While actors from Clint Eastwood to Warren Beatty to George Clooney have been stepping behind the camera for decades, it hasn’t been as common for actresses to direct. Historically, women have been sadly underrepresented in filmmaking but over the years, a few trailblazing actresses, from Ida Lupino in the ’50s to Jodie Foster in the ’90s, have crossed over into directing.
As Hollywood has become more diverse and the sexism of the film industry has been a topic of discussion, more women have started directing movies of their own. When it comes to equality in filmmaking, there’s still a ways to go, but lately, more actresses than ever have been calling the shots and telling their own stories. Here’s a look at 15 multitalented actresses who have become directors, and what they’ve said about taking on an exciting new cinematic role.
1. Anna Kendrick
Known for: Up in the Air (2009), Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (2010), Pitch Perfect (2012), Into the Woods (2014), A Simple Favor (2018)
Movie she directed: Woman of the Hour (2024)
What she’s said about directing: “I started to feel really sick at the idea of anybody else doing it because I felt so connected to the material, especially because it came together so last minute, the idea of . . . some person coming in and telling me what the movie was, was unfathomable to me because I felt so strongly that I knew what the movie was. And to . . . be able to raise my hand and take this beautiful thing . . . and just mold it a little bit into how I saw it felt really exciting and obviously really terrifying.”
2. Zoë Kravitz
Known for: X-Men: First Class (2011), Divergent (2014), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Big Little Lies (2017 to 2019), The Batman (2022)
Movie she directed: Blink Twice (2024)
What she’s said about directing: “I feel like my brain is being exposed to the world. It’s liberating and terrifying at the same time.”
3. Olivia Wilde
Known for: The O.C. (2004 to 2005), House (2007 to 2012), Tron: Legacy (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Movies she directed: Booksmart (2019), Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
What she’s said about directing: “I never went to film school, so the films I acted in were my proxy film school; some of them were pure cautionary tales that taught me what never to do, and some of them taught me some really valuable lessons of what I should strive for. I think one of the great things about the film industry is that it’s one that allows for evolution, for switching roles… It’s unusual to work within a field that allows you to be an actor, a director, a writer, a producer. It’s quite a luxury to be able to tell stories in so many different ways within one kind of profession. If you are interested enough, you can try your hand at all these different crafts. And I feel lucky that I’ve been able to do that. I think the process of reinvention is essential in any life. I think we have to continue to evolve.”
4. Elizabeth Banks
Known for: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), The Hunger Games (2012), Pitch Perfect (2012), Love & Mercy (2014)
Movies she directed: Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), Charlie’s Angels (2019), Cocaine Bear (2023)
What she’s said about directing: “I wanted to break down some of the mythology around what kinds of movies women are interested in making. For some bizarre reason, there are still executives in Hollywood who are like, ‘I don’t know if women can do technical stuff.’ There are literally people who are like, ‘Women don’t like math.’ It just persists.”
5. Angelina Jolie
Known for: Girl, Interrupted (1999), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Changeling (2008), Maleficent (2014)
Movies she directed: A Place in Time (2007), In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), Unbroken (2014), By the Sea (2015), First They Killed My Father (2017), Without Blood (2024)
What she’s said about directing: “Acting is such a wonderful job. You can jump in for a few months and play and be a piece of something. When you direct, you have to commit years of your life. You have to be a part of every single aspect and make sure it gets done. You have to love and commit to it in a very different way.”
6. Eva Longoria
Known for: Desperate Housewives (2004 to 2012), Harsh Times (2005), The Sentinel (2006), Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019), Only Murders in the Building (2024)
Movies she directed: La Guerra Civil (2022), Flamin’ Hot (2023)
What she’s said about directing: “With acting, I felt like I was always going and standing on a mark and saying my lines and realizing I had no control over the final product. I didn’t get to pick the take, I didn’t get to pick the person opposite me. I didn’t get to pick the music. I didn’t get to pick anything. You’re at the mercy of producers and directors. So I thought, ‘Wait, who decides this?’ and they said, ‘Well, the producers and directors.’ I said, ‘Great. I want to be that person.’ That’s how it started, with me having the desire to take control of what I was putting out into the world.”
