Indie movies differ to the mainstream blockbusters that populate our local theaters in that they often rely on far smaller budgets, which are secured through small production companies and private investors. While many may argue as to which art form is better, both mainstream blockbusters and smaller indies have their merits. Indie movies may lack the spectacular special effects of say Marvel or the Fast and Furious franchise — whose latest film Fast X has a reported budget of $300 million — but there is potentially greater scope in independent movies to focus on appealing to a more niche audience through more left-field subject matter and creative storytelling.
Many of today’s stars started their careers doing indie movies, and while a lot have transitioned to mainstream cinema and never looked back, others still get the itch from time to time to revisit their roots, try something different, and showcase their versatility as an actor. Here are 7 actors who have found success in both blockbusters and indie movies.
7 Kirsten Dunst
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Kirsten Dunst was thrust into the limelight at a very young age appearing as a child in the epic vampire drama Interview with the Vampire alongside the likes of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas. She then went on to appear prominently in a slew of mainstream hits including Jumanji and Small Soldiers. It wasn’t until 2002’s Spider-Man that she really shot to superstardom, though. Playing Peter Parker’s love interest Mary Jane, the film went onto gross over $800 million. Since then (and between returning to the two highly successful Spider-Man sequels), Dunst has mainly been focused on indie roles, receiving praise, in particular, for her roles in the non-linear comedy drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, alongside Jim Carrey and Elijah Wood, and Lars Von Tier’s apocalyptic drama art film Melancholia.
6 Elijah Wood
Like Dunst, Elijah Wood’s career started when he was a child, with notable appearances in The Adventures of Huck Finn, Flipper, and the dark thriller The Good Son alongside fellow child star Macaulay Culkin. After appearing in the cult horror movie The Faculty, directed by Robert Rodriguez, Wood became a household name after appearing in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy in which he plays the lead character Frodo Baggins, a role he would later reprise in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. While still occasionally popping up in major blockbuster movies, like voicing the animated penguin Mumble in Happy Feet 1 & 2, he’s made a concerted effort to avoid being typecast since finding success in Hollywood. Wood is a keen fan of horror B-movies, and this can be seen by his appearances in a string of low budget gritty horror flicks including 2012's Maniac, the horror comedy Cooties, and the upcoming Toxic Avenger reboot.
5 Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage has appeared in well over 100 movies that vary so much in style, budget, and success that it’s sometimes quite difficult to make sense of the man’s career. It is certainly safe to say that he has found success in both blockbusters and indie movies. When it comes to mainstream blockbuster success, it’s best to look back at the 90s and early 00s when Cage was appearing in huge action movies like The Rock, Face Off, and National Treasure. Many of Cage’s earlier roles, on the flip-side, leaned more towards the indie side of things, like David Lynch’s Wild at Heart and the Coen Brother’s Raising Arizona.
After his 90s prime, Cage began appearing in more and more straight-to-DVD and VOD films, a move he later admitted, via LAD Bible, was motivated by financial reasons. While many of these movies were critically panned went relatively unnoticed by mainstream audiences, certain performances did begin to garner the attention of critics and fans alike, gradually helping build Cage a cult like following and establishing him as somewhat of a maverick in the world of acting.
Completely unique and unpredictable, indie projects like the Lovecraftian Color Out of Space, the psychedelic revenge horror Mandy, and his nuanced and understated performance in the compelling drama Pig have helped solidify Cage as one of the most electrifying actors of a generation. Whilst nowadays it seems like most of his focus is on the more indie side of things, with his success in voice roles in the animated blockbuster hits The Croods 1 & 2 and the recent success of the theater released meta comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, who knows what’s next in store for Cage.
4 Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart is probably best known for her appearances in the teen fantasy mega-blockbusters The Twilight Saga in which she takes a leading role alongside Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. While she has seen subsequent success in blockbuster roles, including Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman, she has also proven herself a critical darling of the indie scene, flexing her acting chops and garnering universal acclaim in dramatic roles in movies like Olivier Assayas' drama film Clouds of Sils Maria and the Princess Diana biographic movie Spencer.
3 Bill Murray
In the 80s and early-90s, Bill Murray was one of the biggest comedic actors of the time, starring in a string of successful comedy blockbusters, including Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Caddyshack, Stripes, and Groundhog Day. Since then, Murray has become known to be notoriously choosey when selecting his roles. While he has appeared in several larger budget films including voice roles in Garfield and Disney’s The Jungle Book, he has spent much of his time focusing on more indie projects. He has a strong working relationship with writer, director and all-round auteur Wes Anderson, with whom he has worked with on numerous movies including Isle of Dogs, The French Despatch, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, among others. His work in independent cinema has allowed him to showcase a more dramatic side to his acting for which he has won and been nominated for multiple awards.
2 Robert Pattinson
Thanks to The Twilight Saga and, more recently, his portrayal of iconic superhero Batman in DC’s The Batman, Robert Pattinson is one of the biggest stars of his generation. What many people might not know, however, is that Pattinson, also, has found huge success in independent cinema, too. He received universal acclaim with Willem Dafoe for his performance in Robert Egger’s claustrophobic horror The Lighthouse. The black and white movie was made for just $11 million and focuses almost entirely on Dafoe and Pattinson inside the titular lighthouse. He also wowed critics in David Cronenberg’s satirical drama Map to The Stars and in the Safdie Brothers’ gritty crime thriller Good Time. It doesn’t stop there, though, as Pattinson’s repertoire is full of indie favorites that really demonstrate the versatility of his acting abilities.
1 Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is, beyond doubt, one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in Hollywood. He has appeared in numerous hugely successful blockbuster movies including Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series, which has grossed a whopping $4.5 billion in total. Outside the swashbuckling Pirate series, he has also appeared in high budget blockbusters like Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Wizarding World films Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Depp is no stranger to indie films either. Starting his career with smaller budget affairs such as Cry Baby, Ed Wood and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, he has frequently returned to his indie roots throughout his illustrious career, including an unforgettable appearance as the journalist Hunter S Thompson and his drug-fueled alter ego Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and as the whacky Canadian detective in Kevin Smith's movies Tusk and Yoga Hosers.