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And like many others whove come before, hes getting Oscar buzz for it.
(In some cases, these people became directors precisely because they werent getting good parts.)
But with this list, we figured wed look at this very special (but still large!)
Below, behold the 25 greatest actors whove directed themselves.
But in2015s much-malignedBy the Sea, she demonstrated a mastery of her own mystique.
It may be an uneven movie, but it is an immortal testament in the annals of movie-stardirectors.
Jolie doesnt generally act in the pictures she directs, but the evidence ofBy the Seasuggests that she should.
Suddenly, that white-bread, forgettable quality of Edgertons became a tremendous narrative weapon.
But heres the thing:Dancesis a powerful, well-made film an epic of genuine sweep and grandeur.
More importantly, it connects with Costners appeal as a rumpled hero in the Gary Cooper mold.
(At the time, 1931sCimarronhad been the only other Western to win Best Picture.
Within a couple of years, Clint EastwoodsUnforgivenwould also have one.)
Meanwhile, the less said aboutThe Postman, the better.
Coopers performance is transformational, but its also clearly rooted in his own image.
(Okay, Gagas good, too.)
The movie is uneven, and was mostly dismissed by both critics and audiences.
And Pryor the filmmaker proves deft at recreating the freewheeling atmosphere of his youthful rise.
But he is also one of Chinas biggest stars and most fascinating filmmakers.
(She also has co-writing credits on theBeforefilms she made with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke.)
As John Reed, the American journalist in thrall to Bolshevism, the actor conveys both charisma and delusion.
After this massive undertaking, Beatty seemed to work less and less.
WithEasy Rider, all that changed, as he became a poster child for the counterculture.
Olivier doing Shakespeare seems like a no-brainer; the actor had gained enormous acclaim on the stage.
The result was pure cinema.
It could be argued that what truly made Jerry Lewis the actor was Jerry Lewis the director.
As a writer-director-actor, however, his star truly rose.
Andthenhe took it even further, with tender riffs on genre such asFireworks.
But he soon proved himself to be a filmmaker of uncommon subtlety and formal grace.
Eastwoods work as actor-director constitutes one of the great, ongoing and interlocking epics of American cinema.
Of course, he soon became one of the biggest names in the world.
Some have claimed that there was little art in Chaplins filmmaking that he was a point-and-shoot kind of guy.
What they fail to understand is how precisely timed each Chaplin gag was, how painstakingly conceived and executed.
(His deleted scenes are revelatory.)
(Hed already been on the cover ofTimein 1938.
