It seems like it takes a bit more than just talent and luck to succeed in Hollywood these days. We've seen many hardworking, up-and-coming actors and actresses venture off into theatrical schools, talent shows, and acting in small commercial roles to fill out their resumes.
However, there is a special breed of actors out there proving themselves to be much more talented than the average movie star. In addition to their killer acting skills, these movie stars are also screenwriters and are even known to direct movies. Becoming a successful screenwriter is a rare feat, because translating one's vision for a movie into written words and actions is no easy task. From Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston to James Franco, here are the ten Hollywood stars who you may not have know are also screenwriters.
10 Shia LaBeouf
Transformers actor Shia LaBeouf took his personal childhood trauma and turned it into the award-winning screenplay for his 2019 film, Honey Boy . As Variety noted, the actor wrote 50 pages of his bravely candid confession and sent it to director and longtime collaborator Alma Har'el.
Hollywood Film Awards granted LaBeouf the Hollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter Award for Honey Boy. During the awards ceremony, Robert Downey Jr. presented LaBeouf with the award praising him saying, it was "easily the best and bravest film I have seen in years."
9 Bryan Cranston
Breaking Bad star, Bryan Cranston may be most recognized for his time with Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) on the popular AMC series, but the actor is also a fantastic screenwriter and director.
He has several directors credits to his name, including three episodes of Breaking Bad, seven from Fox's Malcolm in the Middle, and one from The Office. Cranston is also a screenwriter, though, and has written episodes of Sneaky Pete and The Dangerous Book for Boys, in addition to the 1999 full-length drama film, Last Chance.
8 Ben Affleck
Golden Globe and Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck took his career to the next level when he ventured into directing for Gone Baby Gone in 2007. While screenwriting isn't exactly what he's most known for, the actor has some impressive titles on his screenwriting resume, including Good Will Hunting (which he wrote alongside Matt Damon) and the screenplay for The Last Duel, an upcoming medieval-themed movie coming in October 2021.
7 Sylvester Stallone
Thanks to his versatility, Sylvester Stallone's career spans across generations. While he is definitely most known for being Rocky and Rambo, it's may not be as widely known that Stallone actually wrote the screenplay for these movie series. In addition to Rocky and Rambo, Stallone is also the screenwriter for The Expendables trilogy.
6 Angelina Jolie
Before becoming the star we know today, Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie actually did receive formal education in theater and screenwriting at New York University. As the actress told Vogue, even after her Golden Globe Awards win in 19997, Jolie used to take night classes at the university. Jolie wrote, directed and starred in the 2015 film, By the Sea and co-wrote the screenplay for First They Killed My Father.
5 Justin Theroux
Justin Theroux is an actor who offers much more than meets the eye. Theroux has contributed to the writing process of some popular movies. His impressive career in screenwriting spans from Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2 to Rock of Ages and Zoolander 2. He's recently won an Emmy for the Outstanding Variety Special for his work with the ABC special Live in Front of a Studio Audience.
4 Billy Bob Thornton
Although he's best known for starring in '90s hits like Armageddon and A Simple Plan, it was Billy Bob Thornton's screenplay for Sling Blade that gained him international stardom. He wrote, directed, and also starred in the award-winning movie.
However, still, Thornton's one true love will always be acting. "When I first started writing scripts, I never really thought about being a writer. I wrote short stories when I was a teenager, but I always wanted to be an actor," he told BOMB Magazine.
3 James Franco
James Franco is another Hollywood star who added screenwriting to his name. The 42-year-old actor doesn't hold back in sharing his experiences and knowledge to many, as he once taught a grad-level film course at New York University and held an online screenwriting class on Skillshare. Franco has 25 screenwriting/creator credits to his name!
2 Lena Dunham
Did Lena Dunham star in HBO's Girls? Yes. Did she receive Emmy nominations for the series? Yes. Did she also write the series? Also, yes. According to her IMDb page, Dunham also contributed to writing Tiny Furniture, Camping, and many other projects. The outspoken celeb also wrote a serial novel called Verified Strangers, which centers around the life amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.
1 George Clooney
A versatile entertainer who does it all, George Clooney's work in penned screenplays for Suburbicon, The Monuments Men, and The Ides of March. In addition, the former ER actor has produced a plethora of movies and documentaries throughout his long-spanning career, including Syriana and Argo. Now, the proud father of two is producing the movie adaptation of the heroic book Red Platoon.