of them have a dance competition on the tabletops. that's the only thing i remember about the movie, but that was great 🙂.
Cagney was a dancer, and did make films where his own dance style was featured. For “Yankee Doodle Dandy” he said in interviews that he very carefully studied the footage of Cohan’s performances to learn the man’s signature style-which required adapting to Cohan’s psychology as much as his physical movements.
Chris Walken in Pennies From Heaven ((1981). His tap dance routine was fabulous!
Yes! Donald Faison is on the list! I still love watching him dance on Scrubs ❤❤❤❤
Where is Kevin Bacon?
Not on this list because he’s not a great dancer?
@@Carpedog2206of course he is 🙄😊
@@azillliasmith2734 not according to Bacon himself.
Ryan Gosling? Yes. Absolutely. But Emma Stone was right there too and she didn't get a mention.
Christopher Walken also had a delightful performance in Hairspray with John Travolta.
Yes that’s right, where is John Travolta? Definitely needs to be on this list before some others!
What about Kevin Bacon?
Mika Kunis & Natalie Portman should rank high on this list!
Why didn’t you include John Travolta in your featured dancers? He was so great in the Saturday Night Fever that actually made dancing so popular in those years?!
And grease
Christopher Walken was dancing onscreen in ROSELAND in the '70s and PENNIES FROM HEAVEN in the '80s
I first saw him dance in Pennies From Heaven.
If someone didn't know that Hugh Jackman can dance, they are not a fan. He's been on stage since what age 17 or 18, met his fabulous wife there, has danced in many productions on Broadway and so much more! Nope, no real fan wouldn't know that!!! Ryan Gosling has been on Graham Norton several times where his dancing skills were mentioned and videos shown! So no surprise either!!! ❤❤❤ On the upside, I so agree with your Number One Christopher Walken!!! He's just badass in that video!!! ❤❤❤
Np one really knew who he was worldwide until he started movies that made money, like Wolverine.
Saw Hugh Jackman on stage in 2019. He is a very good singer and dancer.
He actually met his wife on a tv production set in 1995 when they both starred together in the tv series Corelli
Too bad he's divorcing wife.
And don't forget that Christopher Walken also danced with John Travolta in Hairspray!
I can't believe you left out John Travolta!
My sentiment exactly!
Paul Rudd is probably my biggest “celebrity crush.” Anything he’s in is always amazing.
Me too!
I remember John Travolta saying in an interview that most actors have training in dance and singing.
and why isn't he on this list, I wonder
Tom Cruze, as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder.
How could you miss RDJ in Chaplin????? Seriously... he landed an entrechat of some sort (I'd need to find the clip again to remember which entrechat it was, but I think it was an entrechat six) and a triple pirouette. (I think it was a pirouette, I could be wrong because it's been a while since I watched it. I have 5 and a half years of classical ballet training so I know what I'm talking about)
Catherine Zeta-Jones is one of the greatest dancers in cinema. By far the best part of Chicago's "Cell Block Tango."
Michael Douglas, you lucky bastard you
It's actually tricky to dance the tango to "Cell Block Tango" because it wasn't written to be danced to with a partner. It has some weird runs and odd timings that can really throw off the rhythm of the dance.
I was blown away when I found out she was pregnant while making that film. Those dance moves would be tough for anyone, but to do them while pregnant is amazing.
I disagree. Renee Zellweger outshone her in that film.
@@sallygardiner7150Totally
If y’all left out John Travolta y’all wrong…Yes anyone can step if you practiced enough but John Travolta was a natural as is Donald Faizon, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling y’all got some right but if you left out Travolta you probably missed a whole lot of real surprise dancers😮😮😮😮😮Chris Walken is a surprise….There were so many more who actually surprised everyone as a Good dancer….
I must have missed something - such as the reason Kevin Bacon was not included.
Scent of a woman : Al Pacino. It’s one of the classics. Should’ve been here.
Fully agree with no. 1, when I saw the video with Christopher Walken I was shocked but delighted! But I think that it is a big, big, mistake not to include Travolta in the top : is super talented, unique and so rhythmic! Grease, Saturday night fever, Stayn' alive, Pulp Fiction!!!!! He made history!
Omg…How can you forget John Travolta??? This should’ve been entitled Top 25 to include another 5 worthy of mention. John Travolta being one of them. Sad.
