Cher won an Oscar for Moonstruck

Cher

With an Oscar on her mantelpiece, Cher's film career must be seen as the blueprint for all singers trying to make the move across into movies.

She picked up the Best Actress gong for her performance in Moonstruck, opposite Nicolas Cage.

She has also received favourable reviews for roles in The Witches of Eastwick, Mask, Mermaids and Tea With Mussolini.

Mariah Carey

Mariah is the most successful female singer of all time, with 15 number one hits and more than 125 million records sold.

She is unlikely to repeat this success on the big screen - after starting off with a role in 1999's The Bachelor, she went on for her full debut with Glitter.

But its launch was overshadowed by her off-screen problems, including a psychological breakdown, and the movie sank.

Since then, she has been back on set with Wisegirls, and she is now working on a project called The Sweet Science.

Destiny's Child star Beyonce starred in Goldmember

Dolly Parton

Everyone's favourite country and western star branched out into movies with Nine to Five, as one of three secretaries who kidnap their sexist boss.

It was a big hit, and she has kept the films coming - including The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk.

Olivia Newton-John

It may be hard to remember now, but Olivia Newton-John was already established as a singer before Grease came along in 1978.

She had even represented Britain in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest before starring opposite John Travolta (she came fourth, beaten by Abba).

And now she is heading back to the role of Sandy, in an update of the movie - she will still be married to Danny Zuko and the two have a child going through school.

Britney's film debut ended with an unwanted award

Madonna

Guy Ritchie's wife has straddled movies and music for much of her career, and it has certainly been a rollercoaster ride.

Desperately Seeking Susan came out in 1985, the steamy Body of Evidence got everyone talking in 1993, and Evita stormed the box office in 1996.

Most recently she became a Bond girl in Die Another Day, although as a lesbian fencing instructor, she did not succumb to 007's charms.

Britney Spears

Britney started on TV with The Disney Club - along with fellow chart stars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.

But she exploded onto the international music scene dressed as a schoolgirl in ...Baby One More Time.

She made the cross-over into film with Crossroads - but the movie was voted the worst movie of 2002 in the Naftas, an alternative film award ceremony

Beyonce

Following in the footsteps of Liz Hurley and Heather Graham, the Destiny's Child singer became a movie star thanks to Mike Myers' spoof spy series Austin Powers.

When all-conquering agent Austin travels back in time to 1975, Beyonce struts her stuff as detective Foxxy Cleopatra.

The movie did well, and she is already working on a couple of other projects - but her solo career is still blossoming.

Madonna's nerves show at the Die Another Day premiere

Tina Turner

A suitably dramatic role for the soul and rock legend, as Turner donned rags and hit the desert opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.

She has also popped up in The Who's rock opera Tommy and Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Last Action Hero.

But it is as the mad-haired Aunty Entity in Mad Max that she will be remembered most fondly by film fans.

Whitney Houston

Kevin Costner may have played the security guard mentioned in the title of Whitney's movie debut The Bodyguard, but there was no doubt whose show it really was.

The film was accompanied by a Whitney soundtrack, and its success was not harmed by one of the tracks - I Will Always Love You - topping the US charts for 14 weeks.

To top it off, she also picked up an MTV Movie Award for the song.