7 Actors Who Tried To Be Directors (And Totally Failed)

4. Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme proved in his 2008 movie JCVD to be more perceptive than most of us probably expected, though that doesn't mean he's ever been qualified to direct one of his own movies. Nevertheless, he gave it a shot with 1996's The Quest, a typical martial arts flick which, if Van Damme had paid any attention to his previous movies, he might have actually been able to pull off. Sadly, The Muscles from Brussels' directorial debut suffers from poor camerawork and, strangely enough, a distinct lack of action. There are a few perverse delights, like the opening scenes in which Van Damme is dressed up like a clown, and Roger Moore's completely inexplicable presence, but on the whole, this is one of the actor's lesser martial arts vehicles, lacking in energy and even the basic thrill of some fun fight scenes. It scored 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. As for his second feature, known under the titles Full Love, Soldiers and The Eagle Path, it screened at Cannes 4 years ago, but has yet to be released due to additional shooting in 2012. Not the best of indications that he's improved...