Actors who became successful directors

Affleck was known for his behind-the-scenes acumen because he and Matt Damon won a screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting. After a stretch as one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Affleck got behind the camera. Gone, Baby, Gone was considered impressive, but then, he won Best Picture for his movie Argo.

Eastwood is one of the most prolific in the actor/director crossover game. The fact he apparently only does one or two takes per scene probably helps him make so many movies, even into his 90s. In addition to being a Western legend, Eastwood has won Best Director and Best Picture twice for his films: Once for Unforgiven and then for Million Dollar Baby.

Gerwig dipped her toe into the creation process by co-writing the scripts for movies such as Frances Ha and Mistress America — movies she also starred in that were directed by Noah Baumbach. Her directorial debut was the autobiographical Lady Bird, but she knocked that one out of the park. Gerwig proved she doesn’t need to be telling her own story to succeed as a director with her adaptation of Little Women.

Clooney took a while to find his footing, but he eventually became an Oscar-winning movie star. His directorial debut was Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which is a really good movie that wasn’t necessarily a hit. Good Night and Good Luck did click in 2005, earning six Oscar nods. Clooney's more recent directorial endeavors have been The Midnight Sky and The Tender Bar.

Lupino started acting in the 1930s — playing a Batman villain and appearing in two episodes of Columbo, which makes her good in my book. However, in the 1950s, she started directing, including in the film noir genre. Lupino was something of a genre director, but in a way, that is arguably more impressive. When female directors were scarce, Lupino was considered a steady hand.

Reiner will always be “Meathead” from All in the Family to a certain generation. He won an Emmy for that role before directing the seminal comedy This Is Spinal Tap. That led to movies such as When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride, and A Few Good Men. Not bad for a meathead.

When Favreau’s career was struggling, he wrote the movie Swingers, which helped put him on the map. He staged a Swingers reunion with his 2001 directorial debut, Made. That didn’t hit, but Favreau would be just fine. He followed that up with Elf and then proceeded to direct the first two Iron Man movies, forever lodging himself in the filament of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Foster started as a child actor, and she has two Oscars for acting. Her directorial efforts started with Little Man Tate, which was largely a success. Then again, she also directed that weird movie The Beaver with Mel Gibson for some reason.

We don’t need to get into Hanks’ acting resume. He’s one of the most beloved actors of his generation. He came out the gate swinging as a director with the winning That Thing You Do!, which has risen to something approaching cult classic status. His other directorial effort, Larry Crowne, was less successful, but That Thing You Do! earned him a spot on this list.

There is going to be a generation that thinks of Peele first and foremost as a horror director, as opposed to a sketch comedian. Get Out was one of the most successful debut films of recent memory. Then, he followed that up with Us (2019) and Nope (2022). Peele’s career now looks more like John Carpenter’s than John Belushi’s.

Stiller was directing early in his career, as he helmed some episodes of The Ben Stiller Show. However, sketch comedy and film are very different things. Right after that show ended, Stiller directed Reality Bites and went on to direct movies such as The Cable Guy, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, Zoolander 2, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Currently, Stiller is at the center of television discourse with Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama Severance.

In terms of actors on this list, Coppola has decidedly less success. Her turn in The Godfather: Part III remains a sore point for fans of that series. Fortunately, Coppola bounced back by following in her father’s directing footsteps. Her directorial efforts include Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.

Laughton was a prolific actor. As a director, he only stepped behind the camera once. However, that one time was for The Night of the Hunter. It wasn’t successful at the time, but now, it is considered one of the best noirs ever — and one of the top films from the 1950s. If only it had been a hit then, maybe Laughton would have directed more.

From The O.C. to directorial success. Wilde is maybe not an Oscar favorite as an actor, but you can’t quibble with her career. Her directorial debut was the largely well-received Booksmart. She’s followed that up with Don’t Worry Darling, starring Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and Chris Pine.

People snickered at Costner’s decision to direct Dances with Wolves, a movie he also starred in. Skepticism was high. Costner got the last laugh, though. He won Best Director for his debut movie. Yes, The Postman was a flop, but when you direct a movie that wins Best Picture, you end up on this list.

Howard acted for years, from playing Opie to playing Richie Cunningham. Then, Roger Corman gave him a chance to go through his “film school” and direct a movie for him. That was the jumping-off point for a prolific, successful directing career. Howard has directed comedies like Night Shift and Splash, as well as Oscar darlings like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind.

It was already kind of impressive that Cooper went from “fifth-billed actor playing a jerk” to “movie star.” Then, he decided to direct. Like Costner, there was skepticism about Cooper directing the 2018 remake of A Star is Born. But it was a massive success. While Cooper didn’t get a Best Director nomination, the movie was up for Best Picture. Oh, and he was nominated for Best Actor. We assume the director knew how to get a good performance out of him.

Once Beatty got a chance to throw his weight around, he really liked to be hands-on with his films. He’s written, directed, and starred in four different films, though sometimes sharing the load, of course. Apparently, he wasn’t biting off more than he could chew. For both Heaven Can Wait and Reds, Beatty was nominated for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

A solid acting career built up to King winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for If Beale Street Could Talk. After a few years of directing TV, King directed her first feature in One Night in Miami... That movie got her nominations from the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America.

As a dancer and actor, Kelly was a choreographer on basically every film he starred in. Eventually, he took on the role of director. Kelly co-directed three films with Stanley Donen. They were all successes, though the highlight would have to be Singin’ in the Rain.