The release of Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, has received high acclaim, not only for its lead performance but also for Stewart’s uncompromising and deeply visceral adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir.
The decision to enter directorship from acting is often borne from working on set for years and developing curiosity about the process from the other side. Working closely with directors might prompt them to ask themselves what they would do differently if they were in charge. For some, directing provides the freedom to explore broader ideas and put them into practice, becoming more outspoken in the production process.
Stewart is one of many actors who have tried their hand at directing, but their experiences can lead them in very different directions. Some, like Ben Stiller, have embraced working across multiple roles; he directed and starred in Zoolander 2 (2016) and more recently served as an executive producer and directed several episodes of Severance (2022). For others, directing has become a major part of their career. Greta Gerwig began as an actor in various independent films, before gaining tremendous success with her solo directorial debut, Lady Bird (2017), followed by the adaptation of Little Women (2019). But this experience is not for everyone. After working behind the camera on Harlem Nights (1989), Eddie Murphy immediately returned to acting following the film’s underwhelming critical response and later admitted that he had not enjoyed it nor done it out of a genuine desire to direct.
For actor-directors, previous experience can influence their approach to working with actors. Gerwig recounts that her own experience as an actor has helped her understand how to give explicit direction to other people. This is affirmed by collaborators, including Saoirse Ronan and Steven Bernstein, describing her creation of a trusting environment where actors feel a sense of ownership over their characters, while still maintaining visual clarity and working to meet the technical and visual requirements of her projects.
This raises the question of whether acting and directing are very different or whether these practices complement each other. From an objective standpoint, acting involves deep introspection and embodiment of the character to portray them convincingly. On the other hand, directing requires an external focus on the camera placement, pacing and overall composition of a scene, with attention to how the character operates in conjunction with other considerations the director is responsible for. While the director conducts the narrative function of a character, the actor controls their lived experiences; both viewpoints are integral for a fully realised portrayal.
Due to the collaborative process of filmmaking, this leads to another question: who actually ‘owns’ the character? Is the actor interpreting what is written in a script, or are they creating something original? And is the director giving guidance or imposing their own vision? This depends on the different approaches used by directors. Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski emphasised that actors build characters psychologically, whilst Psycho’s (1960) Alfred Hitchcock famously described actors as ‘cattle’, instead prioritising visual control. Then there are directors like Mike Leigh who balance these extremes, developing characters through close collaboration with actors in rehearsals and through improvisation.
Additionally, is it easier to move from acting to directing than the other way around? The underlying understanding actors have of performing and how sets operate can make the transition more natural, but directing involves managing crews, complex production and making countless decisions. It is evident that acting and directing require different skill sets entirely, but it is not a responsibility that every actor necessarily wants.
Nevertheless, both actors and directors ultimately work towards the same goal: believability. Whether this manifests in emotional truth or narrative clarity, audience engagement is a sign of success for both these types, as in Stewart’s newest project. Perhaps it is less of a deliberate transition than a natural progression, where bringing a character to life is the result of negotiation and collaboration — with different perspectives working together to create something that feels real on screen or on stage.
“Kristen Stewart at WWD Style Awards 2026” by PaulLim11 is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
