Best Clint Eastwood movies
Rawhide (1959–65)
After popping up in a handful of B movies, Eastwood finally got rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, thanks to his role as trusty, dusty “Rowdy” Yates in this popular CBS Western series. “It was nice having a steady job,” he says.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
From the moment the poncho-wearing, cheroot-chewing Man With No Name appeared onscreen, audiences knew he was not a guy to mess with. “I first thought the director was crazy,” Eastwood says of Italian filmmaker SergioLeone, who also crafted the follow-ups Fora Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). “Then I realized he was crazy like a fox.”
Dirty Harry (1971)
The actor is still closely associated with .44 Magnum–wielding San Francisco detective “Dirty” Harry Callahan, who takes matters into his own hands while tracking a wily serial killer. He played the renegade cop five times in all, through The Dead Pool (1988).
Play Misty for Me (1971)
For his directorial debut, Eastwood chose a story about a radio D.J. who picks up a woman (JessicaWalter) at a bar—who turns out to be the same caller who’s been requesting him to play the song “Misty” repeatedly. Then the crazy obsessive thrills begin.
Every Which Way but Loose (1978)
Look, a comedy! Eastwood’s trucker-turned-prizefighter—along with a beer-guzzling pet orangutan named Clyde—hit the road to find his fleeing girlfriend (SondraLocke). Along the way, they clash with cops and a biker gang. The biggest box-office hit of Eastwood’s career, it spawned a 1980 sequel.
Unforgiven (1992)
“It was no big brainstorm,” Eastwood says of making his widely acclaimed neo-Western masterpiece, in which his former outlaw comes out of retirement to reckon with his carnage-filled past. “I just read the script and thought it would be great.” Indeed: It earned him Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
His silver-fox handsomeness is on full display in this tear-jerking take on Robert James Waller’s bestselling novel, which chronicles a passionate affair between a photographer and a lonely Italian housewife. Says Eastwood of his onscreen paramour MerylStreep, “She’s certainly one of my favorite co-stars.”
Mystic River (2003)
He was reading a rave review of DennisLehane’s book when the directorial lightbulb went off. “I called my agent and said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Eastwood recalls. The result is a searing drama about three Boston men haunted by a childhood trauma. SeanPenn and TimRobbins both won Oscars for their performances.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
His way-past-his-prime boxing manager trains a thirtysomething woman (HilarySwank) to become a contender. The film was an underdog, for sure—and yet, it was a triumph in every sense: Swank and MorganFreeman scored acting Oscars; Eastwood got another Best Director trophy; and the film won Best Picture.
American Sniper (2014)
Eastwood stayed behind the camera for this highly charged biopic, which grossed a whopping $350 million in North America alone. Star BradleyCooper bulked up to play Chris Kyle, a real-life U.S. Navy SEAL in Iraq battling PTSD upon his rocky return home to Texas.
The Mule (2018)
At 88, Eastwood took on the role of Earl Stone, a real-life down-on-his-luck horticulturist who hauls narcotics for a Mexican drug cartel. Based on a true story, the drama proved that the star could still conjure up both nobility and a squinty-eyed death stare. Next, See Clint Eastwood’s Legendary Hollywood Career in 10 Iconic Movie Posters
