10 Actors Who Became Great Film Directors

The man with no name. Dirty Harry. Redefining the western genre. Clint Eastwood has had one hell of a career.

The actor became a cultural icon of badassery with a catalog of classic westerns longer than most actors’ careers. After 16 years of an already impressive career and a legacy already established, Eastwood turned to directing and producing and quickly became one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

After years of steadily consistent films of varying genres, Eastwood directed one of the quintessential modern westerns, Unforgiven, in 1992. The film would go on to win Best Picture and Eastwood would win Best Director at the 65th Academy Awards. He would repeat this feat eight years later with Million Dollar Baby while also being nominated in the same categories two other times with Mystic River and Letters from Iwo Jima.

Clint Eastwood set him self apart from the rest after breaking type-cast early on is his career proving himself to be one of the most versatile filmmakers of all time. At 89 years old, the veteran shows no sign of slowing down.