An interesting development within the movie world in recent years has been the rise of the actor/producer. Performers have had their own production companies since the days of United Artists, but it is much more common now than before.

What makes it so surprising is that the role of a movie producer is often considered to be a somewhat thankless one. Producers have overall responsibility; both at the pre-production and post-production stage.That means sorting out scripts, actors and financing, as well as overseeing the final edit and promotional strategy for a film. It is a lot of work to take on, but clearly some actors really relish it.

Here are some of the ones who have turned producer during the past few years.

Brad Pitt

One of the more successful examples is Hollywood icon Brad Pitt. For many people, he is still best known as an actor and his list of major hit movies is a lengthy one. He rose to fame in the early 1990s, thanks to a supporting role in Thelma and Louise. Then he consolidated his stardom with a string of hits, from Legends of the Fall and Seven to the Ocean’s franchise.

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Pitt has increasingly switched his attentions to the production role though. He owns a stake in the company Plan B Entertainment which has been behind a number of hit films. Some of them saw him combine producing and acting duties – such as The Tree of Life and World War Z – but many of the recent ones have featured him solely as producer.

An exciting upcoming project that he is overseeing is the 2025 film F1. This will take on the world of motorsports and will see Pitt return to acting as well as producing. He is set to portray an injured ex-driver who mentors a young up-and-comer. It is one of the hotly anticipated films for next year.

George Clooney

Pitt’s co-star in those Ocean’s films is also a very successful movie producer. George Clooney became a star as a result of the 1990s television drama ER, where he played Dr Doug Ross. After leaving the show, he made a comfortable transition into movies with hit roles in Out of Sight, Solaris and Ocean’s Eleven. He also made the move into the producing world and has enjoyed similarly impressive results. 

Back in 2006 he launched a production company named Smokehouse Pictures and it has a strong track record. That includes the 2013 film Argo, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Just like Pitt, Clooney has sometimes doubled up as producer and performer. However he has often added a third string to his bow by directing the films made by his production company.  Recent examples of movies he produced, directed and starred in include The Midnight Sky and The Monuments Men. With that degree of involvement, there is nowhere to hide if the film is a flop.

Natalie Portman

It is not just the male performers in Hollywood who are getting in on the producing game. Natalie Portman is another who has her own triumphant track record in movie production. She first came to public attention in 1995 when she was cast as a runaway teen in the action thriller Leon: The Professional. As an adult her biggest successes include the Marvel Thor franchise and the 2010 film Black Swan, for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award.

Her production company is called MountainA and it has overseen projects such as May December. Prior to its launch, she also produced films including Jane Got a Gun and Vox Lux.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is another Academy Award winning actress who has a producing sideline. She owns a company called Denver and Delilah Productions that has brought a number of exciting films to fruition. Among them is the thriller Atomic Blonde and drama Monster, both of which she also played the lead roles in. Her performance as the damaged killer Aileen Wuornos in the latter movie won her an Oscar.

It was 1990s films such as The Cider House Rules that first brought Theron to the attention of the public and she has sustained a successful career. That is almost certainly due to her decision to take control by mixing her acting work with production duties. Many actresses now are coming to the same conclusion.

All of these stars have shown that producing as well as acting is a career move that will really pay off if you can do it well.