The 25 best directorial debuts by actors, from 'Creed III' to 'Get Out'
Insider broke down the best first-time movie directing efforts by actors.
Michael B. Jordan is the latest actor to have an impressive directorial debut, with "Creed III."
He joins a list that includes Jordan Peele, Tom Hanks, Olivia Wilde, and Robert De Niro.
"A Bronx Tale" (1993) — Robert De Niro
Inspired by Chaz Palminteri's one-man play about his own youth, "A Bronx Tale" follows a kid (Lillo Brancato, Jr.) as he's drawn into the mob and guided by his father (Robert De Niro) to stay away from that life.
Legend has it De Niro saw the play and rushed backstage afterward to tell Palminteri that he wanted to make it into a movie. It marked De Niro's directorial debut, and Palminteri played mobster Sonny, who befriends the boy.
De Niro has only directed one more movie in the years since — 2006's "The Good Shepherd." Honestly, there's no need for him to direct another. The legend knocks it out of the park with the drama and tension in "A Bronx Tale."
"A Star Is Born" (2018) — Bradley Cooper
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper play the leads in the latest remake of this story about an unknown singer (Gaga) who finds fame and love after being discovered by an aging star (Cooper). Though their chemistry is red-hot on-screen, it's Cooper's directing that is the really impressive thing.
Cooper will try to go two-for-two with the upcoming Netflix movie "Maestro" in which he plays Leonard Bernstein.
"Antwone Fisher" (2002) — Denzel Washington
To take the directing reigns for the first time, Washington told this true story about a young Navy officer (Derek Luke) who is forced to see a psychiatrist (Washington) after violent outbursts. We uncover that the man has lived a life filled with hate and abuse.
Washington has continued to direct, with credits including 2007's "The Great Debaters," a 2016 episode of "Grey's Anatomy," and the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit "Fences," which earned Viola Davis an Oscar win.
"Away From Her" (2006) — Sarah Polley
Polley cowrote and directed this touching look at a husband (Gordon Pinsent) coping with his wife's (Julie Christie) Alzheimer's disease and the complications that arise after she's brought to a home and begins having feelings for another patient.
Christie and Polley were each nominated for Oscars (for best actress and adapted screenplay, respectively.)
Polley has continued to direct acclaimed works like 2011's "Take This Waltz," 2012's "Stories We Tell," and most recently "Women Talking," which earned Polley yet another adapted screenplay nomination at this year's Oscars. The movie is also a best picture nominee.
"Booksmart" (2019) — Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde instantly made a name for herself as a filmmaker to be reckoned with when she made this high-school comedy that follows two academic-focused seniors (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein) as they decide to party hard the night before graduation.
The movie's female-focused feel is a refreshing addition to the genre.
But let's not bring up Wilde's sophomore effort, "Don't Worry Darling."
"Caddyshack" (1980) — Harold Ramis
Recounting their memories as golf caddies during their youth, director Harold Ramis and costars Bill Murray and his brother Brian Doyle-Murray forged a hilarious script along with National Lampoon's cofounder Douglas Kenney to create an instant classic.
Ramis' directing efforts would be beloved for decades as he helmed "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Groundhog Day," and "Analyze This" — all while also being known as one of the Ghostbusters. He played Egon Spengler in the beloved franchise.
"Citizen Kane" (1941) — Orson Welles
After dazzling audiences with his acting on stage, then literally horrifying listeners on the radio with his "The War of the Worlds" broadcast (some really thought aliens were invading), Welles could do anything he wanted in Hollywood.
It led to him poking one of the biggest living titans at the time when he and screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz used the life and times of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst to create Charles Foster Kane (played by Welles).
The movie would go on to be regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made (Welles and Mankiewicz even won the Oscar for best original screenplay).
Welles' battle for control led to fights with studios and fantastical journeys for financing the rest of his life.
Though often he never got it, it still resulted in some acclaimed work (though not fully realized until long after the movies were released) like "The Magnificent Ambersons," "The Lady from Shanghai," "Touch of Evil," "The Trial," and "F for Fake."
"Creed III" (2023) — Michael B. Jordan
There's always some fear when you hear an actor is going to direct, especially when their first time in the chair is for a franchise.
But Michael B. Jordan will make you a believer in his abilities as a storyteller with this movie.
He doesn't just elevate an already-successful franchise. but does it by getting in some elements that have never been seen in previous movies.
