Some actors seem perfectly suited to the style of a particular director, even if they have never worked together before. In some cases, a pairing seems so obvious that it’s a mystery why it hasn’t happened yet. Still, there is hope that some of these fantasy scenarios could still play out in the future. Fans are always keen to see their favorite actors and directors teaming up, but some of these dream collaborations never come to fruition.
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Some long-running actor and director collaborations show that a good creative partnership can last for years. Actors and directors often like to work with the same people if the results are good and they know what they’re getting into. This is why so many directors have their own stables of favorite performers that they repeatedly draw from. Adding a new actor into the mix is often what’s needed to create something new and unexpected.
Related 10 Actor & Director Collaborations We Want To See More Of
Despite their obvious chemistry, these actor and director duos have only made one movie together. Reuniting for more would be a winning formula.
10 Ari Aster & Willem Dafoe
Aster And Dafoe Are Both Among The Hottest Names In Horror
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With just three feature-length movies to his name so far, Ari Aster has already distinguished himself as one of the most exciting directors in the business. His horror movies are tinged with dark comedy, and punctuated by moments of shockingly graphic violence. The cast for his next movie, Eddington, includes Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Joaquin Phoenix, but it would be interesting to see him working with Willem Dafoe in the future.
Dafoe could return to one of his villain roles if he teams up with Aster.
Like Aster, Dafoe has also been a prominent figure in the horror genre in recent years. His collaborations with Robert Eggers have put his gaunt features and manic intensity to good use, which makes Nosferatu all the more exciting. He’s also an underrated comedic actor, though, which is something that Aster could find useful. Dafoe could return to one of his villain roles if he teams up with Aster.
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9 David Fincher & Tom Hardy
Fincher And Hardy Both Shine In Crime Movies
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David Fincher’s best movies usually delve into the darker side of human psychology, with a heavy focus on crime and psychopathy. Moves like Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac all show ordinary worlds ransacked by violence and chaos. One actor who could suit this dark style is Tom Hardy, who has frequently done some of his best work in crime movies. Hardy is especially fond of playing villains.
One actor who could suit Fincher’s dark style is Tom Hardy, who has frequently done some of his best work in crime movies.
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Hardy is an actor who’s not afraid of taking some big swings and stealing the spotlight. This could provide the spark that Fincher often seeks from his actors. Brad Pitt in Fight Club and Rooney Mara in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo both deliver bold, eye-catching performances which also have enough depth to be interesting after the fact. Hardy could conceivably do the same for Fincher in another one of his crime dramas.
8 Yorgos Lanthimos & Tilda Swinton
Swinton Could Slot Right Into Lanthimos’ Unsettling World
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Yorgos Lanthimos’ movies all have a strange, unsettling atmosphere. Some push this to the extreme, like The Killing of a Sacred Deer, while others are slightly more reserved and more relatable, like The Favourite, but even this is weird and unnatural. Not all actors could fit into this world that Lanthimos has constructed, which partly explains why he is working with Emma Stone so often. Tilda Swinton is one actor who certainly could operate on Lanthimos’ wavelength.
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Tilda Swinton is one actor who certainly could operate on Lanthimos’ wavelength.
Tilda Swinton has an incredible range, but she’s often at her best when she’s playing oddballs. She has an ephemeral quality that allows her to be utterly compelling even when her characters seem to come from an alternate dimension, as they do in Wes Anderson’s movies, for example. Swinton can disappear into any role, meaning that she could fit any one of Lanthimos’ movies.
7 Christopher Nolan & Dev Patel
Patel Deserves More Starring Roles In Big Projects
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Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man suggests that he may be gearing up for the next phase of his career as an action star. While he will hopefully direct more of his own movies in the future, he could bolster his credentials by collaborating with one of the biggest directors in Hollywood. Christopher Nolan has his favorites, including Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh, but he’s always open to working with new actors.
Patel would be fantastic as one of Nolan’s heroes in a movie like
Inception
or
Tenet.
Patel would be fantastic as one of Nolan’s heroes in a movie like Inception or Tenet. Nolan has consistently delivered spectacular big-screen action, but working with an up-and-coming martial arts star could provide something fresh that his other movies don’t have. Patel has also shown in movies like The Green Knight and Lion that he has the acting chops for Nolan to trust him in a lead role.
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6 Edgar Wright & Jodie Comer
Comer Has The Style, Wit And Talent That Wright Looks For
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Since rising to international prominence with his Cornetto trilogy of comedies, Edgar Wright had branched out a little. Baby Driver and Last Night In Soho both have comedic elements, but they’re more dramatic movies. His upcoming remake of The Running Man could continue this trend, since the original is an out-and-out action thriller. Jodie Comer could be the ideal actor to suit Wright’s larger-than-life style, while returning to the British comedy of his earlier movies.
Jodie Comer could be the ideal actor to suit Wright’s larger-than-life style, while returning to the British comedy of his earlier movies.
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Wright seems to like big personalities in his movies. Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Anya Taylor-Joy all radiate charisma, just like Jodie Comer. The Killing Eve star is compelling in everything she does, but not many of her movie roles have utilized her comedic side. As Wright’s movies gradually give bigger and better roles to women, he may be looking for British actors who can carry intense dramas with a touch of his trademark dark humor.
