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They've captivated us on screen, and now they're calling the shots behind the camera! Join MsMojo as we celebrate the talented actresses who've successfully transitioned to directing acclaimed films and television. From Oscar-winning performances to groundbreaking directorial debuts, these women are redefining Hollywood from both sides of the lens!
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00:00Gosh, this is really, really thrilling, because I really did not expect this, believe me.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the glass ceiling smashing
00:09and trendsetting women performers who found cultural or box office success
00:14working behind the camera in the TV and film industry.
00:17I'm in this aisle as, you know, yes, the dancer, actor, but I was paying attention,
00:23learning about the cameras.
00:26Kristen Stewart.
00:27From her breakthrough role in 2008's Twilight, leading to her starring in the successful
00:32franchise for years, Stewart became a household name.
00:44Following her stint in the vampire saga, she was rarely not working on screen, and in 2025,
00:50she was there again.
00:52Only this time, Stewart was directing and writing.
00:54I didn't want to do that myself.
00:55I didn't want to stare into a mirror.
00:56I wanted to look into someone's eyes, a fellow, a girl who also had similar things to say
01:03and to discover, and sort of be able to have the fire grow, because two flames?
01:12Better than one.
01:13She adapted the memoir, The Chronology of Water, by Lydia Yuknovich, with the film bearing the
01:18same title.
01:19As she's detailed in interviews, when Stewart was first introduced to filmmaking by her mother,
01:24who also worked in the industry, she always wanted to direct.
01:28And if the critical reviews for The Chronology of Water are anything to go by, Stewart has
01:33all the potential to have a stellar career in the chair.
01:35When he first watched the movie, he was like, oh, I am so relieved.
01:41I'm like, yes.
01:42Because he did take a gamble.
01:44It was, like, not a proven fact before it happened at all.
01:48Penny Marshall.
01:48After vacuuming up Golden Globe nominations for her work in the TV show Laverne and Shirley,
02:07Marshall took the plunge in feature directing with 1986's Jumpin' Jack Flash.
02:11After finding her feet in the role, she then became one of the best at it.
02:15I thought I would just be learning, you know, okay, you do this movie and you learn a little
02:19bit more, but now the pressure's a little higher.
02:21The pressure is higher, so are the box office receipts.
02:25I last heard 80 million.
02:27What's your most recent figure?
02:28Somewhere around there.
02:30Yeah?
02:30That is, is that unprecedented for a woman director?
02:34I hear that, too.
02:35On top of her work getting many Oscar nominations, Marshall reportedly became the first woman director
02:42to bring in over $100 million at the U.S. box office with 1988's Big.
02:47Speaking of that production, if it wasn't for Marshall's work in Big and 1992's A League
02:52of Their Own, perhaps Tom Hanks might not have his legendary career if it wasn't for her.
02:57Sadly, in 2018, Marshall passed away, leaving behind a legacy any director would be jealous
03:03of.
03:04It's not a bad life.
03:05I've had a very charmed and lucky life for myself, so that's all I gotta say and do what
03:11you wanna do.
03:13Who knew?
03:14Olivia Wilde.
03:15I definitely felt most confident in my skills as an actor's director.
03:19You know, in those moments of communicating with the actors, I felt just completely in
03:23my element.
03:24According to the house star, if it wasn't for some of the questionable films she starred
03:28in during her career, Wilde wouldn't have learned how to be a great director by knowing
03:32how to speak to the cast and crew.
03:34After diving into the production role by directing short films and music videos for groups such
03:39as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilde made her feature debut in the helm for the 2019 coming-of-age
03:44movie Booksmart.
03:45Wilde's next project was 2022's Don't Worry Darling, which she also acted in.
03:58While the production was overshadowed by backstage scandals, it was enough of a financial success
04:15to contribute to Wilde being installed as a director for 2026's The Invite.
04:22It's very different from anything else I've done and it's the first film I was able to
04:26direct on film and that's something that feels very special to me.
04:31Jodie Foster.
04:32Well, I'm gonna be a writer and then they get their first D on their first term paper and
04:36they decide to be a biologist or something, so I don't know.
04:39I'd like to go in for that and then if I change my mind, I will.
04:43Her ultimate goal is to write and direct movies, but that doesn't mean she'll give up acting.
04:48As the recipient of two Oscars so far, it'd be fair to say that Foster is one of the greatest
04:54to grace the silver screen.
04:55Yet, according to the performer, it wasn't acting that was her first love, but directing.
05:00With that invaluable industry experience under her belt, she took charge of her first feature
05:05film with 1991's Little Man Tate, which she also acted in.
05:10Gonna have a great time.
05:14Sure are you.
05:17Every day that I know you, I admire you a little bit more.
05:23While Foster struggled with mixed reviews and underwhelming box office incomes for her next
05:28productions with 1995's Home for the Holidays and 2011's The Beaver, she found her groove again
05:34by directing episodes in Netflix shows, including Orange is the New Black.
05:38As such, she returned to the film chair with 2016's Money Monster, which was a financial
05:44success.
