More of a character actor than a true movie star during his first couple decades as a screen thesp, there was something very under-the-radar and unexpected about Harris' directorial "coming out" with 2000's "Pollock," the critically-acclaimed Jackson Pollock biopic that was released that fall to strong reviews and which netted Harris an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and co-star Marcia Gay Harden a Best Supporting Actress win. His follow-up wouldn't come until nearly a decade later with the 2008 Western "Appaloosa," another strongly-received effort that unfortunately didn't make much of a dent with audiences. Still, with two solid entries under his belt, it'll be interesting to see what else Harris has up his sleeve - problem is, we may have to wait another few years before we see it.

- Chris Eggertsen