Some actors and directors strike gold on their first collaboration, and they should consider working together more often. Actor-director duos can form long and successful partnerships, with each of them bringing the best out of the other. Famous duos like Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro have been together for decades, and they influence each other’s artistic sensibilities. But not all great actor-director dynamics need so much time to develop. Some pairs click on their first project, and the directors can bring fine performances out of their actors without any prior working relationship.
If an actor and a director’s artistic visions line up, then they don’t need too long to become acquainted with one another. This is especially true of comedic pairings, and it explains why so many comedy directors stick to the same stock of regular collaborators who share their sense of humor. But this can occur in any genre. Although it’s unusual that some successful duos have only worked together once so far, the good news is that they are still active, and there is hope that they can collaborate once again in the future. Any of these duos would be an exciting pair of names to see on a movie poster.
10 Taika Waititi & Sam Rockwell
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Jojo Rabbit was one of Taika Waititi’s first productions with a mostly American cast, and although he played the role of Adolf Hitler himself, he surrounded himself with a great cast. Over the last few years, Sam Rockwell has been building a reputation as one of the finest comedic character actors in Hollywood. He was similarly outstanding in See How They Run, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Seven Psychopaths. In Jojo Rabbit, he plays a disinterested instructor for the Hitler Youth, which allows Rockwell to showcase his mastery of comedic weirdness. His style lines up well with Waititi’s offbeat sense of humor.
9 Christopher Nolan & Leonardo DiCaprio
Inception (2010)
Inception gave both Christopher Nolan and Leonardo DiCaprio one of the most successful movies of their careers, so it’s a surprise that they haven’t worked together on other occasions. DiCaprio has made such a name for himself that he only really plays lead roles, and Nolan’s latest movies haven’t had a place for him. Nolan makes ambitious blockbusters, which manage to combine exciting action with complex scientific and philosophical ideas. DiCaprio is famous for his ability to dive deep and get under the skin of his characters, so Nolan could use him to sell some of his heady concepts with ease.
8 Quentin Tarantino & Margot Robbie
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Margot Robbie didn’t have much screen time in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, taking a back seat to the duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, but she was a scene-stealing presence as Sharon Stone. Tarantino’s love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood called back to an era of true movie stars. It’s no coincidence that he put the two biggest stars in Hollywood in the lead roles, and he let Margot Robbie make a case for herself in that same conversation. Many of her scenes feature her alone, with the camera transfixed by her aura. Robbie could be perfect for one of Tarantino’s unusual female characters.
7 Wes Anderson & Tom Hanks
Asteroid City (2023)
Wes Anderson likes to keep a fairly consistent roster of actors. Some of his regulars include Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton and Willem Dafoe. In Asteroid City, Tom Hanks proved he can be a wonderful addition to the team. The cast of Asteroid City is a mixture of Anderson’s usual collaborators and some fresh new faces in Hanks, Margot Robbie and Steve Carell. Hanks stands out among this star-studded cast as Stanley Zak, the firm father-in-law to Schwartzman’s protagonist. Since so many of Anderson’s movies are about father-son relationships in some way, Hanks could take the types of roles once given to Gene Hackman, Bill Murray or Ralph Fiennes.
6 Steven Soderbergh & Adam Driver
Logan Lucky (2017)
Adam Driver has worked with some legendary directors in his career so far, including Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott and Spike Lee. In Logan Lucky, he plays a bartender who robs a NASCAR speedway in North Carolina with his brother. Steven Soderbergh brings out the best in Driver, who can bring levity and charm to any role. Driver has an incredible range, but his comedic roles allow him to shine in a way few other actors do. Logan Lucky is reminiscent of Soderbergh’s other great heist franchise, Ocean’s Eleven. Logan Lucky almost got a prequel, and if Soderbergh wants to make more crime capers, Driver would be perfect.
5 Ridley Scott & Vanessa Kirby
Napoleon (2023)
Ridley Scott’s latest movie baffled many critics and moviegoers, but Vanessa Kirby’s performance was just as superb as expected. Napoleon‘s historical inaccuracies and strangely comedic tone went against most people’s expectations of the historical drama, especially given Ridley Scott’s previous works such as Gladiator and The Last Duel. Vanessa Kirby’s action movie experience, with the Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises, and her dramatic roles show that Scott could use her in a variety of different genres. Scott likes traversing genres more than most directors, and in Kirby he has found a performer capable of matching him in that regard.
4 Steven Spielberg & Daniel Craig
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Daniel Craig could do anything he wants after leaving the James Bond franchise. He seems content as Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out movies, but if he chooses to flex his action muscles, he could reunite with the king of the summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg. Craig and Spielberg only worked together on the animated movie, The Adventures of Tintin, but Craig is the perfect actor for the Spielberg action-hero cast. Spielberg hasn’t made a high-octane blockbuster in a while, but with Craig, he could replicate the success he had with Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise. The Adventures of Tintin had some fun action sequences, but it wasn’t live action.
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3 David Fincher & Robert Downey Jr.
Zodiac (2007)
Robert Downey Jr. made a big step out from the shadow of Iron Man with his gripping performance in Oppenheimer. It was a fantastic role to remind people of his dramatic talents, if they had failed to see that beneath his armor. Robert Downey Jr.’s next role looks like it will continue this trend, and the time could be right for him to pair up with David Fincher again. Fincher is a meticulous dramatic director, and his attention to detail helps bring great performances out of his stars. Downey Jr. was excellent alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac, just a year before he joined the MCU.
2 Spike Lee & John David Washington
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Spike Lee has already worked with John David Washington’s father, Denzel Washington, many times, and he could have already found his successor. John David Washington’s performance in BlacKkKlansman is one of his best to date. It’s a much more comedic movie than some of his others, but Washington is comfortable bouncing off of Adam Driver as two detectives working together to infiltrate the Klan. Washington may not have the intensity of his father, but he has certainly inherited his charming sense of humor. Even Lee’s movies which deal with heavy subjects often have a comedic streak, and Washington fits his dialogue perfectly.
1 Jordan Peele & Lupita Nyong’o
Us (2019)
Jordan Peele appears to have found his muse in Daniel Kaluuya, but his one movie without him allowed Lupita Nyong’o to shine. In Us, Nyong’o plays a dual role as a woman and her sadistic, violent doppelgänger from a society living underground. This gave Nyong’o a platform to show that she can be both hero and villain, which suits Peele’s brand of twisty psychological horror. It would be interesting to see Nyong’o and Kaluuya alongside one another in one of Peele’s films, as they could complement each other well. Details are scarce about Jordan Peele’s next movie. Even the cast remains a mystery.