7. Drew Barrymore
Known for: Poison Ivy (1992), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Charlie’s Angels (2000), 50 First Dates (2004)
Movie she directed: Whip It (2009)
What she’s said about directing: “I have always purposefully tried to believe that women fought so hard for rights and opportunity that I should . . . take that ball and run with it and not complain about what we don’t have. Instead, we should surge forward on the opportunities that we have created for ourselves.”
8. Greta Gerwig
Known for: The House of the Devil (2009), Greenberg (2010), Damsels in Distress (2011), Frances Ha (2012), Mistress America (2015)
Movies she directed: Lady Bird (2017), Little Women (2019), Barbie (2023)
What she’s said about directing: “Because I write and direct, I write things that I genuinely sit back and think, ‘I have no idea how I’m actually going to accomplish that.’ And that’s actually the most exciting feeling. Because then you can gather people—gather your designers, your heads of departments—and everybody kind of figures out something that’s never been done before. And that’s thrilling.”
9. Maggie Gyllenhaal
Known for: Secretary (2002), The Dark Knight (2008), Crazy Heart (2009), Frank (2014), The Deuce (2017 to 2019)
Movie she directed: The Lost Daughter (2021)
What she’s said about directing: “I’m having fun doing it because I have a seat at the table. I’m part of the conversation of what I’m doing.”
10. Lea Thompson
Known for: Back to the Future (1985), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Caroline in the City (1995 to 1999), Switched at Birth (2011 to 2017), The Chicken Sisters (2024)
Movie she directed: The Year of Spectacular Men (2017)
What she’s said about directing: “It helps me as an actor, to be more technically helpful to the director, and this extra skill set also helps because in this economy we all have to do a lot of different jobs in order to survive. When the jobs are not there for me as an actor, I now have another job that I can do, which has been really useful. I have not had that many good parts in the past 10 to 15 years, so I am so happy I can still work with wonderful people and on wonderful projects when I can’t get a good acting job.”
11. Halle Berry
Known for: X-Men (2000), Monster’s Ball (2001), Die Another Day (2002), Gothika (2003), Catwoman (2004)
Movie she directed: Bruised (2020)
What she’s said about directing: “Having done this now I now know it’s possible. I can do it. I think as a woman we haven’t often thought we could do it . . . I loved being in this position and telling a story from my point of view, a female point of view.”
12. Rebecca Hall
Known for: The Prestige (2006), Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), The Town (2010), Christine (2016), Resurrection (2022)
Movie she directed: Passing (2021)
What she’s said about directing: “In a very real way, the biggest lesson I learned was to trust myself. I wanted to make films my whole life. I didn’t really know if I could. By the end of it all, that is precisely what I learned. That sounds sort of glib, but it’s the truth: The biggest thing I learned was that I could do it.”
13. Courteney Cox
Known for: Friends (1994 to 2004), Scream (1996), Dirt (2007 to 2008), Cougar Town (2009 to 2015), Shining Vale (2022 to 2023)
Movie she directed: Just Before I Go (2014)
What she’s said about directing: “I know how I like being spoken to. Empathy is a huge thing for me. And just understanding where people are and giving people space and guidance but knowing how to finesse that. So I’m pretty much a cheerleader in life for people. I play that role with my friends and family, even with my mom. It seems like that’s what I’m known for. I’m also very enthusiastic and I get very excited about things. I think I also know how to read a room very well. It goes back to being the youngest of four kids, coming from a divorced family. I learned to pick up what’s OK, when you can jump in, and when it’s appropriate to stand back. I think that’s helped me in directing.”
14. Natalie Portman
Known for: The Professional (1994), Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (1999), V for Vendetta (2005), Black Swan (2010), Jackie (2016)
Movie she directed: A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015)
What she’s said about directing: “More women need to be making films in general . . . I think once it just becomes commonplace, people will just say [it’s] a good or bad film, they’re not saying ‘female’ or ‘male,’ and it just becomes life.”
15. Meg Ryan
Known for: When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), City of Angels (1998)
Movies she directed: Ithaca (2015), What Happens Later (2023)
What she’s said about directing: “It never surprised me when I didn’t know—I assumed I would know nothing—but it surprised me what I did know. That, by osmosis, movie sets teach you lots of things . . . It surprised me how fierce I was in my own self. I mean fierceness about protecting the artists, protecting the story, loving the story.”