Sitcom Actor Turned Director

List creator: AKrizman Created on: April 5, 2003 - 1:06 PM PST Description: Am I missing anyone?

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	Parenthood (1989)
Ron Howard has been involved with movies (acting and directing) for over 40 years without a break, and he's not even 50 yet! He tops this list due to his 8 years as Opie Taylor and 8 years as Richie Cunningham, followed by his Best Director Oscar.
	All of Me (1984)
Carl Reiner (Alan Brady from the Dick Van Dyke Show) reached his directing peak with his Steve Martin movies. He's the patriarch of the first family of sitcom-actors-turned-directors, being the father and former father-in-law of the next two folks:
	The Princess Bride (1987)
Rob Reiner was very successful as Meathead on the 'All in the Family' before surpassing his TV accomplishments with his Oscar nominated directing (for a Few Good Men), but I think this all-time classic is his best.
	Big (1988)
Although she was never nominated for an Oscar personally, Penny Marshall (Laverne from 'Laverne and Shirley') directed two movies that received Academy attention: This one, and 'Awakenings'.
	That Thing You Do! (1996)
A popular and respected film actor, Tom Hanks isn't renowned for his sitcom ('Bosom Buddies') or for directing this, the first (and so far only) non-TV film he's directed.
	Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Do you remember Milton Armitage from the old Dobie Gillis show? Well, the actor who played him is named Warren Beatty, and it turns out he's directed a movie or two.
	61* (2001)			Not Rated
An exceptional movie; Barry Pepper particularly impresses. I enjoyed this Billy Crystal directed movie better than the movies he's starred in.
	The War of the Roses (1989)
Danny DeVito imbues the movies he directs with the same gleeful misanthropy that defined his character in 'Taxi'. His schadenfreude fails more often than it works (see Matilda), but it worked best in 'Throw Mama From the Train' (not yet on DVD) and this.
	Betsy's Wedding (1990)
Standard wedding movie from Alan Alda.