Jesse Eisenberg's directorial debut, 'When You Finish Saving the World,' is a dramatic comedy which follows a politically-committed mother (played by Julianne Moore) and her ambitious musician son (played by Finn Wolfhard), who craves social media fame. It opened with a special, non-competition screening in Cannes in 2022.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal -

Maggie Gyllenhaal made quite the splash with her feature directorial debut 'The Lost Daughter,' a film adaptation of Elena Ferrante's novel of the same name. The psychodrama stars Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley in what is being hailed as some of their best, most electric performances to date. In the 2022 Oscar nominations, Gyllenhaal earned a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Colman and Buckley received Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nods, respectively, for playing different versions of the same character.

Gyllenhaal spoke to Deadline after the good news and expressed her hope that the Oscars will only continue to see and celebrate more women telling honest stories that only women could tell. "We’ve gotten used to a certain kind of storytelling, a certain kind of language, a certain kind of hero and heroine that look and behave a certain way,” she said.

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Bryce Dallas Howard -

Bryce Dallas Howard hit her stride as an actress in films like 'Jurassic World' and 'The Help,' but she's really shining in the director's chair. Fans sung her praises online after Chapter 5, of 'The Book of Boba Fett,' aired, campaigning for Howard to direct the next 'Star Wars' flick or an entire series. Even better, they're not surprised she did such a great job because she previously directed two episodes (Chapters 4 and 11) of 'The Mandalorian,' which had great reviews.

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Gabourey Sidibe -

Gabourey Sidibe made her directorial debut with 'Pale Horse,' a psychological thriller centered on a reclusive African-American author with multiple sclerosis. The 'Precious' and 'Antebellum' actress' project was produced via Gamechanger Films, which focuses on productions by and about women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities, Page Six reports.

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Halle Berry -

Halle Berry made her directorial debut with the film 'Bruised' (2020) in which she also stars as the lead role. The film, a drama about a washed-up MMA fighter, was reportedly offered nearly US$20 million by Netflix for the worldwide distribution rights. “I am speechless," Berry tweeted. "Thank you @netflix for believing in my vision.”

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Regina King -

Oscar-winning actress Regina King made her feature film directorial debut at the Venice Film Festival on September 7 2020, where she premiered ‘One Night in Miami,’ and simultaneously became the first African American female director to be selected in the festival’s history.

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Angelina Jolie - Angelina Jolie has been on the big screen for years, shooting to fame for both her talent and her tumultuous personal life. She directed and starred in the film ‘By The Sea’, which was released in 2015 (pictured).

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Ben Affleck -

Ben Affleck rose to fame in the 1990s alongside Matt Damon, and has starred in a successive stream of films since. He has also directed many movies, including ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (pictured).

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Dakota Johnson -

Dakota Johnson made her directorial debut working behind the scenes of the music video for Coldplay's 'Cry Cry Cry.'

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Ralph Fiennes - Ralph Fiennes has been acting for over a quarter of a century, and has been in a huge variety of different roles. He directed and acted in ‘The Invisible Woman’ (pictured) to critical acclaim.

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Edward Norton - Edward Norton has made a career out of choosing interesting parts. ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ (pictured) is not his first film as director, as he also directed 2000’s ‘Keeping the Faith.’

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Clint Eastwood - Clint Eastwood will always be remembered for his roles in spaghetti westerns and the ‘Dirty Harry’ films. He also directed many films, including ‘Unforgiven’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’ (pictured).

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Joseph Gordon-Levitt began acting as a child and has had continued success ever since. ‘Don Jon’ (pictured), in which he also stars, was his first full-length feature film as director.

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Sylvester Stallone - Sylvester Stallone is most famous for portraying the characters of Rambo and Rocky Balboa on screen. After having been directed in many ‘Rocky’ films, he decided to direct ‘Rocky Balboa’ (pictured) himself.

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Tom Hanks - Tom Hanks has appeared in some of the most iconic films of the last two to three decades, and is well loved by audiences. He directed and starred in ‘That Thing You Do!’ (pictured).

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Barbra Streisand - Barbra Streisand is famous for her amazing voice in addition to her time onscreen. She has directed and starred in three films: ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’ (pictured), ‘Yentl,’ and ‘The Prince of Tides.’

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Robert Redford - Robert Redford has been acting for almost 60 years, and directing for nearly 40. His film ‘Lions for Lambs’ was released in 2007, in which he and Tom Cruise starred.

