Film directors are imaginative story tellers. In order to bring their stories to the big screen, they control a film’s artistic and dramatic aspects.
They give direction to the cast and crew in the fulfillment of their visions, but they must communicate with each other effectively too.
It’s easy to understand why the collaboration between directors and actors is often challenging.
More often than not, both parties are trying to lead while trying to make their collaboration work. It’s proven from time to time that no collaboration would be successful if there is no chemistry between directors and actors. After all, actors are the ones who would bring a director’s work to life. This is why certain directors would choose to work with a similar cast and crew in all the other films.
As such, we’ve compiled a list of director-actor pairings that are deemed most successful and memorable in recent years. There were a lot to choose from and thus, we only featured our favourites and the most fruitful pairings of directors and actors in cinematic history.
Take a look at the list below (not determined by the amount of collaborations):
1. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio
Amount of collaborations: 5 (excluding 2005 short film “The Audition”)
How did it begin:
After a decades-long collaboration with Robert De Niro, renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese began collaborating with Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio through “Gangs of New York”, a 2002 American fictionalised historical drama that was nominated for numerous prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for “Best Picture”.
Unlike his partnership with De Niro, DiCaprio was the one who went after Scorsese.
What happened after their first collaboration:
“Gangs of New York” clearly put both men on the map as they’d later find themselves reuniting for several other films including 2004’s “The Aviator”, 2006’s “The Departed”, 2010’s “Shutter Island”, and 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”.
You should say they’re one of the strongest cinematic powerhouse in Hollywood today because of their mutual fondness for crime drama films.
In August 2015, Variety reported that Scorsese will work with DiCaprio again through the upcoming film adaptation of Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”.
2. Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe
Amount of collaborations: 5
How did it begin:
Director Ridley Scott first started working with Kiwi-turned-Aussie actor Russell Crowe through 2000’s “Gladiator”.
Not only did the film propel Crowe to international fame, it also earned him an Academy Award for “Best Actor”, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for “Best Actor”, an Empire Award for “Best Actor”, and a London Film Critics Circle Award for “Best Actor”.
What happened after their first collaboration:
After the massive success of “Gladiator”, expectations ran high for all the movies they have made together.
While their 2nd film “A Good Year” (which is a rom-com, by the way) failed to make a big impact at the box office, they continued to work together through 2007’s “American Gangster”, 2008’s “Body of Lies”, and 2010’s “Robin Hood”.
To date, they’ve collaborated 5 times and the successful collaborative team nearly fell apart during the development process of “Robin Hood”. Speaking with The Telegraph UK about their partnership, Scott said, “Russell and I are very similar.”
He added:
He’s angry all the time and I’m angry all the time as well. We don’t mean to be irritable but we don’t suffer fools gladly.
Cate Blanchett, who witnessed their relationship on “Robin Hood”, also said, “They absolutely adore one another. They wrestle one another and sometimes one wins and the other will say, ‘I’ll win next time.’ We’re calling it the Dr. Claw rapport.”
3. Christopher Nolan and Michael Caine
Amount of collaborations: 6
How did it begin:
It all began with 2005’s “Batman Begins”, a darker and grittier superhero film based on fictional DC Comics character Batman.
Co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan, the movie starred Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, the trusted butler to Batman/Bruce Wayne’s parents and a legal guardian to Bruce. Caine created his own backstory for Alfred, portraying him as a former member of the British Special Air Service.
What happened after their first collaboration:
Caine continued to portray the iconic butler to Bruce Wayne in the sequels of “Batman Begins”, namely “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012). They’ve also worked together on 2006’s “The Prestige”, 2010’s “Inception”, and 2014’s “Interstellar”.
Having appeared in all of Nolan’s movies after “Batman Begins”, he is regarded by Nolan to be his “good luck charm”. The actor himself also described Nolan as “one of cinema’s greatest directors” and compared him favourably with the likes of David Lean, John Huston, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Of course, Nolan is not limited to working only with Caine. Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cillian Murphy have also been his frequent collaborators.
4. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp
Amount of collaborations: 8
How did it begin:
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp first started working together through 1990’s “Edward Scissorhands”.
Unaware of Depp’s teen idol status and his then-popular performance in “21 Jump Street” TV Series, Burton had always wanted Depp for the role of Edward. When Depp was sent the script, he was described to have “wept like a newborn” as he found personal and emotional connections with the story.
What happened after their first collaboration:
The duo became almost inseparable since working together on “Edward Scissorhands”. The film, which was met with both commercial and critical success, even became one of Depp’s most iconic movies.
Both of them collaborated again through 1994’s “Ed Wood”, a comedy-biopic that was also met with overwhelming critical success. They continued their partnership through 1999’s “Sleepy Hollow”, 2005’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Corpse Bride”, 2007’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, 2010’s “Alice in Wonderland“, and 2012’s “Dark Shadows“.
