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Top 10 Actor/Director Relationships

By Noelle Buffam · May 3, 2011

Alfred Hitchcock once said that the three most important parts of film are “the script, the script, and the script.” Now, I wouldn’t say that I disagree. I try to not to disagree with the master of anything, let alone the ‘Master of Suspense’. Actually, I really like this quote. Not only does it stroke my ego as a writer, but it gives credit to a profession that often hides in the shadows of famous directors and movie stars.

However, even with my own partiality, the importance of the actor/director relationship cannot be denied. It is a crucial element in filmmaking. If the actor and director fail to connect, the film can feel forced and disjointed. However, when an actor and a director embrace their relationship, a certain sense of magnetism shines through on the silver screen.

Sometimes an actor and director become working soul mates, and they choose to collaborate on multiple films. This is somewhat of a mysterious phenomenon. It is hard to say what exactly makes the actor/director relationship “pop”. They inspire each other. They trust each other. They just “get” each other. Whatever it is, it’s fascinating.

Below are the Top 10 Actor/Director Relationships. These duos chose to work together on multiple projects. Rightly so, in that these collaborations have produced personal bests for many famous actors and directors. Even more than that, these partnerships helped create some of the greatest films ever made.

Whether they joined forces two times or twelve, these collaborations stand as a testament to the power of the actor/director relationship.

I know what you are thinking. And no. Clint Eastwood directing Clint Eastwood doesn’t count.

10. John Wayne and John Ford

Memorable movies include: Stagecoach, The Quiet Man, Fort Apache

Wayne and Ford were a film duo whose collaboration spanned over 50 years. Their relationship started when Ford spotted a young student named Marion Morrison. After seeing his potential, Ford helped the young man transition into the movie industry. Soon enough Marion Morrison changed his name to John Wayne, and their partnership became one for the history books. Ford, who was described as “a tough, two-fisted, hard-drinking Irish sonofabitch", cast Wayne in Stagecoach.  In total, the duo made twenty-one films together. Twenty-one. With a number like that, John Wayne and John Ford’s relationship proves to be one of the most memorable in film history. Not that I’m surprised. With a nickname “Pappy and the Duke”, I would expect nothing less.

9. Brad Pitt and David Fincher

Memorable Movies include: Se7ven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

If we are talking numbers, Fincher and Pitt have nothing compared to Ford and Wayne’s twenty-one films. In fact, the pair has collaborated on only three films. What saves these collaborators is the fact that two of these films happen to be Se7en and Fight Club. These films were not only box-office successes, but they have garnered huge cult followings since their debut. No doubt, Fincher helped save Pitt from a very probable future of lame romantic comedies. Fincher’s dark films helped prove Pitt’s ability to bring the guys to the movie theatre. And who knows? If they hadn’t collaborated, maybe Pitt wouldn’t have become so cool. And then he wouldn’t have gotten with Angelina Jolie. And then we wouldn’t get see tabloid stories about their adopted babies in the grocery store line. Thanks, Fincher.

8. Alec Guinness and David Lean

Most memorable movies include: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Bridge on the River Kwai

Out of all the partnerships on the list, Alec Guinness and David Lean prove to be the most unusual because of one factor: they didn’t get along. Guinness and Lean were notorious for arguing throughout production (and sometimes long afterwards). The pair created 6 films over a span of 20 years. During their troubled relationship, Guinness earned an Academy Award for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai. It’s kind of amazing that two feuding people can create monumental films like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. And yes. Alec Guinness is better known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. And that’s cool too.

7. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton

Memorable movies include: Edward Sissorhands, Ed Wood, The Corpse Bride

No doubt Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have the same sort of aesthetic… a kind of creepy, peculiar aesthetic. Even though Johnny Depp has soared as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, it seems that both Depp and Burton do their best work when they are in tandem. Yes, Depp and Burton’s films are propelled by their love for the quirky and the dark. Their track record includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeny Todd, and Alice in Wonderland. It seems there is no end in sight for the dynamic duo. Johnny Depp has signed on to Burton’s 2012 film, Dark Shadows, a gothic-horror film. Yep. That’s Burton and Depp for ya.

6. James Stewart and Frank Capra

Most memorable movies include: It's A Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, You Can't Take It With You

Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra are like apple pie and ice cream: a perfect, all-American combination. Stuart’s wholesome, honest face fit the idealistic fables that Capra is famous for creating. Capra first noticed Stewart in his minor role in 1937’s Navy Blue and Gold. The director had completed a few popular films when he starting to work with Stewart on You Can’t Take it With You. The film garnered Capra a Best Director and Best Picture Oscar. While Jimmy went on to star in several acclaimed Hitchcock films, Capra created his most memorable pieces during his partnership with Stewart. Later, Capra reminisced that Stewart was the best actor “to ever hit the screen".

5. Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa

Most memorable movies: Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood

While both had prosperous careers outside of Japan, Toshiro Mifune and Akira Kurosawa are most famous for their work together. Beginning their partnership in 1948, the pair created 16 films in all. Their films helped create the archetype of the warrior in both Japanese and world cinema. The pair has been recognized as visionaries, creating films that influenced modern cinema in a revolutionary way. Just as apparent as their filmmaking talent, is the shared admiration between Mifune and Kurosawa. When speaking of his long term partner in film, Kurosawa said that he is “a person rarely impressed by actors… but in the case of Mifune, I was completely overwhelmed". And overwhelmed he should be. Their films went on to influence such directors as Clint Eastwood and George Lucas.

4. Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant

Most memorable movies include: North by Northwest, Notorious, To Catch a Thief

It is said that Jimmy Stewart was the actor that Alfred Hitchcock could most identify with (they created such masterpieces as Rear Window, Rope, and Vertigo). However, it was Cary Grant that Hitchcock most wanted. This notion proves to be especially impressive since as Hitchcock was notoriously scathing toward movie stars. The special relationship between Hitchcock and Grant spanned over twenty years. The duo made four films together including 1941’s Suspicion. Their collaborations have proven to be substantial cornerstones in the classic film genre. Alfred Hitchcock once said that Cary Grant was the only actor he ever loved… that love translated onto the screen as Hitchcock made Grant into the demure, male figure that became legendary.

3. Jack Lemon and Billy Wilder

Most memorable movies: Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, The Front Page

You’ve heard that famous story. Lemmon is doing a scene, and Wilder keeps saying “Less, less". Finally, Lemmon shouts, “What do you want? Nothing?” and Wilder replies, “God, please". It’s that spark and sense of humor that gave us gems like Some Like it Hot and The Apartment. Wilder and Lemon partnered up on a total of 7 films including Avanti, The Front Page, Buddy Buddy, Irma la Douce, and The Fortune Cookie. While Lemmon had previously won an Academy Award for his role in Mr. Roberts, it was his relationship with Wilder that made him a star. When asked about his relationship with the famed director, Lemmon said that he “had directors who were marvelous at breaking scenes down and handling people. But when you would string all the pearls together, they wouldn't make a beautiful necklace. Billy is the kind of picture-maker who can make a beautiful string of pearls". He continued saying that Wilder “makes the kind of movies that are classics and last forever". Suffice to say, Wilder’s films have lasted… much ado to his relationship with Lemmon.

2. Humphrey Bogart and John Huston

Memorable movies include: The Maltese Falcon, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen

I love Bogie. I always have and I always will. His brooding demeanor was never caught better than under the direction of John Huston. While most people will remember him for Casablanca, his performances under John Huston proved to be some of his best. Huston directed him to his Academy Award (The African Queen), and two of his even more unforgettable performances (The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre). In total, the pair made six films together (including Beat the Devil, Across the Pacific, and Key Largo). In fact, Bogart and Huston weren’t just working partners, but best friends. They outwardly admired and envied each other. Their relationship was so close that Huston gave Bogart’s eulogy, calling him "irreplaceable”. Huston added that there will “never be anybody like him." Agreed.

1. Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese

Memorable movies include:Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro started making films together in 1973 with the gangster flick Mean Streets. Since then, the two have become a powerhouse duo in crime flicks. Scorsese and De Niro have made a total of 8 films – some of which are considered the greatest of all time. While Scorsese has a similar long-term relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, the Scorsese-De Niro relationship has proven to be unparalleled. The intensity in which the partnership delves into the human psyche is felt through such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. And I’m not the only one to think so. Taxi Driver was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, Goodfellas was nominated for 6 (winning 1), and Raging Bull was nominated for 8 Academy Awards (winning 2). In addition, Robert De Niro earned one of his two Academy Awards for his role in the film Raging Bull. Scorsese has yet to win an Academy Award in a film collaboration with De Niro, but it is only a matter of time. Rumor has it that the pair is slated to reunite for the film The Irishman. While both men have respected careers outside their partnership, it seems that their other movies rarely meet the high standard set by their collaborations. Yes, Scorsese and De Niro are a match made in gangster-movie heaven.