There’s long been a connection between ballet and acting with skills that help you master one is highly useful in the other.  But did you know that there are a number of big-name, famous movie stars who either started out with ballet or trained as a dancer in their earlier years?

Here are 10 well-known examples.

Christian Bale – Best known for his role as the dark, broody Batman as well as many other films, British actor Christian Bale trained in ballet as a child.  His sister was cast in a West End musical, but he decided to switch to acting instead of following dance.

Jamie Bell – Having gained fame for playing a dancer in the Billy Elliot movie, it is no real surprise that Jamie Bell had a background in dance.  He first went to dance following his older sister and was later chosen from 2,000 potential dancers for the film role.

Neve Campbell – Canadian actress Neve Campbell made her name in the horror film Scream and has gone on to appear in a range of films and TV series’ such as House of Cards.  Originally, she trained with the National Ballet School of Canada where she performed in a number of classics.

Sarah Hay – Sarah Hay’s biography lists her as a ballet dancer as well as an actress and producer and the American actress started out as a professional dancer.  She credits her training in dance with the success she has had as a TV star.

Diane Kruger – Injury curtailed Diane Kruger’s ballet career.  The German-American actress had auditioned for the Royal Ballet School in London but injury stopped her dancing.  Instead, she turned to modelling and later became an actress.

Sarah Jessica Parker – Sarah Jessica Parker is best known for Sex and the City as well as numerous films.  Her first role was in ballet where she moved to New York City to pursue her career but became a child actress instead.

Sascha Radetsky – Another star from the Flesh and Bone series, Sascha Radetsky joined the American Ballet Theatre and became a soloist before being the principal with the Dutch National Ballet.

Zoe Saldana – Zoe Saldana is best known for her roles in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy and the associated Marvel films.  She is the second highest-grossing film actress on record when figures were last done in 2019.  But she started out in ballet where she performed for the theatre group Faces.  One of her early film roles was in Centre Stage where she played a ballet dancer.

Charlize Theron – Charlize Theron is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world and has appeared in many films, including winning an Academy Award.  Before she started acting, she moved to New York and attended the Joffrey Ballet School until an injury stopped her career.

Emily Tyra – Emily Tyra made her name in Flesh and Bone and Boardwalk Empire but was a professional dancer at the Boston Ballet first.  She later worked in musical theatre before making the switch to TV.