In Hollywood, there are some actors who do extensive work behind the scenes as well. There are actors who have also directed movies with success (although some may also point out that there are great actors who turned out to be terrible directors in the end). At the same time, there are also Hollywood actors who have decided to write movies themselves.
Over the years, some of their screenplays went on to gain critical praise. More importantly, they also won awards for it. Here’s a rundown of some of the best screenwriting actors that we know today.
Sylvester Stallone
The veteran practically rose to fame for his work in the 1976 movie Rocky, which is among Stallone’s best films. Aside from being the lead actor, Stallone also happens to be the screenwriter behind it. Stallone’s inspiration for the story had been the boxing match between the underdog and Muhammad Ali in which Wepner won.
Stallone wrote the film in just three and a half days with his wife typing the manuscript up. He later told GQ, “I was very excited about the whole thing.” Since then, Stallone also wrote several other Hollywood movies. These include Rambo and The Expendables movies.
Emma Thompson
Even today, one of the movies we associate with Thompson is the 1995 period piece Sense and Sensibility, and rightfully so. Aside from being one of the movie’s lead actors (along with Kate Winslet), Thompson was also the one who adapted the Jane Austen classic for the big screen.
With her busy filming schedule, Thompson wrote the script in between work on other movies. That said, Thompson wasn’t sure right away if she would get to star in it. That was up to someone else. “Directors cast the movie,” she told Los Angeles Times. “That's what they're paid for.”
Seth Rogen
Not many people know that Canadian-born actor Rogen is a talented screenwriter. The movies he’s written include Pineapple Express, which received a Golden Globe nomination, is particularly memorable because of its myriad of funny quotes.
Rogen also wrote the script for The Green Hornet. Unfortunately, fans see it as one of his worst movies so far. In recent years, Rogen has also been writing episodes for the tv series Preacher, which he developed.
Matt Damon
Damon won his first (and only) Oscar for Good Will Hunting. However, it wasn’t for his onscreen performance. In fact, one of the things that everyone may have missed about the film is that Damon, along with Ben Affleck, wrote the movie.
And the Oscars recognized them for it. Starring the two actors, Good Will Hunting is now regarded as one of the movies that defined ‘90s cinema. Over the years, Damon also wrote the screenplay for movies such as Gerry and Promised Land. Aside from these, he also wrote the upcoming movie, The Last Duel.
Kristen Wiig
Comedian and Saturday Night Live (SNL) alum Wiig has starred in several movies over the years. This includes the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, which she also co-wrote with Annie Mumolo. And when it came to inspiration, Wiig told Girl.com.au, “Annie Mumolo's been in weddings and gone to showers, and her stories sound like they came out of a movie.”
The movie was directed by Paul Feig who also has a cameo in the film. Bridesmaids also stars SNL alum Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, Rebel Wilson, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Rose Byrne, and Ellie Kemper.
Ben Affleck
After co-writing the Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting, Affleck went on to write other screenplays for critically acclaimed films, including 2007’s Gone Baby Gone and 2010’s The Town, both of which he also directed. As it turns out, there was some hesitation on Affleck’s part about working on The Town at first.
While speaking with Deadline, the actor explained, “I ran the risk of getting pigeonholed for making crime movies in Boston.” Eventually, he thought it “gave me a shot to work with really good actors.” That includes Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, and Jon Hamm.
Justin Theroux
Theroux is a veteran actor who has starred in movies such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, American Psycho, Mulholland Drive, Miami Vice, and The Girl on the Train. Unbeknownst to many, however, Theroux has been dabbling in screenwriting over the years too.
In fact, it was this actor who wrote the script for the 2010 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie Iron Man 2. Theroux found himself working with the MCU after he wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film Tropic Thunder, which won Robert Downey Jr. an Oscar nod.
Tina Fey
Just like Wiig, Fey is an SNL alum who also went on to write a comedy for the big screen. Specifically, she worked on the 2004 comedy Mean Girls which is now considered to be a classic. It also arguably established Lindsay Lohan as a film star (although it would also become her last successful movie).
As it turns out, Fey didn’t have to look to anyone else for inspiration while writing Mean Girls. While speaking with The New York Times, she explained that “I revisited high school behaviors of my own — futile, poisonous, bitter behaviors that served no purpose”.
Angelina Jolie
Jolie achieved success in the world of film early on after earning an Oscar award for Girl, Interrupted. Later on, in her Hollywood career, the actress and humanitarian also ventured into screenwriting. The first one she worked on was the 2011 movie In the Land of Blood and Honey which is set in the Bosnian War.
In 2017, Jolie also came out with the 2017 movie First They Killed My Father, which is based on a book written by human rights activist Loung Ung. Meanwhile, Jolie also wrote and directed By the Sea, which also stars her ex-husband, Brad Pitt.
George Clooney
Clooney is arguably the most successful actor in Hollywood today and that largely may have to do with the fact that the actor also works hard behind the scenes. Aside from producing and directing, the actor also wrote several movies over the years.
This includes the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, which gained several Oscar nominations, including for best original screenplay. Clooney later followed this up with The Monuments Men, which got him another Oscar nod for his screenwriting.