5 Martin Scorsese & Denzel Washington
Scorsese And Washington Could Break Their Recent Career Trends To Do Something New And Interesting Together
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Martin Scorsese’s career has been colored by his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, both of whom have delivered some of their best performances in Scorsese’s movies. However, Scorsese also gets outstanding performances from other actors, like Andrew Garfield in Silence, Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York and Ray Liotta in Goodfellas. One thing that his movies have been criticized for is his lack of Black actors, which is just one reason why it would be interesting to see him working with Denzel Washington.
With his role in
Gladiator II,
Washington is breaking new ground, and proving that his long career could still have some surprises in store.
With his role in Gladiator II, Washington is breaking new ground, and proving that his long career could still have some surprises in store. Washington is one of the best actors of his generation, and he would be able to bring out the humor and intensity in Scorsese’s movies. Washington and Scorsese both seem to love biopics, so this could be the ideal genre for them to collaborate on.
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4 Wes Anderson & Adam Driver
Adam Driver Could Gel With Wes Anderson’s Frequent Collaborators
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Wes Anderson’s movies all have a distinct visual style, and they use many of the same actors. While Anderson famously works with the likes of Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton multiple times, he also finds roles to bring new actors into the fold. Asteroid City features Tom Hanks and Steve Carell, for example. Interestingly, some of the most memorable performances in Anderson’s movies come from newcomers, like Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums or Bruce Willis in Moonrise Kingdom.
Some of the most memorable performances in Anderson’s movies come from newcomers.
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Adam Driver could be another actor who catches the eye by jutting out slightly from Anderson’s neatly ordered style. He has already shown that he’s a hilarious comedic actor, with movies like Logan Lucky and BlacKkKlansman, for example. Another movie which suggests he could be great in Anderson’s peculiar world is White Noise, which also seems to take place in a quirky, slightly surreal universe. Driver’s deadpan wit is often reminiscent of a young Bill Murray or Adam Brody, both of whom are among Anderson’s favorites.
3 Jordan Peele & Ayo Edebiri
Edebiri Has Already Shown That She Can Do Comedy And Drama
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Ayo Edebiri is most famous for her starring role in The Bear, but the Emmy-winning TV show runs counter to most of her other work. She is, first and foremost, a comedian, although The Bear proves that she’s more than capable as a dramatic actor too, and she has an unwavering intensity when needed. She could be the ideal choice to star in a Jordan Peele movie, as his heroes are often ordinary people in extraordinary situations.
Ayo Edebiri is most famous for her starring role in
The Bear
, but the Emmy-winning TV show runs counter to most of her other work.
Like Edebiri, Peele has his roots in comedy. Although none of his movies so far have been comedies per se, he still creates plenty of unexpectedly hilarious moments. His actors need to be able to find some dark comedy in his horror stories, and Edebiri could be perfect for this. She’s also just as sympathetic as any protagonist in a horror movie should be. Jordan Peele’s new movie is being kept under wraps, with no casting details announced.
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2 Spike Lee & Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya Could Have Everything Spike Lee Wants In An Actor
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Spike Lee’s long-running collaboration with Denzel Washington highlights everything that he wants in an actor. He likes charm, intelligence and intensity, but he also has a lot of humor in his movies. 2018’s BlacKkKlansman stars Denzel’s son John David Washington in a role that his father probably would have been offered 20-30 years earlier. If Lee wants to find another actor to be his next young Denzel Washington, Daniel Kaluuya could be a great choice.
Like Spike Lee, Kaluuya’s work often examines race, but it does so with a touch of dark comedy.
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Daniel Kaluuya’s most notable performances so far have come in Jordan Peele’s movies, as well as Black Panther and Judas and the Black Messiah. Fans who know him from early in his career will also know that these roles often underutilize his comedic talents. Like Spike Lee, Kaluuya’s work often examines race, but it does so with a touch of dark comedy. He’s already shown that he has a flawless American accent, so he could easily fit into Lee’s movies.
1 Quentin Tarantino & Tom Cruise
Tarantino Likes To Showcase Charismatic Movie Stars
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Tom Cruise started his career by racking up a remarkable list of movies with top-tier directors. He worked with Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Cameron Crowe and Stanley Kubrick all before the year 2000. More recently, Cruise has been working with familiar faces. He’s one of the biggest movie stars in the world, so his presence usually overshadows whoever the director is. Working with Quentin Tarantino could be a great way to remind people of his acting chops, and it would be a fun change of pace.
Tarantino knows how to use star power to enhance his movies, without it being too distracting.
Tarantino’s next movie will be his last, if he sticks to his word. This means he has just one more chance to bring in some new acting talent alongside his regulars. Tarantino has always shown a love of old-school movie stars, as evidenced by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood casting both Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, with a small role for Al Pacino too. Tarantino knows how to use star power to enhance his movies, without it being too distracting, so working with Tom Cruise could be a good fit for both the actor and the director.
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