Jan 15 2009
Eight Film Directors and Their Muses
It seems as though a lot of the top directors in the film industry have certain go-to actors or actresses that appear in several of their movies. Maybe it’s the simple fact that the director and actor work well together and trust each other, or it could be a case of the actor serving as a muse for the director, inspiring him and providing creative input. In any event, we took a look at eight pairings where the fact that the actor and director have worked together on several movies is definitely more than just a coincidence.
David Fincher & Brad Pitt
Pitt and Fincher worked together most recently on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Pitt starred in Fincher’s breakout film, Se7en. Alien 3 was widely panned upon its release (although it has been viewed more favorably in recent years), and Pitt’s strong performance in Se7en helped solidify a fantastic movie. Of course, it was Fincher’s Fight Club in which Pitt really shined as the iconic Tyler Durden. I’m hoping these two will be working together in the future.
Tim Burton & Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham Carter
I don’t care how many crazed teenage girl fans he may have, nobody loves Johnny Depp more than Tim Burton. It’s almost harder to think of a Tim Burton movie that doesn’t star Johnny Depp than one that does: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sweeney Todd all starred Depp, who also lent his voice to The Corpse Bride. And that’s not all - Depp will be playing The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland.
Not far behind Depp, though, is the very talented Helena Bonham Carter, who is also married to Burton. Helena will have appeared in just one fewer Tim Burton film than Depp, as she has a role in Alice in Wonderland and has already appeared in Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sweeney Todd, and like Depp, has lent her voice to The Corpse Bride.
Martin Scorsese & Leonardo DiCaprio
The pairing of one of our generation’s best directors with one of its best actors usually makes for spectacular results. Scorsese and Leo teamed up to make the Oscar-winning Departed, and The Aviator and Gangs of New York - both starring Leo - were nominated for Best Picture. There’s really no reason for these two not to continue to work together in the future.
Christopher Nolan & Christian Bale
Christopher Nolan has directed only six movies, but Christian Bale has appeared in half of them. Of all the pairings in this article - and from what I’ve read - Bale and Nolan collaborate creatively on a deeper level than the rest. Bale has starred in Nolan’s The Prestige, and of course, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Michael Caine also appeared in all three of those films, but it’s Bale’s creative input that helps Nolan direct such captivating movies.
Robert Rodriguez & Salma Hayek
I don’t know the level of creative input Salma Hayek provides Robert Rodriguez, but it’s tough to not be inspired by her. Hayek was very apprehensive about dancing with a giant snake on her shoulders in From Dusk Till Dawn, and may have refused were it not Rodriguez who directed. Hayek has also starred or appeared in Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, The Faculty, and Roadracers, all directed by fellow Mexican Rodriguez.
Wes Anderson & Bill Murray
It takes a certain kind of actor to appear in a Wes Anderson movie, and it seems as if no actor is better suited for that task than Bill Murray. His persona and delivery are perfect for Wes Anderson’s smug yet charming films, which is probably why he’s appeared in five of them: Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, The Darjeeling Limited, and the upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox. The Wilson brothers (Luke and Owen) also share that certain zaniness that makes them perfect for Anderson’s movies, but Murray is king and has them beat.
Ridley Scott & Russell Crowe
Like Leo and Scorsese, the pairing of Scott and Crowe is a synergenic blend of two of the more talented people in the industry. Aside from his incredible performance as Maximus in Scott’s Gladiator, Crowe starred in A Good Year, American Gangster, and Body of Lies. He’s set to play the lead in Scott’s upcoming Robin Hood movie, but Crowe is going to have to shed some pounds if he wants to be taken seriously.
James Cameron & Michael Biehn
That’s Biehn hugging Linda Hamilton. It was the best I could do; any attempt at Photoshop would result in a frozen computer and a violent tantrum. Deal.
I saved my favorite pair for last - James Cameron and Michael Biehn. Biehn’s been in only three of Cameron’s movies, but when you consider that Cameron has directed only eight major motion pictures (including Avatar), that’s pretty good. Biehn played bad ass Dwayne Hicks in Aliens and the legendary Kyle Reese in The Terminator. Cameron brought Biehn back to play a bad guy in The Abyss, and must have trusted him, as this was a change of pace for the normally heroic actor. I’ve read rumors that Cameron has a role in Avatar for Biehn, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
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You forgot about Woody Allen and Scarlet Johanson
Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman
To quote Tarantino “Uma is my Muse”.
Jeez, talk about missing out the biggest actor/director pairing in the last couple of decades….
I’m with George on this. Uma and Quentin’s a big one.
Ummm. Leaving these guys out is SIN
Kevin Smith and Jay and Silent Bob
Does George Lucas and Harrison Ford count?
David Lynch and Kyle MacLachlan?
@George Taylor
She inspires him to make complete and utter shit though.
You forgot about your mom, and my balls
Yes, the Tarantino/Thurman relationship is a very good one to mention.
Also of note is that many directors migrate from one muse to another over time. For instance before DiCaprio, Robert Deniro was Scorsese’s muse for many years.
