These 20 actors are also accomplished screenwriters

Everybody knows Ben Affleck for films like Gone Girl and Argo, playing Batman a handful of times, and being married to two different Jennifers. But he’s actually a very good screenwriter, and Good Will Hunting, the first script he sold in Hollywood, earned him an Oscar for his writing. 

Ben Affleck didn’t earn his Oscar alone. His longtime best friend, Matt Damon, earned the writing award for Good Will Hunting, too. The only other film the two have written together since then was The Last Duel, which premiered in 2021. 

Sitcom fans got to know Mindy Kaling for her work as Kelly Kapoor on The Office, but her greatest contributions to the show were as a staff writer. Kaling wrote a handful of episodes for the series, and she went on to write more series like The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, and The Sex Lives of College Girls. 

Tyler Perry is one busy man. In addition to playing Madea in dozens of films, he’s written multiple films and for multiple television shows. Perry is also an accomplished director and producer, making him one of the most influential entertainers of his generation. 

Tina Fey is one of the few actors who’s also well-known as a writer. The Emmy winner was the head writer at Saturday Night Live for many years before going on to write shows like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She’s perhaps best known, however, for writing the iconic film Mean Girls.

Rashida Jones has acted in series like The Office and Parks and Recreation, but some of her best work has come in the form of scripts. Jones co-wrote the screenplay for Celeste & Jesse Forever, and she has writing credits for projects like Black Mirror, Quincy, Toy Story 4, and The Other Black Girl. 

George Clooney can do it all. He can act, direct, and produce. He can also write. Clooney doesn’t have many writing credits to his name, but a select few are quite notable. He co-wrote The Ides of March and Good Night and Good Luck, both of which earned him Oscar nominations for writing. 

Jordan Peele will forever be known for his work on Key & Peele alongside Keegan-Michael Key, but his talents go beyond performing comedy. Peele was also a writer for the aforementioned series, among others, and he won an Oscar for writing the horror film Get Out. 

Seth Rogen has built a persona as a man who just laughs and smokes all day, but he’s one busy guy. When he’s not acting or producing, he’s writing some of the best comedy material of the century. Rogen’s writing credits include Superbad, Pineapple Express, and Sausage Party, as well as episodes of The Simpsons, The League, and Preacher. 

Danny McBride, best known for his roles in projects like Pineapple Express and The Righteous Gemstones, has quite the screenwriting resume. McBride created and wrote Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones, and he also co-wrote the rebooted Halloween film series. 

Owen Wilson’s contributions to the screenwriting profession haven’t been many, but they’ve been notable. Wilson wrote a few scripts in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, culminating with his Oscar-nominated script for The Royal Tenenbaums. Wilson hasn’t earned any writing credits since. 

For as good a comedic actor as Kristen Wiig is, she might be a better comedic writer. Wiig had a hand in writing some of her skits when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and she co-wrote Bridesmaids and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, the former of which earned her and Annie Mumolo an Oscar nomination for their original screenplay. 

How Tom Hanks has time to do anything but act is a mystery, but he’s written episodes of television and movies. His most notable writing credit is for the 2020 film Greyhound. 

Steve Martin has been writing his entire career. The comedic actor is known for writing The Jerk, Three Amigos!, The Pink Panther, and more, with his most recent writing credits coming from the Emmy-winning series Only Murders in the Building, which he also co-created. 

Donald Glover has proven himself to be one of the best in entertainment. In addition to his notable work in music and as an actor, he’s also written for series like 30 Rock and Funny as Hell. Glover also created and wrote Atlanta, Swarm, and the television adaptation of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. 

Sylvester Stallone is known as Rocky, but he’s written some of the biggest action films of the 20th and 21st centuries. Stallone co-wrote Rocky and its sequels, Rambo and its sequels, The Expendables and its sequels, and Creed and its sequels, among others. It’s safe to say he’s left his mark on the genre. 

Billy Bob Thornton has been very successful with his pen. He won an Oscar for writing the film Sling Blade, and he’s got a handful of other films to his name, too, including Jayne Mansfield’s Car. Unfortunately, a new Thornton screenplay hasn’t been filmed in over a decade. 

Emma Thompson is responsible for writing some of the most beloved films of all time. The famed British actress wrote the adapted screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, contributed dialogue to Pride & Prejudice, and wrote Nanny McPhee and Nanny McPhee Returns, among others. Is there anything she can’t do?

If Phoebe Waller-Bridge is writing, the project is likely to be successful. The Fleabag actress also wrote and created the series, as well as Crashing and Killing Eve. She also co-wrote the Bond film No Time to Die. 

Paul Rudd hasn’t written much, but what he has written has been successful. Rudd’s writing includes Role Models, Ant-Man, and Ant-Man and the Wasp, and he also co-created and co-wrote the series Party Down.