Clint Eastwood is an American retired actor, director, producer, singer, composer, and lyricist. He appeared in over 60 films in a career that spanned 72 years and began with small uncredited film roles and television appearances. Eastwood has acted in multiple television series, including the eight-season series Rawhide (1959–1965). Although he appeared in several earlier films, mostly uncredited, his breakout film role was as the Man with No Name in the Sergio Leone–directed Dollars Trilogy: A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), which weren't released in the United States until 1967/68. In 1971, Eastwood made his directorial debut with Play Misty for Me. Also that year, he starred as San Francisco police inspector Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry. The film received critical acclaim, and spawned four more films: Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988).
In 1973, Eastwood starred in another western, High Plains Drifter. Three years later, he starred as Confederate guerrilla and outlaw Josey Wales in The Outlaw Josey Wales. In 1978, Eastwood starred opposite an orangutan in the action-comedy Every Which Way but Loose. Although it received largely negative reviews, the film was a financial success, his highest-grossing film at that time, and generated a sequel, Any Which Way You Can. In 1979, Eastwood portrayed prisoner Frank Morris in the Don Siegel–directed Escape from Alcatraz.
Eastwood's debut as a producer began in 1982 with two films, Firefox and Honkytonk Man. In 1985, Eastwood directed Pale Rider, which was the highest-grossing western of the 1980s. Eastwood also has contributed music to his films, either through performing or composing. He received the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his 1992 western Unforgiven. In 2003, Eastwood directed an ensemble cast, including Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney, in Mystic River. For their performances, Penn and Robbins respectively won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, making Mystic River the first film to win both categories since Ben Hur in 1959. In 2004, Eastwood once again won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Director, this time for Million Dollar Baby starring Hilary Swank. In 2006, he directed the companion war films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, which depict the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspectives of the U.S. and Japan, respectively. In 2008, Eastwood directed and starred as protagonist Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino. His most recent acting role was for the film Cry Macho (2021), which he also directed and produced for Warner Bros. Pictures, a studio he worked with from 1971 up until 2024 for Juror #2.
Throughout his career, Eastwood has received numerous accolades. In 1996, Eastwood was a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award. In 2006, he received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film from the BAFTA. A 2009 recipient, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2010, the highest such honor given by the United States government.
Film
Acting roles
Year Title Role Notes 1955 Revenge of the Creature Uncredited Francis in the Navy Jonesy Lady Godiva of Coventry Uncredited Tarantula Jet squadron leader 1956 Never Say Goodbye Will Star in the Dust Tom Away All Boats Navy medic 1957 Escapade in Japan Dumbo pilot Uncredited 1958 Lafayette Escadrille Ambush at Cimarron Pass 1964 See also: Man with No Name 1965 For a Few Dollars More 1966 1967 Carlo Segment: "An Evening Like the Others" 1968 Hang 'Em High Coogan's Bluff Where Eagles Dare 1969 Paint Your Wagon Pardner 1970 Two Mules for Sister Sara Hogan Kelly's Heroes 1971 Play Misty for Me Dirty Harry 1972 Joe Kidd 1973 High Plains Drifter Breezy Man in Crowd on Pier Uncredited cameo Magnum Force Harry Callahan 1974 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 1975 1976 Harry Callahan 1977 1978 Every Which Way but Loose 1979 Escape from Alcatraz 1980 Bronco Billy Any Which Way You Can 