10 Actors Who Tried and Failed at Directing

Expanding your horizons is a natural part of life. That even goes for actors. Although their job is to simply perform the lines, these thespians spend hours surrounded by the creative process. Some brave souls might want to steer that ship, telling their own stories and bringing their visions to life. As such, many actors have gone on to direct, which often leads to good things. Artists like Mel Gibson, Sofia Coppola, Jackie Chan, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner, and Avery Brooks have distinguished themselves as able filmmakers. Of course, not everyone is cut out for it.

Some performers have tried directing only to crash and burn. Granted, that failure sometimes comes down to the material, but it also stems from not understanding the filmmaking craft. Problems arise in cinematography, editing, tone, and a wealth of aspects. Managing all that sounds overwhelming, but it’s part of the director’s job. If these hopeful performers can’t do it, then they should stick to what they know.

Related: 10 Franchise Movies That Needed a Different Director

10 William Shatner

William Shatner is an icon in more ways than one. His pause-filled, theatrical acting style has amused countless viewers over the years. That said, he’s also turned in plenty of genuinely engrossing work, such as T.J. Hooker and Boston Legal. His best-known role, however, is Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek. He’s lent commanding weight to this flawed leader across both TV shows and movies. His co-star, Leonard Nimoy, successfully directed two of those movies. That led Shatner to try his hand at the next one.

He took the reins for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Unfortunately, many fans consider this one of the worst movies. The story completely jumps the shark at numerous points, and the manufactured drama falls flat due to silly sight gags and cringe-worthy jokes. Considering Shatner also wrote the script, it’s impossible not to hold his feet to the fire.^[1]

9 Elizabeth Banks

To be frank, Elizabeth Banks isn’t exactly the most versatile actor. She’s primarily made her name on comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Pitch Perfect, and The Lego Movie. Even in series projects like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and the Hunger Games series, she’s usually a quirky side character undercutting the drama. That’s not to say she hasn’t tried to expand her wheelhouse. She fancies herself as an action director, but she’s not good at it.

Banks has helmed four projects thus far. They include Pitch Perfect 2, the Charlie’s Angels remake, Cocaine Bear, and a segment of Movie 43. These films range from mediocre to abysmal in quality. Granted, much of that comes down to the script, but the movies frequently suffer from sloppy choreography and camerawork. Most filmmakers hone their craft with each project. Sadly, Banks only seems to get worse.^[2]

8 Chris Evans

Chris Evans mirrors Elizabeth Banks in carving a comedic niche. His forte is playing egotistical idiots in stuff like Fantastic Four, Not Another Teen Movie, Knives Out, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. However, many people also know him for his dramatic work as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Curtis in Snowpiercer. He’s capable of being an action lead if not all that charismatic. That relative success led him to expand his horizons further.

Soon, Evans tried his hand at directing with Before We Go. It’s a small story about two people getting to know each other over one night. That modest premise breeds an utter lack of style. The shots, blocking, and editing are so bland that they have virtually no identity. Like his action roles, Evans fails to stand out from the pack.^[3]

7 Steven Seagal

Certain careers are pure anomalies. Steven Seagal is one such example. He’s starred in countless action flicks over his long career, but many of these are direct-to-video flops with laughable scripts and cartoonish characters. Seagal himself sleepwalks through these turkeys like he’s embarrassed to be there. Of course, you can hardly blame him, given the material, but what’s his excuse after taking the top spot?

On Deadly Ground is Seagal’s sole directing credit. It attempts to be an environmental thriller, peppered with corny dialogue and a nonsensical plot. Action flicks are known for set pieces more than scripts, but these present more problems. Fight scenes are sparse and underwhelming, and the explosions are amateurish. Apparently, Seagal’s lack of enthusiasm applies to both acting and directing.^[4]

6 Jean-Claude Van Damme

A slightly more expressive action star is Jean-Claude Van Damme. He’s also appeared in numerous popcorn flicks. Many of them aren’t of any higher quality than Seagal’s work, but at least the star puts in some effort. His cheesy performances go hand-in-hand with the silly scripts. If nothing else, he elevates the projects to ironic enjoyment. Sadly, the same can’t be said when he’s behind the camera.

