With all the hype around September’s Don’t Worry Darling, the psychological thriller starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh, it’s easy to forget that the movie is only the second feature film directed by Olivia Wilde. After writing and directing a short film called Free Hugs way back in 2011, the actress proved herself as a filmmaking force to be reckoned with in 2019, directing the acclaimed comedy Booksmart, which earned major praise for its witty jokes and nuanced take on female friendship. Now, she’s back with her highest-profile film yet, and she already has two more directing projects lined up for 2023 and onward.

Wilde is far from the first popular actor to successfully transition to directing; countless other stars, from George Clooney to Ben Affleck, notably made the switch before her. Yet, she is one of the few women to go down this path, joining an elite small group of female directors working in Hollywood today. According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women made up just 17 percent of directors on the top 250 grossing movies of 2021 — less than the previous year. And while high-profile actresses like Wilde certainly have a leg up in getting their movies made over their lesser-known peers, they still suffer from much of the same industry sexism, gender bias, and more in order to have a turn behind the camera.

It’s an unfair truth, but for the many women out there hoping to become directors themselves one day, seeing stars like Wilde lead by example and create must-see movies provides some serious inspiration and encouragement. Below, let’s take a look at seven other actresses-turned-directors doing their part to kick down Hollywood’s old-school walls.

Greta Gerwig

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Although Gerwig co-directed her first movie, the mumblecore dramedy Nights and Weekends, with Joe Swanberg back in 2008, it wasn’t until 2017’s Lady Bird that she went solo and showed off her filmmaking chops to a wider audience. The coming-of-age film was a huge critical and commercial success, earning Gerwig a Best Director Oscar nomination — the first woman in eight years to receive the nod. She earned more praise two years later with Little Women, which scored six Oscar nods.

Gerwig told Time in 2018 that she was motivated to direct after seeing a female-directed film in college and realizing that women could take on the role. “I thought, ‘Wait, are we allowed to do that? Who told you you could?’” she recalled to the magazine, adding, “Nobody told her. She was just gonna do it, like the guys were doing it.”

Next up: Gerwig is currently directing the live-action Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie, set for a 2023 release.

Angelina Jolie

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Jolie was initially planning only to write, not direct, the 2011 war drama In the Land of Blood and Honey, but she decided to take on the dual role because of her passion for the material. “The idea that somebody would take it and interpret it — and possibly interpret it the wrong way — scared me,” Jolie said about the film in a 2015 interview with the Directors Guild of America. “So by default, I chose to direct it myself.”

In the Land of Blood and Honey received mixed reviews, but Jolie wasn’t deterred, going on to direct three more movies, including 2017’s Golden Globe-nominated First They Killed My Father.

Next up: In late 2020, Jolie signed on to direct Unreasonable Behaviour, a biopic of a war photographer.

Jodie Foster

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Back in the early ’90s, Foster had just won her second Oscar and was one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, and so some people — including her own mother — thought stepping away to try directing was a mistake. “I was at the height of my acting career, [and] at that moment I could make the most money, so it was a very bad choice, according to her,” Foster recalled in a 2021 interview at the Cannes Film Festival, before adding, “I did not listen, and I’m very happy.”

Today, Foster is not only a successful film director — having directed movies like 2011’s The Beaver — but she is also a celebrated TV director, including an Emmy-nominated directing stint on Orange Is the New Black.

Next up: Foster does not currently have a directing project in the works.

Brie Larson

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Larson may be best known as an actor, but that’s not all she’s capable of. In 2017, she made her feature directing debut with the dramedy Unicorn Store, after co-directing and co-writing two previous films. Unicorn Store got mixed reviews, but Larson’s original, inspired work as a filmmaker was lauded by many critics.

For Larson, making the move to directing was always bound to happen. “I’ve just made movies my whole life,” Larson told IndieWire in a 2017 interview, referring to childhood films starring her cousins. “I guess this has been part of my way of expressing myself for a very long time.”

Next up: In 2019, Larson made a two-film deal with Netflix, including a drama called Lady Business that the star might act in as well as direct.

Regina King

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After decades in Hollywood as an actor, King decided to pursue directing on television in 2013, helming episodes of shows like Scandal and This Is Us over the next few years. She honed her craft by entering an ABC directing program, and in 2020, she made her feature-film directorial debut with One Night in Miami … The acclaimed drama garnered her significant praise, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director.

King has said she loves directing because of the freedom it provides. “It’s an opportunity to be more involved in telling the story,” she told Variety in 2016. “Having a little more control — that might have something to do with it.”

Next up: In 2021, it was announced that King would next take on the supernatural comic adaptation Bitter Root.

Elizabeth Banks

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Banks directed a 2011 short film and a segment of the 2013 comedy Movie 43, but it wasn’t until 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2 that she fully took the reins as a feature film director. The movie was an enormous box-office success, and Banks went on to direct the 2019 Charlie’s Angels remake, which she also starred in, produced, and wrote.

When asked by The New York Times in a 2017 interview what motivated her to direct and produce, Banks kept it simple. “I was a frustrated actress,” she said. “I was bored.”

Next up: Banks will direct Cocaine Bear, a true-crime thriller starring Keri Russell that will be released in February.

Courteney Cox

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Cox had long worked as a producer in addition to her acting roles, but in 2012, Cox chose to take up directing with the Lifetime TV movie TalhotBlond. She switched to feature films two years later, directing the black comedy Just Before I Go, and went on to direct 12 episodes of her sitcom Cougar Town.

Cox has been outspoken about how her privilege as an A-list actor has helped her as a director, allowing her the freedom to pursue her visions without much worry of money or reviews.

“I financed this film, so I don’t know if I would have gotten the opportunity,” she admitted in a 2015 interview with Collider, adding, “Who knows? I’ve been fortunate enough to say, ‘I don’t want to have anything hold me back. If the opportunity is not going to come to me, f–k it, I’ll just make the opportunity happen.’”

Next up: Cox has no directing projects coming up, but she’s spoken about wanting to make more movies and has encouraged other female directors to take the lead.

Rachel Simon is a writer with work in The New York Times, Glamour, NBC News, Marie Claire, and many other outlets. Follow her on Twitter @rachel_simon.

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