What was Beyoncé's first acting role?

Beyoncé's first acting role was in Carmen: A Hip Hopera.

Carmen: A Hip Hopera is a 2001 television film directed by Robert Townsend. It reimagines Georges Bizet's opera Carmen as a contemporary musical drama set in Los Angeles. Beyoncé played Carmen Brown, a free-spirited performer whose relationships drive the story.

The film also starred Mekhi Phifer as Hill, Mos Def as Lieutenant Miller, and Wyclef Jean as the narrator. Its music blends hip-hop and R&B with elements derived from the original opera. The production aired on MTV and gave Beyoncé an early screen role before her later theatrical projects.

Viewers sometimes name Austin Powers in Goldmember as her first acting appearance because it was her first major feature-film role. That 2002 comedy came after Carmen: A Hip Hopera. Her subsequent film work included The Fighting Temptations, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and The Lion King.