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Eva Longoria -

Eva Longoria opened up about the drastic difference there is in pressure when it comes to her as a female and Latina director, on top of being a first-time director. At the Kering Women in Motion talk at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, said she "felt the weight of my community” and “the weight of every female director” when production started on 'Flamin’ Hot,' a film which tells the inspirational story about a Frito-Lay janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, per Variety.

“We don’t get a lot of bites at the apple,” Longoria said about Latina directors, adding that her movie wasn't low budget. "When was the last Latina-directed studio film? It was like 20 years ago. We can’t get a movie every 20 years."

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Sean Penn -

Sean Penn has had many memorable performances over the years, including acting alongside Al Pacino in ‘Carlito’s Way.’ He directed 'Into The Wild,' 'The Pledge,' and ‘The Crossing Guard’ (pictured).

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Gary Oldman -

Gary Oldman has gained a reputation as a very talented and versatile actor over the past few decades. He made ‘Nil by Mouth’ in 1997 as a raw look at the kind of life he experienced growing up in London.

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Jodie Foster - Jodie Foster was a child actress who grew up and participated in hugely popular films like ‘The Silence of the Lambs.’ She has directed a number of films, including ‘Little Man Tate’ (pictured).

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Robert De Niro -

Robert De Niro is best known for his iconic parts in some of the most memorable films in cinematic history. In 1993, he directed ‘A Bronx Tale’ (pictured), which he also starred in.

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Eddie Murphy - Eddie Murphy is most famous for his acting in the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise, and for his stand-up comedy. He directed ‘Harlem Nights’ (pictured) in 1989, his only time directing so far.

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Tim Robbins - Tim Robbins has been a serious character actor for many years, and has acted far more than directed. ‘Dead Man Walking’ (pictured) is an obvious exception, which was a huge success.

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Ben Stiller - Ben Stiller is mainly known as a comic actor, but he has in fact directed a number of films. 2001’s ‘Zoolander’ (pictured), in which he plays the main role, is one of them.

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Danny DeVito -

Danny DeVito is a talented actor and director, mainly in comedy, but also in some serious films. In 2002, he directed ‘Death to Smoochy’ (pictured), which is a very dark comic tale.

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Gary Sinise - Gary Sinise has acted in many TV shows and films, and has occasionally directed, though not in many years. ‘Of Mice and Men’ (pictured) was directed by Sinise and released in 1992.

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Chris Rock - Chris Rock is mainly a stand-up comedian, but he has also acted in many films. He directed ‘I Think I Love My Wife’ (pictured) in 2007, in which he also appeared as the lead actor.

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Blake Lively -

On November 14, Taylor Swift announced a surprise music video with a 10-second teaser clip for her newly released song, 'I Bet You Think About Me,' which was included on her re-recorded 'Red' album. With the announcement, she also revealed that the video is directed by none other than Blake Lively. "I finally got to work with the brilliant, brave, & wickedly funny @blakelively on her directorial debut," Swift wrote on social media. "Join us as we raise a toast, and a little hell."

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Zach Braff - Zach Braff probably remains most famous for his role as Dr. John Dorian in the TV show ‘Scrubs,’ of which he directed a few episodes. He also directed ‘Garden State’ (pictured).

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Warren Beatty -

Warren Beatty has a long-standing career as an actor, having been in the world of cinema for several decades. He has also directed a number of films, including 1998’s ‘Bulworth’ (pictured).

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George Clooney - George Clooney is best known for the TV show ‘ER,' and countless film performances. He went on to direct ‘Good Night and Good Luck’ (pictured) and 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.'

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Al Pacino - Al Pacino is one of the most famous and acclaimed actors of all time. His acting has been far more frequent than his directing, but he has still made films such as ‘Looking for Richard’ (pictured).

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Kevin Costner -

Kevin Costner has had a steady career as an actor, producer and director. His film ‘Dances with Wolves’ (pictured) was extraordinarily successful and received much critical acclaim.

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Robert Duvall - Robert Duvall has had an acting career that has lasted for over half a century. He has rarely directed, but his 1997 film ‘The Apostle’ (pictured) was widely met with critical acclaim.

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Forest Whitaker -

Forest Whitaker has a long and varied career as an actor. His directing credits are far fewer, but he did direct the successful 1995 film, ‘Waiting to Exhale’ (pictured).

