Hollywood personalities who switched from one stream of cinema to another

Angelina Jolie made her directorial debut with the film, In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)

When Ryan Gosling got panned for his directorial debut, Lost River, at Cannes this year, there were murmurs that a young actor should stick to his trade.


Angelina Jolie made her directorial debut with the film, In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)

Regardless, the 34-year-old is keen on going behind the camera in the future as well. He certainly shares the same spirit as Angelina Jolie, who is currently looking forward to her second directorial venture, Unbroken.

What's interesting about her diversion is the 39-year-old says she might just quit acting and continue with direction.

That prospect might sadden her fans but there's no dearth of Hollywood personalities who switched from one stream of cinema to another. In fact, many found their calling when they shifted streams. hitlist points out some of them.

Clint Eastwood

Lowdown: Although there's nothing related to filmmaking that this legend can't do, he started off as an actor. However, since the turn of the century, he has appeared in only four films and going by his repertoire, the octogenarian is comfortable producing and directing films.

Sarah Polley

Lowdown: Remember that wonderful film Away From Her (2007)? Sarah not only wrote it but also earned an Academy Award nomination for the same. As of today, she is far more active behind the scenes and has worked on a few documentaries
as well.

Johnny Depp

Lowdown: He started off as a singer but eventually decided that he is not cut out for performing on the stage. He wanted something bigger - "larger than life" as he puts it - so he switched over to acting. But it wasn't an easy path as he had his share of struggle in television, too.

Julian Schnabel

Lowdown: If you wonder why Schnabel's movies look like a painting, it's because he used to be a neo-expressionist artist. In fact, his work took him across the globe for exhibitions. That was before he ditched his paintbrush and held a camera and microphone.

Christopher Nolan

Lowdown: About 20 years ago, Nolan was referred to as "camera guy" or "sound guy" in the corporate film circuit. That background might explain why he's called a technician's delight given his meticulous grasp on unwritten tenets of cinema that challenge us.

George Lucas

Lowdown: The man behind epic movies such as the Star Wars series hasn't directed a film in almost a decade now. So much so, the four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker once stated that he's busier today as a producer and enjoys supporting films directed by younger directors.

Stanley Kubrick

Lowdown: This legendary filmmaker's introduction to cinema was a natural progression from a still photographer. Later, the filmmaking bug bit him and boy, did it bite him hard. Later, it didn't take a lot of time for the world to notice his genius.

Robert Altman

Lowdown: Here is someone whom the likes of Gosling and Jolie can look up to since he, too, started out as an actor only to move behind the camera. Going by his track record, it's hard to think of anyone at par with the actor-turned-director category - barring Eastwood, perhaps.