10 Actors Who Became Awesome Directors
3. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson of course became one of Hollywood's most bankable A-listers throughout the '80s and '90s, largely thanks to his work in the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon franchises.
Gibson first tried his hand at directing with 1993's broadly acclaimed The Man Without a Face, only to follow it up with the phenomenally successful Braveheart, scoring dual Best Picture and Best Director Oscars in the process.
If his subsequent directorial efforts, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, proved more divisive, they were nevertheless warmly embraced by many for their intense, provocative filmmaking style.
Though Gibson's troubled personal life derailed his filmmaking career for almost a decade thereafter, he nevertheless returned in 2016 with the deftly-crafted war film Hacksaw Ridge, netting Gibson another Best Director Oscar nomination.
Gibson's next project is likely to be either his long-gestating Passion of the Christ sequel, or a whispered-about remake of classic western The Wild Bunch.
No matter the man's issues away from set, there's no denying the enviable stature of his body of work behind the camera.