Acting work

Acting work

Swift at the premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009

Swift made her acting debut in a 2009 episode of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, playing a rebellious teenager.^[414] The New York Times noted that the character allowed Swift to be "a little bit naughty, and credibly so".^[415] Rolling Stone felt she "held her own" and "does a good job with the script"^[416] while the Chicago Tribune said she "acquits herself well."^[417] Later that year, Swift both hosted and performed as the musical guest for an episode of Saturday Night Live.^[418] Entertainment Weekly described her as "this season's best Saturday Night Live host so far," noting that she "was always up for the challenge, seemed to be having fun, and helped the rest of the cast nail the punchlines". Proving "admirably resilient in a wide variety of sketch roles", she "inspired more of a female, girly-in-the-best-sense sensibility in SNL than it's shown since the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler days".^[419]
Swift made her feature film acting debut in the 2010 ensemble comedy Valentine's Day, playing the ditzy girlfriend of a high school jock.^[420] The Los Angeles Times felt the performance suggested "serious comedic potential"^[421] while the San Francisco Chronicle found her "very funny".^[422] Time remarked that Swift portrayed her character "rather charmingly".^[423] However, Variety found her "entirely undirected... she needs to find a skilled director to tamp her down and channel her obviously abundant energy".^[424] The Daily News described her performance as "painfully clunky" while Slant Magazine found her "unwatchable".^[425][426] In 2012, Swift voiced Audrey, a tree lover, in the animated film The Lorax. In 2013, she made a brief cameo on the sitcom New Girl. In 2014, she had a supporting role in the film adaptation of The Giver.