Lets face it the whole film and TV production and marketing process is skewed so that audiences are far more likely to recognise and follow a supporting actor who cropped up in a handful of TV episodes than they are some of the people behind the camera on some massively popular movies. Of course, most of us are switched on enough to pay attention to movie directors and assume their name as a mark of the films likely eventual quality. This makes us well aware of the times when A-list acting talent choose to direct as well, your Clooneys or Afflecks. But, when it comes to the people who pen the words that you actually hear those actors say, there are really only a handful of Hollywood screenwriters whose contributions are as noted as actors or directors. Perhaps thats why these five writers behind some pretty significant Hollywood movies are far more familiar to us for their appearances as actors on TV.
5. Charlie Hunnam
You may recognise him as: Depending on your choice of TV viewing and, in particular, which side of the Atlantic its focused on, Hunnam should be familiar either as Nathan Maloney, the teen discovering the excitements of Manchesters gay scene, in Queer as Folk or Jax Teller, brooding antihero of California motorcycle club drama Sons of Anarchy. The Geordie actor got his first break on Byker Grove, cementing the idea that there arent many outlets for talented young actors in the North East, and may also be familiar to audiences of shortlived cult American comedy drama thanks to a regular role as a cocksure British student in Judd Apatows rarely remembered Undeclared. Recently Hunnam has been making the transition from TV star to movie star, piloting monster battling robots as Raleigh Becket (not even the most 80s action movie name in the film) in Pacific Rim. His recently announced casting as the eponymous sadistic romantic icon in the film version of 50 Shades of Grey should either cement his place as a movie leading man or turn him into something of a laughing stock. Its kind of hard to tell. But you may not know: If the bondage filled mummy porn doesnt work out for him, Hunnam can always fall back on his writing skills. Hunnams script Vlad has been picked up by Plan B, Brad Pitts production company and the people behind the slightly surprising success story of the summer World War Z. Due to be directed by Anthony Mandler, currently making Daniel Radcliffe starring crime picture Tokyo Vice, Vlad focuses on the real life brutalities of Dracula inspiring Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler. Theres no vampires in it, but its probably due to be pretty gory none the less. While waiting for that to come out, Hunnam is also developing a screenplay about British gypsy culture. Of course he hasnt actually had a screenplay come to our cinemas yet, unlike the next TV actor on the list whose biggest writing job was on a film that earned over $700,000,000.