Charlise Therone was the only surprise out of the actresses amd actresses. I'm surprised John Travolta didn't make this list. He had only been known on tv for Barbarino on Welcome Back Carter, before he crashed the big screen! Interesting . Most these talented actors and actresses are well rounded talent. Most can sing as well. Hugh Jackman has a gorgeous voice. He did the stage version of Oklahoma long before his movie career.
No Vince Vaughn?? He sneaks a dance in almost every movie, and I LOVE watching him do it!
Peirce Brosnan and Reno Russo absolutely smolder on screen when they hit the dance floor in the Thomas Crown Affair. Do you want to dance indeed!
For those of us who go back a little bit further than the 90's I commend unto you Jimmy Cagney in his role as George M Cohan for the film Yankee Doodle Dandy. What a 'hoofer'
Hahaha! "Hoofer" Now that's a blast from the past!
@@taffykins2745 I did wonder if anyone would recognise it. 🙂
@@liammurphy2725 lol! There are a few of us out there still! 😉
I watched it yesterday!! My Father thanks you, My Mother thanks you, My Sister thanks you and I thank you!! ".....because the Yanks are coming , the Yanks are coming,There's thun..thun..thunder everywhere!" I also watched Calamity Jane!
I too thought of James Cagney in Yankie Doodle Dandy... (but that movie went way ,way back)
Can't believe John Travolta was omitted from the list.
One of the first things I saw Christopher Walkin in the 80s film "Puss in Boots" as a kid. fast forward and seeing him bust out some moves in Weapon of Choice still makes my day
I thought that John Travolta was going to be #1 for Saturday Night Fever. Why wasn’t he even included? And, I realize that this is an even older film, but you should have mentioned Debbie Reynolds for her dance routine with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in “Singing In The Rain”.
I so love watching Paul Rudd bust a move
Sam Rockwell 😅 loved him in Ironman too.
I am a theatre snob. For me, there is a difference between moving well and being a dancer. Patrick Swayze was a dancer. Catherine Zeta-Jones did musical theatre in London. Christopher Walken started off as a dancer. Check out the movie Pennies From Heaven. Hugh Jackman also started off in musical theatre. PBS stations aired his Oklahoma several years ago. Tom Holland did Billy Elliot in London. You can find videos of him doing ballet online. I consider these people to be dancers, not people who move well. There's nothing wrong with moving well; moving well is great. If there was a dance audition for a show; many of them would get cut. But if the audition was for actors who can move well, they'd get the job. My opinion, of course.
And then there is Fred Astaire & Gene Kelly. Now we are talking great dancers. And not let’s forget the Nicholas Brothers……..
AGREED
Totally agree baci x
Hugh Jackman? He was certainly acclaimed as a dancer in Australia, I saw his Boy From Oz, the Peter Allen musical bio., so perhaps it is more accurate to say Americans didn't know.
I was thinking the same thing, watching all these actors dancing! There is a big difference between being able to move well, and to truly dance! Mind you I would just love to be able to fake it and move well!
I remember talking with a buddy in her living room, we had music videos playing on the screen while we chatted. Nothing really great, until I stopped and stared at the screen, "is that CHRISTOPHER WALKEN?!?!?" We stopped and watched; It was amazing! We loved that video.
A lot of these people are multi talented.
I Love Paul Rudd@ he's just the cutest dude ever!!❤❤❤
Kevin James in Hitch. Alfonso Ribeiro doing The Carlton Julia Louis-Dreyfus doing Elaine's little kicks Johnny 5 dancing with Stephenie
I always like to see your rankings! and sure, there are always some that you would like to place a little differently.... but are you serious? Mr. Dirty Dancing so far behind? And where is John Travolta???? The two are probably synonymous with dancing actors
Christopher Walken (real first name Ronald) began his career as a dancer on Broadway. Just watch him in the movie "Pennies from Heaven" and you will see a true class act. Kind of surprised they never mentioned Kevin Bacon in this list. But glad they showed Tom Hiddleston. That man can move!
I heard Christopher Walken insists he has a dance scene in his movies. He enjoys it that much! I really enjoy his work, good actor!
Can't believe nobody thought of Chris Messina. His dancing as 'Danny Castellano' in The Mindy Project just comes out of nowhere. The character is so uptight and then BAM he busts these moves!! The strip for Mindy is one of the sexiest scenes in TV!
He is a REALLY good dancer.
This is the one I was waiting for
TOM HOLLAND!!!!
Tom was on stage singing a d dancing as a kid. He's a singer dancer turned actor.
