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The Best Directorial Debuts of Famous Actors

Updated September 9, 2020 1.7k votes 70 voters 1.8k views134 items

List RulesVote up the best directorial debuts of these actors-turned-directors.

Have you ever wanted to rank every actor-turned-director's first movie? Now’s your chance with this list of all the first movies of actor-directors. Maybe you like the actor but hate them as a director. There are also actors who turn out to be geniuses in the director's chair. Orson Welles, Robert De Niro, and Dennis Hopper all made classic films when they decided to put on their director's hat for the first time. They also acted in the first films they directed, but are they the best?

This list is also fun because everyone knows that Clint Eastwood directed Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and Gran Torino, but did you know that Play Me Misty was the first movie he ever directed? Or that before Ben Affleck directed The Town and Argo, he directed his brother Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone? Use this list to satisfy your curiosity when it comes to the first films that were directed by famous actors.

Jordan Peele, Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde, Joel Edgerton, and Drew Barrymore are just some of the more contemporary examples of famous actors with directorial debuts. Bradley Cooper and Jordan Peele actually won Oscars for their films A Star is Born and Get Out. You'll even find a sequel on this list as Elizabeth Banks took the reigns on Pitch Perfect 2. Vote up the first movies by actors-turned-directors that you love and vote down the ones you thought were terrible.

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A Star Is Born
Bradley Cooper
Actors: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle
Released: 2018
A Star Is Born is a 2018 American musical romantic drama film directed by Bradley Cooper. A... more on Wikipedia
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16
Get Out
Jordan Peele
Actors: Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones
Released: 2017
Get Out is a 2017 American horror film directed by Jordan Peele. A young African-American... more on Wikipedia
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28
12
Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner
Actors: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Charles Rocket, Graham Greene, Maury Chaykin
Released: 1990
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 American epic western film directed, produced by, and starring... more on Wikipedia
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29
14
Citizen Kane
Orson Welles
Actors: Orson Welles, Alan Ladd, Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, Arthur O'Connell
Released: 1941
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film produced by, co-written by, directed by and... more on Wikipedia
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28
13
A Bronx Tale
Robert De Niro
Actors: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Chazz Palminteri, Domenick Lombardozzi, Lillo Brancato
Released: 1993
A Bronx Tale is a 1993 American drama film set in the Bronx during the turbulent era of the... more on Wikipedia
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20
5
Return of the Dragon
Bruce Lee
Actors: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Nora Miao, Chung-Hsin Huang, Robert Wall
Released: 1972
Way of the Dragon is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, produced and... more on Wikipedia
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21
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Caddyshack
Harold Ramis
Actors: Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ted Knight
Released: 1980
Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian... more on Wikipedia

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21
10
That Thing You Do!
Tom Hanks
Actors: Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler, Bryan Cranston, Clint Howard
Released: 1996
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 American musical comedy drama film written, directed by, and... more on Wikipedia
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20
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This Is the End
Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Actors: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride
Released: 2013
This Is the End is a 2013 American disaster comedy film directed by Seth Rogen and Evan... more on Wikipedia
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16
7
The Night of the Hunter
Charles Laughton
Actors: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, Peter Graves, James Gleason
Released: 1955
The Night of the Hunter is an American thriller film directed by Charles Laughton and starring... more on Wikipedia
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15
5
Harlem Nights
Eddie Murphy
Actors: Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Arsenio Hall, Roberto Durán, Redd Foxx
Released: 1989
Harlem Nights is a 1989 comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor and directed by... more on Wikipedia
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12
Sling Blade
Billy Bob Thornton
Actors: Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, Dwight Yoakam, J. T. Walsh
Released: 1996
Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy... more on Wikipedia
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9
Play Misty for Me
Clint Eastwood
Actors: Clint Eastwood, Donna Mills, Jessica Walter, Don Siegel, Cannonball Adderley
Released: 1971
Play Misty for Me is a 1971 American psychological thriller film, directed by and starring... more on Wikipedia
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Throw Momma from the Train
Danny DeVito
Actors: Billy Crystal, Danny DeVito, Rob Reiner, Kate Mulgrew, Branford Marsalis
Released: 1987
Throw Momma from the Train is a 1987 American black comedy film directed by Danny DeVito, and... more on Wikipedia
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7
Pitch Perfect 2
Elizabeth Banks
Actors: Skylar Astin, John Michael Higgins, Ester Dean, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle
Released: 2015
Pitch Perfect 2 is a 2015 American music and comedy film written by Kay Cannon.
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Mid90s
Jonah Hill
Actors: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston
Released: 2018
Mid90s is a 2018 American comedy drama film directed by Jonah Hill. A thirteen-year-old (Sunny... more on Wikipedia
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15
8
Away from Her
Sarah Polley
Actors: Nina Dobrev, Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson
Released: 2006
Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian film which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival... more on Wikipedia
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15
8
Easy Rider
Dennis Hopper
Actors: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
Released: 1969
Easy Rider is a 1969 American independent road drama film directed by Dennis Hopper. Wyatt... more on Wikipedia
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17
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Frailty
Bill Paxton
Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Matt O'Leary, Levi Kreis
Released: 2001
Frailty is a 2002 psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Bill Paxton, and... more on Wikipedia
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17
12
Whip It
Drew Barrymore
Actors: Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, Juliette Lewis
Released: 2009
Whip It is a 2009 comedy-drama film written by Shauna Cross, based on her novel Derby Girl.... more on Wikipedia
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16
11
Henry V
Kenneth Branagh
Actors: Christian Bale, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Ian Holm
Released: 1989
Henry V is a 1989 British drama film adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh,... more on Wikipedia
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15
9
Antwone Fisher
Denzel Washington
Actors: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Salli Richardson, James Brolin, Joy Bryant
Released: 2002
Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by and starring Denzel... more on Wikipedia
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10
7
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
George Clooney
Actors: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Matt Damon
Released: 2002
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a 2002 biographical spy comedy film depicting the life of... more on Wikipedia
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10
7
Looking for Richard
Al Pacino
Actors: Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder, Aidan Quinn
Released: 1996
Looking for Richard is a 1996 documentary, drama film directed by Al Pacino.
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10
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Cadence
Martin Sheen
Actors: Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Abraham Murphy, Christopher Judge
Released: 1990
Cadence is a 1990 film directed by Martin Sheen, in which Charlie Sheen plays an inmate in a... more on Wikipedia

Easy Rider