The first collection dedicated to David Bowie's acting career shows that his film characterisations and performance styles shift and reform as decoratively as his musical personas. Though he was described as the most influential pop artist of the 20th century, whose work became synonymous with mask, mystery, sexual excess and ch-ch-ch-changing genres, Bowie also applied his genius to the craft of acting. Bowie's considerable filmography is systematically examined in 12 scholarly essays that include tributes to Bowie's performance craft in other media forms. Classic films such as The Prestige and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, cult hits Labyrinth and The Man Who Fell To Earth, as well as lesser-known roles in The Image, Christiane F. and Broadway hit The Elephant Man are viewed, not simply through the lens of Bowie's mega-stardom, but as the work of a serious actor with inimitable talent. This compelling analysis celebrates the risk-taking intelligence and bravura of David Bowie: actor, mime, mimic and icon. The rich and engaging essays Dixon and Black have collected in I'm Not a Film Star treat everything from Bowie's cameos, short films, and videos to his notable starring performances. Together, they teach us that Bowie was more than a rock star dabbling in the movies. Rather, he chose his roles carefully and made thoughtful decisions about acting styles as he rethought his relation to realist acting and Brechtian ideas of gestural performance. The range of approaches represented here, including celebrity studies, close analysis of individual scenes, and performance theory, matches the diversity of Bowie's work in film.