For decades, Hollywood sold the idea that power lived in front of the camera. Yet quietly, and often out of necessity rather than ambition, many actors began moving behind it—founding production companies not as vanity projects, but as instruments of survival and self-definition.
What started as a strategic response has since evolved into a defining pattern of modern stardom. From Oscar winners safeguarding prestige projects to genre stars building franchises on their own terms, these actors used production to rewrite the rules of longevity, authorship and ownership.
Sandra Bullock | Fortis Films
At a time when creative power in Hollywood was rarely placed in the hands of female leads, Sandra Bullock made a decisive move: in 1995, she founded Fortis Films, a banner that allowed her not only to choose her roles, but also to shape the worlds those characters would inhabit.
What began as a vehicle for projects aligned with her voice—romantic comedies and character-driven dramas—quickly became a strategic tool to redefine her career on her own terms. Through Fortis, Bullock helped bring box office hits like Miss Congeniality and Hope Floats to life while asserting greater control over storytelling, proving that longevity in the industry could coexist with creative independence.
George Clooney | Smokehouse Pictures
George Clooney never intended to simply play along with Hollywood’s rules—he wanted to help rewrite them. In 2006, alongside longtime collaborator Grant Heslov, he launched Smokehouse Pictures, named after a beloved Burbank restaurant that once served as a meeting point for filmmakers and ideas.
Far from being a vanity label, Smokehouse became a creative hub for projects that balance entertainment with political and social relevance. The company gave Clooney the freedom to move fluidly between acting, directing, and producing, while championing stories that challenge audiences and expand the scope of what studio-backed films can address.
Matt Damon | Pearl Street Films
Matt Damon’s transition into producing was rooted in collaboration rather than control. In 2012, he and Ben Affleck co-founded Pearl Street Films with the goal of fostering meaningful storytelling beyond the constraints of traditional studio development.
Although the company closed in 2022, its impact was felt across film and television, producing projects that reflected Damon’s interest in character-driven narratives and socially conscious themes. Pearl Street allowed him to engage with filmmaking on a structural level, shaping stories from the ground up and reinforcing his role not just as a performer, but as a creative architect.
Ben Affleck | Pearl Street Films
Ben Affleck’s career has been defined by reinvention, and Pearl Street Films marked one of its most consequential chapters. As co-founder, Affleck used the company as a platform to explore stories with depth, moral tension, and emotional weight—often stepping behind the camera as both director and producer.
The banner reinforced his evolution from movie star to storyteller, enabling him to influence projects at every stage of development. Through Pearl Street, Affleck demonstrated that producing was not a departure from acting, but an extension of a long-standing desire to shape narratives with intention and authorship.
Drew Barrymore | Flower Films
Long before producing became a common career pivot for actors, Drew Barrymore was already charting her own course. In 1995, she co-founded Flower Films with Nancy Juvonen, establishing a production company centered on bold, emotionally resonant stories—often led by women.
From Never Been Kissed to Charlie’s Angels, Flower Films blended commercial appeal with personality and heart. Barrymore’s producing work consistently challenged conventional portrayals of female characters, offering stories filled with humor, vulnerability, and agency, and cementing her role as a creative force beyond the screen.
Tom Cruise | Cruise/Wagner Productions
At the height of his stardom, Tom Cruise sought more than leading roles—he wanted creative authority. That ambition led to the formation of Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1992, alongside his longtime agent Paula Wagner. The company became instrumental in shaping some of Cruise’s most defining projects, beginning with Mission: Impossible in 1996.
For over a decade, Cruise/Wagner functioned as a powerhouse that allowed Cruise to influence production decisions, negotiate creative control, and secure long-term franchise stability. Even after the partnership ended in 2008, its legacy remains a defining example of how actors can leverage producing to reshape their careers from the inside out.
Viola Davis | JuVee Productions
Viola Davis built her producing career with the same clarity and conviction that define her performances. In 2011, she co-founded JuVee Productions with her husband Julius Tennon as a direct response to the lack of complex, leading roles for women of color.
Rather than waiting for the industry to change, JuVee positioned itself as a company that would actively reshape representation, prioritizing stories that explore identity, power, and lived experience.
Through film, television, and digital content, Davis has used producing as both a creative and political act—one that amplifies underrepresented voices while ensuring she remains at the center of narratives with depth and consequence.
Margot Robbie | LuckyChap Entertainment
Margot Robbie’s rise as a producer has been as intentional as her acting choices. In 2014, she co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment with the explicit goal of championing female-driven stories that Hollywood often overlooked. The company quickly earned a reputation for bold, unconventional projects that challenge genre expectations and cultural norms.
