Actors who became Directors

This is an audience participation post.  You’ll see how.

A recent discussion led to this:

Often times actors on long-running television shows will go behind the camera and direct an episode or nine.   Some are very good at it.  In my personal experience, Alan Alda is a terrific director.  But then the question arose, how many of these actors were able to branch out and direct shows they weren’t attached to?   The number goes way down.  That’s where you come in.  Feel free to weigh in with names of actors who direct other people's shows.

Alan went on to direct movies, but they were movies that he wrote.  

Some actors leave acting to become directors full-time; others go back and forth.  Either counts.  

A few that I can think of offhand:

Adam Arkin has directed a variety of different shows.  He has 47 different directing credentials on imdb, many are multiple episodes (13 GET SHORTY’S, and 10 JUSTIFIED’S among them).   

Tony Goldwyn has 21 imdb director credits.   Yes, he “megged” 9 episodes of SCANDAL, but he also has called “action” on JUSTIFIED, DEXTER, GREY’S ANATOMY, LAW & ORDER, and directed the feature A WALK ON THE MOON (which is a cool movie with Diane Lane — sort of a cross between DIRTY DANCING and WOODSTOCK).  

Nick Colasanto, before becoming Coach on CHEERS did tons of TV directing from BONANZA to HAWAII 5-0 (the original and good one), to COLUMBO.  

And one can not assemble this list without a big shout-out to Ida Lupino (pictured above).  42 different shows in addition to a long acting career.  And if she wasn’t the only woman director in TV at the time she was one of maybe two.   She really deserves Jackie Robinson status.   Oh, and she also had polio.   Her directing skills were in drama and comedy — helming episodes of THE FUGITIVE, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, THE UNTOUCHABLES, but also BEWITCHED, GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, and THE DONNA REED SHOW.  

Ken Olin from THIRTYSOMETHING directs most of the episodes of THIS IS US.    He has credits on 24 different shows including THE WEST WING.  

Kelsey Grammer has directed several pilots that I know of (and worked on).  

Edward James Olmos from MIAMI VICE directed BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and a few other things.  

Dennis Dugan, who’s acted in many shows including MOONLIGHTING and MASH, has directed  NYPD BLUE, ALLY MCBEAL, and several features.  

Oh yeah, and there’s that Ronny Howard guy.   And Penny Marshall.  And Clint Eastwood.

Okay, so who am I missing? 

from By Ken Levine