It’s clear that they’d make cinematic magic every time they work together because of their mutual fondness of spooky elements and dark humour.
5. Wes Anderson and Bill Murray
Amount of collaborations: 7
How did it begin:
“Rushmore”, which launched the careers of director Wes Anderson and actor Jason Schwartzman, marks legendary comedian Bill Murray‘s first collaboration with the director.
The 1998 comedy-drama film also established a “second career” for Murray as a respected actor of independent cinema.
What happened after their first collaboration:
Anderson and Murray are like the brighter and cheerful versions of Burton and Depp, but both director-actor pairings are eccentric in their own ways. It’s easy to understand why this director-actor team work so well together because they share a similar sense of deadpan humour.
Although Murray only played a supporting character in “Rushmore”, he continued to star in Anderson’s subsequent feature films, including 2001’s “The Royal Tenenbaums”, 2004’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”, 2007’s “The Darjeeling Limited”, 2009’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (voice role), 2012’s “Moonrise Kingdom”, 2014’s upcoming “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
Anderson also works regularly with comedian Owen Wilson, who almost ties with Murray with 6 roles.
6. Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson
Amount of collaborations: 6
How did it begin:
Uma Thurman and “Big Eyes” star Christoph Waltz may be Quentin Tarantino‘s most frequent muses, but Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect embodiment of Tarantino’s work.
Tarantino’s 1992 neo-noir crime thriller “Reservoir Dogs” would have actually marked their first time working together, but after someone in the casting mistook Jackson as “Mr. Fishburne”, the actor got so pissed off and screwed up his audition.
However, it was also the rage that he showed during the audition that led him to the role in Tarantino’s 1994 cult classic, “Pulp Fiction”.
What happened after their first collaboration:
After the massive success of “Pulp Fiction”, Jackson starred in nearly every movie Tarantino has made, including 1997’s “Jackie Brown”, 2004’s “Kill Bill: Vol. 2”, 2009’s “Inglourious Basterds”, and 2012’s “Django Unchained”.
With their near-perfect collaboration streak, their partnership is as timeless as the relationship between an old married couple. It’s safe to say that they are the biggest, coolest, and “baddest” mofo in Hollywood.
Tarantino’s upcoming film “The Hateful Eight” will mark a continuation of his long-standing collaboration with Jackson.
7. David Fincher and Brad Pitt
Amount of collaborations: 3
How did it begin:
David Fincher made his feature directorial debut through the 3rd instalment of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” franchise. Unfortunately, the movie was not very well-received by fans and critics.
Little did he know, he’d rise to international fame through his next feature film, “Seven”, in 1995. The film also marked his first time working with Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt.
What happened after their first collaboration:
In the past 2 decades, Fincher and Pitt have only collaborated for 3 films. However, they were all extremely memorable, giving us high quality cinematic experiences.
All of their films were not only met with both commercial and critical success, but also turned Fincher into renowned director in Hollywood. Fincher’s “Fight Club”, which was released in 1999, is considered one of the most iconic movies of all time. It also highlighted Pitt’s acting chops, which were often underestimated by critics.
They later came along with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), where Pitt plays a man who ages in reverse. The film received 13 Academy Award nominations and won 3 for “Best Art Direction”, “Best Makeup”, and “Best Visual Effects”.
8. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks
Amount of collaborations: 4 (excluding the 2 mini-series that they co-produced)
How did it begin:
Steven Spielberg is considered as one of the most influential directors as well as the founding pioneers of the new Hollywood era. However, he did not launch his successful directing career by working with Tom Hanks.
It was not only until the 90s when he started working with Hanks, who would also appear in his subsequent critically-acclaimed feature films including 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” and 2004’s “The Terminal”.
What happened after their first collaboration:
Excluding the 2 miniseries that they have co-produced, the pair have collaborated on 4 features so far.
“Saving Private Ryan” received universal critical acclaim and won several awards for film, cast, and crew. It also earned significant returns at the box office. Hanks later starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can”, an American biographical crime drama film based on the life of famous con artist Frank Abagnale. It was a financial and critical success and the real Abagnale even reacted positively to it
“The Terminal” received mixed reviews from critics despite performing relatively well at the box office. Their latest collaborative effort is “Bridge of Spies“, which was recently released this month.
Honourable Mentions:
- The Coen Brothers and Frances McDorman/Josh Brolin/George Clooney
- Guy Ritchie and Mark Strong
- Steven Soderbergh and Matt Damon
- Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
- Joe Wright and Keira Knightley
- Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst
- Ron Howard and Tom Hanks
- Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender
- Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor
- Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell
- Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy
Now, we’re pretty sure that we’ve left out a few amazing director-actor pairings. Do you have a personal favourite that you’d like us to add to the above list?
Share with us in the comments box below!
Sources: Vulture, The Arts Guild.
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