Chris Evans may be known for his roles in movies like “Captain America” and “Snowpiercer,” but the actor recently took a turn behind the camera, diverging from his leading man title to direct and produce the upcoming romance film, “Before We Go.” It is Evans’ directorial debut, and probably not the last film we will see helmed by the actor. Yet Evans is hardly the first artist to jump from one focus to another. Many famous actors, photographers, painters, dancers and musicians have done the same, taking a seat in the director’s chair with spectacular and highly successful results. Here are five of the best and brightest.

Steve McQueen

Most people now know McQueen as the highly acclaimed director of the 2013 Academy Award winning film, 12 Years a Slave, but McQueen actually got his start as a fine artist, creating projected video works that have been on display at some of the most well known museums and galleries in the world.

McQueen had his first solo show at the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1999 and went on to win the Turner Prize for his video “Deadpan,” which featured the artist standing still as a house fell around him. His fine arts background and trademark ability to linger on tense moments can be seen in the editing and filming of 12 Years a Slave, as well as his other films, including the NC-17 rated Shame.

While McQueen’s work in the mainstream film industry has certainly taken him in a different direction than where he started, his artistic eye remains, resulting in beautiful and memorable movies.

Julie Delpy

This Academy Award nominated French-American actress may be best known for playing Celine in the Before Sunrise movie series, but Delpy is also a director and screenwriter who studied filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

She has worked behind the scenes on a number of films, co-writing Before Sunset with Richard Linklater and wring, editing and co-producing the film 2 Days in Paris, in which she cast her own parents. (The film was successful enough to spawn a spin-off sequel, Two Days in New York.) But it doesn’t stop there—Delpy is also a singer-songwriter, composing the music for several of her films and even releasing a self-titled album in 2003.

Delpy has continued to balance her acting career with her time behind the camera. This year she appeared in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, while also writing and directing the upcoming French film Lolo, a comedy filmed in Paris, Biarritz and London.

Sam Taylor-Johnson

One can only imagine what the pressure must have been like to direct the film adaptation of the ridiculously popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, but before Johnson lent her directorial prowess to the quivering masses she was known as a photographer and visual artist.

Johnson had her first solo show in London in 1996 and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999. Some of her most well known artistic endeavors center around celebrity—in 2002 she created a sleeping portrait of David Beckham for the National Portrait Gallery, and in 2004 published a book called Crying Men, which featured photographs of male Hollywood stars shedding tears.

In 2008 she made her transition into directing, making her debut with the John Lennon biopic, Nowhere Boy, before helming the Fifty Shades of Grey project. Reports say Johnson will not be returning to direct the “Fifty Shades” sequel, so perhaps some more art is in the cards. 

Gore Verbinski

It is hard to imagine one of the highest grossing film directors in the world doing anything but hanging behind the camera, but before Verbinski earned his director’s chair he was actually a musician, performing in several Los Angeles rock bands including the Daredevils, Bulldozer, The Drivers, The Cylon Boys Choir and The Little Kings.

Verbinski channeled his love of music into directing videos for big name bands like NOFX and Bad Religion. He then moved into the commercial realm, directing ads for brands like Budweiser and Nike. His first well-known film was The Mexican, followed by the highly successful and highly terrifying American remake of the Japanese horror film, The Ring. Verbinski went on to win an Academy Award for the animated movie, Rango, and is best known for his directorial role in the tremendously successful Pirate of the Caribbean franchise.

While there is little chance of this blockbuster director returning to the world of small stages and heavy metal, it is safe to say that without his passion for music Verbinski almost certainly would have missed his calling. 

Angelina Jolie

A household name, this female actress is a force to be reckoned with in front of and behind the camera. Daughter of actor Jon Voight, Jolie appeared in films as a child, moving on to land a memorable supporting role in Girl: Interrupted, which earned her an Academy Award. From then on, it was leading actress casting all the way.

In 2001 Jolie began delving into humanitarian work and was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. She wrote a book about her field missions and has since been promoted to higher positions, leading campaigns, establishing foundations, supporting nature reserves and advocating for refugees.

Jolie’s changing focus and ideals can be seen in her decision to slip behind the camera, making her directorial debut on the 2011 film In the Land of Blood and Honey, a love story set during the Bosnian war. She then moved on to direct Unbroken, a story about a World War II hero, in 2014.

Jolie’s latest directorial effort, By The Sea, is based on her own screenplay and features the actress alongside her real-life husband Brad Pitt. The film is scheduled to drop later this year and will surely bring in fans eager to see what this insanely talented woman still has up her sleeve.