18 Actors Who Direct

Skills both in front of and behind the camera

By Josh WinningJun 28th 2011
5

Jodie Foster

The Actor: A child star in the likes of Taxi Driver and Bugsy Malone, Foster made it big with rape drama The Accused in 1988, playing a young woman who’s sexually assaulted in a bar and then attempts to prove it really happened.

Foster really hit the payload with The Silence Of The Lambs as trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling, a part she fought tooth and nail for, and which landed her a second Oscar. Since then, she’s excelled at playing tough, uncompromising women.

Directorial Style: Foster’s favoured very human stories from behind the camera. The three films she’s helmed – Little Man Tate, Home For The Holidays and The Beaver – all revolve around families gripped by various crises.

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    • Irons

      Jun 28th 2011, 10:08

      Wow... You actually managed to leave out Sylvester Stallone. Due either to shameless bias or shameful ignorance.

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    • Hadouken76

      Jun 28th 2011, 10:26

      no love for John Huston or John Cassevetes? What about non-amercian actors like Takeshi Kitano or Mathieu Kassovitz? Maybe Im just nit-picking...

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    • scuzz80

      Jun 28th 2011, 10:49

      @Hadouken76 Have to agree with you, Beat Takeshi should definitely be on this list, he's directed quite a few more than most included in the list.

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    • skinjob

      Jun 28th 2011, 12:32

      Not bothered about Orson Welles anyone? Nah, he never acted in or directed anything of any influence did he!

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    • Porkchopexpress

      Jun 28th 2011, 14:52

      It's funny how actors will often direct a film once and then either get bored or feel they've said what they needed to say. Gary Oldman and Tim Roth have both directed excellent films, but then gone back to acting with a minimum amount of fuss. Steve Buscemi's 'Trees Lounge' is a secret gem I still have on VHS somewhere. On the other hand we also have Jason Connery.....

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    • English47

      Jun 28th 2011, 16:01

      @skinjob yeah, my only guess is they completely forgot about him... it would be impossible to leave off the star and man behind Citizen Kane

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    • English47

      Jun 28th 2011, 16:02

      @skinjob yeah, my only guess is they completely forgot about him... it would be impossible to leave off the star and man behind Citizen Kane

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    • ebesandives

      Jun 28th 2011, 20:44

      Braveheart was not Gibson's directorial debut. The Man Without a Face has that distinction. He directed it a year before Braveheart to get some practice behind the camera before he took on the big budget epic. Do your research, totalfilm.

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    • ebesandives

      Jun 28th 2011, 20:44

      Braveheart was not Gibson's directorial debut. The Man Without a Face has that distinction. He directed it a year before Braveheart to get some practice behind the camera before he took on the big budget epic. Do your research, totalfilm.

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    • HomeImprovement

      Jul 1st 2011, 1:41

      Really? No Orson Welles? Wow...

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    • FBJColeman65

      May 19th 2012, 1:53

      You forgot Spike Lee and Orson Welles. Also we all know Clint Eastwood should be number 1, not George Clooney.

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