Which film marked Beyoncé’s acting debut in a major theatrical release?

Austin Powers in Goldmember marked Beyoncé’s acting debut in a major theatrical release.

The 2002 spy-comedy film starred Mike Myers as Austin Powers and featured Beyoncé as Foxxy Cleopatra, a stylish secret agent. The character was inspired by 1970s blaxploitation cinema and became one of the film’s most recognizable additions. Beyoncé also contributed to the film’s music through the song “Work It Out.”

The movie was directed by Jay Roach and released in July 2002. It was Beyoncé’s first prominent feature-film role before later appearances in The Fighting Temptations, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and Obsessed. A common mix-up is naming Dreamgirls, because that 2006 film gave Beyoncé one of her best-known dramatic roles and earned her widespread acting attention, but it came several years after Austin Powers in Goldmember.