Actors are used to bringing to life totally different roles in every movie. They portray heroes and villains, lead major productions and even participate in small roles in cameos that often end up granting them prestigious awards. Over time, and with experience, some world-renowned actors discovered a new passion: directing movies. Every once in a while we learn that an actor has decided to go one step further and sit in the director’s chair to carry out a personal project. Many of them even starred in their films in addition to directing them.
It is quite true that acting in a film is not the same as directing it: these are roles that are intended to complement each other very well, yet imply different skills and levels of responsibility. However, the years of experience and the day-to-day routine on different sets have left their mark on many of them. Motivated by what they learned from some of the best filmmakers, they decided to try their chances behind the camera. Some of these actors achieved outstanding results and never made it back to the acting world. Take a look at some of the actors who were able to succeed in directing their own films.
Update on July 16, 2025: This article has been updated by Soniya Hinduja with additional directors as well as up to date information on many of the filmmakers recent projects and award nominations.
Rob Reiner
Born to a Jewish family in the Bronx,Rob Reinerfirst broke out as an endearing and well-meaning Michael “Meathead” Stivik, husband to Gloria and son-in-law to Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker in the groundbreaking ‘70s sitcomAll in the Family. His role as one of the most educated and progressive people in the family was received with open arms and abundant laughter. He appeared in 174 episodes, Reiner won two Primetime Emmy Awards, and gifted an entire audience with some touching memories.
In the early ‘80s, Rob Reiner steadily transitioned toward his true passion – storytelling. His prolific career as a director first blossomed with the heavy metal mockumentaryThis Is Spinal Tap(1984). Following that, the actor earned widespread acclaim for films likeThe Princess Bride(1987),When Harry Met Sally…(1989),Stand By Me (1986), and 1992’sA Few Good Men, a film that earned him a nod at the Oscars in the Best Director category. All of his films have become smashing hits and went on to define a decade or two of seemingly effortless filmmaking. His most recent project,Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, is a documentary film that honors the comedian and filmmaker.
Robert Redford
Having found work both on stage and in television in the 1950s,Robert Redfordwas destined for greatness. The actor, like many others, found inspiration in smaller television roles,appearing as a guest starin television dramas likeMaverick,Naked City,The Twilight Zone, and more. He made his on-screen debut in 1960 for a minor role in a romantic comedy directed by Joshua Logan, Tall Story. After that, the actor appeared in over twenty other films. From the iconicButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidto 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, Redford has expanded his artistic gifts and lent his talents wherever possible.
He made his directorial debut in 1980 withOrdinary People, which explores the fallout of a wealthy family when they are struck by grief after losing one of their sons. The movie took home four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Writing, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Moving forward, Redford directed eight more feature films up until 2012. The actor turned director has been associated with telling stories filled with soulfulness and nuance and he continues to innovate and enlighten the audience even today.
Warren Beatty
Warren Beattymade his acting debut in 1961 with Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass, a high school romance about two teenage sweethearts navigating the tribulations of being the age. However,he burst into stardomwithBonnie and Clyde, a movie that changed the course of cinema with its piercing social commentary and an iconic final scene. Knowing the actor has been inspired by films likeThe Philadelphia StoryandLove Affairfrom a very young age, it was fitting for him to have helmed intimate dramas and inhabited complex characters.
Later in life, Beatty seamlessly wrote, directed, produced and starred in iconic films such asHeaven Can’t Wait(1978),Reds(1981),Dick Tracy(1991), andBurlsworth(1998) to name a fewe. Naturally, the Academy Awards honored Beatty’s unparalleled skill on and off camera, and he became the only actor to have been nominated for over five categories for the same film. His diverse filmography solidified his status and command in the industry as a living legend who came to fame before filmmaking had made technical advancements.
Clint Eastwood
If there is one thing we can say aboutClint Eastwood, it is that his talent level is extremely high, both in both acting and in directing. His first cameo was in 1955 in the filmRevenge of the Creature, to later be consecrated thanks to his character The Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western trilogy:A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars MoreandThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
In 1967, he founded his own production company, The Malpaso Company, along with his financial advisor, Irving Leonard. Among his most critically acclaimed films likeUnforgivenandMillion Dollar Baby,both of which he won the Academy Award for Best Director.Other iconic films he has directed includeMystic River, Letters from Iwa Jima, andGran Torino.Sniper in 2014 became his highest-grossing film of all time. In 2021, his last film to date,Cry Macho, was released, in which he playeda washed-up rodeo star on an unexpected journey.Eastwood has won two Oscars as a director for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. He is currently working on his next and rumored final film,Juror No. 2.
Halle Berry
As an actress, we have seenHalle Berry’s brilliant performances in theX-Mensaga and in films such asMonster’s Ball(2001),Things We Lost in the Fire(2007) andJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum(2019). Over the past year, she decided to plunge into directing, which her directorial debutBruisedhitting Netflix in 2020. Berry also starred in the film as the role of Jackie Justice. She played an MMA fighter at the worst moment of her professional career. The movie also starred Adriane Lenox, Sheila Atim, Valentina Shevchenko, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, and it received great reviews. However, it became embroiled incontroversy with MMA fighter Cat Zingano’s complaint against the director.
