One of the most crucial collaborations in filmmaking is between a director and their cast. How that relationship is selflessly formed (and what makes for a successful one) is dependent on what each individual can bring to the table and how they can merge that talent with that of their collaborator’s.

“Some directors are short and some are tall,” Walter Matthau, on stage with Jack Lemmon to present the Oscar for Best Director, reflected sarcastically at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony, “and some are old and some are young…There are directors who know everything about human behavior and nothing about the camera. There are directors who know camera angles, camera lenses, camera sprockets, and depth of focus, but who are totally ignorant of the human condition.” “We have all of these directors with us tonight,” Lemmon responded before concluding with, “also, we have directors who work well with the camera and with the actors, and one of them is going to win the Academy Award.”

While a director’s working relationship with an actor can be shrouded in mysterious complexities, there have been endless examples of successful ones. It’s with this in mind that this week’s Community Corner question ponders your favorite director-actor duos. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro was the most cited duo, while John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands were another pairing that was mentioned repeatedly. Also featured are Tsai Ming-liang and Lee Kang-sheng, John Waters and Divine, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti, and more. Scroll down below to see a collection of your responses!

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