Actors Turned Directors: Or When The Farmed Become Farmers!
It doesn’t matter how talented someone is in front of the camera, it’s no guarantee they won’t make a pig’s ear of it as soon as they take a seat in the director’s chair. Let’s take a look at some of the most unlikely thespians ever to utter, “Take one!”
Ben Affleck
To some, Ben’s an overrated meathead who used to date Jennifer Lopez but to his fans, Affleck is not only a first-class actor but a great little director too.
Earning his chops in films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy, it was obvious that Ben was a little more than a Hollywood pin-up boy who spent too much time in the gym when he co-wrote the Academy Award-winning Good Will Hunting along with his drinking buddy Matt Damon.
Since the career lows of Pearl Harbor and Daredevil, Affleck has made a name for himself as a critically acclaimed filmmaker with such films as Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Just don’t mention Batman!
Johnny Depp
Renowned for his quirky characters and quirkier accents, which are beginning to get a wee bit labored in his advancing years, the “sexiest man on the planet’s” directorial debut in 1997 wasn’t exactly Pirates of The Caribbean.
Based on Gregory McDonald’s book of the same name, The Brave revolves around a Native-American man called Raphael (Depp) who agrees to appear in a snuff film in order for a lump sum of money he intends to leave for his family.
The cheery part is Raphael is given the money in advance and gets to spend one more week with his wife and two children before he has to return to the filmmakers and be tortured and killed in front of the camera. It’s a depressing and harrowing premise and a tortured and tiresome film. God alone knows what would have happened if Tim Burton had been directing it.
Gary Oldman
It’s difficult to find anyone with a bad word to say about the boy from South East London who is hugely respected by his peers as one of the greatest actors alive.
There’s probably no one better alive today than Oldman at the subtle art of playing convincing villains, so when he turned his hand to directing, everyone thought the end result would be interesting but no-one had any idea just how good it would be.
Nil by Mouth is unflinching in its observation of a council house environment of the sort Oldman grew up in. Alcoholism, violence, drugs, sex, and the word “f**k,” which is used a staggering 428 times in this film, are all components that make Oldman’s harrowing reflections on humanity a haunting one.
Leonard Nimoy
Instantly recognizable as the logical and pointy eared Dr. Spock from Star Trek, it’s interesting to know that the versatile Vulcan also directed the second most critically acclaimed and financially lucrative installment in the Star Trek series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
The late, great thespian who penned the autobiographies I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995) also went on to make a name for himself by directing the sickly sweet Three Men and a Baby. It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it!
Anthony Hopkins
He may be one of the greatest actors of all time, but Anthony Hopkin’s first stab at directing left the majority of audiences confused and underwhelmed. Not only did he direct Slipstream, the boy from Port Talbot took the lead role, wrote the screenplay, and composed the music. The film is about the illusion of reality and time, but let’s just say if falls far short of being timeless.
Denzel Washington
Depending on the subject matter of the film, old Denzel can often be a hit and miss type of guy, but when he’s good, he’s good, and he’s also very good when it comes to directing. Washington made his debut with Antwone Fisher, a moving and subtle reflection on abuse, anger, and redemption. His second film, The Great Debaters, is a bit more pedestrian and plodding but still serves as a showcase to remind us that one day Denzel may deliver a true classic. Perhaps the forthcoming Fences will be a case in point?
[Featured Image by Baron/Getty Images]
