The Movie You Forgot Paul Simon Starred In
When you think of Paul Simon, you probably think of his lengthy and acclaimed musical career, including his long and productive partnership with Art Garfunkel. Maybe the tune of one of his numerous hits, like "You Can Call Me Al" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water," pops into your head. However, you probably don't think much about Simon performing on the silver screen. But while the singer-songwriter is most famous for his illustrious musical talent, he has also appeared in a small number of films and television shows.
Over the course of his career, Simon has made a number of television appearances as himself, including a four-time stint performing at the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" and starring as the subject of two documentary films about his own life. Simon also took on some roles as an actor, playing the lead role of Jonah Levin in 1980's "One Trick Pony," and even being cast in a small role in the acclaimed Woody Allen film "Annie Hall," according to IMDb.
Paul Simon played music producer Tony Lacey
While not all of his performances were considered gems, many critics agree Simon stole the show with his brief appearance in "Annie Hall." The hit film, which was directed by and starred Woody Allen, was released in 1977. The narrative follows comedy writer Alvy Singer, played by Allen, and his relationship with his former lover Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton. Many people might not even remember Simon was in the movie — after all, he was only on screen for a mere two minutes and change, according to Billboard.
However, for many critics, his performance as a superficial, leisure-suit-wearing music producer named Tony Lacey was a hit. During his brief appearance on screen, Lacey is depicted as a sleazy one-time rival for Annie Hall's affections, holding her hand and praising her talent after seeing her sing "Seems Like Old Times" in a club, telling her the performance "was very musical" (via The Guardian). He goes on to invite both Annie and Alvy to a party that he says will be "very mellow," instantly earning the dislike of Alvy as well as the audience. While Simon might not have had any formal acting training, he captures the role of oily music producer well, perhaps because, having spent so much of his life in the music industry, the character was somewhat familiar to him. So although it is clear Simon's main talent lies in his musical ability, his acting chops might not be so bad either.