The Greatest Western Actor Debate

While both legends of the genre, Clint Eastwood stands over John Wayne as the greatest Western actor of all time. There have been many great Western actors over the years, from older icons like James Stewart to more modern stars like Kurt Russell. However, Eastwood and Wayne have always been the two definitive figures of the genre.

Both actor have contributed several of the greatest Western movies ever made, with their most recognizable roles being in the genre. In fact, both actors carved out personas within Western movies that became synonymous with how audiences saw them. They even saw some overlap in their careers, with Wayne and Eastwood developing a feud regarding their Western movies.

Wayne passed away in 1979, while Eastwood has largely stepped away from acting. However, both actors left behind Western classics that are still remembered to this day. Yet even as big of an icon as he was, Wayne cannot surpass what Eastwood did with the genre.

Clint Eastwood Reinvented Westerns At A Crucial Time

John Wayne created the Western archetype that remained popular for decades. Following his breakout role in Stagecoach, Wayne became the most prominent Western star in Hollywood, creating the persona of the tough, noble, and dignified hero. However, this was at a time when Westerns were the biggest genre around.

On the other hand, when Eastwood became a star in Westerns, it was at a time when the genre was fading from popularity. Wayne’s traditional Western movies were beginning to feel outdated as the New Hollywood movement wanted something bolder and more complex. However, Eastwood was one of the key figures behind Westerns’ salvation.

The Spaghetti Western movies gave the dying genre new life, infusing it with a new filmmaking style and characters that reflected the audience’s desire to see something more than good versus evil. While filmmakers like Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci helped establish the genre, Eastwood became the face of it.

He then continued to keep the genre relevant by bringing such styles to American movies and helping to usher in the Revisionist Western movement, which flew even more in the face of Wayne’s movies. Wayne elevated the Western genre in his time, but it would still have happened without him. The same might not be said for Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood Was More Willing To Challenge His Reputation

Both Clint Eastwood and John Wayne cultivated very specific personas in movies that they stuck to quite closely. However, one of those personas was a lot more flexible than the other. Wayne came from an era in Hollywood when leading men had to be the embodiment of masculinity, and he very much embraced that.

Wayne was very protective of this persona, ensuring that he never looked weak or unheroic. He sometimes played around with the kind of hero, such as in True Grit and The Shootist, but those movies always saw him cementing himself as a manly hero without compromise. Even as a hateful bigot character in The Searchers, Wayne is presented as the hero in the end.

Eastwood was not known as an actor to stretch and show a lot of vulnerability, but he also wasn’t concerned with playing the clean-cut hero. High Plains Drifter sees him playing a genuinely despicable character, while The Outlaw Josey Wales is a pure anti-hero. Eastwood made these protagonists compelling even if we didn’t want to cheer for them.

Both actors bid farewell to the Western genres in movies that addressed their legacy in the genre. In The Shootist, Wayne played an aging gunfighter looking to die in peace and dignity. However, Unforgiven saw Eastwood play an old outlaw struggling with redemption following a life of atrocities. The difference in the roles highlights the difference in the actors’ boldness.

Clint Eastwood’s Western Persona Remains Influential Today

Image by Yailin Chacon

There is no denying that John Wayne’s persona in Western movies was hugely influential on the genre in its day. However, that type of hero largely faded away by the time Wayne’s career came to an end. It was too rigid to make for an interesting character as the audience’s tastes evolved – althought there were admittedly some exceptions, such as his character from The Searchers.

However, Eastwood’s silent lone wolf character type, like the Man with No Name in the Dollars Trilogy, has left a lasting impact on pop culture. Certainly, many Westerns that followed featured a similar protagonist. It also extended far beyond the genre, with the likes of The Mandalorian, Escape from New York, and the Mad Max franchise using similar antiheroes.

Eastwood’s persona stood out more with a distinct style that made it immediately evident whenever another project was influenced by it. Whereas Wayne played a hero role that existed long before him, Eastwood carved out something that was uniquely belonging to him.

Eastwood’s Versatile Career Made His Western Movies More Exciting

Image by Shawn Lealos

Both John Wayne and Clint Eastwood were defined by their Western movies. Wayne’s non-Western movie career featured some great titles, like The Longest Day and The Quiet Man. However, he also struggled to escape how audiences wanted to see him, often having to return to the Western genre when his other movies failed to work.

Eastwood had much better success in establishing a career outside Westerns, which made it special whenever he returned to the genre. Following his breakout role in Spaghetti Westerns, Eastwood found success in World War II movies like Where Eagles Dare and Kelly’s Heroes. Following the success of Dirty Harry, it seemed like he had a new career established.

However, Eastwood’s return with High Plains Drifter and Joe Kidd made it all the more exciting because he had been away. It is hard to picture Wayne in anything but a cowboy outfit, but Eastwood had a career that allowed fans to love him elsewhere and then be treated to another Eastwood Western.

Clint Eastwood And John Wayne’s Feud Highlights Why Eastwood Comes Out On Top

Obviously, the Western genre was big enough for two icons, but John Wayne might not have necessarily seen it that way. He was critical of Clint Eastwood’s contributions to the genre, complaining that they were too violent and that the characters were too dark. However, taking such issue with Eastwood’s Westerns may be why he was surpassed.

There is a famous story from when Wayne was making The Shootist with Eastwood’s frequent collaborator Don Siegel. In the climactic gunfight, Wayne was instructed to shoot the villain in the back, which Wayne refused to do. He only got angrier when Siegel suggested that Eastwood would have done it.

Some of this undoubtedly comes down to a rivalry between Wayne and a younger actor who was more successful at the time. However, it also highlights Wayne’s rigid outlook on what Westerns should be. It made him too stubborn to move the genre forward, leaving an opening for Clint Eastwood to build a more impressive career in the genre.

Birthdate

May 31, 1930

Birthplace

San Francisco, California, USA

Professions

Actor, Director, Producer, Composer

Height

6 feet 4 inches