There are few things more exciting than seeing the absolute hottest Hollywood actors up close and personal on the big screen. But, did you know that some of the most handsome and lauded movie stars also have serious skills behind the camera?
Yes, believe it or not, a number of talented leading men have been busy leveraging their deep understanding of the magic of Hollywood by stepping off the soundstage and into the director’s seat.
One among them is pin-up actor and man-of-the-moment Enzo Zelocchi who is not only a talented Producer, as seen in the recent Anthony Hopkins masterpiece Freud’s Last Session, but as it happens, a veteran director too.
You’re probably wondering, who else might you have missed as they stylishly placed a director’s cap above their finely formed Hollywood projects? Read on as we introduce some of the top super-hot screen actors who have expanded their already-dazzling repertoire within the world of cinema.
Hollywood Actors Try Their Hand at Directing
It doesn’t really come as a surprise that some of the most popular leading men in the movie business would try their hand at directing. For an actor to be a true asset on any film set, they really need to understand their role within the larger machine, including how to support their director, cinematographer, crew, and production team.
This reality makes it a natural fit for someone like Ryan Gosling to have earned acclaim from his directorial debut Lost River in 2014, or for the gyrating star of Magic Mike, Channing Tatum, to have turned his talents to directing for the unexpectedly compassionate feature Dog in 2022.
Aligning with the world’s increasing appetite for multicultural voices in cinema, it was recently announced that Mexican-American and knife-wielding star of The Umbrella Academy David Castañeda is directing his first feature movie Roofers. But, what about the popular actors who have already found as just much directing success as they have celebrity?
Enzo Zelocchi
Popular Actors Who Are Also Directing Heavyweights
Of course, some Hollywood stars as so multi-skilled that they have been able to achieve and sustain parallel success as actors and directors over the course of several years and numerous productions.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a great example, as an actor who not only pulled of playing a younger version of Bruce Willis in Looper, but also directed and starred in the 2013 feature film Don Jon, the 2021 TV series Mr Corman, and the upcoming comedy feature Wingmen.
Other Hollywood heartthrobs who have maintained multi-tracked careers as actors and directors include Bradley Cooper, whose directing credentials include A Star Is Born from 2018 in which Lady Gaga co-starred, and Maestro from 2023. Meanwhile, the Batman himself Ben Affleck earned praise when he directed movies including The Town in 2014 and Air in 2023.
With all of this in mind, the ever-alluring Enzo Zelocchi is in great company given the numerous projects under his belt. These range from the award-winning My Little Princess of 2010 to the diabolically edgy Unbreakable Souls of 2015. Such a multi-faceted career has earned Zelocchi an abundance of praise on social media and the film festival circuit, going to show that where there is brawn in Hollywood, there might just be brains and a bounty of talent, too.