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Steve Buscemi - Steve Buscemi has been acting for over thirty years and is extremely acclaimed. He first directed in the 1990s, and has directed TV and films since, including ‘Interview’ (pictured).

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Alan Alda - Alan Alda has had a career in TV, on the stage, and in film for over half a century. While he has mostly directed television, including for his own show M*A*S*H, he has branched out on a few films, such as ‘Sweet Liberty’ (pictured).

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Mel Gibson -

Mel Gibson has been a famous actor for decades now, starring in very famous movie franchises such as ‘Lethal Weapon.’ He has directed several films, one of which was ‘Apocalypto.’

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Jesse Eisenberg -

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Maggie Gyllenhaal -

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Bryce Dallas Howard -

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Gabourey Sidibe -

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Halle Berry -

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Regina King -

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Ben Affleck -

Ben Affleck rose to fame in the 1990s alongside Matt Damon, and has starred in a successive stream of films since. He has also directed many movies, including ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (pictured).

NL Beeld

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Dakota Johnson -

Dakota Johnson made her directorial debut working behind the scenes of the music video for Coldplay's 'Cry Cry Cry.'

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Tom Hanks - Tom Hanks has appeared in some of the most iconic films of the last two to three decades, and is well loved by audiences. He directed and starred in ‘That Thing You Do!’ (pictured).

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Robert Redford - Robert Redford has been acting for almost 60 years, and directing for nearly 40. His film ‘Lions for Lambs’ was released in 2007, in which he and Tom Cruise starred.

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Eva Longoria -

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Sean Penn -

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Gary Oldman -

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Robert De Niro -

Robert De Niro is best known for his iconic parts in some of the most memorable films in cinematic history. In 1993, he directed ‘A Bronx Tale’ (pictured), which he also starred in.

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Tim Robbins - Tim Robbins has been a serious character actor for many years, and has acted far more than directed. ‘Dead Man Walking’ (pictured) is an obvious exception, which was a huge success.

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Ben Stiller - Ben Stiller is mainly known as a comic actor, but he has in fact directed a number of films. 2001’s ‘Zoolander’ (pictured), in which he plays the main role, is one of them.

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Danny DeVito -

Danny DeVito is a talented actor and director, mainly in comedy, but also in some serious films. In 2002, he directed ‘Death to Smoochy’ (pictured), which is a very dark comic tale.

NL Beeld

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Gary Sinise - Gary Sinise has acted in many TV shows and films, and has occasionally directed, though not in many years. ‘Of Mice and Men’ (pictured) was directed by Sinise and released in 1992.

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Chris Rock - Chris Rock is mainly a stand-up comedian, but he has also acted in many films. He directed ‘I Think I Love My Wife’ (pictured) in 2007, in which he also appeared as the lead actor.

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Blake Lively -

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Zach Braff - Zach Braff probably remains most famous for his role as Dr. John Dorian in the TV show ‘Scrubs,’ of which he directed a few episodes. He also directed ‘Garden State’ (pictured).

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Warren Beatty -

Warren Beatty has a long-standing career as an actor, having been in the world of cinema for several decades. He has also directed a number of films, including 1998’s ‘Bulworth’ (pictured).

NL Beeld

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Kevin Costner -

Kevin Costner has had a steady career as an actor, producer and director. His film ‘Dances with Wolves’ (pictured) was extraordinarily successful and received much critical acclaim.

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Forest Whitaker -

Forest Whitaker has a long and varied career as an actor. His directing credits are far fewer, but he did direct the successful 1995 film, ‘Waiting to Exhale’ (pictured).

NL Beeld

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Mel Gibson -

Mel Gibson has been a famous actor for decades now, starring in very famous movie franchises such as ‘Lethal Weapon.’ He has directed several films, one of which was ‘Apocalypto.’

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Actors who got into directing

They crossed to the other side of the camera

24/01/25 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Directors

Many actors say they couldn't imagine doing anything else for a job. However, with successful acting often comes fame and wealth, and with it the ability to try out some interesting new ideas. For these celebrities, that meant taking a seat in the director's chair.

Some of these actors have only directed once, others a handful of times. But there are a few actors and actresses that have become downright comfortable in the role. Click through this gallery to find out which actors have directed films as well. Some may surprise you!