Being a part of the same medium, acting and directing are two very different spheres of craft. Both, acting and directing, when done right, are Herculean tasks that require a lot of practice and experience. When it comes to acting, the performer needs to have a very specific set of knowledge about emotions and human characteristics, whereas a director is often required to if not know, then know enough about all other aspects of technicality that surround the process of filmmaking along with an additional knowledge of performance. That being said, there are a brave few people that often take up the dual roles of actor and director, giving them more control creatively, while simultaneously ignoring the age-old adage “jack of all trades, master of none”. Here’s a list of eight movies, where the actors directed themselves.
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8 Don Jon - Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Relativity Media
In Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s debut film as a director, the actor stars as a bona fide porn addict opposite the beautiful Scarlett Johansson. A subtle tip of the cap to the legendary Spanish Casanova, Don Juan; the film’s premise revolves a young man, Jon Martello (Gordon-Levitt), a self-obsessed bartender who has made it his life’s mission to bed as many chicks as he can. Enter, Barbara (Sarlett Johansson), a woman Jon meets at a bar, who to his surprise, rejects him outright. Seeing this as a direct assault on his pride, the porn addict begins a compulsive relationship with Barbara that could end up ruining him and everything he knows.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood
Warner Bros.
A staple name to befit the category of an actor and director is Clint Eastwood. The 90-something, Hollywood legend has actively been acting and directing in his films for nearly 5 decades. In one of his most notable films, Unforgiven, Eastwood plays the role of William Bunny, a retired gunfighter, living a life of peace with his two young kids. Things take an interesting turn when Bunny is presented with one last mission as a bounty hunter, where he’s responsible for taking out a local, corrupt sheriff. Upon its release, the film won four Academy Awards, with Eastwood bagging Best Picture along with Best Director.
6 Kantara - Rishab Shetty
Hombale Films
Kantara is one of the best films to come out of India in 2022. The film focuses on a rural tribe and its ritual of invoking the local deity in order to protect the tribal folk against otherworldly forces. Through this ritual, the deity takes possession of a designated individual in the tribe, granting that person a plethora of superpowers and foresight. The scoring scene of the film comes at the climax, where Rishab Shetty dons the traditional gear while performing the ritual, in a bid to plead the deity to come into him and help him save his people.
5 Laurence Anyways - Xavier Dolan
MK2 Productions
Over the years, Xavier Dolan has solidified his claim as one of cinema’s brightest young lights. The poster boy of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Dolan’s films deal with the themes of loss of identity along with sexual repression. In this heartwarming tale, Laurence (Xavier Dolan), reveals to his girlfriend Fred, that he identifies as a woman and would like to change his sexuality. Against a whirlpool of rejection and frustration, the duo confront the abhorrent prejudices of their family and friends and do not let public perception change their inner orientation.
4 Life is Beautiful - Roberto Benigni
Cecchi Gori Group
The beautiful tale of a father’s attempt to shield his son from the grim realities of war, Life is Beautiful, is equal parts endearing as it’s heartbreaking. Roberto Benigni, does a stellar job of using humor as a device to garb the shattering effects of war and racial prejudice. For his efforts, Benigni picked up a Grand Prix at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival along with an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
3 Jojo Rabbit - Taika Waititi
Searchlight Pictures
Jojo Rabbit is Taika Waititi’s coming-of-age story about a boy named Jojo, who has taken it upon himself to act as Hitler’s last line of defense in the face of enemy insurgency. The film deals with anti-Semitic issues from the angle of innocence and endurance. In the film, Waititi plays the role of a modern-day re-imagining of Hitler, with his quirky sense of humor and fast-paced dialogue delivery. Upon its release, Jojo Rabbit was widely acclaimed and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, while also being nominated for Best Picture.
2 Citizen Kane - Orson Welles
RKO Radio Pictures
Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane is often touted as one of the greatest films to have ever been made. And the young director achieved this mammoth feat at the tender age of 26. Welles went on to take up the role of an actor, director and producer in his debut film, which revolved around the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, a fictional character based on American media barons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
1 Annie Hall - Woody Allen
United Artists
Woody Allen is one of the most iconic, consistent and stylistically refined auteurs to have ever assumed the dual role of acting and directing. Along with this, Allen often writes, and produces most of his films, almost making it a norm rather than an exception. In Annie Hall, Allen satirically introspects about life via his relationship with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Using realistic themes of adulthood and its apparent aches, Annie Hall is one of Allen’s most iconic works, seeing the legend win multiple awards for it, including an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director.