05:45You've directed quite a few films at this point, but this has got to be your first real action
05:49thriller film, right?
05:50This is a lot of firsts, yeah.
05:51It's the biggest movie I've done, for sure.
05:53It's the first thriller, the first kind of, you know, all that stuff.
05:58Big movie stars, all that.
05:59Angelina Jolie
06:00Selfishly, I love great acting, right?
06:03Selfishly, I love to watch it.
06:05I love to, like, I love as an audience.
06:07I love to feel truth on screen.
06:11I love to connect, and I love to be able to leave something on someone's face and not
06:14have to cut away and that be enough, finally.
06:17In 2022, to promote their work together for 2024's Without Blood, Selma Hayek called
06:23Jolie probably the best director she'd worked with.
06:26Considering that list includes Steven Soderbergh, Ridley Scott, and Oliver Stone, this makes
06:32the praise for Jolie impressive.
06:34After getting her start with documentary directing alongside an Oscar-winning performing career,
06:40Jolie moved into feature helming with 2011's In the Land of Blood and Honey.
06:44The idea of who would direct it came up, and I was worried that it would be turned into
06:50something else by somebody else, and so I volunteered to direct it and thought, oh,
06:54what am I doing?
06:55Wow.
06:56But just to protect the material, and then realized that I loved it.
06:59This led to her directing 2014's Unbroken, which not only received multiple Oscar nominations,
07:06but was also a box office hit.
07:08Since then, Jolie has focused on smaller productions, still raking in positive reviews.
07:13Fun fact, had acting and being an auteur not worked out, Jolie would have been a different
07:18type of director, one in charge of funerals.
07:21This should be a celebration of life, and since I'm not afraid of death, and I was comfortable
07:26with it, I thought this would be a great career path.
07:30I could throw these parties.
07:32I could, like, make this better.
07:33I could do a thing here.
07:34We need more people like that.
07:36It shouldn't be that.
07:37It's my fallback career now.
07:39Elizabeth Banks.
07:40I've been on a lot of movie sets and worked with a lot of incredible directors.
07:44I've also worked with a lot of some directors that I don't consider as extraordinary, and
07:49you learn as much in those experiences, if not more, about what, you know, what actors
07:54sort of need and what's required in terms of leadership on a set.
07:58With a stellar career in comedy, Banks eventually reached a point when she felt frustrated, underused,
08:04and bored with the acting work coming her way.
08:07So, hoping to lead the change for women to become auteurs, she stepped behind the camera
08:12for a segment in 2013's Movie 43.
08:15And it really sucks that I had to be in front of all you idiots.
08:20I'd call mom and tell her to meet us at home.
08:23Off to a rough start with one of the worst films of all time, Banks quickly turned it around
08:28with 2015's Pitch Perfect 2, which she also acted in.
08:32This led to her directing and writing the new addition to the popular franchise Charlie's
08:37Angels in 2019.
08:38While the movie failed to capture the audience's imagination, Banks' work with 2023's Cocaine
08:44Bear became a cultural phenomenon.
08:46This is all about, like, what is our legacy that we're leaving behind?
08:50How do we care for our kids?
08:53How do we take care of each other?
08:55You know, the movie has a lot of heart when it comes, you know, when it boils down.
08:59Maggie Gyllenhaal.
09:00With her mother and father having worked as film directors, you could see the role was
09:05in Gyllenhaal's jeans.
09:06The Golden Globe-winning and Oscar and Emmy-nominated actor got her feature directing start with 2021's
09:12When women make movies, which we haven't had all that much opportunity to do, that it looks
09:21different. And there might be a different kind of set of genres that start to come into play when
09:29women are making more movies. So, like, yeah, ours is a thriller, but it's also a lot of other things.
09:34Based on Elena Ferrante's novel, not only was Gyllenhaal at the helm, but she also wrote and produced the film.
09:41The experience not only gave her the hope and desire that actors could be honest with her,
09:46but also allowed her to feel like a director.
09:49You know, which is terrifying. My movie comes out in a couple days, you know.
09:53It's scary to have it all out there, but it also feels great because it is what I meant to say.
10:01As far as debut films go, Gyllenhaal's was a resounding success. Along with the critical
10:06praise and many accolades, the production was nominated for multiple Oscars and Golden Globes.
10:12Gyllenhaal will continue her directional rise with 2026's The Bride.
10:17There's nothing left to do now but live.
10:22Regina King.
10:23It's not an easy feat to get to the point, to get to the space of actor and people regarding your hyphenate,
10:38directing hyphenate, as something that's not a thing that you're doing out of vanity.
10:44In possession of an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and multiple Emmys for her acting work,
10:50King is one of the monarchs of the industry.
10:52On top of starring in Southland, she was able to dip her toe into the directing world with an episode.
10:58This opened a door that led to King taking charge of many TV shows and films.
11:03Yet her biggest success came in 2020 with One Night in Miami.
11:06I wanted to do a story that was a love story, that was set on an historic backdrop,
11:14and I expressed that to my agent, and he brought this.
11:20And while it isn't a romantic love story, it's definitely a love letter to the black man's experience.
