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The list is long of singers dabbling as actors – Madonna, Mick Jagger and Norah Jones, to name just a few.

But there may be just as many actors slumming it as singers.

In the '80s and '90s, every other leading man traded the camera for the mike. Some actually went gold (Eddie Murphy, Bruce Willis, Don Johnson) while others barely went tin (Steven Seagal, Kevin Bacon, Russell Crowe).

Now it's the ladies' turn in the recording studio.

With Scarlett Johansson's debut CD hitting stores Tuesday, we turn our eye to women who've tried to make the leap from 24 frames a second to 90 beats per minute. Here's our rundown of some of the notables of the post-millennial bunch.

■ Songstress: Scarlett Johansson

Backstory: Sang karaoke in Lost in Translation. Pestered the Jesus & Mary Chain into letting her sing with them at Coachella last year.

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Scarlett Johansson

Role: Art-rock ingénue

Album: Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008), featuring 10 Tom Waits songs and a cameo by David Bowie

Sings like: Patty Smyth of Scandal on cough syrup

Should she quit her day job? No way. ScarJo's erotic voice sounds oddly unsexy on CD.

■ Songstress: Zooey Deschanel

Backstory: Sang on the Elf soundtrack. Formed unfortunately named jazz-pop duo If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies. Joined roots-rocker M. Ward in She & Him.

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Zooey Deschanel

Role: Space- cadet country crooner

Album: Volume One (2008), with She & Him

Sings like: Loretta Lynn Lite

Should she quit her day job? Sure. Beats waiting around for Elf 2 to start production.

■ Songstress: Raven-Symoné

Backstory: The Cosby Show alum and star of That's So Raven hit the charts at age 7 with "That's What Little Girls Are Made Of" (1993).

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Raven-Symoné

Role: Disney star grows up and gets her groove on.

Album: Raven-Symoné (2008), her R&B-flavored fourth CD.

Sings like: Hilary Duff, if H.D. had any semblance of soul

Should she quit her day job? Probably not. In April, she canceled her tour due to "unforeseen circumstances," which is often code for "lousy ticket sales."

■ Songstress: Gina Gershon

Backstory: Played a singer in Prey for Rock & Roll (2003). Hired indie band Girls Against Boys to back her in the IFC reality series Rocked With Gina Gershon.

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Gina Gershon

Role: Aging riot grrrl

Album: In Search of Cleo (2007), a concept album about her cat and the meaning of life. Seriously.

Sings like: Chrissie Hynde with chronic nasal congestion

Should she quit her day job? Why not? Bound earned her a slew of loyal lesbian fans who will pay to see her perform anywhere.

■ Songstress: Minnie Driver

Backstory: Early in her acting career and years before her Oscar nomination, she scored a deal with Island Records with her band Puff, Rocks & Brown.

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Minnie Driver

Role: British bird lands in the LA folk-rock scene.

Album: Seastories (2007), featuring Ryan Adams and Liz Phair

Sings like: A jazzy Sheryl Crow

Should she quit her day job? Yes. Her torch-song take on "Hungry Heart" blows away Mike Love's version.

■ Songstress: Jada Pinkett-Smith

Backstory: The Nutty Professor star hung with Tupac in high school and toured with Ozzfest in her nu-metal band Wicked Wisdom.

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Jada Pinkett-Smith

Role: Unlikely headbanger

Album: Wicked Wisdom (2006), featuring "Bleed All Over Me"

Sings like: Joan Jett meets Marilyn Manson

Should she quit her day job? Not recommended. The Megadeth set might not find her credible.

■ Songstress: Juliette Lewis

Backstory: Found her rock chops singing a PJ Harvey song in the '95 film Strange Days. Formed Juliette & the Licks in 2004.

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Juliette Lewis

Role: A female Iggy Pop.

Album: Four on the Floor (2006), with the Licks and guest drummer Dave Grohl.

Sings like: The evil spawn of Steven Tyler and Melissa Etheridge

Should she quit her day job? Could be risky. "Death of a Whore" might not get much airplay.

■ Songstress: Milla Jovovich

Backstory: Signed to a record label at 13, the actor-model- singer put music on hold to star in Return to the Blue Lagoon.

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Milla Jovovich

Role: Ethereal singer-songwriter

Album: The Divine Comedy (1994). She hasn't released a CD since '98, but she regularly posts new songs on her Web site.

Sings like: Tori Amos, but even weirder.

Should she quit her day job? Go for it. Rolling Stone called Divine "remarkable" and "rich in invention."

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Cheryl Ladd; Annette Funicello; Jennifer Love Hewitt; Shirley Jones; Lisa Whelchel; Tisha Campbell

Mare Winningham; Traci Lords; Stefanie Powers; Maureen McCormick; Alyssa Milano; Brigitte Nielsen

Keke Palmer; Esther Rolle; Cybill Shepherdl; Lynda Carter; Tia Carrere; Patty Duke;

Barbara Eden