Over the years, some actor-director pairings have been so unexpected, they make us do a double-take and wonder, “Did that really happen?” From acclaimed auteurs teaming up with action stars to legends of Japanese cinema casting mainstream Hollywood actors, these surprising collaborations have left us genuinely stunned.

Whether it’s Martin Scorsese spotting a pop star on a magazine cover and deciding she was perfect for his next film or Vin Diesel teaming up with the director of 12 Angry Men for a courtroom drama, Hollywood has never shied away from unexpected casting choices. Some of these odd pairings have flown under the radar, but they’re well worth remembering.

10

Vin Diesel & Sidney Lumet

Find Me Guilty (2006)

As a star known for blockbuster franchises and action movies, many will be shocked to learn that Vin Diesel worked with the legendary director of socially conscious dramas like 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon, Sidney Lumet. However, the two came together in 2006 for Find Me Guilty, a courtroom comedy-drama based on the longest Mafia trial in American history.

With Diesel as the real-life gangster Jackie DiNorscio, Find Me Guilty told the story of him representing himself in court as he and 19 of his colleagues were on trial for racketeering. Diesel gave a convincing performance that showcased his dramatic talents, and this surprising addition to his filmography makes us wish he would challenge himself more often with serious roles.

9

Rihanna & Luc Besson

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Luc Besson has been behind some of the most acclaimed action and sci-fi movies of the past 30 years, and classic releases like Léon: The Professional acted as the breakout role for child star Natalie Portman. However, many will have forgotten that Besson also worked with pop sensation Rihanna on his divisive sci-fi Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

This disappointing space opera was bursting with potential as it adapted a beloved French graphic novel series, yet it was woefully miscast, and the addition of names like supermodel Cara Delevingne and singer Rihanna didn’t do the film any favors. There was hope Valerian could match the appeal of Besson’s classic release, The Fifth Element, but the results were underwhelming.

8

Michael Jackson & Francis Ford Coppola

Captain EO (1986)

Francis Ford Coppola directed some of the most acclaimed movies of all time, as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now stand as defining movies of the 1970s. While Coppola has plenty of undisputed classics, he’s also been involved in some very unusual projects, including the Disney theme park short film Captain EO starring none other than Michael Jackson.

This 17-minute short was shown at several Disney parks from 1986 to 1998 and told the story of Captain EO (Jackson) and his ragtag crew on an interstellar mission. With elements of Star Wars and other classic sci-fi movies, Captain EO was a strange movie musical that paired two unlikely masters of their craft for a fun-filled adventure in space.

7

Richard Gere & Akira Kurosawa

Rhapsody in August (1991)

With Richard Gere as a mainstream American movie star and Akira Kurosawa as the filmmaker behind Japanese samurai epics like Rashomon, these two vastly different creatives feel like an unlikely pair. Yet Gere appeared in Kurosawa’s Rhapsody in August, which told the story of an elderly hibakusha who lost her husband in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki caring for her grandchildren.

When this elderly woman discovers her long-lost brother was living in Hawaii, she decides to visit him and meets his son, Clark, played by Gere. To see Gere appear in this meditative Japanese-language release was a striking cross-cultural anomaly, although it aligns perfectly with Gere’s reputation as a practicing Buddhist.

6

Billy Ray Cyrus & David Lynch

Mulholland Drive (2001)

While most will know Billy Ray Cyrus as the “Achy Breaky Heart” singing father of Miley Cyrus, lovers of the late great filmmaker David Lynch will know him as Gene in Mulholland Drive. As a strange, surreal, neo-noir that’s often ranked as one of the greatest films of the 21st century, this is not where you’d expect to see Cyrus.

In Mulholland Drive, Cyrus proved his ability to step outside of the mainstream and embrace the dreamlike cinematic world of Lynch. However, Cyrus has been critical of the effect of the role on his career, and he even blamed Lynch (via AV Club) for setting in motion a domino effect that would ruin his life.

5

Marlon Brando & Frank Oz

The Score (2001)

Marlon Brando, whose naturalism and method style in On the Waterfront helped define modern acting, hardly seems a likely match for puppeteer-turned-director Frank Oz. However, the pair came together in 2001 for what would be Brando’s final film role in the heist film The Score.

Brando’s eccentric behavior led to clashes with Oz, and co-star Robert De Niro had to take over directing, with Oz instructing him via an ᴀssistant director (via Montreal Gazette.) While there were plenty of behind-the-scenes troubles, The Score was still a critical success, and it was exciting to watch the young and old versions of Vito Corleone share the screen.

4

Lindsay Lohan & Paul Schrader

The Canyons (2013)

Paul Schrader’s erotic thriller The Canyons featured an unusually diverse ᴀssortment of surprising, notable names. With a screenplay by the American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis and starring Lindsay Lohan, The Canyons received poor reviews, although Lohan’s performance was the one aspect that critics singled out for praise.

The Canyons coincided with a succession of downturns in Lohan’s career, as her personal life, legal problems, and arrests meant she was no longer gaining lead roles in mainstream comedies. While Lohan working with Schrader came out of left field, it also proved she was capable of working on mature dramas and showcased a side to her we hadn’t previously seen.

3

David Bowie & Christopher Nolan

The Prestige (2006)

The late glam rock icon David Bowie’s career slowed down during the 2000s as he stopped releasing new music and only acted infrequently. That’s why it came as such a surprise to see him portray the real-life inventor Nikola Tesla in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi psychological thriller The Prestige.

The casting of Bowie was a stroke of genius, as his otherworldly aura perfectly represented the unusual appeal of the eccentric inventor. Nolan stated that Bowie was the only person he had in mind to portray Tesla (via IGN) and that he flew out to New York to pitch the role to the musician in person.

2

Paris Hilton & Sofia Coppola

The Bling Ring (2013)

The melancholic tone of Sofia Coppola’s films may seem worlds apart from the flashy, tabloid-fueled persona of Paris Hilton, yet she was central to The Bling Ring and its exploration of the hollow allure of celebrity culture. As a genuine target of the real thefts that inspired the movie, Hilton stood as both the subject and symbol of the fame-obsessed world the film critiques.

Hilton’s appearance in The Bling Ring is an interesting one because it showcases her as a self-aware star who recognizes the irony of her role in this movie. Hilton wasn’t the only one who had a cameo appearance in The Bling Ring, as Coppola’s frequent collaborator Kristen Dunst also showed up as herself.

1

Gwen Stefani & Martin Scorsese

The Aviator (2004)

While Gwen Stefani got her start with No Doubt, it was in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator that she made her major acting debut. Stefani’s role in the film came about by happenstance, as Scorsese spotted her on the cover of Teen Vogue (via MTV) and immediately thought she’d be perfect to appear in this Howard Hughes biopic alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.

With little acting experience, Stefani was an interesting choice for the role of the film star Jean Harlow, as her platinum blonde hair powerfully embodied the glamour of old Hollywood. While there was a lot of hype around Stefani’s appearance at the time, The Aviator remains her most substantial role, and it did not kickstart a major acting career.

Sources: Montreal Gazette, IGN, MTV