17 Directors who cast their family members in their own movies

Modified Jan 20, 2025 07:39 ET

BAM Hosts Barbie Screening and Q & A With Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, and Tony Kushner - Source: Getty

10. Noah Baumbach

Screen Talk: Noah Baumbach - 66th BFI London Film Festival - Source: Getty

In his debut feature, Kicking and Screaming, Noah Baumbach cast his brother Jake Paltrow as a supporting player. Although more known as a director and writer, the brothers' involvement in this semi-autobiographical film gives it a much more personal feel on the uncertainty faced by post-graduates, which is characteristic of Noah's films, which he often explores issues of family relations and relationships in his films. This cooperation was a brilliant example of Noah's ability to weave real elements in his work so that fiction blends with reality to make it connectable to audiences.