Actors Who Had Immediate Success With Directing and Some Who Really Didn’t

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Guy Pearce, the man with the most-defined cheekbones in show biz, will be stepping behind the camera to make his directorial debut with Poor Boy. Pearce is just one of several well-known actors who have decided to try out directing. Sometimes the first attempt goes great, sometimes it’s a train wreck.

As far as directorial debuts go, William Shatner might be the crème de la crème of outright disasters. Already captain of the Starship Enterprise, he was captain of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Nicholas Cage is another example of someone who had a bad go at it, when he trotted out Sonny in 2002. Then there’s Eddie Murphy, who, in the prime of his career, directed Harlem Nights.

Now, one bad movie doesn’t necessarily mean the end. Chris Rock directed Head of State and Elizabeth Banks helmed Movie 43, two films best forgotten. They both kind of figured it out, though. Rock recently released the acclaimed Top Five, and Banks made the box office hit, Pitch Perfect 2.

Other actors immediately figured it out. Richard Ayoade’s indie comedy Submarine was delightful. Jodie Foster, who has Money Monster in theaters now, first directed Little Man Tate, a small but well-received movie. Ben Affleck can thank, in part, his career resurgence to his work with Gone Baby Gone.

Barbara Streisand — maybe you’ve heard of her? Her first directed movie was Yentl, and her efforts won her a Golden Globe for best direction. She’s not the only first-timer to come away with trophies. Kevin Costner started his second career off pretty good when he won best director for Dances With Wolves, which also won Best Picture. Robert Redford had the exact same success with Ordinary People.

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