Van Damme has directed two movies: The Quest and The Eagle Path. Although both films feature decent landscape shots, they also try to emulate the brutal violence found in the actor’s action films where he only acted. It’s here where these two fall flat on their faces, as Van Damme’s choppy cinematography severely undermines the impact. That weakness is all the more noticeable since the films have nothing else going for them.^[5]

5 Sally Field

Here, you have one of the most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood. Sally Field has countless classics to her name. Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, Homeward Bound, and Lincoln are just a few of her winners. Throughout her career, she’s displayed an aptitude for both irreverent comedy and heavy drama. You might think that proud history translates to a confident direction, but you’d be wrong.

After a few gigs directing television, Field moved up to a theatrical project: Beautiful. The outcome is a mess. The flick suffers from an uneven tone and ludicrous storytelling, and Field doesn’t do anything to mitigate that. She directs it like any of the other pseudo-shocking comedies of the time. Nothing distinguishes her work, visually or otherwise, from bargain bin trash. For someone being around film as long as she has been, that’s inexcusable.^[6]

4 Forest Whitaker

In terms of acting, Forest Whitaker’s pedigree speaks for itself. He excels at character roles, delivering dramatic turns in projects like Platoon, The Last King of Scotland, The Crying Game, and The Great Debaters. Sure, he occasionally misfires with scenery-chewing idiocy in Battlefield Earth, and a few Star Wars entries, but his performing record is mostly solid. Of course, his directing exploits are another story.

Like Banks, Whitaker’s had several chances to prove himself as a director, but he fumbles the ball every time. Movies like Strapped, Waiting to Exhale, Hope Floats, and First Daughter are generic at best and embarrassing at worst. The way that scenes play out, you can tell that Whitaker desperately wants you to take them seriously as arthouse pieces. His efforts bog the films down in melodrama and schmaltziness. In the end, none leave the impact he’s hoping for.^[7]

3 Nicolas Cage

Speaking of artsy aspirations, Nicolas Cage fits that phrase to a tee. He’s experimental in both his films and acting method, leading to some truly bizarre choices. Many of these techniques send his acting over the top, so he’s often the subject of ridicule. Despite that inconsistent quality, though, you just can’t look away. It’s honestly surprising that he hasn’t attempted directing more often.

Then again, if Sonny is anything to go by, that’s for the best. This tragic tale falls into the same traps as Whitaker’s films. It tries to explore difficult subject matter, but it can’t decide how explicit it wants to be. To compensate, it wallows in melodrama in a desperate bid for awards. That sounds cynical, but the story doesn’t seem to have any other points to make. Because of that, Cage’s directing debut is somehow overly cautious and embarrassingly bold at the same time.^[8]

2 Eddie Murphy

Many of the best comedians came from Saturday Night Live in its glory days, and Eddie Murphy was one of them. He mixed rapid-fire energy and pure shock value without missing a beat. Not only was this approach hilarious in his standup, but it also translated well to movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Shrek. On the other hand, Murphy has occasionally aimed for drama, and it’s there where he’s stumbled. Given that uneven record, you can understand his problems with directing.

The actor takes the helm for Harlem Nights. Considering he co-stars with fellow comic Richard Pryor, you expect this period piece to be a lighthearted affair. That’s partly the case, but it also wants to be a hard-hitting crime drama. Murphy haphazardly juggles these tones while never achieving any organic balance. That inability causes the film to feel painfully disjointed. Such a description is sadly indicative of Murphy’s career.^[9]

1 Tommy Wiseau

Feast your eyes on the epitome of awful. Tommy Wiseau emerged from nowhere, bringing with him a passion project known as The Room. Starring in this horrific film, he redefines what constitutes a terrible performance. Not one line or expression is the least bit convincing, and the obvious dubbing is so thickly accented that it’s hard to understand. The acting alone is enough to turn heads, but Wiseau pulls quadruple duty on his debut.

In addition to producing and writing, the would-be artist directs the film. The result is just as laughable. He doesn’t know the first thing about staging a scene or framing a shot, leading every exchange to feel awkwardly unnatural. That’s if the stars aren’t standing in front of an obvious green screen or boring you with the fifth uncomfortable sex scene. Everything about this movie is absolutely horrendous, and it all comes back to Wiseau.^[10]