Throughout the history of cinema, there have been a countless amount of creative partnerships that have contributed to the industry in ways that will be remembered for generations to come.
The most memorable and recognisable example of creative partnerships throughout cinematic history seems to materialise through the iconic duo of an actor and their director.
If one was to go through the endless chapters of cinema that have become fabricated throughout the industry, they would become exposed to an unlimited number of actor/director duos that have left a huge footprint on the content that we view today.
Iconic duos such as Tarantino and Sam Jackson, Nolan and Murphy, Spielberg and Hanks, Scorsese and De Niro, Spike Lee and Washington, alongside many many more have shaped the cinematic culture that lives today.
But as generations pass us, and the collaborations between these creative partnerships become numbered, the question must be asked:
Who are the best up and coming actor/director duos of tomorrow?
Saoirse Ronan and Greta Gerwig
Since Gerwig made her directorial debut in 2017 with A24's 'Lady Bird', she has very quickly accelerated to the top of every major film studio's list of sought after filmmakers. The actress-turned-writer/director received two Academy Award nominations for her contribution to the film, and has since not looked back.
The film of course starred Saoirse Ronan as the titular role, who has been discussed as being an emphasised on-screen adaptation of Gerwig herself. Ronan would then go on to be directed by Gerwig for a second time on the set of 'Little Women', in which the actress received her fourth Academy Award nomination (second under the direction of Gerwig), for her portrayal of Jo March.
2. Timothee Chalamet and Luca Guadagnino
Hollywood's leading man of tomorrow, Mr Chalamet himself, has many people to be grateful towards for his rise to becoming one of the most recognisable faces within the movie industry, but maybe no one as much as his 'Call Me By Your Name' director, Luca Guadagnino.
Guadagnino helped put Chalamet on the map when he was cast alongside Armie Hammer in the Academy Award winning romantic tearjerker of 2017. The Frenchman earned his only Academy Award nomination to date for his portrayal of Elio Perlman, the sexually confused teenager who accidentally slips into a secret romance with his Father's temporarily hired assistant throughout the summer of 1983.
The duo then went on to work together on Guadagnino's 2022 horror/romance 'Bones and All', but this time in a much different light, with the film focusing on the love story between a young woman and a boy she meets (Chalamet), who just so happens to be a blood-thirsty cannibal.
3. Daniel Kaluuya and Jordan Peele
Talking of actors who owe an unpayable debt to the filmmakers they were cast by, as British actor Daniel Kaluuya is one of many names scattered across the industry that belong on that list. The 35-year-old saw his career rotate 180 degrees as he went from appearing in small character roles in films such as 'Kick Ass 2' and 'Johnny English: Reborn" to being the name at the top of the call sheet of Jordan Peele's genre-shifting horror story 'Get Out'.
The movie-loving world was introduced to Kaluuya via his portrayal of Chris Washington in 'Get Out', before winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his groundbreaking performance as Fred Hampton in 'Judas and the Black Messiah'. The duo linked up again for the first time since 'Get Out' in 2022, as the British actor starred alongside Keke Palmer in Peele's critically acclaimed horror/science-fiction 'Nope'.
4. Willem Dafoe and Robert Eggers
The icon that is Willem Dafoe may be perceived as someone whom, at his age, you wouldn't expect to be developing such a strong creative relationship with a filmmaker as young and exciting as Robert Eggers. But the upcoming cinematic release of Egger's 19th-century vampire tale 'Nosferatu' will mark the 3rd occasion in which the duo have worked together in the space of 5 years.
We first witnessed Dafoe under the direction of Eggers when we saw him star alongside Robert Pattinson in the 2019 picture, 'The Lighthouse', a story about the experiences of two lighthouse keepers as their loneliness causes them to become haunted by a series of strange and mysterious visions. The industry titan then appeared in a much smaller role in 2022's 'The Northman', a story of revenge and adventure in 914 Iceland, led by a rage-filled Alexander Skarsgard in the role of Prince Amleth.
5. Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos
Far away the most successful pair of collaborators on this list, both with the critics and the box office statistics has to be the delightful duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos. The American actress and Greek filmmaker have worked together on a good handful of projects now, with 'Kinds Of Kindness' being the most recent of which.
Earlier this year, Emma Stone was granted with the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her unique and courageous performance as Bella Baxter in Lanthimos' 'Poor Things'. This wasn't the first time the actress had received recognition via the Academy for her work under the direction of Yorgos, as Stone was also nominated in 2019 for her supporting role in 'The Favourite'.
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