It's not known yet what he'll direct next, but we'll be the first in line to see it.
"Dances With Wolves" (1990) — Kevin Costner
Costner quieted his detractors who criticized him for making a three-hour Western as his directorial debut by scoring 12 Oscar nominations for the movie and winning best picture (a controversial choice seeing it beat out Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas").
Costner has directed two other movies, 1997's "The Postman" and 2003's "Open Range," which both found mixed reviews.
He's currently working on his latest directing effort, "Horizon," an epic set around the Civil War.
"Easy Rider" (1969) — Dennis Hopper
After years of being a bad-boy actor, Hopper sat down in the director's chair and sparked a renaissance in Hollywood in the process.
This low-budget look at two drug-running hippies as they navigate through the US on their motorcycles was nothing anyone had seen before and people couldn't stop watching it.
The movie wasn't just a hit — it helped pave the way for the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Brian De Palma to lead the auteur era.
Hopper never found the success as a director that he did with "Easy Rider," but had impressive works with 1988's "Colors" and "The Last Movie," a film he made after "Rider" but got lost for decades.
"Eighth Grade" (2018) — Bo Burnham
After becoming known for his stand-up work and then landing roles in movies like "The Big Sick" and "Rough Night," Burnham went behind the camera for this tender coming-of-age story about a girl (Elsie Fisher) navigating her social anxiety as she finishes eighth grade.
Since then, Burnham has directed comedy specials for himself (2021's "Inside"), Jerrod Carmichael, and Kate Berlant.
"Frailty" (2001) — Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton has been in front of the camera for plenty of memorable thrilling movies, and one of them also marked his directorial debut.
This Lionsgate release stars Paxton as a father who believes he's been condemned by God to kill demons disguised as people. Matthew McConaughey plays one of his sons all grown up.
If you have never seen this, seek it out. It's a well-made horror movie with lots of twists and turns.
The late actor directed one more feature before his death in 2017, the 2005 Disney movie "The Greatest Game Ever Played" starring Shia LaBeouf as a phenom golfer who plays in the US Open in the early 1900s.
"Get Out" (2017) — Jordan Peele
Peele instantly became a modern-day auteur, thanks to his directing debut that explored genre filmmaking and race unlike any movie before it.
He also won the best screenwriting Oscar for the film, and its lead actor, Daniel Kaluuya, was turned into an instant star for his portrayal of a man who discovers something very chilling when he goes to meet the parents of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams).
Peele's directing has become a must-see. His follow-ups, "Us" and "Nope," have continued to showcase his growth as a filmmaker while becoming box-office hits in their own right.
"Gone Baby Gone" (2007) — Ben Affleck
Once Affleck achieved superstar-actor status, he moved on to directing and had a strong start out of the gates with this crime thriller.
Starring his brother Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as Boston private investigators, the pair try to track down a young girl who was abducted.
The movie also has great supporting roles from Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Amy Ryan, who received an Oscar nomination.
Affleck's had a pretty impressive director filmography since.
His caper "The Town" is beloved, he won best picture for "Argo," and his next movie "Air," about Michael Jordan signing his shoe deal with Nike, is highly anticipated.
"Harlem Nights" (1989) — Eddie Murphy
After years of developing and having major control over his movies behind the scenes, Murphy took on the directing duties for this comedy set in a 1930s Black-owned gambling house in New York City.
Murphy stars alongside Richard Pryor with great supporting roles from Redd Foxx, Della Reese, and Danny Aiello, and a fantastic cameo from Arsenio Hall.
"Harlem Nights" marks the only movie Murphy has directed to date.
"The Night of the Hunter" (1955) — Charles Laughton
Laughton is known best for his amazing acting talents that were showcased in classics like 1935's "Mutiny on the Bounty" and 1960's "Spartacus."
But he also directed a movie, and boy did he direct a movie!
"The Night of the Hunter" stars Robert Mitchum as a psychotic killer who dresses as a preacher to charm his way into the life of a widow (Shelly Winters) so he can get the $10,000 her dead husband was last seen with.
Laughton's direction of all the performances, his use of lighting, and the set pieces — highlighted by the dead body of Winters' character sitting in a car underwater — is still amazing to watch decades later.
This is the only movie Laughton directed. It has since become a classic.
