10 Celebrities Who Dated Their Directors

Actress Kristen Stewart dated director Rupert Sanders

In any line of work, dating someone on the job is never recommended, and Hollywood is no different.  Although it is not uncommon for actors to date one and other, and to even date members of the production team, making such a decision can often result in permanent career damage.  However, it is also possible that a relationship formed on set can lead to a lifetime of happiness and/or career opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable. Relationships between actors and their directors, which can often lead to career success or career suicide, seem to be very popular amongst some of Hollywood’s finest.  Here is a list of 10 celebrities who dated their directors.

10.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Sam Taylor-Wood

Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson met his now wife, Sam Taylor- Wood on the set of the 2009 film, Nowhere Boy.  Despite their more than 20 year age difference, the two quickly began dating and announced their engagement at the film’s premiere.  They were married in 2012, and the couple now has two daughters together.

9. Kate Beckinsale and Len Weisman

Actress Kate Beckinsale met her now husband, director Len Weisman, while both were working on the film, Underworld.  As the time, Beckinsale was married to actor Michael Sheen, and she persuaded Weisman to give him a role in the film.  However, Beckinsale and Weisman (who was married at the time) began dating and announced their engagement the following year, and the couple was married in May 2004.

8. Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson

Mila Jovovich and director Paul W.S. Anderson met in 2002 while working together on the film, Resident Evil. However, prior to her relationship with Anderson, Jovovich married another director, Luc Besson, whom she’d worked with on the science fiction film, Fifth Element.  Although her marriage to Besson only lasted for two years, Jovovich and Anderson have been happily married since 2009, and the couple are the proud parents of a daughter named Ever Gabo.

7. Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.

Actress Kate Capshaw met legendary film director, Steven Spielberg, while working on the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  The couple began dating and eventually married in 1991 just two years after Spielberg’s costly divorce from his previous wife, Amy Irving.  Capshaw and Spielberg have been happily married for more than 20 years, the couple’s blended family costs of seven children.

6. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton

Actress Helena Bonham Carter began dating director Tim Burton in 2001 after the couple met while filming Planet of the Apes. Due to their relationship, Burton began casting Carter in many of his films including Dark Shadows and Alice in Wonderland. After struggling with infertility, the couple eventually had two children, a daughter and a son.  Unfortunately, for Carter and Burton, their relationship was not able to withstand the life’s distracting and they split in 2014.

5. Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez

In 2007, Rose McGowan, best-known for her role as Paige Matthews in the supernatural drama series, Charmed, began dating director Robert Rodriguez.  The couple eventually became engaged; however, they split before making it down the aisle.  After their break-up, rumors began to circulate that Rodriguez left McGowan for a younger actress. McGowan has since made negative commons about Rodriguez’ directing abilities, stating that “he doesn’t know how to shoot outside of Texas.”

4. Cybil Shepherd and Peter Bagdanovich

Legendary actress Cybil Shepherd has had some pretty famous boyfriends in her lifetime, including the late Elvis Presely. However, after attempting to put up with his drug and alcohol dependence, Shepherd ended her relationship with the King and began dating director Peter Bagdanovich. While together, Bagdanovich offered Shepherd a role in every production he worked on. However, when the couple split in 1979, he was no longer eager to cast the talented star.

3. Frances McDormand and Joel Coen

Actress Frances McDormand is best-known for her role in films such as Raising Arizona and Burn After Reading. She has been married to Joel Coen, one half of the directing duo, the Coen brothers, since 1984 and has starred in six of his films during her career.  Along with his brother, Coen has directed numerous films including No Country for Old Men and True Grit.

2. Brigette Bardot and Roger Vadim

Actress Brigette Bardot was often regarded as a sex symbol during her prime.  Throughout her lifetime, she has enjoyed successful careers in both the music and the film industries. In 1952, Bardot married director Roger Vadium whom she would collaborate with several times over the course of her career.  The couple, who had no children together, divorced in 1957; however, they remained friends until Vadim’s death in 2000.

1. Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders

Kristen Stewart, star of the Twilight film series, has had a very successful film career.  Once seen as one of Hollywood’s last remaining good girls, Stewart made headlines when she cheated on ex-boyfriend and fellow Twilight star, Robert Pattinson, when she  to date married film director, Rupert Sanders.  However, Stewart quickly regretted her decision and said, “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.

 (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI)

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