Movies and TV shows and a complex business. Like any large project, they require dedicated effort and collaboration from people across a variety of fields. Among the most prominent of these are the directors and their actors.
RELATED:Harrison Ford & Other Actors Who Played More Than One Iconic Movie Character
The former guides the production through a unified vision while the latter party brings that vision to life onscreen. As expected, each of these calls for a radically different skillset. Certain artists, however, try their hand at tackling both. This should theoretically be a recipe for disaster, but a surprising number of these performers have made it work.
10Richard Attenborough
Most audiences likely know Attenborough asJohn Hammond, the creator of the titularJurassic Park. However, his career extends much further than that, both behind and in front of the camera.
As an actor, he’s appeared in such iconic projects asThe Great Escape,Brighton Rock,The Sand Pebbles,10 Rillington Place, and theMiracle on 34th Streetremake. Additionally, he was nearly as prolific as a director.Gandhicomes to mind, but he also helmedA Bridge Too Far,Young Winston,Cry Freedom, andOh! What a Lovely War. Both paths he took turned into massive success stories, earning huge praise and scores of awards.
9Sidney Poitier
Poitier was a pioneer in a plethora of areas, breaking new ground for African Americans in Hollywood. Most of this came from his work onscreen. Over his long career, he wowed viewers in such classics asTo Sir With Love,The Defiant Ones,Lilies of the Field, andGuess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Despite having more prominence as a performer, Poitier’s directorial exploits can’t be discounted.Stir Crazy,Let’s Do it Again, andBuck and the Preacherare a few of his high-profile pictures. No one can say that Poitier doesn’t have a stacked legacy.
8Leonard Nimoy
Talk about a turnaround. In the final few minutes ofStar TrekII: The Wrath of Khan, fan-favorite character Spock sacrifices himself to save his friends. People naturally assumedthat was the end of Leonard Nimoy’s time in the franchise.
RELATED:Spock Memes Only True Star Trek Fans Will Understand
Just a few years later, however, Nimoy made a two-pronged comeback. Not only did he play the iconic Vulcan again inThe Search for SpockandThe Voyage Home, but he took over directorial duties for those films as well. Thanks in no small part to his sure-handed skill, these became two of the more revered entries in the series. Suffice it to say, they turned out a lot betterthan William Shatner’s directing attempt withThe Final Frontier.
7Sofia Coppola
The operative phrase here is course correction. When Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter first popped onto the scene inThe Godfather Part III, audiences weren’t impressed. Her flat performance stuck out like a sore thumb, making the film look like a blemishnext to its acclaimed predecessors.
Luckily, Coppola quickly realized her career lied in following her father’s footsteps. Taking the director’s chair, she revitalized her reputation with films likeThe Virgin SuicidesandLost in Translation. She’s widely seen as a trailblazer for female directors, and even today, her projects continue to shine at film festivals the world over.
6Kenneth Branagh
When adapting Shakespeare, Ken’s your man. From his early days, Branagh’s works have largely involved him both acting and directing, and many of theseare remakes of William Shakespeare’s plays. Films likeHenry V,Much Ado About Nothing, andHamletshowcase his theatrical style in tribute to the famous playwright. He’s also found fame simply as a director inMarvel’sThorandDisney’sCinderellaremake.
That said, he’s not above acting in projects which he doesn’t personally helm. Examples includeHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Dunkirk, andWallander. Though he’s not as personally involved, his performances never falter as a result.
5Avery Brooks
This articulate actor was theatrically trained in multiple areas. Not only did he earn experience as a theater performer, but he also accumulated skills as a director. He even became an associate professor of theater arts, so you can’t say he’s unqualified in either area.
His time onStar Trek: Deep Space Nineoffered a chance to stretch both talents. In addition to playing protagonist Benjamin Sisko,Brooks directed a whopping nine episodes. These included some of the most high-profile ones like “Far Beyond the Stars,” which still ranks among the most thoughtful and emotionalStar Trektales ever crafted.
4Kevin Costner
Easily one of the more likable leads of his time, Costner’s laid-back soulfulnesscharmed countless audiences. Works likeField of Dreams,The Untouchables, andRobin Hood: Prince of Thievesestablished him as a charismatic presence akin to the classic movie stars. How appropriate that he should make his directorial mark with westerns?
RELATED:The Greatest Westerns Ever Made
Costner has always loved the genre and the idea of the American West. This passion prompted projects likeDances with WolvesandOpen Range, both of which received rave reviews for their reverent takes. When it comes to reviving the dormant cowboy flicks, few filmmakers have been as successful as Costner.
3Mel Gibson
With famous films likeMad Max,Lethal Weapon, andRansom, Gibson was easilyone of the most bankable and infectiously energetic stars in Hollywood during the ’80s and ’90s. He was undeniable leading man material: equal parts charming and intense. Clearly, filmmakers wanted to keep him in front of the camera for as long as they could.
He didn’t start helming flicks himself until he was over twenty years into the industry. Even then, his directorial efforts were few and far between. On those rare instances when he has steered the ship, though, his gritty approach has earned tremendous praise and attention. Just look atBraveheart,The Passion of the Christ,Apocalypto, andHacksaw Ridge. In fact, the latter film was such a big hit that it helped him break back into the business after his drunken tirades blacklisted him. Anyone familiar with that controversy knows this was no small feat.
2Helen Shaver
This Canadian was a solid working actress throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Although she never quite achieved mainstream attention, she did lend her voice to Littlefoot’s mother inThe Land Before Time, the subject ofthe most traumatizing family film deaththis side ofBambiandThe Lion King.
Starting in the late ’90s, though, Shaver shifted to directing. To this day, she’s helmed numerous TV episodes both big and small. Her most recurring gig in recent years has beenVikings, steering several chapters of this historical epic, including some of the trippy and more visually interesting ones. Whether or not she’ll return to acting is anyone’s guess. Regardless, she’s garnered decades of experience in both fields.
1Joel Edgerton
This rugged actor’s journey to the directing chair is a gradual one. Edgertonworked as a reliable Australian actor for years, going fromThe Secret Life of Usto Hollywood blockbusters likeKing Arthur, theStar Warsprequels, andWarrior. He soon started writing–collaborating with his brother Nash and/or friend David Michôd on projects likeThe Square,The Rover, andThe King.
These eventually gave him the clout and confidence to break into directing. His subsequent suspenseful work onThe GiftandBoy Erasedhave laid a solid foundation for further helming duties. Whether he continues this trajectory remains to be seen.
