Best actors-turned-directors

It must be a dream come true for any actor – to go behind the camera and be the one who tells others what to do on set. While some actors just dream about this opportunity, others indeed try their hand at directing. Some succeed, some fail, some get back to acting, while some realize that they make better directors than actors.

Below, are some of the best known actors-turned-directors:

Charlie Chaplin

My #1 pick is Charlie Chaplin, king of comedy. He was probably the first actor turned director as he was behind the camera for most of his successful movies.

Charlie Chaplin was known for being very demanding on set and often shooting hundreds of takes for some scenes. (Movies he directed: 76)

Clint Eastwood

Starting his career in western movies, Clint Easwood has managed to make a smooth transition from an actor and an Oscar-winning director. I personally love Clint’s Changeling and Million Dollar Baby, both movies are Oscar-nominees. His other movies include Oscar-winner Unforgiven, Mystic River, Gran Torino, J. Edgar, etc. (Movies he directed: 36)

Woody Allen

Woody Allen is a unique person – he can act, he can direct and he can write. Actually, it’s not right to call him an actor-turned-director, he’s more of an actor that directs or a director that acts.

Woody is a great comedy director with his own vision and his own philosophy.

His movies as a director include Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Match Point, Annie Hall, The Purple Rose, Scoop, and others. (Movies he directed: 46)

Robert Redford

First getting famous as an actor (I love his work in The Way We Were), Robert Reford then turned his talents to directing. His directorial debut Ordinary People brought him the Best Picture Oscar.

I personally like his Lions For Lambs. Other movies he’s directed include Raging Bull, Quiz Show, A River Runs Through It, The Legend of Bagger Vance, etc (Total: 8)

Mel Gibson

Well, maybe this choice is quite questionable but I pick Mel Gibson as a good actor-turned-director for his movies like The Man Without A Face, Braveheart and The Passion Of The Christ. I’m always impressed by his love of historical accuracies. (Movies he directed: 5)

Continue reading – BEST AND WORST ACTORS-TURNED-DIRECTORS

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