Berry had a follow-up film,The Mothership, planned to be released on Netflix. Yet recently,the studio announced they were not going to release the almost-finished movie, and there is no word on whether it will find distribution again.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wildehas been breaking boundaries as an actress and director. Her first big role was her breakout one, starring in the hit television seriesThe OC. From there, she landed smaller roles in film, video games, and music videos. Wilde was determined to do it all and put her name out there in the world. A recurring role on the TV series House (2004 - 2012) brought her star power to the next level and put the world on notice of what she was capable of. Soon enough, Wilde would star in blockbusters likeTron: Legacy(2010) and Academy Award-winning films likeHer(2013). After seeing what it was like in front of the camera, she would try her hand behind it in the director’s chair.
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Wilde started out small, directing short films and music videos, but soon she was able to make her first feature film.Booksmart(2019) was an immediate success, with the coming-of-age teen comedy establishing Wilde as a credible director. A few years later, she would go on to make the highly anticipated thrillerDon’t Worry Darling(2022). While there was a wholecontroversy surrounding the film, it further cemented Wilde’s status as a director in the industry. Her next two projects are a film titledPerfect,set to release in 2024, and anUntitled Sony Marvel filmrumored to be about Spider-Woman.
Kenneth Branagh
One of the only people on this list who started out as a stage actor,Kenneth Branaghhas garnered quite the reputation for his directorial work. After starring in plays such asHenry VandRomeo and Juliet, Branagh formed his own theater production company called the Renaissance Theatre Company. There, they could make a smaller and more intimate company and put on his own plays, likePublic Enemy,which he wrote when he was only 25. A short four years later, he would go on to make his directorial debut with a film adaptation ofHenry V. His very first film got him the Best Director and Actor nomination at the Academy Awards, along with taking home the Oscar for Best-set Design. Right out of the gate, it was obvious how talented Branagh was as both a performer and director.
Since then, Branagh has continued to direct and star in some of the biggest films today. From directing huge blockbuster movies likeThor(2011) andCinderella(2015) to starring in and directing the Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot murder mystery movies, Branagh has done it all. Just this year, he acted in the hugely successful Christoper Nolan filmOppenheimer,all while also directing and starring inA Haunting in Venicewhich was released later that year.
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleckmade his screen debut at an early age in the movieThe Dark End Of The Street(1981) and later as the protagonist of the seriesThe Voyage Of The Mimi(1984). Well known for his roles inSchool Ties(1992) andDazed and Confused(1993), his acting breakthrough was when he starred alongside Matt Damon, Minnie Driver, and Robin Williams inGood Will Hunting(1997), a film co-written by Affleck and Damon that later earned them a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best original script of the year.
After starring inArmageddon(1998) andShakespeare in Love(1998), Affleck made his first steps from behind the camera, and in 2007 he directedGone Baby Gone, starring his brother Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, and Amy Ryan. He then followed that up with 2010’s critically acclaimed and box office hit,The Town,and then in 2012,he directedArgo, a film that won him three Academy Awards, including the trophy for Best Picture.His career continues both in front of and behind the cameraas he recently starred and directedAirfor Prime Video. Affleck’s next directorial effort will beAnimals, a new crime thriller for Netflix that will star Matt Damon.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Fosteris one of the most respected and acclaimed actresses of her generation. She made her film debut at a very young age in the movieNapoleon and Samantha(1972), and her first major role arrived in 1976 with Martin Scorsese when he cast her inTaxi Driver. She won an Oscar forThe Accused(1988) andSilence of the Lambs(1991), and also starred in films such asSommersby(1993),Nell(1994),Maverick(1994),Contact(1997),Panic Room(2002),Hidden Plan(2006) andA Savage God(2011).
In 1991, Foster amazed everyone by venturing into direction withLittle Man Tate, and later she delivered successes such asThe Beaver(2011) andMoney Monster(2016). She also directed some episodes of series such asHouse of Cards, Orange is the New BlackandBlack Mirror. Foster is still an acclaimed actress, as she was recently nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for her role inNyad.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stillerwas one of the most well-known actors of the late nineties and early ‘oughts, but nowadays you’ll find him mostly working as an incredibly successful director and producer. The son of legendary actor Jerry Stiller, Ben got his first role in Stephen Spielberg’sEmpire of the Sun(1987). He had attempted to get behind the camera as soon as he could with shows like MTV’sBack to BrooklynandThe Ben Stiller Show, but those never got far. Stiller really managed to break out staring in roles likeThere’s Something About Mary(1998) andZoolander(2001), the latter of which he directed. His star continued to rise as he had iconic performances in films such asThe Royal Tenenbaums(2001),Night at the Museum(2006), andTropic Thunder(2008),the movie he wrote, directed, and starred in.
While being both an actor and director, Stiller has made some iconic films that stand the test of time. It isn’t just film that he’s directing, as he’s recently made the jump to TV. Currently, he’s producing and directing on the critically beloved AppleTV+ seriesSeverance.The psychological thriller shows a whole other side of Stiller’s creativity that he hasn’t shown before, and it is one of the most popular TV shows today. With season 2 in production along with a handful of other films, Stiller is going to continue to show his abilities as a director in both film and television.
