Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Joel Cohen and Francis McDormand, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter – 6 filmmakers who directed their spouse in Hollywood
These marriages were tested at home and while working together on the film set – and while some survived, others did not
In 2018, actor-turned-director John Krasinski directed his real-life spouse, Emily Blunt, in the horror-hit A Quiet Place, in which the sequel is now delayed to later this year due to the ongoing pandemic. However, as fans await to see Krasinski and Blunt’s performances once again on the big screen, there are six other filmmakers who have also directed their spouses in Hollywood that you might not know of.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
During their 12-year-relationship, power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have starred in two films: Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) and By the Sea (2015); in the latter Jolie stepped into the director’s shoes. The romantic film tells a couple's story who goes on a vacation to repair their marriage. Jolie has stated that the film at its core is about grief, inspired by how she felt after she lost her mother to a decade of battling cancer.
Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes
After five years into their marriage, acclaimed British auteur Sam Mendes (1917 fame) directed his then-wife Kate Winslet in a powerful drama Revolutionary Road (2008) opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The director told Reuters that Winslet surprised him with her “relentless attention to details” and her fun personality on set. The golden couple announced their divorce in 2011.
Joel Coen and Frances McDormand
Revered actress Frances McDormand met her husband during her audition for Blood Simple (1983) directed by Joel Coen and has since collaborated in multiple classic films, such as Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There, Burn After Reading and Hail, Caesar!, among others. The legendary couple has been married for 34 years, adopted a son from Paraguay and confessed that “having stories to tell each other” is the key to their strong marriage.