It’s not uncommon for an actor to direct themselves in a movie, and these movies often produce deeply personal results. Actors have been doubling as directors ever since the silent era. Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were two of the biggest movie stars of the time, and they both directed themselves on multiple occasions. Although the landscape of Hollywood has changed drastically since then, this practice persists to the present day.
These days, it’s not unusual for an actor to step behind the camera later in their career. People like Ben Affleck, Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper have all transitioned to directing after starting out as actors, and they have frequently acted in their own movies. Pulling double duty on a movie eliminates the problem of an actor’s vision not aligning with a director’s, so it’s no surprise that there have been so many brilliant movies with the same person both behind and in front of the camera.
10 Best Performances Where Actors Directed Themselves
It is hard enough to direct a great performance, let alone to direct yourself. However, these directors did incredible acting work in their own films.
Kenneth Branagh’sHercule Poirotmovieshave been a mixed bag so far, butA Haunting in Veniceis a delightful mystery. Branagh stars as the famous Belgian detective, and he is surrounded once more by an excellent ensemble cast. Tina Fey plays his old friend and a potential suspect, and Michelle Yeoh, fresh off the back of her Oscar win, captivates as a mystic.A Haunting in Veniceis seeped in retro charm just like Branagh’s previous two movies, but it has the added element of supernatural danger.Branagh gets the chance to show that he could be a capable horror director if the mood strikes him.
Anna Kendrick’s most popular movies include comedies and musicals, like thePitch Perfectseries. This makes her directorial debut a little surprising, butWoman of the Hourhas been earning impressive reviews since being released on Netflix in October. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival way back in September 2023.Woman of the Houris based on the true storyof Rodney Alcola, a serial killer who appeared onThe Dating Gamein 1978.Unlike most other serial killer movies, Kendrick tells the story from the position of a potential victim.This givesWoman of the Houra nervy atmosphere, and Kendrick delivers a compelling performance.
With the release ofJuror #2,Clint Eastwood is still making movies at 94 years old. With dozens of directorial features to add to his decades-long career as a movie star, very few people in Hollywood have been so successful in both disciplines. Eastwood combines a legendary acting career with a legendary directing career.Million Dollar Babyis one of the best examples of what he can do in both arenas.The boxing movie won Best Picture, and it earned Eastwood a Best Director award as well as a Best Actor nomination.20 years later, there’s still no other sports movie quite like it.
Ben Stiller directed 1994’sReality Bitesbefore making some of his biggest hits. By the time he madeTropic Thunder, he had a couple more directorial efforts under his belt, as well as a long list of popular comedies, includingZoolanderandDodgeball.Tropic Thunderremains one of his funniest movies, pulling together an outstanding cast to satirize the Hollywood machine. Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. join Stiller in playing exaggerated comedic versions of themselves, but the movie’s biggest surprise is Tom Cruise, who reminds everyone of his comedic chops as the foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman.
Orson Welles was just 25 years old when he madeCitizen Kane,but he was no rookie. He had already made a name for himself in theater and radio, and he took to the medium of film with ease. Decades later,Citizen Kaneis still regarded as one of thegreatest movies of all time. Welles' roman à clef is a precise character study that somehow feels universal.For such a mature and complex work to have come from a first-time director is remarkable, andCitizen Kanehas influenced more mature filmmakers for years. One aspect of the movie which often goes overlooked is just how darkly funny it can be, like when Kane stands to applaud his wife at the opera, knowing that he has staked his entire reputation on her poor talents.
Jackie Chan directed many of his own movies in Hong Kong, cultivating a style that complemented his remarkable martial arts skills with physical comedy inspired by silent-era stars such as Buster Keaton. He co-directed the firstPolice Storywith Chi-Hwa Chen, but he took on the sequel on his own.Police Story2delivers the same exhilarating action as the original. The story follows a disgraced detective trying to claw his way back to the top. Ultimately, the plot isn’t what’s most important.The central appeal of the movie comes from watching Chan and his stunt team repeatedly pull off the impossible.
BeforeA Quiet Place,John Krasinski was most famous as Jim fromThe Office.Creating a strikingly original horror movie is just what he needed to separate himself from the sitcom, andA Quiet Placesoon spawned an entire franchise.A Quiet Placewasn’t Krasinski’s first directorial feature, but it was his first huge hit. He pays homage to the history of the horror genre, but many of the most memorable moments fromA Quiet Placeare all of his own making.Krasinski acts alongside his wife Emily Blunt, and their real-life relationship makes the movie’s parable of parental anxiety even more pressing.
For obvious reasons, Woody Allen’s movies aren’t as popular as they once were, but there’s no denying the quality of some of his big hits.Annie Hallremains his true masterpiece, and its frank introspection and charming dialogue have continued to shape romantic comedies for decades.Allen is a much better director and writer than he is an actor, butAnnie Halldoesn’t ask too much of him. He and Diane Keaton make a wonderful pair. Even amid Allen’s cynical view of modern life, their chemistry makes their relationship seem genuine and heartwarming.Annie Hallends on a bittersweet note that captures Allen’s melancholic exploration of the human condition.
Mel Brooks usually gave the best characters in his comedies to other actors, but he was always on hand to take a hilarious supporting role. InThe Producers, Young FrankensteinandBlazing Saddles,he only has minor roles, but he gave himself more to do inSpaceballs.He stars as President Skroob, a comically inept stand-in for the Emperor from Star Wars, and Yaddle, a constantly kvetching Yoda. Brooks is as funny as ever, but Rick Moranis truly steals the show as Lord Dark Helmet. TheupcomingSpaceballssequelfaces the task of recapturing the magic without either Brooks or Moranis.
Few actors have ever enjoyed a hot streak quite like Tom Hanks in the 1990s, with hits likeSaving Private Ryan, Toy StoryandApollo 13showcasing his impressive range.That Thing You Docame right in the middle of this purple patch, and it harks back to his early comedies likeBigandA League of Their Own.That Thing You Dois a musical comedy set in the 1960s that follows a band trying to make it big. Hanks plays the band’s manager, and the constant friction between art and commerce provides a rich vein of comedy for the movie.That Thing You Dois a joy to watch, thanks to some charming performances, the romance of the era and a catchy soundtrack.
