Film Directors from United States

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Americans Film Directors of all time. This list of famous Americans Film Directors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Americans Film Directors.

1. #1

   

   Steven Spielberg

   b. 1946

   HPI 87.65143 langs

   Steven Spielberg is best known for his work as a film director and producer. He is one of the most successful directors and producers in...Read moreShow less

   Steven Spielberg is best known for his work as a film director and producer. He is one of the most successful directors and producers in Hollywood history, having won three Academy Awards for directing and producing Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Amistad.

2. #2

   

   Martin Scorsese

   b. 1942

   HPI 85.4296 langs

   Martin Scorsese is most famous for his movies like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

3. #3

   

   David Lynch

   1946 - 2025

   HPI 82.5385 langs

   David Lynch is most famous for his surrealist and often nightmarish films, such as Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, and Blue Velvet.

4. #4

   

   Stanley Kubrick

   1928 - 1999

   HPI 81.71131 langs

   Stanley Kubrick is most famous for directing and producing a number of notable films, including "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), "A Clockwork...Read moreShow less

   Stanley Kubrick is most famous for directing and producing a number of notable films, including "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), "A Clockwork Orange" (1971), "The Shining" (1980), and "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999).

5. #5

   

   D. W. Griffith

   1875 - 1948

   HPI 79.7873 langs

   D. W. Griffith is most famous for the film Birth of a Nation, a silent film that is credited with inventing many of the techniques of modern...Read moreShow less

   D. W. Griffith is most famous for the film Birth of a Nation, a silent film that is credited with inventing many of the techniques of modern filmmaking.

6. #6

   

   Woody Allen

   b. 1935

   HPI 79.34111 langs

   Woody Allen is most famous for his comedy films, which he writes, directs, and stars in.

7. #7

   

   Francis Ford Coppola

   b. 1939

   HPI 77.9090 langs

   Francis Ford Coppola is most famous for directing the Godfather trilogy, which includes The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and The...Read moreShow less

   Francis Ford Coppola is most famous for directing the Godfather trilogy, which includes The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and The Godfather Part III.

8. #8

   

   Cecil B. DeMille

   1881 - 1959

   HPI 77.4661 langs

   American filmmaker

9. #9

   

   George Lucas

   b. 1944

   HPI 77.35110 langs

   George Lucas is most famous for creating the Star Wars franchise.

10. #10

    

    Michael Mann

    b. 1943

    HPI 75.7747 langs

    Michael Mann is most famous for his work in the field of paleoclimatology, specifically in the study of the Earth's climate history.