Editing Clint Eastwood (section)

== Career ==
=== 1954–1962: acting debut and ''Rawhide'' ===
[[file:Clint Eastwood Nina Foch Rawhide 1959.jpg|thumb|left|upright|With [[Nina Foch]] in an episode of ''Rawhide'', 1959]]
According to a CBS press release for ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', [[Universal Pictures|Universal-International]]'s camera crew was shooting in Fort Ord when an enterprising assistant spotted Eastwood and invited him to meet the director,<ref name="McGilligan52">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 52</ref> although this is disputed by Eastwood's unauthorized biographer, Patrick McGilligan.<ref name="McG53">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 53</ref> According to Eastwood's official biography, the key figure was a man named Chuck Hill, who was stationed in Fort Ord and had contacts in Hollywood.<ref name="McGilligan52" /> While in Los Angeles, Hill became reacquainted with Eastwood and managed to sneak him into a Universal studio, where he introduced him to cameraman [[Irving Glassberg]].<ref name="McGilligan52" /> Glassberg arranged for an audition under [[Arthur Lubin]], who, although very impressed with Eastwood's appearance and stature (then {{cvt|6|ft|4|in|cm|disp=sqbr}}), disapproved of his acting, remarking, "He was quite amateurish. He didn't know which way to turn or which way to go or do anything."<ref name="McGilligan60">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 60</ref> Lubin suggested that he attend drama classes and arranged for Eastwood's initial contract in April 1954, at $100 per week.<ref name="McGilligan60" /> After signing, Eastwood was initially criticized for his stiff manner and delivering his lines through his teeth, a lifelong trademark.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 62</ref>

In May 1954, Eastwood made his first real audition for ''[[Six Bridges to Cross]]'', but was rejected by [[Joseph Pevney]].<ref name="McGilligan63">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 63</ref> After many unsuccessful auditions, he was eventually given a minor role by director [[Jack Arnold (director)|Jack Arnold]] in ''[[Revenge of the Creature]]'' (1955), a sequel to the recently released ''[[Creature from the Black Lagoon]]''.<ref name="McGilligan64">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 64</ref> In September 1954, Eastwood worked for three weeks on Arthur Lubin's ''[[Lady Godiva of Coventry]]'', won a role in February 1955, playing "Jonesy", a sailor in ''[[Francis in the Navy]]'' and appeared uncredited in another Jack Arnold film, ''[[Tarantula (film)|Tarantula]]'', where he played a squadron pilot.<ref name=Fitzgerald/><ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 80</ref> In May 1955, Eastwood put four hours' work into the film ''[[Never Say Goodbye (1956 film)|Never Say Goodbye]]'' and had a minor uncredited role as a ranch hand in August 1955 with ''[[Star in the Dust]]'', starring [[John Agar]] and [[Mamie Van Doren]], the latter of whom he dated briefly.<ref name="Eliot33">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 33</ref> Universal presented him with his first television role on July 2, 1955, on [[NBC]]'s ''Allen in Movieland'', which starred comedian [[Steve Allen]], actor [[Tony Curtis]], and swing musician [[Benny Goodman]].<ref name="McGilligan86">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 86</ref> Although he continued to develop as an actor, Universal terminated his contract on October 23, 1955.<ref name="Eliot36">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 36</ref>

Eastwood joined the Marsh Agency, and although Lubin landed him his biggest role to date in ''[[The First Traveling Saleslady]]'' (1956) and later hired him for ''[[Escapade in Japan]]'' (1957), without a formal contract, Eastwood was struggling.<ref name="McGilligan85">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 85</ref> On his financial advisor [[Irving Leonard (financial adviser)|Irving Leonard]]'s advice, he switched to the Kumin-Olenick Agency in 1956 and Mitchell Gertz in 1957. He landed several small roles in 1956 as a temperamental army officer for a segment of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''Reader's Digest'' series, and as a motorcycle gang member on a ''[[Highway Patrol (American TV series)|Highway Patrol]]'' episode.<ref name="McGilligan85" /> In 1957, Eastwood played a cadet in ''[[The West Point Story (TV series)|West Point]]'' series and a suicidal gold prospector on ''[[Death Valley Days]]''.<ref name="McGilligan87">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 87</ref>

