How Actors Go from Zero to Music Virtuoso for Film Roles

Beginning of article

Hollywood is littered with tales of actors who go to painstaking lengths to learn a role, from Robert De Niro driving a cab as research for "Taxi Driver" to any number of svelte stars who gain huge amounts of weight to look like their characters.

But few feats of research seem to generate more fascination - and are so consistently rewarded come awards season - as learning a musical instrument. Whether it's Katherine Hepburn's portrayal of the pianist Clara Schumann in "Song of Love," Tom Hulce in the title role of "Amadeus," Geoffrey Rush as David Helfgott in "Shine," or Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johnny and June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line," audiences …