The movie industry boasts some of the most talented performers in the world, and every year more promising stars are added to the mix. As they work in cross-functional teams for movies and other projects, some actors and filmmakers are often tempted to try out their hands in other roles in the industry. Thus, over the years, many of Hollywood’s biggest names have branched out and explored other roles. There have been actors who eventually became producers, and those who ventured into screenwriting, eventually winning/being nominated for Oscars and earning acclaim for their screenplays. Then there have been filmmakers who, as part of a certain project, turned to acting.
Still, perhaps the most fascinating stories are those of actors who turned to directing. Through the years, many actors have dared to sit in the director’s chair and made a rewarding career out of it. Some of the most popular ones are Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, and Greta Gerwig, a promising filmmaker who is currently working on the highly anticipated live-action Barbie. And while there are plenty of these stories in Hollywood, there are plenty of examples of actors who had the chance to pursue a career in directing, but ended up helming only one movie. Here are eight of them.
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8 Karen Gillan — The Party’s Just Beginning
The Orchard
Karen Gillan, who is best known for playing Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wrote, directed and starred in this 2018 film. Set in Inverness, Scotland, The Party’s Just Beginning follows Luisaidh, a 24-year-old woman struggling to cope with the grief of her best friend’s suicide by getting drunk, eating junk food and having casual hookups with strangers. But try as she might, her memories do not leave her alone, and in the midst of a freezing winter, Luisaidh must navigate the mourning process in order to move on with her life. Both this production and Gillan’s direction were critically acclaimed.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Johnny Depp — The Brave
Majestic Films International
The Brave is a 1997 neo-western film directed by and starring Johnny Depp. Its screenplay was written by Depp and his brother based on Gregory Mcdonald’s novel of the same name. It follows Raphael, a Native American man who lives very poorly with his wife and children. Facing this desperate situation, he decides to take on a risky proposal: being paid a great amount of money to get murdered in a snuff film. Marlon Brando, Marshall Bell, and Luis Guzman were cast in the film, which was unfortunately met with negative reviews.
6 Drew Barrymore — Whip It
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Drew Barrymore produced, directed, and starred in Whip It, a 2009 sports comedy-drama film written by Shauna Cross. It stars Elliot Page alongside Barrymore, Alia Shawkat, Kristen Wiig, and Marcia Gay Harden, among many others. Whip It follows Bliss, a teenager from a small town in Texas who, sick of all the beauty pageants her mother exposes her to, discovers a passion for roller derby and joins a team. This film was critically acclaimed, but did not perform well at the box office, earning $16 million worldwide, just a little over what was spent to produce it.
5 Mark Ruffalo — Sympathy for Delicious
Corner Store Entertainment
Christopher Thornton stars in Sympathy for Delicious as Delicious, a DJ with a promising music career who is left paralyzed after an accident. As he recovers mentally and physically, he realizes that he has acquired an ability to heal all people with illnesses but himself. Still, Delicious is willing to sacrifice this gift altogether in exchange for achieving success as a musician. This 2010 drama film was Mark Ruffalo’s directorial debut, and he was also cast as a priest named Joe.
4 Brie Larson — Unicorn Store
Netflix
Brie Larson directs, produces, and stars in 2017’s Unicorn Store, which also features performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Joan Cusack, Bradley Whitford, Karan Soni, Mamoudou Athie, Mary Holland, and Hamish Linklater. This film follows Kit, a struggling artist who moves back to her parents’ house after failing art school. Kit reluctantly accepts an office job that she doesn’t really like, until she gets a mysterious letter urging her to fulfill her lifelong dream of adopting a unicorn. Unicorn Store met with positive reviews, particularly for the actors’ performances, although many people criticized the plot’s immaturity.
3 Paul Dano — Wildlife
IFC Films
Judging by the rave reviews this 2018 film got, Paul Dano may very well pursue a career in directing. Based on Richard Ford’s novel of the same name, Wildlife follows Joe, a teenager who moves with his parents to Great Falls, Montana in the midst of a family crisis that he doesn’t really understand yet compels him to grow up abruptly. Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ed Oxenbould star in the production, earning critical acclaim for their impeccable performances.
2 Regina King — One Night in Miami
One Night in Miami is a 2020 film directed by Regina King from a screenplay by Kemp Powers. The movie is a fictionalized version of an actual meeting that took place in 1964 between Malcolm C, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke, where they discussed their role in the civil rights movement and some of their thoughts on their responsibilities as people of influence. It stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. and it premiered at the Venice Film Festival to rave reviews for King’s direction, screenplay, and the actors’ performances.
1 Morgan Freeman — Bopha!
Paramount Pictures
Highly acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman wraps up this list with his directorial debut and, to date, his only film as a director, Bopha! This 1993 production stars Danny Glover and follows Micah, a South African police officer who unquestioningly supports the authorities, not realizing that he is going against the best interests of his community. After a series of social conflicts in which his own son is involved, Micah is forced to reconsider everything he stands for. Although Bopha! was highly acclaimed, it became a box-office flop.
