If there is anything that defines the modern movie industry, it is precisely the wide range of artists that are part of it, including the actors. While many of them started their careers as performers and never strayed away from it, many others have had a very different journey. Some even had entirely different careers before pursuing acting, such as Danny DeVito, who used to work as a hairdresser at his sister’s salon. Some others tried their luck as stand-up comedians before landing their first starring role, like the well-known and beloved Robin Williams, or moved into acting following a successful singing career, such as Lady Gaga, who starred alongside Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born.
Sometimes, even people who work behind the scenes decide to give it a try in front of the camera. Among the most successful examples would be Mindy Kaling, a screenwriter for the American series The Office, who later became a cast member and subsequently had her own TV series The Mindy Project. Frequently, however, it also happens the other way around: actors migrating behind the scenes and taking a chance at other positions, which may eventually turn out to be a new and unexpected path for them. That is how many of them became successful directors, such as Greta Gerwig and Clint Eastwood. Specifically, others have devoted themselves to screenwriting. This article will review some of the actors who, besides starring in films, wrote screenplays and were successful in their attempts.
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10 Rashida Jones
Envision Media Arts
Rashida Jones is a well-rounded artist: she is a performer, director, writer, producer, and has also worked in advertising. She is a name widely associated with the comedy industry, being part of the cast of The Office and Parks and Recreation, yet she has also managed to perform successfully in dramatic productions, both on television and in film. Aside from her work as an actress, Jones has written and collaborated in a number of world-renowned movies and TV series. Among them is the film Toy Story 4, which she co-wrote with a talented team led by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom. She also wrote “Nosedive,” one of the best episodes of the series Black Mirror, as well as the movie Celeste and Jesse Forever, in which she also starred alongside Andy Samberg.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Alan Yang
Netflix
Alan Yang earned his first Primetime Emmy nomination in 2015 for his screenwriting duties on Parks and Recreation, a series in which he was occasionally involved for a few episodes as director and producer. However, Yang had been getting nominations for his wonderful scripts for a number of years prior to that. Among his best productions as a writer are Master of None, the Netflix series he co-created and co-wrote with Aziz Ansari, and the 2014 film Date and Switch. Yang also participated in a few projects as an actor, including Parks and Recreation and Eric Wareheim’s short film Food Club.
8 Tina Fey
Paramount Pictures
Tina Fey is among the best comedians of her time, and she has worked extremely hard for almost two decades to get where she is today. The comedian, writer, producer, actress, and playwright has written several productions in which she has also been involved as an actress. The first one was Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert. In this teen comedy, Fey portrayed Ms. Sharon Norbury, a teacher with a major role in the development of the story. Some other projects in which Fey participated as screenwriter and actress were 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Saturday Night Live.
7 Jordan Peele
Universal Pictures
This screenwriter, actor, comedian and filmmaker has been successful in a number of genres and productions, being able to work in comedy, horror, and even children’s movies seamlessly. As an actor, Jordan Peele starred in Keanu and the series Mad TV, as well as taking part in many productions as a supporting actor. Some of his greatest achievements as screenwriter are the movies Get Out and Us, both of which he directed, wrote and produced, the Key & Peele series, and the 2021 reboot of The Twilight Zone. July and October 2022 will see the release of Peele’s two latest projects to date: Nope, which he directed, wrote, and produced, and Wendell & Wild, which he wrote and produced under the direction of Henry Selick.
6 Ben Affleck
Miramax Films
Ben Affleck already had a well established career as an actor when he started experimenting as a director and producer, heading productions such as Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo. However, Affleck had always displayed a sincere interest in screenwriting, and in 1997 he collaborated on the screenplay for Good Will Hunting, a movie in which he also worked as an actor. From then on, he wrote screenplays for films he also starred in, such as Live By Night and The Last Duel. A fun fact related to Affleck is that his fellow cast mate and star of Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon, was also a screenwriter for the film.
5 Emma Thompson
Columbia Pictures
Emma Thompson is equally talented as an actress and screenwriter. This British artist has been featured in a great number of film, television ,and even stage productions, earning nominations and awards for many of them. One of her most outstanding projects is Sense and Sensibility, a 1995 film in which she starred and wrote the screenplay, adapting Jane Austen’s novel of the same name. For this movie, Thompson was awarded an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, among other accolades. Additional projects in which Thompson was involved as an actress and screenwriter include Nanny McPhee, Effie Gray, and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
4 Sylvester Stallone
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Sylvester Stallone spent several years working as a film extra until he landed his first co-starring role in The Lords of Flatbush, a 1974 movie. Two years later he would reach the most successful project of his career: the Rocky franchise, which so far features six films and three spin-offs. An interesting fact about this saga is that Stallone not only starred in it, but he also created and wrote it himself. For the first movie, per GQ, he was inspired by a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, and, according to Forbes, it took him only three days to write the script. He also worked on the scripts for the remaining five films in the saga. But this was not his only screenwriting job: he also co-wrote the Rambo saga alongside James Cameron and a few other movies in which he was also part of the cast.
3 Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie was awarded several times the title of Hollywood’s highest-paid actress. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop her from attempting different kinds of roles within the movie industry. Star of productions such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Girl, Interrupted and Maleficent, Jolie also worked on projects both as director and screenwriter. Among the movies she directed, produced, and wrote are In the Land of Blood and Honey, By the Sea, and First They Killed My Father. This last production garnered rave reviews upon its release, a number of nominations and awards and even a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
2 Justin Theroux
Justin Theroux worked as an actor for more than ten years before moving into directing, producing, and screenwriting. Among his most outstanding movies are Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, though he was featured in over 23 productions. His debut as a screenwriter came in 2008 with the action comedy Tropic Thunder, in which he worked alongside Ben Stiller and Etan Cohen. From that moment forward, Theroux carried on writing screenplays for a few other projects, including Iron Man 2, Rock of Ages, and Zoolander 2.
1 George Clooney
From his early performances in low-budget films through his role in ER and his subsequent starring roles, George Clooney’s journey in the entertainment industry has been beyond successful. He headlined projects such as Ocean’s Eleven, Fail Safe, and Gravity, and eventually became one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. However, that didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dream of directing, producing, and screenwriting, and in 2002 he made his directorial debut with the movie Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, in which he also starred. Ever since that first film up to now, Clooney has served in several roles behind the scenes. Among the films in which he was screenwriter are The Ides of March, Leatherheads and Suburbicon.