Does Kevin Smith have a muse? Perhaps Jason Mewes?
Maybe Guy Ritchie / Jason Statham?
Soderbergh / Clooney?
Sheesh.
Why is the scrolling on this page so horrid? Decent list and all, but I felt like closing the damn tab when I’d scroll down and the entire screen would chunk.
Pretty sure James Cameron’s real muse is Bill Paxton.
John Ford and John Wayne. He appeared in more than twenty john ford films and 2 of those films won best picture oscars.
As much as i love Michael Biehn, Arnie has been in 3 cameron films too, and Bill Paxton has been in 4.
You guys are probably right about Cameron and Paxton, but my pathetic obsession with Biehn got in the way of me realizing that connection.
Tarantino and Uma was a very good call and an oversight on my part.
Also, my mom and PJ’s balls have appeared in over 40 films together; no idea how I left that out.
“The Wilson brothers (Luke and Owen) also share that certain zaniness that makes them perfect for Anderson’s movies, but Murray is king and has them beat.”
No, he doesn’t. I really don’t know how you can argue Murray over Owen Wilson when it comes to who is the more notable Wes Anderson collaborator on any front other than “Bill Murray is more famous and cooler than Owen Wilson so we’re listing him.” Murray’s appearance in Darjeeling Limited was a minute long, he has a relatively minor role in Tenenbaums (Owen Wilson’s role isn’t THAT much bigger, to be fair, but I do think it does qualify), and he and Owen were the two leads in Life Aquatic, even if Murray had the title role. Yeah, he has Rushmore, but then, Owen Wilson had Bottle Rocket so they’re tied in that regard. And that’s only taking acting into regard and ignoring the fact that Owen Wilson co-wrote Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and the Royal Tenenbaums. I would think that co-writing three Wes Anderson movies, having leading roles in three Wes Anderson movies, and appearing in another in a major supporting role would make Owen Wilson Wes Anderson’s primary collaborator, as opposed to Murray’s two leading roles, two supporting roles (taking Fantastic Mr. Fox into account), and one cameo.
@Macha Mummy
Very convincing argument, especially considering how much and often Owen Wilson collaborated with Anderson. I didn’t list Murray because he’s cooler than Wilson, but he certainly is funnier.
Thanks for reading.
It’s because you’re using firefox 3, and firefox 3 hates backgrounds used like this.
You missed the greatest and most iconic actor/director relationship in the history of the moving picture! That is Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. How can you possibly forget:
Mean Streets
Taxi Driver
New York, New York
Raging Bull
The King of Comedy
Goodfellas
Cape Fear
Casino
Scorsese’s legendary collaboration with De Niro is far more substantial than DiCaprio’s and has yielded infinitely better results. Together Scorsese and De Niro crafted some of the greatest films ever made spanning three decades for crying out loud!
How about Kurt Russell/John Carpenter?
Richard Dreyfuss/ Steven Spielberg?
And late Jack Nance/David Lynch?
And of course legendary Bruce Campbell/Sam Raimi?
Jim Jarmusch + Tom Waits/Roberto Benigni
coen brothers + Goodman/Torturo
“I don’t care how many crazed teenage girl fans he may have, nobody loves Johnny Depp more than Tim Burton.”
…lolz that is great.
Forget about Quentin and Uma. What about Quentin and Quentin? The dude’s been in almost every one of his dripping-with-awesome movies.
I think Woody Allen and Diane Keaton/Scarlett Johanson would be a good addition to this list.
No one mentioned one of the most legendary duo’s next to De Niro and Scorsese; Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone. They created one of the most iconic characters ever through the Man With No Name series.
I would have opted with Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel, as listed:
Coogan’s Bluff
Two Mules for Sister Sara
The Beguiled
Dirty Harry
Escape From Alcatraz
Unforgiven was dedicated to both Siegel and Leone.
[…] Film geek bonus: Eight Film Directors and Their Muses […]
@MikeD
more like Coen Brothers + Steve Buscemi
You also forgot -
Tony Scott + Denzel Washington
@ Ravikant Rai
Not a bad call, but do they really have that many movies together? Crimson Tide, Man of Fire, Deja Vu, Pelham 123…yeah, I guess they do.
Spielberg / Hanks… How is it that nobody’s mentioned this yet?
@ Boru
Maybe I’m missing something: The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can, and Saving Private Ryan are the only three films I know of…
Hey Madison,
Hanks is staring in one of Spielberg’s new films, A Timeless Call. Then again, I believe it’s a documentary that Hanks will be narrating, so perhaps that doesn’t count on your list. He was about to be cast as Lincoln before Liam Neeson got the part (a better choice). They also collaborated together to produce the Band of Brothers series. Maybe it’s also the fact that they’re always hanging out together, and their wives are great friends who work together over at EIF. At any rate, I would say that these two obviously enjoy working consistently with each other, and I would say it’s a safe bet that we’ll only be seeing more.
