The movie that turned Madonna against Hollywood: “I saw the A-list and I was on the Z-list”

Posted On February 14, 2025February 14, 2025

Madonna is the queen of pop music and Dick Tracy is one of the (albeit fictional) kings of the comic book pulp story, so it’s only fitting that she’d play Breathless Mahoney, Tracy’s occasional love interest but oftentimes antagonist. Whatever you may think about Madonna as an actor, the film is sewn into her career, as she threaded its unique kitsch into her well-storied 1990 “Blond Ambition” tour, contemporaneous with the film’s release and acted as a defunct marketer for the film. In fact, Madonna said in an interview with Newsweek, “Dick Tracy is my life.”

It was Madonna’s idea to play the part of Breathless Mahoney. “I called up Warren and told him I really wanted it,” she said. “I saw the A list and I was on the Z list. I felt like a jerk. ” The decision to plug the movie in her “Blond Ambition” tour was her idea, too.

“Disney didn’t come to me and ask me to help market the movie,” the star explained. “Let’s just say I’m killing 12 birds with one stone. It’s a two-way street. I’m not going to overlook the fact that it’s a great opportunity for me, too. Most people don’t associate me with movies. But I know I have a much bigger following than Warren does and a lot of my audience isn’t even aware of who he is.” About their relationship, Beatty will, of course, say nothing. Madonna offers just one tease: “Dick Tracy is my life. You can take that any way you want to take it.”

Whether Madonna meant that the film had taken over her life as she was integrating the comic strip into her status as one of the world’s most successful and recognisable musicians–or if she was a lifelong fan and the comic meant something very personal to her, she declined to say as Madonna is wont to do. Her performance and the film itself weren’t exactly lauded by critics (Roger Ebert liked it, however) and were considered middling at best. Dick Tracy was the ninth highest-grossing film of the year, although it still lost money due to its extravagant budget. 

It wasn’t Madonna’s first film, but it was the one that got her some notoriety as a movie star. She’d had roles in films you haven’t seen (or have forgotten you saw), like 1985’s Vision Quest and 1989’s Bloodhounds of Broadway. Madonna is part of a lineage of pop musicians who made their way into Hollywood, preceded by the likes of Cher, Dolly Parton, David Bowie, Elvis Presley and most of the rat pack, particularly Frank Sinatra. And many more.

The quality of those films and their performances are highly variegated, but it’s a tradition that is honoured by time, if nothing else. Certainly not critical appraisal, but some moviegoers and critics still enjoy them and people will go see a film because Lady Gaga is in it. Except for Joker: Folie à Deux. 

There’s a compelling interplay between Madonna’s music career and her roles as an actor. She started as a drummer and was subsequently told by music teachers and critics that she didn’t have rhythm. Then, she was told that she couldn’t sing by anyone who bothered to listen. Knowing that she couldn’t sing with the virtuosity of her contemporaries, she leaned into her other gifts–her charisma, gift for lyric writing, controversial but exciting performances and music videos.

As an actor, Madonna’s been called ‘wooden and boring’’ and, in fact, called herself a Z-Lister in the aforementioned interview. But she plays to her strengths as a musician and as an actress and that’s exactly what she did in Dick Tracy.

Related Topics