In 1958, he played a Navy lieutenant in a segment of ''[[Navy Log]]'' and in early 1959 made a notable guest appearance as Red Hardigan on ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' opposite [[James Garner]] as a cowardly villain intent on marrying a rich girl for money.<ref name="McGilligan87" /> Eastwood had a small part as an aviator in ''[[Lafayette Escadrille (film)|Lafayette Escadrille]]'' (1958) and played a major role as an ex-renegade of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] in ''[[Ambush at Cimarron Pass]]'' (also 1958): a film that Eastwood considers the low point of his career.<ref>[[#Frayling|Frayling]], p. 45</ref><ref>[[#Brien|O'Brien]], p. 40</ref><ref name="McGilligan93">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 93</ref>

[[File:Clint Eastwood and Roxanne Tunis.jpg|thumb|With stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis on the ''Rawhide'' set, circa 1959]]

In 1958, Eastwood was cast as Rowdy Yates in the CBS hour-long western series ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', the career breakthrough he had long sought.<ref name="McGilligan95">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 95</ref><ref name="Eliot45">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 45</ref> Eastwood was not especially happy with his character; Eastwood was almost 30, and Rowdy was too young and cloddish for his comfort.<ref>{{cite web |author=Miller, Kenneth |url=http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/rd-face-to-face-clint-eastwood/ |title=RD Face to Face: Clint Eastwood |publisher=Reader's Digest Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726195125/http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/rd-face-to-face-clint-eastwood/ |archive-date=July 26, 2008}}</ref> Filming began in Arizona in the summer of 1958.<ref>[[#Brien|O'Brien]], p. 29</ref> It took just three weeks for ''Rawhide'' to reach the top 20 in TV ratings and, although it never won an [[Emmy]], it was a major success for several years, and peaked at number six in the ratings from October 1960 to April 1961.<ref name="McGilligan110">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 110</ref> The ''Rawhide'' years (1959–65) were some of the most grueling of Eastwood's career, often filming six days a week for an average of 12 hours a day, but some directors still criticized him for not working hard enough.<ref name="McGilligan110" /><ref name="McGilligan111">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 111</ref> By late 1963, ''Rawhide'' was beginning to decline in the ratings and lacked freshness in the scripts; it was canceled in the middle of the 1965–66 season.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 125</ref> Eastwood made his first attempt at directing when he filmed several trailers for the show, but was unable to convince producers to let him direct an episode.<ref name=Emery/> In the show's first season, Eastwood earned $750 an episode. At the time of ''Rawhide''{{'}}s cancellation, he received $119,000 an episode as severance pay.<ref>[[#Hughes|Hughes]], p. xxvi</ref>

=== 1963–1969: spaghetti Westerns and stardom ===
In late 1963, Eastwood's ''Rawhide'' co-star [[Eric Fleming]] rejected an offer to star in an Italian-made western called ''[[A Fistful of Dollars]]'' (1964), filmed in a remote region of Spain by a then relatively unknown director, [[Sergio Leone]].<ref name="McG126">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 126</ref> [[Richard Harrison (actor)|Richard Harrison]] suggested Eastwood to Leone because Harrison knew that Eastwood could play a cowboy convincingly. Eastwood thought the film would be an opportunity to escape from his ''Rawhide'' image. He signed a contract for $15,000 in wages for eleven weeks' work, with a bonus of a [[Mercedes-Benz]] automobile upon completion.<ref name="Eliot59">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 59</ref><ref name="McG128">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 128</ref> Eastwood later said of the transition from a TV western to ''A Fistful of Dollars'': "In ''Rawhide'' I did get awfully tired of playing the conventional white hat. The hero who kisses old ladies and dogs and was kind to everybody. I decided it was time to be an [[antihero]]."<ref>[[#Hughes|Hughes]], p. 4</ref> Eastwood was instrumental in creating the [[Man with No Name]] character's distinctive visual style and, although a nonsmoker, Leone insisted Eastwood smoke cigars as an essential ingredient of the "mask" he was attempting to create for the character.<ref name="McG131">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 131</ref>

