J.J. Abrams: From Actor to Acclaimed Director

From Acting to Directing: J.J. Abrams’ Journey

When watching this clip, it’s amusing to wonder if J.J. Abrams has ever gone off on his crew like this while directing, but the hope is that he hasn’t. Looking back at his time as an actor, Abrams wasn’t too bad, though for Six Degrees of Separation, it does feel that he might have gone over the top just a bit. But really, that kind of makes the role, and despite the fact that it’s not a major one, it’s likely why he was kept around. Abrams does have about 15 acting credits to his name, but it’s fair to say that a lot of them are moments when he was simply playing himself, which might not count. But he does have other small roles in a few movies from back in the day when his directing talent might not have taken off yet, and he still had to make his way into the business much like anyone else. As of now, he’s been an established director for some time, and he’s been praised quite often as one of the best around. It sounds fair to say that he’s never been the greatest actor in the world, especially since his skills as a director have far outstripped his talents on screen. But in all fairness, the part he played in this particular movie wasn’t that bad since it was an emotional and kind of out there role that had him playing the son of a guy that had been conned just like so many others by a single individual who was very intelligent and knew how to play a con better than many.

J.J. Abrams: A Director in High Demand

At this point in his career, Abrams has amassed a lot of fans and has a reputation that many people defend constantly whenever someone says so much as a bad word about him. When it comes to directors, he’s definitely in demand these days, and he’s completed several projects that many people know very well, so it’s safe to say that directing has earned him far more fame than his acting ever did. But one thing that’s funny between actors and directors, the former usually start off wanting to direct, and while many of them will actually realize their goal at some time, very few people start out as directors only to transition into actors. It’s a process that tends to travel more efficiently in one direction since actors who become producers then directors are far more common as it appears to be a building process that takes place and is actually necessary. It makes a lot of sense though since an actor knows what it’s like to be on screen, to have a director and several others giving them tips, pointers, and sometimes demands when it comes to their role. Actors tend to understand the creative process that goes on when it comes to getting through one scene after another, and as their talent grows, many of them start to notice certain aspects of the job that become commonplace and in some cases also become second nature. The transition from being an actor to becoming a director is seen to be a natural process that isn’t always successful but in some cases can unlock talents that a person might make better use of than their acting skills.

Abrams: A Better Director Than Actor

In other words, Abrams is a far better director than he ever was an actor, as a lot of people might agree, and while it’s no insult to his character or his skills, it’s a truth that a lot of folks should be able to realize. He’s not the worst actor in the world by any means, but he definitely started to shine when he really got into directing, and this is where he’s excelled the most over the years since it’s something he’s great at and it’s something he obviously loves to do. It is to his advantage to have acted for a while though since it did manage to give him a bit of perspective and as a result that allows him to know what actors are going through at times and how to react to it and even how to help them along. A good director is a leader on the set since they know how to guide their actors, how to show and tell the actors what they need them to do, and how to inspire them in ways that will keep the actors motivated when it comes time to film. Plenty of actors have gone on record about which directors they love to work with and which ones they would never work with again. Abrams is one of those that gets mentioned more by the press than by actors sometimes, but there are usually plenty of good things to say about him.