1982 Firefox Honkytonk Man 1983 Sudden Impact Harry Callahan 1984 Tightrope City Heat 1985 Pale Rider Preacher 1986 Heartbreak Ridge 1988 Harry Callahan 1989 Pink Cadillac Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend Host Documentary film 1990 White Hunter Black Heart 1992 Unforgiven 1993 In the Line of Fire 1995 Casper Himself Uncredited cameo 1997 Absolute Power 1999 True Crime 2000 Space Cowboys 2002 Blood Work 2004 Million Dollar Baby 2008 Gran Torino 2011 Kurosawa's Way Himself Documentary film 2012 Trouble with the Curve Casting By Himself Documentary film 2014 American Sniper Church goer Uncredited cameo 2017 Sad Hill Unearthed Himself Documentary film 2018 2021 Cry Macho
Directing and producing credits Year Title Director Producer 1971 Play Misty for Me 1973 High Plains Drifter Breezy 1975 1976 1977 1980 Bronco Billy 1982 Firefox Honkytonk Man 1983 Sudden Impact 1984 Tightrope 1985 Pale Rider 1986 Heartbreak Ridge 1988 Bird 1990 White Hunter Black Heart 1992 Unforgiven 1993 1995 1997 Absolute Power Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 1999 True Crime 2000 Space Cowboys 2002 Blood Work 2003 Mystic River 2004 Million Dollar Baby 2006 Flags of Our Fathers Letters from Iwo Jima 2008 Changeling Gran Torino 2009 Invictus 2010 Hereafter 2011 J. Edgar 2012 Trouble with the Curve 2014 Jersey Boys American Sniper 2016 Sully 2018 2019 2021 Cry Macho 2024 Juror #2
Executive producer Year Title 1988 Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser 2005 Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do 2010 Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way 2017
Score credits Year Title Notes 2003 Mystic River 2004 Million Dollar Baby 2006 Flags of Our Fathers Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens also composed alongside Eastwood, but were not credited 2007 Grace Is Gone 2008 Changeling 2010 Hereafter 2011 J. Edgar
Song credits Year Title Singer Composer Lyricist Song title(s) 1969 Paint Your Wagon "I Still See Elisa", "I Talk to the Trees", "Gold Fever" and "Best Things" 1980 Bronco Billy "Bar Room Buddies" Any Which Way You Can "Beers to You" 1982 Honkytonk Man "When I Sing About You", "No Sweeter Cheater Than You" and "In the Jailhouse Now" 1984 City Heat "Montage Blues" 1986 Heartbreak Ridge "How Much I Care" 1992 "Claudia's Theme" 1993 "Big Fran's Baby" 1995 "Doe Eyes" 1997 Absolute Power "Power Waltz" and "Kate's Theme" 1999 True Crime "Why Should I Care" 2006 Flags of Our Fathers "The Photograph", "Wounded Marines", "Armada Arrives", "Goodbye Ira", "Inland Battle", "Flag Raising", "The Medals", "Platoon Swims", "Flags Theme", "End Titles Guitar" and "End Titles" 2007 Grace Is Gone "Grace Is Gone" 2008 Gran Torino "Gran Torino"
Television Actor
In the early stages of his acting career, Eastwood played several small roles in episodes for several television shows. This list includes appearances in various episodes of fictional shows, and excludes appearances as himself on talk shows, interview shows, ceremonies, and other related media.
Year Title Role Notes 1955 Allen in Movieland Orderly Television film Highway Patrol Joe Keeley Episode "Motorcycle A" 1956 Death Valley Days John Lucas 2 episodes TV Reader's Digest Lieutenant Wilson Episode "Cochise, Greatest of the Apaches" 1957 Cadet Bob Salter Episode "White Fury" 1958 Navy Log Burns Episode "The Lonely Watch" 1959 Maverick Red Hardigan Episode "Duel at Sundown" Alfred Hitchcock Presents Newsman Uncredited; episode "Human Interest Story" 1959–1965 Rawhide Rowdy Yates Main role 217 episodes 1962 Mister Ed Himself Episode "Clint Eastwood Meets Mister Ed" 1991 Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. Host / Narrator Documentary film
Director Year Title Notes 1985 Amazing Stories Episode "Vanessa in the Garden" 2003 Episode "Piano Blues"
Executive producer Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me (2009)
See also List of awards and nominations received by Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood bibliography Clint Eastwood discography
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links