''A Fistful of Dollars'' proved a landmark in the development of [[spaghetti Western]]s, with Leone depicting a more lawless and desolate world than traditional westerns, and challenging American stereotypes of a western hero with a morally ambiguous antihero. The film's success made Eastwood a major star in Italy<ref name=Mercer/> and he was rehired to star in ''[[For a Few Dollars More]]'' (1965), the second of the trilogy. Through the efforts of screenwriter [[Luciano Vincenzoni]], the rights to ''For a Few Dollars More'' and the trilogy's final film, ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' (1966), were sold to [[United Artists]] for about $900,000.<ref name="McG148">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 148</ref>

In January 1966, Eastwood met producer [[Dino De Laurentiis]] in New York City and agreed to star in a non-Western five-part anthology production, ''[[The Witches (1967 film)|The Witches]]'' (''Le Streghe'', 1967), opposite De Laurentiis's wife, [[Silvana Mangano]].<ref name="McG150">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 150</ref> Eastwood's 19-minute installment took only a few days to shoot, but his performance did not please critics; one wrote, "no other performance of his is quite so 'un-Clintlike'".<ref name="McG151">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 151</ref>

Two months later Eastwood began work on ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'', again playing the mysterious Man with No Name. [[Lee Van Cleef]] returned as a ruthless fortune seeker, with [[Eli Wallach]] portraying the Mexican bandit Tuco Ramirez. The storyline involved the search for a cache of [[Confederate gold]] buried in a cemetery. During the filming of a scene in which a bridge was blown up, Eastwood urged Wallach to retreat to a hilltop. "I know about these things", he said. "Stay as far away from special effects and explosives as you can."<ref name="McG156">McGillagan, p. 156</ref> Minutes later, confusion among the crew over the word "Vaya!" resulted in a premature explosion that could have killed Wallach.<ref name="McG156" />

{{blockquote|I wanted to play it with an economy of words and create this whole feeling through attitude and movement. It was just the kind of character I had envisioned for a long time, keep to the mystery and allude to what happened in the past. It came about after the frustration of doing ''Rawhide'' for so long. I felt the less he said, the stronger he became and the more he grew in the imagination of the audience.|source=Eastwood, on playing the Man with No Name character<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 133</ref>}}

[[File:Clint Eastwood - 1960s.JPG|thumb|left|As the Man with No Name in ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964)]]

The ''Dollars'' trilogy was not released in the United States until 1967, when ''A Fistful of Dollars'' opened on January 18, followed by ''For a Few Dollars More'' on May 10, and ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' on December 29.<ref name="McG157">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 157</ref> All three were commercially successful, particularly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'', which eventually earned $8&nbsp;million in rental earnings and turned Eastwood into a major film star being ranked for the first time on [[Quigley Publishing Company|Quigley's]] [[Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll]] in 1968 in fifth place.<ref name="McG157" /><ref name=mint>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 4, 2006|page=1|last=Goldman|first=William|author-link=William Goldman|title=Clint in mint condition|url=https://variety.com/2006/film/news/clint-in-mint-condition-1117949441/|access-date=July 19, 2020|archive-date=July 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720062719/https://variety.com/2006/film/news/clint-in-mint-condition-1117949441/|url-status=live}}</ref> All three received poor reviews, and marked the beginning of a battle for Eastwood to win American film critics' respect.<ref name="McG158">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 158</ref> [[Judith Crist]] described ''A Fistful of Dollars'' as "cheapjack",<ref>{{cite news |last=Crist |first=Judith |title=Plain Murder All the Way |work=[[New York World Journal Tribune]] |date=February 2, 1967}}</ref> while ''[[Newsweek]]'' called ''For a Few Dollars More'' "excruciatingly dopey". [[Renata Adler]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' was "the most expensive, pious and repellent movie in the history of its peculiar genre".<ref>{{cite news |last=Adler |first=Renata |title=The Screen: Zane Grey Meets the Marquis de Sade |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/01/25/archives/the-screen-zane-grey-meets-the-marquis-de-sade-the-good-the-bad-and.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 25, 1968 |access-date=January 9, 2011 |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417023106/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/01/25/archives/the-screen-zane-grey-meets-the-marquis-de-sade-the-good-the-bad-and.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' drew attention to the film's wooden acting, especially Eastwood's, though a few critics such as [[Vincent Canby]] and [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''The New York Times'' praised his coolness.<ref>{{cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |title=A Fistful of Dollars (1964) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/02/02/archives/screen-a-fistful-of-dollars-opens-western-film-cliches-all-used-in.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 2, 1967 |access-date=January 9, 2011 |archive-date=June 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626103041/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B03E1DD1439E53BBC4A53DFB466838C679EDE |url-status=live }}</ref> Leone's cinematography was widely acclaimed, even by critics who disparaged the acting.<ref name="McG158" />

