Bob Geldof 'Embarrassed' by His Acting in Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'

Bob Geldof is most often associated with the massive '80s benefit concert Live Aid as well as fronting his band, Boomtown Rats, but the musician also stepped off the stage and onto the big screen with a leading role in the big screen adaptation of Pink Floyd's The Wall. And while the 1982 Alan Parker-directed film has amassed a cult following over the years, Geldof admits he's not very fond of his acting in the movie.

While appearing at Poland’s EnergaCamerimage Film Festival to present a screening of the film, Geldof also took part in an audience Q&A in which he was very candid about his acting and how he felt about his performance in the movie.

"I don’t like the film. I think I’m really bad,” said the singer (per Deadline).

“I’ve seen the movie twice, and I was embarrassed," he added, then revealing that he was only able to finish making the film because director of photography Peter Bizou has made it "very easy" on him.

“I was just embarrassed every day by how shit I was,” he added. “I don’t like looking at myself. I don’t like listening to myself. I don’t like hearing myself. The last thing I want is to see myself on the side of a building.”

Pink Floyd The Wall Trailer

Why Did Bob Geldof Act in Pink Floyd's The Wall Film?

To borrow a title from one of Pink Floyd's songs, Geldof told the audience with a smile, "Money" was the reason he took the role. He then added that his paycheck wasn't as big as he expected because Pink Floyd were "hippies" who were "terrible with money."

He also added a secondary reason for taking the role, admitting that he'd grown tired of the grind with Boomtown Rats and was looking for a new challenge.

Why Does Bob Geldof Think That Many Musicians Don't Make Great Actors?

In speaking with the crowd, Geldof revealed his theory as to why he, and many other musicians, aren't that great when it comes to acting on the big screen. While he admitted there are some that can make the transition, there's also a reason why that happens so easily for them.

“David Bowie is not a good actor. Sting is not a good actor. Bob Geldof is definitely not a good actor,” he concluded before adding, “But Frank Sinatra was, and so was Elvis Presley. In Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, you can see there’s a guy in there who can act. So why could Elvis and Frank do it, but David Bowie and Bob Dylan couldn’t?,” he asked the audience in setting up his answer.

“It’s because Sting, Bowie, Dylan, and Bob Geldof write their own songs. Frank Sinatra and Elvis didn’t write songs, they interpreted songs, and somebody else wrote them,” Geldof said. “So their job was to find the psychology in a song. My job is to project myself onstage. I’m singing things that are in my head.”

Bob Geldof's Acting Career

Geldof's role as "Pink" in Pink Floyd's The Wall was by far his most prominent big screen role. He appeared as the character Harry "Flash" Gordon in 1985's Number One, and took the role of George in the 2012 French drama Bad Girl, but most of his other acting roles have been cameos as himself, including one in the 1997 Spice Girls movie, Spiceworld.