Hands Down — The Finest Western Actors Across History

Feb 24, 2021

The American frontier has been epitomized in various forms of fiction, including books, television and movies for a long time, with the Western genre becoming a classic in storytelling. As Hollywood and the movie industry grew, so too did people's love for all things Wild West-themed, making it the most loved American film genre in the first half of the 20th century.

Western movies rose in popularity from the 1930s when John Ford's "Stagecoach" propelled its star John Wayne to fame. The genre then peaked in the 1950s and had a so-called Golden Age, before losing some of its favor in the 1960s. Nevertheless, there are still Western movies being made, just not with the same frequency as they once were. Additionally, the classics of the genre are universally loved and are important landmarks within American film history.

With the genre's rise, the mythos of the cowboy became one of the most recognizable archetypes in American filmmaking. Various actors who'd starred in Westerns became incredibly well known for their roles, helping to cement the cowboy's status as one of the most important aspects of a Western film. Each famous cowboy brought something different to their roles, which over time has only added to the incredible canon of Western movies we know and love today. Some of these roles have become so iconic that often it's a character's image that the public thinks of when they imagine the Western genre. In honor of these men (and women!), we've compiled a list of the greatest Western actors throughout movie history — read on to see if your favorite made the cut!

Clint Eastwood is certainly one of the most iconic cowboys when one thinks of the Western genre. A veteran Hollywood actor and director who has had multiple peaks in his seven-decade-long career, Eastwood's road to Hollywood came soon after he was drafted into the Korean War as a young man. However, he never served overseas and was stationed at Fort Ord in Northern California instead.

After making it to Hollywood, where his looks impressed producers but his acting skills were told they needed work, Eastwood took classes and began to land small parts. His breakthrough came in 1958 when he was cast in the Western series "Rawhide" as Rowdy Yates. The series aired for five years before being canceled, but his work on the show led to the movie that would put him on the map. After his co-star Eric Fleming rejected an offer to star in a foreign-made western movie, Eastwood was suggested instead. Well, this movie was none other than "A Fistful of Dollars," made by a relatively unknown director at the time, Sergio Leone. The film greatly influenced the Spaghetti Western genre and led to Eastwood working with Leone on two other films in the trilogy — "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." 

The rest, as they say, is history. Eastwood's work in the Spaghetti Western genre propelled him to international stardom and led to his later work in the "Dirty Harry" films of the '70s and '80s. Having conquered acting, he moved on to directing by the 1990s and has had great critical and commercial success with his movies.

For the generation who grew up before Eastwood's peak in the 1950s, John Wayne is probably the most iconic Western star they would think of. Working in Hollywood as a young man, Wayne's first starring role was in a Western titled "The Big Trail," which was released in 1930. The 23-year-old actor then appeared in more movies, mostly Westerns, before landing his breakthrough role in John Ford's "Stagecoach," which is when he became a mainstream star.

Starring in more than 140 movies throughout his career, Wayne worked mostly in the Western genre, appearing in other famous movies such as "Red River," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "The Searchers," "How the West Was Won" and "True Grit." For the latter, he even won an Academy Award for Best Actor. His work was so entwined in the Western genre that many can't imagine him in other roles. Likewise, he is the actor on this list who's probably starred in the most must-see Western movies.

Wayne often played similar characters in his films, embodying men who were ruggedly masculine and individualistic. Constantly playing such roles led to this persona transferring off-screen, with Wayne coming to be known as an American icon who was revered for representing traditional values and ideals. When foreign dignitaries visited the United States, alongside other American icons and landmarks, Wayne was someone they wanted to meet. The actor's legacy lives on as one of the genre's most iconic and loved early stars, and he has undoubtedly helped to inspire other actors on this list.

Gary Cooper's career began during the silent era before he successfully transitioned to talkies and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Montana, Cooper spent summers at a ranch that his father owned, where he learned how to ride horses, go hunting and fish. This would come in handy later in life and is actually one of the reasons Cooper was able to get his start in Hollywood.

After moving to Los Angeles to reunite with his father in 1924, Cooper met some old friends from Montana who were working as stunt riders and film extras on low-budget Western movies. With his ranch experience growing up, Cooper was able to begin the same kind of work, which he continued steadily for a while. But stunt work was very dangerous back then and Cooper set his sights on switching over to acting roles instead. Soon enough, he had transitioned to acting parts, with his first supporting role in the Western "The Winning of Barbara Worth." His performance was celebrated for its "instinctive authenticity" that came from his own experience growing up in Montana among cowboys, and he was instantly labeled as a star on the rise.

Cooper would switch between different film genres throughout his career, but his most notable Western roles include 1952's "High Noon" — which is considered one of the best Western movies ever made — "The Westerner" and "Man of the West." Throughout his career, it was Cooper's natural and understated performance style that made him a star, and as the Montana-native owes his upbringing to how he got his start in Westerns, it also likely helped him to define his acting style.

Like many of the actors on this list, Sam Elliott got his start playing gruff cowboys in Westerns. Starting his career working as a character actor, Elliott's tall stature, deep, resonant voice and prominent facial hair made him well-suited to the genre. His first acting credits were minor appearances in "The Way West" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in the late 1960s before he expanded his acting work to include other genres, too.

But sure enough, Elliott began to make his way back to Westerns, appearing in "I Will Fight No More Forever" in 1975. In the late '80s, after appearing in "The Quick and The Dead," Elliott acted in a number of Western movies and made-for-TV movies, one of which was "Conagher" in 1991, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Other Westerns from this period include "Tombstone" and the miniseries "Buffalo Girls."

Maintaining a steady career both in Western movies and other genres, Elliott's distinct features such as his thick mustache and deep voice have helped him to establish perhaps one of the most iconic cowboy looks in Hollywood. In recent years, Elliott appeared on the Netflix series "The Ranch," alongside Ashton Kutcher, while in 2018 he appeared in the remake of "A Star Is Born," which garnered him award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He might not have had the same consistent, leading man roles in his career that others on this list have, but Elliott's contributions to the Western genre over a number of decades are just as iconic.

Although the Western genre is mostly dominated by men, there have certainly been some women who've made a big impact. One of the greatest female Western actors was the Mexican actress Katy Jurado. Not only did she bring much-needed female characterization to Westerns, but she was also a pioneer for Latin American representation. 

Jurado first made her name in the Mexican film industry, even winning the country's equivalent of an Oscar. Incidentally, Jurado was spotted at a bullfight by filmmaker Budd Boetticher and Western legend Wayne, both of whom didn't realize she was an actress. Boetticher cast her in his 1951 film "Bullfighter and the Lady," which led to her career in Hollywood.

She most notably appeared in Westerns from the 1950s and '60s, with two of her major roles in "High Noon," for which she became the first Latin American woman to win a Golden Globe Award, and "Broken Lance," which garnered her an Oscar nomination, the first for a Latin American woman. Beyond her acting work, Jurado's efforts in bringing visibility to minorities in Hollywood were just as important in the trajectory of her life. Often playing complex, sexualized and stereotyped women, Jurado's interpretations of these roles proved her talents as an actor and helped pave the way for other Mexican actresses in Hollywood.

On top of these iconic roles, Jurado appeared in many other Westerns, including "Man From Del Rio," "Arrowhead," "The Badlanders," "One-Eyed Jacks" and "Stay Away, Joe." Years later in 1992, she was even honored with the Golden Boot Award at the Golden Globes, for her notable contributions to the Western genre.

Are you a fan of Westerns? Who do you think is the greatest Western actor of all time? Let us know — and be sure to pass this story on to anyone you know who loves Western movies!