Quartet is Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut. He has followed the path of many great actors before him that have turned their attentions and talents towards directing.
This feature will look into the evolution of Dustin Hoffman’s career as a man in the limelight to the man perched on the director’s chair. We will also take a look at some note-worthy actors turned directors to put on your must watch list.
- Sean Penn
With a career like Sean Penn’s, which includes award-winning films Dead Man Walking, I Am Sam and Milk, he was set as a Hollywood legend. Wanting more, Penn decided to follow in his father Leo Penn’s footsteps and begin directing.
Thankfully he did pick up the camera or we wouldn’t have film greats like The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard, The Pledge and Into the Wild.
- George Clooney
The silver fox of Hollywood made his big break at the cape crusader Batman back in 1997’s Batman and Robin and since then, his star has continued to rise.
With films like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Nick and Good Luck and his most recent political drama The Ides of March with Ryan Gosling, it’s easy to see why he’s a force to be reckoned with on the Hollywood scene.
- Ben Affleck
From screenwriting and Oscar winner to actor, now Ben has another title to add with director. After winning an Academy Award with best friend Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting, the star had a bumpy acting career with big hits as well as flops (can anyone say Gigli?).
Looks like the Boston-native has finally found his calling by directing hit films such as Gone Baby Gone and The Town. His new film Argo is also getting rave reviews heading into awards season.
- Kevin Costner
Dances With Wolves made Kevin Costner a household name. The cinematic masterpiece, in which he acted and directed, won him not one but two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.
I will admit that Costner took a wrong turn with his underwhelming Waterworld, but we can forget about that one just this once.
- Ron Howard
The little boy from The Andy Griffith Show and later the teenager Richie Cunningham from Happy Days grew up and realized he wanted to be a director. Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Da Vinci Code are just a fraction of the films Howard has directed over the years.
Thankfully, the showbiz gene runs in the family with daughter Bryce Dallas Howard now a Hollywood starlet.
- Clint Eastwood
The man who started out in westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly quickly decided that he liked being behind the camera just as much as in front of it.
He’s directed critically-acclaimed dramas such as Mystic River and Letters to Iwo Jima. All that work paid off too since Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby earned him two Academy Awards for Best Director. Not bad at all.
- Charlie Chaplin
As one of the most influential stars in the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin rose to fame mainly by portraying his Little Tramp character in silent films.
Having directed and starred in most of his films like City Lights, Modern Times and the controversy The Great Dictator, in which he plays Hitler, Chaplin constantly surprised audiences with his mixture of shocking content and optimism.
- Robert Redford
After starring in films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President’s Men and The Great Gatsby, what is there left to do besides direct?
He made his directorial debut with the tragic tale of a family torn apart by the accidental death of the eldest son in Ordinary People. Oh, and he also founded that little festival called Sundance...
- Jon Favreau
This funny man first made it on the scene in Swingers, where he portrayed an unemployed actor hitting the LA club scene after breaking up with his girlfriend of six years.
That film opened doors for Favreau in the comedy world with appearances in The Break-up and I Love You, Man. Recently, he’s tried his luck at directing and it’s been a success with the box-office hits Iron Man and Iron Man 2.
-Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman proved his was a stud that every older woman wanted in the 1967 classic The Graduate. After moving on from Mrs. Robinson, Hoffman portrayed numerous dramatic roles that earned him respect in Hollywood such as an ambitious journalist in All the President’s Men, a loving father in Kramer vs. Kramer and Tom Cruises’ autistic card-counting brother in Rain Man.
He showed off his more comedic acting chops when he accepted the role of a desperate cross-dressing actor in Tootsie and has continued to make audiences laugh in oddball comedies of I Heart Huckabees and Meet the Fockers.
Thankfully, Hoffman has decided to share his other talents with us as he makes his directorial debut in the upcoming film Quartet, out in cinemas 1st January.
Quartet is out in cinemas now.