11:27Based on Kemp Powers' stage play, the movie received many accolades,
11:31including three nominations for both the Golden Globes and Oscars.
11:35Due to this, King established herself as a director that the industry should be watching for the future.
11:41There is something very special about infusing your own experiences into a story.
11:50That's what makes it unique, fresh, and it makes it have a true perspective.
11:56Barbara Streisand, probably no entertainer has mastered as many crafts as Streisand.
12:02After dominating the music and acting worlds in 1983, she became an auteur with Yentl.
12:08At that time, you know, remember it was harder for women to get to direct movies then,
12:12and I felt like I was really responsible.
12:15I felt responsible if this movie was really a flop.
12:19A lot of women, a lot more women couldn't get jobs as a director.
12:24So a lot was riding on it.
12:25With Streisand acting, directing, writing, and producing the production,
12:30it was nominated for four Oscars, winning one.
12:33Yet the biggest feather in her cap was winning the Golden Globe for Best Director,
12:37becoming the first woman to do so.
12:39It calls on everything you've ever seen or felt or known or heard.
12:46It was really the highlight of my life, my professional life.
12:50It didn't even taper off for Streisand's next production, 1991's The Prince of Tides,
12:56which led to seven Oscar nominations.
12:59To date, her final directed film was 1996's The Mirror Has Two Faces.
13:04This movie resulted in two Oscar nods and four Golden Globe nominations, with one win.
13:09Since then, Streisand has used her experience to encourage more women to direct.
13:14A very special woman, very dear, very intelligent, and I'm wildly impressed by you.
13:23Well, I'm impressed by you too.
13:25Oh, how sweet.
13:25Because behind that laugh of yours, there's a lot going on.
13:29Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
13:34Drew Barrymore
13:35From child actor to award-winning A-list star, Barrymore directed 2009's Whippet.
13:41I've been through, you know, extraordinary things with my own mother.
13:45And I thought, what a wonderful way to be an honest filmmaker,
13:50and to put my own emotions and heart and experiences
13:53into what I think so many families struggle with, which is...
13:57Anna Kendrick
13:58Attached as an actor to 2023's Woman of the Hour,
14:02successfully pitched herself as director.
14:04It was like a very short timeline, you know, like six weeks later,
14:07I was in Canada, I was prepping the movie.
14:09It was, you know, happening in like a month and a half,
14:13and it was really overwhelming,
14:15but it was the most rewarding experience of my career, honestly.
14:19Eva Longoria
14:20The TV queen earned an Oscar nomination for her directing debut with 2023's Flamin' Hot.
14:26He read the script, and I was like, how do I not know this story?
14:30I love Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and I'm Mexican-American.
14:32This guy's Mexican-American.
14:34He's just like me.
14:35And then I immediately became obsessed with wanting to be the one to tell the story.
14:39And I was like, I have to, I have to direct this.
14:42I have to direct this.
14:42Zoe Kravitz
14:43A director to keep an eye on,
14:45Kravitz successfully took the helm for 2024's Blink Twice.
14:49When you lose a location, or you lose an actor, or you can't, or you're losing light,
14:52or you're, you know, it's always the race against time.
14:55And finding creative ways to deal with it, not, you know, not giving up or just doing whatever.
15:00It actually, I think, almost always leads you to something better than you originally intended.
15:05Debbie Allen
15:06Prolific and legendary, Allen is an award-winning inspiration for Black women directors.
15:12I don't know anybody that I could see that was directing, singing, dancing, all of these things, um, choreographing.
15:22Ah, you're, you're in the beginning.
15:24I didn't, I just was looking at all the things that attracted me, that, what I wanted to do.
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15:46Greta Gerwig
15:47Two years after her acting debut, Gerwig would co-direct her first production with 2008's Nights and Weekends.
15:55An icon in the mumblecore genre, it took nine years for her to direct and write alone, and boy was it triumphant.
16:02Well, I've wanted to be a writer-director for a long time, but because I didn't go to, I didn't go to film school,
16:06so I sort of did it on set. I kind of, when I was acting or co-writing or producing, I was like figuring out how you get a movie from page to the end of, you know, it's being released.
16:17And so I was working on the movie, I wrote the movie, it took like two or two years to write.
16:222017's Lady Berg produced an eye-watering amount of praise, including five Oscar nominations and two Golden Globes.
16:30Next was 2019's Little Women.
16:33This film earned six Oscar nods, winning one.
16:36This turned Gerwig into one of the most in-demand directors, leading to her taking charge of 2023's Barbie.
16:43I'm able to go more, find deep depth in things that appear just like fluff more easily, in a way, because it's not where anyone's looking.
16:55So then you can kind of pluck it out.
16:58Not only was it a cultural and box office smash hit, but it was also another Oscar success, with seven nominations and one win.
17:06As such, Gerwig's next production, 2026's Narnia, the Magician's Nephew, is on everyone's must-watch list.
17:14That's a tall order, but I guess re-enchantment of the world.
17:22No problem there.
17:24Which actress do you think would make a fantastic director who hasn't had the chance yet?
17:29Let us know below.
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