"One Night in Miami..." (2020) — Regina King
After years of slipping into television-directing gigs between acting, King found the right feature to direct when she adapted the 2013 stage play of the same name for the big screen.
The movie is a fictionalized account of a real meeting between icons Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X in the Magic City after Ali, then called Cassius Clay, beat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title.
The movie showcased King's eye for great performances, which led to an Oscar nomination for Leslie Odom Jr. as Cooke.
King is currently working on her next directing effort, a thriller set in 1920s Harlem.
"Reality Bites" (1994) — Ben Stiller
It's the movie that defined what Generation X was all about.
With a cast made up of Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn, Stiller, who also stars in the movie, captures the challenges of young adults in the '90s during a moment when MTV ruled and grunge changed music.
Stiller has gone on to direct classic comedies like "The Cable Guy," "Zoolander," and "Tropic Thunder."
Recently, he's found success in TV directing with "Escape at Dannemora" and "Severance."
"Shadows" (1959) — John Cassavetes
Fed up with playing the Hollywood acting game, Cassavetes went back to New York and single-handedly created the American independent film scene.
With some friends, a few dollars, and a camera, he made this intimate drama that follows the lives and relationships of three Black siblings.
Cassavetes then released it outside of the studio system, which had never been done before.
After "Shadows," Cassavetes went on to become a trailblazer in the indie-film world with such movies as "Faces," "Husbands," "A Woman Under the Influence," and "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie."
"That Thing You Do!" (1996) — Tom Hanks
Hanks wrote, directed, and starred in this look at the rise and fall of a one-hit wonder band in the 1960s.
Hanks is great as the band's no-nonsense manager. It also showcased the talents of then-little-known actors like Tom Everett Scott, Giovanni Ribisi, Liv Tyler, and Charlize Theron.
Hanks has been selective in his directing since then. He directed an episode of two mini-series he produced, "From the Earth to the Moon" and "Band of Brothers."
His last feature was 2011's "Larry Crowne."
"This Is Spinal Tap" (1984) — Rob Reiner
This is one of the best mockumentaries ever made.
Showcasing England's loudest (fake) band — made up of actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer — Reiner chronicles the band's tour of their latest album, in which everything goes wrong.
Reiner — who was known best for playing "Meathead" on the classic sitcom "All in the Family" — launched a successful directing career following "Spinal Tap."
From 1986 to 1992, he released a string of hits that have gone on to become classics: "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," "Misery," and "A Few Good Men."
Reiner is currently developing a sequel to "This Is Spinal Tap."
"The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" (2005) — Tommy Lee Jones
That's right, Tommy Lee Jones has directed a movie, and you probably have never seen it (but you should).
This modern-day Western stars Jones as a quiet rancher whose good friend Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo) dies.
He fulfills his friend's wish of burying him in his hometown across the border in Mexico, but he does it the old-school way, by traveling to the site with the body on horseback.
The other feature-film directing credit Jones has to date is the 2014 Western "The Homesman."
"Trees Lounge" (1996) — Steve Buscemi
In this little-known indie, we follow Buscemi as a self-destructive drunk through his failures and encounters with friends who come to the local bar, Trees Lounge.
The movie features a fantastic ensemble that includes Seymour Cassel, Carol Kane, Debi Mazer, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Kevin Corrigan, Mark Boon Junior, Anthony LaPaglia, and Chlo? Sevigny.
Between acting gigs, Buscemi has gone on to direct a lot of TV shows: "Oz," "The Sopranos," "30 Rock," and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."
"The Way of the Dragon" (1972) — Bruce Lee
After the huge success of starring in 1971's "The Big Boss" and 1973's "Enter the Dragon," Lee made his remarkable directorial debut with this movie.
Starring Lee as a man who visits his family in Italy and ends up having to protect them against evil gangsters, the movie also showcases the now-iconic fight between Lee and American martial arts great Chuck Norris.
This would be the last Bruce Lee movie released while he was alive. A month before "Enter the Dragon" opened, Lee shockingly died.
"Yentl" (1983) — Barbra Streisand
Streisand's debut as a director came with this story that she also starred in and cowrote.
In it, she plays a Jewish girl in Poland who decides to dress like a boy so she can get an education in Talmudic law.
The musical earned Streisand the best director win for a musical or comedy at the Golden Globes, making her the first woman to ever win that prize.
She went on to direct dramas like "The Prince of Tides" and "The Mirror Has Two Faces."
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