Clint Eastwood has established a reputation for having one of the top acting careers in Hollywood as one of the most recognizable and iconic performers of all time. Clint has accumulated a varied filmography that includes Westerns, crime thrillers, dramas, a musical, and much more, starting with modest appearances in the 1950s and progressing to iconic performances in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and beyond.
This post will undoubtedly be helpful if you are unfamiliar with Clint’s filmography or are simply attempting to catch up with his movies. An overview of Clint Eastwood’s whole acting career is shown below, from uncredited cameos through significant film roles and milestones.
In the 1950s, Clint Eastwood started his acting career with parts in films including Francis in the Navy, Never Say Goodbye, and The First Traveling Saleslady. In movies like Revenge of the Creature and Star in the Dust, he played some uncredited parts, but it was during this decade that he started to build up a resume, appearing in 11 films.
The 50’s
Revenge of the Creature (1955)*
Francis in the Navy (1955)
Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955)*
Tarantula (1955)*
Never Say Goodbye (1956)
Star in the Dust (1956)*
The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)
Away All Boats (1956)*
Escapade in Japan (1957)*
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)
Hell Bent for Glory (1958)
*Uncredited roles
The 1960s are the decade when Clint really began to establish himself as a major actor, with roles in films like A Fistful of Dollars, Coogan’s Bluff, and Paint Your Wagon. He was in a lot of Spaghetti Westerns during this time.
The 60’s
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
The Witches (1967)
Coogans’s Bluff (1968)
Hang ‘Em High (1968)
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Paint Your Wagon (1969)
The 1970s saw Clint feature in a total of 16 films, which was a great high point in his film career. Some of his most well-known movies, such as Kelly’s Heroes, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Every Which Way but Loose, and Escape from Alcatraz, were included in this collection.
Clint Eastwood also played Harry Callahan, a San Francisco police investigator, during this decade. In the sequels Magnum Force and The Enforcer, he continued the role he originated in Dirty Harry.This was BOC’s favorite set of movies.
The 70’s
Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
The Beguiled (1971)
Play Misty for Me (1971)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Joe Kidd (1972)
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Breezy (1973)*
Magnum Force (1973)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
The Eiger Sanction (1975)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
The Enforcer (1976)
The Gauntlet (1977)
Every Which Way but Loose (1978)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
*Uncredited
There were 11 new films released in the 1980s, among them Any Which Way You Can, Tightrope, Pale Rider, and Heartbreak Ridge. For the two subsequent Dirty Harry sequels, Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool, Clint played Harry Callahan once more. These were pretty terrific films.
The 80’s
Bronco Billy (1980)
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
Firefox (1982)
Honkytonk Man (1982)
Sudden Impact (1983)
Tightrope (1984)
City Heat (1984)
Pale Rider (1985)
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
The Dead Pool (1988)
Pink Cadillac (1989)
Clint continued to star as the lead in films like The Rookie, In the Line of Fire, The Bridges of Madison County, and True Crime into the 1990s, despite the fact that his playing duties began to diminish a little.In addition to playing one of his most well-known roles in the four-time Academy Award-winning Western Unforgiven, he also found time for a brief cameo in the children’s fantasy movie Casper.
The 90’s
White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
The Rookie (1990)
Unforgiven (1992)
In the Line of Fire (1993)
A Perfect World (1993)
Casper (1995)*
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Absolute Power (1997)
True Crime (1999)
*Uncredited
As the 2000s rolled around and he reached this point in his career, Clint Eastwood began to scale back on his acting to focus more on his directing.
He only appeared in four films as a result:
The 2000’s
Space Cowboys (2000)
Blood Work (2002)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Gran Torino (2008)
As Clint dedicated more of his time to directing in the 2010s, acting roles began to decline.
Clint only appeared in three movies throughout this decade:
The 2010’s
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
American Sniper (2014)*
The Mule (2018)
*Uncredited role
And finally, Clint was in only one movie role for the 2020’s but it was a good one. Next we are going to take a look into Clint Eastwood’s Directing career.
The 2020’s
Cry Macho (2021)
As mentioned above, Clint Eastwood has a longstanding playing career and has also directed nearly 40 films, starting with Play Misty for Me in 1971. His work in front of the camera has garnered widespread praise and includes:
Play Misty for Me (1971)
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Breezy (1973)
The Eiger Sanction (1975)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
The Gauntlet (1977)
Bronco Billy (1980)
Firefox (1982)
Honkytonk Man (1982)
Sudden Impact (1983)
Pale Rider (1985)
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Bird (1988)
White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
The Rookie (1990)
Unforgiven (1992)
A Perfect World (1993)
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Absolute Power (1997)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
True Crime (1999)
Space Cowboys (2000)
Blood Work (2002)
Mystic River (2003)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Changeling (2008)
Gran Torino (2008)
Invictus (2009)
Hereafter (2010)
J. Edgar (2011)
Jersey Boys (2014)
American Sniper (2014)
Sully: Miracle on the Hudson (2016)
The 15:17 to Paris (2018)
The Mule (2018)
Richard Jewell (2019)
Cry Macho (2021)
Clint Eastwood is a prolific director winning 4 academy awards and countless other trophy for his amazing work. Clint is a part of the American heritage in film and will continue to enrich his audiences for years to come.