10 Movie Directors Who Somehow Convinced Themselves They Can Act

8. Rob Reiner

Spinal TapPreferred Acting Style: One Take, And Let's Move On You know what's weird? Rob Reiner started out his career as an actor, having featured on the most popular sitcom of its era, All In The Family, for five years. Which means that - yes - Reiner technically qualifies as more of an actor, but he started to phase that out in the '80s, and now he's seen mostly as a director, having made several of the most beloved movies ever. In that time, though, it seems as though he also forgot how to act. I've never been able to watch Reiner - not as filmmaker Marty DiBergi in Spinal Tap, or even in the smallest cameo - without feeling like he's a director trying to do some acting. He just kind of stands there, delivering his lines, never really appearing as though he has a natural flare for performing or that he really cares that much. Maybe I'm being too harsh on the guy, but I was genuinely shocked to learn that Rob Reiner was an actor first.
 
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