Stardom brought Eastwood more roles. He signed to star in the American [[Revisionism (fictional)|revisionist]] western ''[[Hang 'Em High]]'' (1968) alongside [[Inger Stevens]], [[Pat Hingle]], [[Ed Begley]],<ref name="McG159">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 159</ref> playing a man who takes up a marshal's badge and seeks revenge as a lawman after being lynched by [[vigilantes]] and left for dead.<ref name="McG160">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 160</ref> The film earned Eastwood $400,000 and 25% of its net box office.<ref name="McG159" /> Using money earned from the ''Dollars'' trilogy, Eastwood's advisor Irving Leonard helped establish Eastwood's own production company, [[Malpaso Productions]], named after [[Malpaso Creek]] on Eastwood's property in [[Monterey County, California]]. The 38-year-old actor was still relatively unknown as late as a month prior to the film's release, as evidenced by a July 1968 news item by syndicated columnist Dorothy Manners: "The proverbial man in the street is still asking, 'Who's Clint Eastwood?{{'"}}<ref>{{cite news |author=Manners, Dorothy |date=July 14, 1968 |title=Italy Made Eastwood A Hollywood Hero |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/106343899 |newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |page=117 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |archive-date=April 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416200734/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/106343899/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Leonard arranged for ''Hang 'Em High'' to be a joint production with United Artists;<ref name="McG162">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 162</ref> when it opened in August, it had the largest opening weekend in United Artists' history. ''Hang 'Em High'' was widely praised by critics, including Archer Winsten of the ''[[New York Post]]'', who called it "a western of quality, courage, danger and excitement".<ref name="Zmi12" />

Before ''Hang 'Em High''{{'}}s release, Eastwood had already begun working on ''[[Coogan's Bluff (film)|Coogan's Bluff]]'' (1968), about an Arizona deputy sheriff tracking a wanted psychopathic criminal ([[Don Stroud]]) through New York City. He was reunited with Universal Studios for it after receiving an offer of $1 million{{snd}}more than double his previous salary.<ref name="McG165">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 165</ref> [[Jennings Lang]] arranged for Eastwood to meet [[Don Siegel]], a Universal contract director who later became Eastwood's close friend, forming a partnership that would last more than ten years and produce five films.<ref name="McG167">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 167</ref> Shooting began in November 1967, before the script had been finalized.<ref name="McG169">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 169</ref> The film was controversial for its portrayal of violence.<ref name=Lloyd/><ref name=Slocum/> ''Coogan's Bluff'' also became the first collaboration with Argentine composer [[Lalo Schifrin]], who scored several Eastwood films in the 1970s and 1980s, including the ''Dirty Harry'' films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/lalo-schifrin-dirty-harry-titles/|title=Making Clint Cool: Exploring Lalo Schifrin's 'Dirty Harry' Titles|date=December 3, 2018|publisher=Film School Rejects|access-date=September 9, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101184220/https://filmschoolrejects.com/lalo-schifrin-dirty-harry-titles/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Eastwood was paid $750,000 for the war epic ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' (1968),<ref name="McG172">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 172</ref> about a World War II squad parachuting into a [[Gestapo]] stronghold in [[the Alps]]. [[Richard Burton]] played the squad's commander, with Eastwood as his right-hand man. Eastwood was also cast as [[Two-Face]] in the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'']] television show, but the series was canceled before filming began.<ref name="Eliot83">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 83</ref>

