Best Actors turned Documentary Producers

It is a well known fact that every Hollywood actor and actress, once they reach a certain level of fame, use their celebrity status to help raise awareness on certain issues. Some, inevitably, turn their powers to documentaries- after all, they do know movies. Some lend their voices, others their presence, but the great ones know when to step back and mold such films from a producing standpoint. Though not everyone focuses on political issues, these ten stand out as Hollywood celebrities who have made the successful leap into documentary production.

1. Spike Lee

Yes, technically he’s more of a director than an actor, but he’s played enough roles that he slips into this list and steals the spotlight. Whether he’s covering sports (Jim Brown: All American; Kobe Doin’ Work), comedy (The Original Kings of Comedy) or natural disasters (When the Levees Break), the man flat out speaks for a generation.

2. Clint Eastwood

Where Clint found time to produce a documentary is beyond me, so finding out he was involved in at least a half dozen reality based films is downright impressive. Unlike most actors, Clint’s documentary passions weren’t political in nature. Instead, he followed his love of music (Tony Bennet: the Music Never Ends; Monterey Jazz Festival; Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser) and movies (You Must Remember This: the Warner Brothers; Budd Boetticher: an American Original), developing great films along the way.

3. Matt Damon

this gifted actor knows the industry quite well and he’s used his talents to open doors for aspiring filmmakers in Project Greenlight. He’s also played an active role in numerous documentaries, but alas he drops to the #3 spot because his only other producer credit is attached to Running the Sahara- a great looking film, but hardly #1 worthy.

4. Leo DiCaprio

Good ol’ Leo has been on a Green trip for sometime now and has turned that passion into two documentary producer credits. His success with 11th Hour far outweighs his failure in the reality TV attempt Greensburg. His next film, Atari, takes him into a totally different spectrum of documentaries as he explores the world of video games. I suspect Leo is quite taken with our genre and I expect more films from him in the future.

5. Robert Redford

Though none of his documentaries are even a 100th as popular as any of his acting credits, Redford gets an automatic top five spot for his involvement with the Sundance Film Festival (aka, the mecca for documentaries trying to break into the mainstream market). His two produced films (The Milagro Beanfield War, Incident at Oglala) are historically based, but it’s his TV series (Iconoclasts) that will be most remembered.

6. Don Cheadle

it only takes one documentary to realize this man’s vision and passion. Cheadle’s involvement in Darfur Now pushed this amazing actor into the spotlight as a well-spoken, passionate and sensitive human being. Though he fights for a cause, he understands people’s trepidation, avoiding angry rants so he can focus on building his case. His involvement with future documentaries will easily push him into the top five.

7. George Clooney

Ironically, though Clooney is the more famous actor, it’s Cheadle who steals the spotlight with documentaries. Clooney is no slouch either, producing one film (Sand and Sorrow) and in the midst of finishing another (Playground). Neither will be as successful as Darfur Now, but the man has made a name for himself as a ‘quiet activist’.

8. Angelina Jolie

the only female to make the list, Angelina makes up for her boy’s (Pitt) surprisingly lacking documentary involvement. She already has an engaging documentary (Trudell) under her belt and looks to surpass herself with next year’s Resilient. I won’t lie though, I expected better things from Hollywood Starletts and Jolie’s sole-presence needs to be changed. Get to it ladies!

9. Chris Rock

if you ignore all the Chris Rock specials that exist, you’ll find only one documentary with his producing credit (Good Hair) and that won’t even be released until later this year. So how does this actor make the list? He’s one of the few people in the world who can make you think and laugh at the same time. Good Hair has gotten rave reviews from early screenings and it’s only a matter of time before this comedian focuses his energy on other documentary material. It’s best to get him on the list now.

10. Dave Chappelle

Chappelle squeaks into this list with his sole documentary, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. He doesn’t have the potential of Chris Rock, and he certainly doesn’t come close to Spike Lee, but one thing is for sure, his film is anything but boring. If you’re gonna fill out a list, what better way to do it then with a few laughs and a great soundtrack? **Honorable mention** Mark Wahlberg – I was surprised Mark Wahlberg’s sole documentary came at the beginning of his critical fame. Never really taken as a serious actor until recent years, his film (Juvies) detailing juveniles tried in the courts as adults is surprisingly fresh and innovative approach to an all-too-forgotten subject. Hopefully his critical success will push him back into documentaries, because this pretty boy just gained a new fan.