Loved it althoug you forgot John Travolta
Totally forgot Natalie Portman in Black Swan!
I expected her to be Number One! She was remarkable!!!! (But I agree with Christopher Walken as #1. So Natalie Portman, #2.)
Tom Hiddleston before Wednesday Addams.
Oh, I think it's a crime to feature Christopher Walken and *not* show him dancing in Pennies From Heaven!
you forgot Kevin Bacon.
Some weren't a surprise, but it was a pretty good list.
😂 This video is funny! Of course they can dance these routines! They were taught how to do it. That's what choreographers do. They teach people how to dance (aka dance instructor, dance school). It not like they are breaking out impromptu in your local bar/pub! They are trained entertainers and pretty good at it! 😉
Choreographers
@@alaynecampbell9777 I can't see very well and have a broken thumb. Thanks for understanding it was purelie axidental 😉
If someone started their career dancing, it shouldn’t be surprising. That’s like saying we are shocked Beyoncé could sing in Dreamgirls.. she was a singer first. Channing, Travolta, Jackman, they were dancers/ broadway first.
I fast forwarded to the end just to see if John Travolta would be numero 1, which I was expecting him to be, I didn't know he could dance until I saw Saturday Night Fever! He didn't even make the list...
What about Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen in White Christmas?
Well Vera Ellen is a dancer turned actor.
Patrick Swayze was a dancer before he was an actor. His mother taught dance in Texas.
Bale was a surprise for me but Tatum is an awesome
Buddy Ebsen who played Jed Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies TV show was a great dancer. Of course, no one that old would even be considered!
Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, but had to be replaced when the silver makeup made him sick. They would never have cast him in that role, in the first place, if he wasn't capable of singing and dancing.
@@app103 But the general public doesnt know that . Many of those old-timers were excellent dancers, of course Fred Astaire being the most famous.
@@PATinPattayaThailand Most people, over a certain age, just assume that all actors can also sing and dance, because that is what was required of them, and what they trained for, since early childhood, just in case they might get cast in a role in a musical. Musical movies, today, are not at all common, but they were quite popular when I was growing up, and even more popular when my parents were kids.
I grew up in the 50's and watched all the old movies on the TV. James Cagney seemed to always be cast as a tough guy. Then I saw him dance in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy'" where he played George M. Cohan. His dancing in that movie was the biggest surprise for me those many years ago. Great movie from a bygone era, lol.
I watched him in a movie, my he's all legs. Fun to watch tapping
I showed the scene from Scrubs to my kids when they were tweens. My son started watching the show, then my daughter. Scrubs got two new fans because of that 3 minute bit, and I'm sure many others.
When I started this I thought surely it must be Walken at #1. When it got to #2 and still no Walken, I was building up the rage to post some nasty bewildered comment but thankfully the right guy was at #1
Paul Rudd's dance just blew me away! I rate him number 1!
From #20, I was waiting for Christopher Walken as #1. After all, he was a dancer before being an actor, even if his roles didn't often allow us to remember this fact.
Good lord, yes. Everyone should find his “Let’s Misbehave” from “Pennies From Heaven.” What a talent!
No mention of Emma Stone dancing WITH Ryan in La La Land??
I had no idea Paul Rudd could really dance and swing!!! Quite the hot stuff!!! ❤️🔥 ❤🎉
Actually, 20 years before Weapon of Choice Christopher Walken had a show stopping dance number in 1981"s Pennies from Heaven.
That was an amazing dance routine. My mouth dropped open..then I drooled.
The movie RRR not only introduced me to Ram Charan and Indian film, but the fact that he is a fantastic dancer who does it in all his films.
Saw examples of Buddy Ebsen, with Shirley Temple, a long time ago. They could tap like crazy!
And how about Hugh Grant and John Travolta
Where was John Travolta?
They didn’t show Christopher Walken’s dance routine from the movie Hairspray.😢They also didn’t mention Hugh Jackman’s role in the musical Oklahoma.
Theron trained as a classical ballet dancer before taking up acting, as did Hudson, Bale, Adams, Saldana, Mikkelsen & Walken.
Penelope Cruz also crushed it in Nine. Absolutely memorable dance. It should have been mentioned.
She still attends ballet classes.
Where is Leonardo DiCaprio?
Was a requirement for all the Golden age movie stars to be able to sing & dance. And they did it beautifully! Look at all the old musicals from the early years ❤❤❤❤
Omar Sy in Untouchables 😁 Al Pacino in Scent of a woman 😁