Speaking of Hanks, it just dawned on me now… if I may add another thought regarding Hanks and a well known director… what about Ron Howard? They’re also good friends who have put out at least four features that I can think of, as well as the Earth to the Moon series.
And while we’re at it, why not mention another consistent Hanks collaborator? Coming in at a close third… Drew Carey’s half brother… Robert Zemeckis!
I guess Tom Hanks really is the nicest guy in Hollywood.
Cheers!
@ Boru
Yeah, it looks to me like Tom Hanks is a guy that most directors would love to work with. It’ll be interesting to see where his career goes from here.
I was coincidentally wacthing “Big” the other night; I’d love to see him return to comedy in the future.
Thanks for reading.
anthony minghella and jude law?
@ sim sim
Maybe…I only count three movies…
What about Tarantino and the bad motherf*cker Samuel L. Jackson….surely Jackson gwt more props then Thurman, since Sam has been in more of Quentin’s film them even Quentin has…he starred in True Romance, which Quentin wrote but didn’t Direct, and then went on to appear in Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill vol.2, and even had a voice over in Inglourious Basterds….So aside from Reservoir Dogs and Death Proof, he has been in everyone of Tarantino’s directed features.
The only person that comes close to Samuel L. Jackson in terms of working with Quentin is Harvey Keitel, Uma Thurman was in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, which is really just one long movie.
I my vote would go to Samuel L. Jackson and not Uma Thurman, since Sam has worked with Quentin without them even knowing it (True Romance) until later on.
@ Mr. Insane
Even though Jackson has been in more Tarantino movies than Uma (includign Inglorious Basterds, if you count his voice), I’d still say Uma is the muse. I think she helped inspire “The Bride,” which later became the Kill Bills. Tarantino may like Jackson, but you’d be hard-pressed to convince me that she has influenced him the way Uma has.
Great list, I also applaud your ability to take criticism, I really was surprised to see no Uma/Tarantino on the list =P.
Keep up the good work
If want to name people who have worked with directors but don’t count as a muse, I agree that Jackson might not be a muse compared to Uma, and you are 100% right that she helped him come up with the Kill Bill movies, it says so in the credits “Based on Characteres Created By: QT & UT”….that is true.
I do feel that if you are naming actual muses/actors that inspire directors, then this list should be a lot shorter and as followed:
Quentin & Uma
Burton & Depp (Carter doesn’t count even if she is Burton’s wife)
Rodriguez & Hayek
Scorsese & DeNiro (not Leo, he is merely a collaberator)
Smith & Mewes (lol, not because of the name)
All these have in one way or another, mentioned in public that the other are each other’s muses…Quentin has said several times that Uma is his muse, so has Rodriguez when it comes to Hayek. DeNiro wrote in an intro to a bio of Scorsese, I forget which, that he felt that had he not met Martin that he doubt he’d have made movies past 1978, ending with his Oscar win for the Godfather 2….Depp also wrote that he and Burton are entwined souls in an intro to a Burton book….and Kevin Smith has put into print at the end of a few of his movies that Mewes was his muse, even if he was just being a smarth ass.
The rest of you list I could find no actual accounts of the directors or actors saying anything other then they enjoyed working with the other. They are simply collaborators making masterpieces in the cinema history.
I don’t mean to come off like some anal retintive jerk, lol, because your lists actually are well thought out compared to some other film lists I’ve read. So keep it up please!
@ Mr. Insane
That’s a great and well thought-out comment. I appreciate you taking the time to provide that interesting information.
You definitely didn’t come off as a jerk; quite the opposite, actually.
Thanks for reading.
Silly people…Ben Affleck is Kevin Smith’s muse, as he would tell anyone who asks!
Affleck has appeared in ALL of Smiths movies besides Clerks (and that’s only because they hadn’t met yet) and he usually has a leading role.
I’d say Ben Affleck could give Johnny Depp a run for his money for appearing in the most movies by one director. He’s closely followed by Jason Mewes and Jason Lee though, who despite appearing in as many Kevin Smith films only ever have supporting roles.
In fact, there are quite a few glaring omissions on this list:
Quentin Tarantino/Uma Thurman
Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell
Toshiro Mifune/Akira Kurosawa
Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood
Great list, but where is Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz??
what about Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen?
off the topc a bit, but if you need to cast a Navy Seal, Mike Beihn is the guy
not only in the mentioned Terminator, Aliens, & the Abyss, but also The Rock, Navy SEals as well.
“I WILL NOT GIVE THAT ORDER!”
@ Ryan
It is never an inappropriate time to bring up Michael Beihn.
i think the list is solid minus deniro should replace leonardo, and edit your sentence about owen wilson, i think bill murray fits but the way you phrase the sentence about the wilson brothers seems like you dont know about who is writing these films. john ford john wayne could replace some pair. i wouldnt put uma and quentin or woody and scarlett on the list and many other pairs mentioned in the comments, they just really work together on a film i wouldnt call them a muse relationship
@ firedanceart
Good suggestions. I used Leo instead of Deniro simply because that seems to be the current trend. Both are good choices.
Thanks for reading.