By producing films like I, Tonya and Promising Young Woman, Robbie repositioned herself not just as a leading actress, but as a tastemaker with a sharp eye for disruptive storytelling. LuckyChap reflects her desire to balance mainstream success with creative risk—an approach that has reshaped both her career and the industry landscape around her.
Adam Sandler | Happy Madison Productions
For Adam Sandler, producing was less about prestige and more about autonomy. Founded in 1999, Happy Madison Productions became a creative home where Sandler could develop projects tailored to his comedic sensibility while maintaining control over tone, casting, and output.
The company has produced a steady stream of commercially successful films, many featuring recurring collaborators, reinforcing Sandler’s preference for long-term creative relationships.
While critics have often debated the artistic merits of Happy Madison’s catalog, its business impact is undeniable—and it has allowed Sandler the freedom to oscillate between broad comedies and more dramatic, risk-taking roles without sacrificing independence.
Reese Witherspoon | Hello Sunshine
Reese Witherspoon’s producing career represents one of the most strategic pivots in modern Hollywood. After noticing how few female-centered stories were being adapted for the screen, she launched Hello Sunshine in 2016 with a clear mission: put women’s stories front and center.
Built largely around literary adaptations, the company has turned novels into cultural touchstones, reshaping television and film through projects that prioritize female perspectives and leadership.
Witherspoon’s move into producing was not reactive—it was visionary, transforming her from star into industry power broker and proving that creative control can also translate into significant commercial influence.
Danny DeVito | Jersey Films
Danny DeVito’s influence as a producer often flies under the radar, yet Jersey Films, founded in 1991, has left an indelible mark on American cinema. Unlike many actor-led companies, Jersey Films focused less on DeVito as a performer and more on developing daring, director-driven projects.
The company became known for backing unconventional stories that major studios were hesitant to embrace, helping bring critically acclaimed films to life. DeVito’s role as producer highlighted his instincts as a storyteller and collaborator, positioning him as a quiet but formidable force behind some of the most distinctive films of the 1990s.
Jodie Foster | Egg Pictures
Jodie Foster’s transition into producing felt like a natural extension of a career built on intelligence and creative rigor. She founded Egg Pictures in the early 1990s as a space to develop intimate, character-focused stories—often from female perspectives—that might struggle to find studio backing.
Foster’s work as a producer emphasized narrative nuance over spectacle, reflecting her long-standing interest in psychological depth and thematic complexity. Through Egg Pictures, she reinforced her identity not just as an acclaimed actress and director, but as a curator of thoughtful storytelling, using production as a means to protect artistic integrity.
Tom Hanks | Playtone
Tom Hanks’ move into producing was driven less by reinvention and more by expansion. Founded in 1998 with producer Gary Goetzman, Playtone became a home for large-scale, meticulously researched storytelling, particularly projects rooted in American history and collective memory.
From Band of Brothers to The Pacific, Playtone established itself as a company synonymous with prestige, scope, and narrative care. For Hanks, producing offered the chance to shepherd stories that extended beyond a single performance, allowing him to shape tone, accuracy, and emotional resonance while reinforcing his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most trusted storytellers.
Tina Fey | Little Stranger, Inc.
Tina Fey’s producing career mirrors her comedic voice: sharp, efficient, and quietly subversive. Through Little Stranger, Inc., Fey transformed her success as a writer and performer into sustainable creative authority, building a pipeline for smart, character-driven comedy across television and film.
Producing enabled her to mentor new voices, protect writers’ rooms, and maintain tonal consistency in projects that might otherwise be diluted through traditional studio development. Rather than stepping away from comedy, Fey used producing to safeguard it—ensuring her brand of wit remained intact from script to screen.
Queen Latifah | Flavor Unit Entertainment
When Queen Latifah co-founded Flavor Unit Entertainment in the mid-1990s, it was a declaration of independence. The company emerged from her roots in music and quickly evolved into a multimedia powerhouse spanning film, television, and digital content.
Flavor Unit has consistently focused on inclusive storytelling, creating space for performers and creators often sidelined by the mainstream industry. For Latifah, producing became a way to translate cultural influence into structural power—allowing her to shape narratives that reflect authenticity, resilience, and range well beyond the roles she played herself.
Eddie Murphy | Eddie Murphy Productions
Eddie Murphy’s producing journey has been closely tied to his evolution as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. Through Eddie Murphy Productions, he gained the leverage to control the type of projects he headlined, particularly during the peak of his box-office dominance.
Producing allowed Murphy to protect his comedic identity while adapting to changing audience tastes, balancing broad humor with family-oriented films and, later, more reflective performances. In an industry quick to box comedians into narrow lanes, producing offered Murphy flexibility—both creatively and commercially—across multiple decades.
