David Bowie's Most Memorable Movie and TV Roles
‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ (1976)
Bowie’s first starring role was quite appropriate for Ziggy Stardust: He played an alien who came to Earth in search of water in Nicolas Roeg’s cult sci-fi flick. He later admitted to being on cocaine the entire time they filmed the movie. (Photo: Everett)
‘Just a Gigolo’ (1978)
As an out-of-work Prussian soldier who becomes a gigolo at a brothel following World War I, Bowie co-starred with Marlene Dietrich in her last screen appearance… even though they were never actually in the same room, since her scenes were filmed separately and cut in with his. The film, released in 1978, coincided with his Berlin period. It was a huge bomb. (Photo: Everett)
‘Baal’ (1982)
For this 1982 BBC production of the playwright Bertolt Brecht’s 1918 play about a genius and heathen poet, Bowie not only played the starring role, but released an EP to go along with its release. (Movie: YouTube)
‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’ (1983)
Bowie portrayed another former soldier in this 1983 drama, which saw him take on the role of a New Zealander stuck in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II. (Photo: Everett)
“Little Drummer Boy” Duet (1977)
Just a month before he died in 1977, legendary singer Bing Crosby hosted Bowie on a Christmas special. Bowie wasn’t much of a fan of the old classic “Little Drummer Bowie,” so he sang a new song, “Peace on Earth,” while Crosby crooned the older tune. (Photo: Everett)
The Hunger (1983)
The Hunger, an erotic thriller directed by Tony Scott, gave Bowie a role he was born to play: A vampire born in the 18th century. (Movie: Everett)
‘Jazzin’ for Blue Jean’ (1984)
Sure, it was just a music video, but it was 20 minutes long and was directed by legendary punk photographer Julien Temple, who Bowie would later work with on Absolute Beginners. (Photo: YouTube)
‘Into the Night’ (1985)
It didn’t get great reviews, but this 1983 comedy features Bowie as a hitman, stars Jeff Goldblum and a young Michelle Pfeiffer, and was directed by John Landis, so there’s plenty here worth watching. (Photo: Everett)
‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
The most beloved and well-known of Bowie’s movie roles, this Jim Henson production features puppets, a young Jennifer Connolly, and Bowie as the Goblin King of your dreams. (Photo: Everett)
‘Absolute Beginners’ (1986)
This British movie musical, about pop music and racial unrest in 1950s London, features Bowie in a small role as a smooth-talking ad man. The film was a flop, but Bowie’s title track became a hit single that he played in concert for years (Photo: Everett Collection)
‘The Linguini Incident’ (1991)
Bowie tried his hand at being a rom-com leading man in this bizarro comedy, about two restaurant workers (Bowie and Rosanna Arquette) who develop a scheme to con money from their employers. (Photo: Everett Collection)
‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ (1988)
Martin Scorsese’s controversial religious epic features Bowie as Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who condemned Jesus (Willem Defoe) to die on the cross. (Photo: Everett)
‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’ (1992)
In the feature film companion to the series, Bowie (speaking with a Southern accent) has a mostly-nonsensical cameo as “long-lost” FBI agent Phillip Jeffries. Still, one gets the sense that Bowie and director David Lynch belong together. (Photo: Everett)
‘Basquiat’ (1986)
In tribute from one counterculture icon to another, Bowie received glowing reviews for his role as Andy Warhol in this biopic of ‘80s artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. (Photo: Everett)
‘Gunslinger’s Revenge’ (1998)
This neo-spaghetti Western features Bowie as the quintessential man in the black hat, who arrives in town to kill a reformed gunslinger played by Harvey Keitel. (Photo: YouTube)
‘Everybody Loves Sunshine’ (1998)
Released in the United States under the title B.U.S.T.E.D., this British indie crime film gave Bowie a role as an older London gangster trying to keep the peace between two street gangs. (Photo: YouTube)
‘Zoolander’ (2001)
One of Zoolander’s many fashion-icon cameos, Bowie played himself as the volunteer judge of a “walk-off” between rival models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson). (Photo: Everett)
‘The Prestige’ (2006)
The always-electric Bowie played famed inventor Nikola Tesla in director Christopher Nolan’s illusion drama, standing out as a highlight of the film. (Photo: Everett)
‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (2007)
The Nickelodeon cartoon produced a special episode that featured Bowie as the king of the Lost City of Atlantis, a role he very much treasured — he called it “The Holy Grail of animation gigs.” (Photo: YouTube)
‘Extras’ (2006)
In his series Extras, Ricky Gervais regularly allowed himself (or, his failed actor character) to get torn apart. That included this iconic scene, in which Bowie gets a whole restaurant to sing an improvised song about “the little fat man with the pug-nosed face.” (Photo: YouTube)
The legendary David Bowie died Sunday night at the age of 69. While the singer-songwriter and performer was best known for his incalculable influence on pop music, he was also a regular fixture on the big-screen, bringing his striking charisma to such movies as the ’70s sci-fi drama The Man Who Fell to Earth, the 1986 fantasy movie Labyrinth, and 2006’s The Prestige. Click through to see a glimpse at some of his most indelible movie and TV appearances.
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