It appears as though Taylor Swift is all the rage right now. Despite making her debut in 2006, more than 15 years after she first appeared on the music industry, Taylor has maintained her star power and is now, it seems, more popular than ever. Taylor Swift has dominated the music industry and pop culture since announcing in 2019 that she would re-record her entire discography after having her original masters purchased out from under her. From releasing two surprise albums in 2020—one of which won her a Grammy—to becoming the first artist in history to hold all top ten spots on Billboard’s Hot 100, the country-gone-pop-gone-folk musician is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.
Taylor Swift, who has joined the casts of several big-budget feature films, has demonstrated that her abilities go beyond music. Her debut in any film is an exciting and welcoming experience for both casual moviegoers and ardent fans, regardless of whether she plays the lead role or only pops up for a brief cameo.
Even more so than that, Swift revealed in December 2022 that she will be making her directorial debut. We review each time Taylor Swift made a cameo in a full-length movie in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the film industry.
All films focused on Taylor’s life as a musician will be excluded from this list, including Miss Americana and Folklore: The Long Pond StudioSessions. Music videos, concerts, and compilations are also not included.
Amsterdam (2022)
Taylor’s most recent performance occurred in Amsterdam in 2022. In the murder mystery movie, Burt, Harold, and Valerie, three friends, are followed as they become embroiled in a complicated murder investigation. The buddies discover amazing, untold secrets about American history as they work to clear their own names. Amsterdam is a period-based work that masterfully tells a complex story while being loyal to the historical period. It is set in the 1930s.
Elizabeth Meekins, who is played by Taylor, is the stricken daughter of the aforementioned murder victim. In the end, Valerie’s father’s passing initiates the entire plot and provides the primary tension for Burt, Harold, and Valerie. Swift wears a classic appearance with her customary elegance and grace and looks spectacular in her 1930s attire. The moment Swift is forcefully run over by a car on screen, though, is the most striking portion of her on-screen performance. You did read that accurately, too.
Elizabeth is tragically and comically struck by a vintage jalopy in the movie’s opening sequence. This finally establishes the film’s somber but never overly somber tone while subverting the audience’s initial assumptions. The moment undoubtedly surprised many new viewers due to its ridiculousness and abruptness!
Cats (2019)
Cats’ 2019 production was criticized to a certain extent. Cats certainly adds a contemporary twist to the time-honored Broadway musical with its hyper-realistic CGI, which can occasionally come off as more disturbing than cool. The “Jellicles” are a gang of cats who compete throughout the movie to reach the Heaviside layer, a region that resembles heaven for cats. Taylor portrayed Bombalurina, a flirtatious cat who appeared in two of the sequences.
This is another case where Taylor added an original song called “Beautiful Ghosts” for the movie’s debut. The song, which was played in the movie during a performance by the lead actress Victoria then in a reprise, was regarded as the production’s anthem.
Nevertheless, Taylor found Cats to be enjoyable despite its criticism: “I loved the quirkiness of it.” Swift also calls herself a “cat lady,” and one of her felines is reportedly worth $97 million! With Bombalurina behaving as wacky and eccentric as usual, Taylor’s love for cats and the show as a whole was evident in her performance.
Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)
In 2009’s Hannah Montana: The Movie, Taylor made her debut with Miley Cyrus, another young celebrity. The movie centers on Miley Stewart, played by Cyrus, who is suddenly returned to a small community after living her pop star fantasies as Hannah Montana. The community steps forward to save their holy land when greedy developers threaten the town park. Taylor Swift takes the stage to participate in the community’s open mic fundraiser when it is organized.
Although Taylor didn’t have any spoken words in the film, audiences were nevertheless thrilled to watch her performing the original song “Crazier” on stage with her guitar. As connections are made between Billy Ray and his love interest, Lorelai, and Miley and her love interest, Travis, the song, a whimsical, romantic country ballad, plays, brilliantly establishing the mood for developing romance.
Fans were thrilled to see two teenage stars on the same screen; despite the fact that Miley and Taylor never interacted in the film, they had comparable audiences at the time and formed an iconic duo. But the song and Taylor’s entire performance help produce a surprisingly moving scene for a kids’ movie that cleverly and beautifully advances the story.
The Giver (2014)
Taylor played Rosemary, the Giver’s daughter, in the 2014 film adaptation of the same-titled bestseller by author Lois Lowry. The Giver, which takes place in a dystopian society, follows the main character Jonas as he makes his way through a place devoid of emotion, color, and information. In order to protect others from the potential harm that knowing the truth about society might bring, only one person, known as the Receiver, is allowed to do so. But as soon as Jonas starts to shoulder that particular duty, everything he believed to be true crumbles.
Similar to Jonas, Rosemary is only seen in flashbacks but was chosen to know the secrets of the distorted civilization. Rosemary left her role as Receiver and broke under the strain because she was unable to tolerate learning the sneaky and cruel things she does.
This is possibly one of Taylor’s most challenging acting roles, requiring her to portray the more negative sides of life. Although she only makes a brief appearance on screen, Jonas is able to fully appreciate the gravity of his new duty thanks to the emotional resonance and significance of her experience as the Giver’s daughter.
The Lorax (2012)
Taylor only had the opportunity to showcase her voice acting skills in one entry. Taylor played Audrey, a redhead who is Ted’s love interest in the 2012 film The Lorax. Audrey is Ted’s love interest. Based on the Dr. Seuss children’s story, The Lorax maintains the integrity of the original while also incorporating fresh, enjoyable elements. In this instance, we follow Ted as he discovers the legend of the Lorax, gains the courage to pursue his crush, and ultimately prevents nature in the town of Thneedville from completely vanishing.
Audrey is crucial to the plot; without Audrey, Ted would have never been made aware of the need of having actual trees in Thneedville. She not only imparts some ecological knowledge to Ted but also to the audience through her love of nature and understanding of procedures like photosynthesis.
Taylor’s voice fits Audrey’s personality well because she is chirpy, energetic, and endowed with a girlish allure. Taylor subtly alters her accent to audibly capture the childlike innocence that makes Audrey such a likeable character, even though her voice is undoubtedly recognisable behind the animated figure.
Valentine’s Day (2010)
In Valentine’s Day 2010, a number of interconnected love tales come to an end and eventually converge around the holiday’s name. Valentine’s Day is one of the most well-liked romantic comedies of the 2010s, starring stars including Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, and Bradley Cooper. Alongside Taylor Lautner, Swift played the part of Felicia, a young girl. Felicia’s relationship with Willy, played by Lautner, in the movie is a classic example of a young couple.
The developing romance between Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner in real life perhaps contributed to the on-screen chemistry between Felicia and Willy. Observing the two interact on-screen was amusing and delightful for viewers who were aware of their relationship, contributing to Felicia and Willy’s overall charm. Nevertheless, Taylor blended well in with the A-list group and was able to set herself apart from her famous partner in terms of talent.
Similar to the previous entry, Taylor also composed an original song for the film called “Today Was a Fairytale,” which she later re-recorded and published on her album Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021. The song has a similar puppy-love vibe to Felicia’s role in the movie; it’s a straightforward homage to a special day with a new love partner, which Felicia undoubtedly goes through on-screen.