Brad Pitt | Plan B Entertainment Inc.
Brad Pitt’s work as a producer has arguably rivaled his on-screen legacy. Co-founding Plan B Entertainment in the early 2000s, Pitt positioned the company as a champion of director-driven, socially resonant stories that studios often hesitate to prioritize.
Plan B has been instrumental in bringing critically acclaimed films to the screen, frequently tackling themes of inequality, identity, and systemic failure. For Pitt, producing became a way to step back from the spotlight while exerting greater influence over the kinds of stories Hollywood tells—and which ones it takes seriously.
Aubrey Plaza | Evil Hag Productions
Aubrey Plaza’s producing career reflects her refusal to conform to traditional star trajectories. With Evil Hag Productions, she carved out a space for offbeat, genre-blurring projects that align with her distinctive screen presence.
Producing has allowed Plaza to seek out unconventional narratives—often rooted in dark comedy, discomfort, or emotional ambiguity—that might struggle within more commercial frameworks. Rather than smoothing out her edges, Evil Hag amplifies them, reinforcing Plaza’s status as an artist drawn to creative risk and narrative experimentation.
Charlize Theron | Denver & Delilah Productions
Charlize Theron founded Denver & Delilah Productions with a clear objective: to generate roles for women that matched the complexity and intensity she sought as an actress. The company has since built a reputation for producing films and series led by formidable female characters, often within genres traditionally dominated by men.
Producing gave Theron the authority to greenlight stories that challenge power dynamics both on-screen and behind the camera. In doing so, she reshaped her career from leading performer to influential decision-maker, using production as a tool for long-term impact rather than short-term visibility.
Robert Redford | Wildwood Enterprises Inc.
Robert Redford’s decision to become a producer predates the modern conversation around creative control, yet it helped define it. Through Wildwood Enterprises, founded in the late 1960s, Redford positioned himself as a guardian of filmmaker-driven cinema at a time when studio formulas dominated the market.
The company supported projects that emphasized character, political awareness, and artistic risk, aligning closely with Redford’s broader mission as a champion of independent voices. Producing allowed him to influence the industry beyond his performances, reinforcing a legacy rooted in authorship, mentorship, and long-term cultural impact.
Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry Studios
Tyler Perry’s producing career is less a pivot than a blueprint. By building Tyler Perry Studios, one of the largest production facilities in the United States, Perry redefined what creative ownership looks like in Hollywood. Rather than negotiating control project by project, he constructed an ecosystem where he writes, directs, produces, and distributes content largely on his own terms.
The studio became a hub for high-volume production and employment opportunities, particularly for Black creators, proving that independence at scale is not only possible but sustainable. Perry’s model challenges traditional power structures by removing gatekeepers altogether.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively’s entry into producing reflects a gradual, intentional shift toward authorship rather than exposure. While she built her career in front of the camera, producing has allowed her to participate earlier in the creative process—shaping tone, character arcs, and visual identity from development onward.
Lively has spoken openly about seeking greater influence behind the scenes, particularly in projects that emphasize perspective and craft. Her producing work signals a desire to evolve beyond star-driven casting and toward storytelling rooted in collaboration and creative input.
Timothee Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet’s approach to producing is closely tied to his generational position in Hollywood. Rather than launching a traditional production company early in his career, Chalamet has taken a selective path, attaching himself as a producer to projects that align with his artistic sensibilities.
This strategy allows him to engage with material on a deeper level while maintaining flexibility as an actor. For Chalamet, producing is not about volume or branding—it is about protecting tone, director vision, and narrative integrity in a career defined by carefully curated choices.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper’s transition into producing emerged from a desire to take responsibility for the stories he tells. His work behind the scenes often accompanies projects that require emotional precision and long-term development, allowing him to remain involved well beyond performance.
Producing gave Cooper the authority to guide creative decisions from early drafts through post-production, reinforcing his evolution from leading man to storyteller. The move reflects a broader pattern in his career: a focus on depth, discipline, and sustained creative investment rather than short-term visibility.
Salma Hayek | Ventanarosa Productions
Salma Hayek founded Ventanarosa Productions as a response to limited and often stereotypical roles available to Latina actresses in Hollywood. Through producing, she carved out space for culturally specific stories that center women with complexity and agency.
Ventanarosa has been instrumental in bringing projects to the screen that might otherwise have struggled to find backing, blending commercial viability with representation-driven storytelling. For Hayek, producing has never been a side project—it is a corrective measure, one that reclaims narrative control and broadens who gets to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.