While there may be no more invites to “the Cookout” left to give to some of acceptable white friends, there’s always going be that one person who’ll make you think twice. Tom Cruise recently almost found himself being that person thanks to his now-viral video dancing with Debbie Allen to Beyoncé at the 2025 Governor’s Awards.
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And while Cruise busting a move isn’t an entirely new thing, the widespread video gave us a good opportunity to think back on other non-melanated celebs who find themselves grooving to Black music. Whether it’s for an iconic movie scene, unforgettable TV show appearance, or a candid social media moment, there are more than a handful of white actors and singers who’ve shown how much they enjoy Black songs. And that’s why we’ve gathered this list!
Off-beat clapping aside, people like Timothée Chalamet, Channing Tatum and more are all people who know how to get down with Black music. So keep reading and get ready to laugh—or be impressed!
Tom Cruise Grooving to Beyoncé
Like we already told you, Tom Cruise almost got snuck into the Cookout for getting jiggy with Debbie Allen to Beyoncé. The best part of this whole exchange is that you can genuinely see how much he’s enjoying himself and that makes this whole ordeal that much more enjoyable. Gon’ grab you a plate Tom, we won’t tell nobody.
Ryan Gosling Singing Jodeci
While some women may go up for Ryan Gosling because of his onscreen heartthrob ways, real fans know this uber-talented actor was ready to sing girls off their feet way back when. Just look at him sing Jodeci when he was a young one, the talent was apparent!
Tom Holland Lip Syncing to Rihanna
In what’s perhaps “Lip Syn Battle’s” most iconic performance to date, Tom Holland took off his British hat and turned on his Rihanna reign for a truly unforgettable performance of “Umbrella.”
Channing Tatum Dancing to Afrobeats
If you saw “Magic Mike,” you already knew that Channing Tatum could bring the motion to ocean. But seeing how fast he caught on to this popular Afrobeats dance is something even we didn’t expect–and he even added his own little flair!
Alan Ritchson Singing H.E.R.
Fans of “Reacher” may already know this, but to the rest of the world, seeing Alan Ritchson sing so velvety smooth to H.E.R. was something straight out of left field — but in the best way.
Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears Singing Prince
Though Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were young here, that didn’t keep them from still bringing some soul to their performance of this fun Prince song. We wonder if they knew back then if they’d turn out to be the stars they are today.
NSYNC’S JC Chasez Singing Babyface
If you’re being completely honest, then you know JC Chasez was always the real, true voice of NSYNC. Him singing Babyface is just another notch in his vocal supremacy belt.
Channing Tatum Singing Beyoncé
Once again, “Lip Sync Battle” showed us exactly who ran that show–and on this occasion, it was Channing Tatum channeling his inner Beyoncé. It was really the stare at the end that sealed the performance for us.
Sandra Bullock Rapping to “Rapper’s Delight”
Author’s Note: I’ve personally loved Sandra Bullock ever since I saw her in “Miss Congeniality,” so I knew she was carrying around some extra cool sauce on her. But seeing her rap to “Rapper’s Delight” casually as if she was recalling her own birthday was great!
Timothée Chalamet Rapping 50 Cent
If you saw Timothée Chalamet rapping on “Saturday Night Live” then you won’t be as surprised to see him passionately rapping along to 50 Cent while out with his friends. (His lore with rapping goes all the way back, just look it up. It’s fascinating!)
Ariana Grande Singing The Fugees
The Fugees’ song “Killing Me Softly” is a popular karaoke staple, but who knew Ariana Grande would be the one to smoothly sing Lauryn Hill’s part this good!
Justin Beiber Singing Marvin Sapp
Justin Beiber may not make church music, but that doesn’t mean the church music ever left his spirit. Just one listen at him singing Marvin Sapp’s popular 2007 gospel song “Never Would’ve Made It” is just proof of that.
Jon B Singing…Himself
OK so we know this one feels like a “???” but hear us out. While we all thought Jon B was Black, that sadly isn’t the case. That said, he makes some damn good, Blackity-black R&B music so we had to include him on here!
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