Cleveland native Steven Caple Jr. has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after filmmakers. From directing feature films, television episodes, and integrated ad campaigns, Steven has cultivated an artistic lens that has landed him multiple directorial awards, including a name on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2018. Cleveland Magazine acknowledged Steven as one of Cleveland’s Most Interesting Persons in 2017 for “his push for honest and raw stories” set against the backdrop of his hometown. His short films have also received critical acclaim, winning awards at the Director’s Guild of America, NBC Shortcuts, American Black Film Festival, and more.
Steven directed the 2023 box office hit Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback. He helmed Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson. The film was released by MGM in November 2018 and grossed over $210 million at the box office worldwide. Steven’s debut feature film, The Land, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by IFC Films and released theatrically that summer. Steven also directed the music video for Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Dopeman,’ an original song written for The Land’s soundtrack.
As far as episodic work, Steven has directed multiple episodes of the Black-ish spinoff Grown-ish for Freeform, as well as an episode of the Netflix docu-series Rapture. Featuring an impressive array of world-famous hip-hop artists, Rapture reveals the off-stage lives of eight on-stage performers, including T.I., Nas, 2 Chainz, and Logic.
On the commercial side, Steven has directed ads for global clients ranging from Google, Delta, and the NFL. His personal favorite was “Google Play Music x Mass Appeal Present: The Inspiration Behind Nas’ ‘Hip-Hop Is Dead,’’ in which he explores the iconic rapper’s take on one of hip-hop’s most groundbreaking albums.
Keeping his passion for humanity at the forefront, Steven tackles issues within his community, both on and off camera, specifically with Engage the Vision, a non-profit organization he co-founded that mentors young people in fostering their creativity.