Eastwood then branched out to co-star in a musical, ''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]'' (1969). Eastwood and [[Lee Marvin]] play gold miners who buy a Mormon settler's less favored wife ([[Jean Seberg]]) at an auction. Bad weather and delays plagued the production, and the film's budget eventually exceeded $20&nbsp;million, which was high for the time.<ref name="McG173">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 173</ref> The film was not a critical or commercial success, but was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Paint Your Wagon (1969) |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37096/Paint-Your-Wagon/details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101132205/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/37096/Paint-Your-Wagon/details |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=dead  |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2013 |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref>

=== 1970–1989: directorial debut and ''Dirty Harry'' ===
Eastwood starred with [[Shirley MacLaine]] in the western ''[[Two Mules for Sister Sara]]'' (1970), directed by Don Siegel. The film follows an American mercenary, who becomes mixed up with a prostitute disguised as a nun, and ends up helping a group of [[Juarista]] rebels during the reign of Emperor [[Maximilian I of Mexico]].<ref>[[#Frayling|Frayling]], p. 7</ref><ref>[[#Smith|Smith]], p. 76</ref> Eastwood again played a mysterious stranger{{snd}}unshaven, wearing a serape-like vest, and smoking a cigar.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 226</ref> Although it received moderate reviews,<ref name="McG182">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 182</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kauffmann |first=Stanley |title=Stanley Kauffmann on Films |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |date=August 1, 1970}}</ref><ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 227</ref> the film is listed in ''The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000&nbsp;Movies Ever Made''.<ref name=Canby/> Around the same time, Eastwood starred as one of a group of Americans who steals a fortune in gold from the Nazis, in the World War II film ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'' (also 1970), with [[Donald Sutherland]] and [[Telly Savalas]]. ''Kelly's Heroes'' was the last film Eastwood appeared in that was not produced by his own Malpaso Productions.<ref name="McG184">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 184</ref> Shot on location in Yugoslavia and London,<ref name="McG183">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 183</ref> the film received mostly a positive reception and its anti-war sentiments were recognized.<ref name="McG184" /> Siegel directed Eastwood's next film, ''[[The Beguiled (1971 film)|The Beguiled]]'' (1971), a tale of a wounded Union soldier, held captive by the sexually repressed matron (played by [[Geraldine Page]]) of a Southern girls' school.<ref name="McG185">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 185</ref> Upon release the film received major recognition in France and is considered one of Eastwood's finest works by French critics.<ref name="McG190">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 190</ref> However, it grossed less than $1&nbsp;million and, according to Eastwood and Lang, flopped due to poor publicity and the "emasculated" role of Eastwood.<ref name="McG189">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 189</ref>

[[File:PL Wwa, sztuka w miescie, mural, ul Nowolipki, 2022.09.02, fot Ivonna Nowicka (4) corr.jpg|thumb|A mural in Warsaw, Poland, referring to Eastwood's Dirty Harry character with a quote in English and [[Esperanto]]]]

Eastwood's career reached a turning point in 1971.<ref name="McG196">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 196</ref> Before Irving Leonard died, he and Eastwood had discussed the idea of Malpaso producing ''[[Play Misty for Me]]'', a film that was to give Eastwood the artistic control he desired, and his debut as a director.<ref name="McGilligan192">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 192</ref> The script was about a jazz disc jockey named Dave (Eastwood), who has a casual affair with Evelyn ([[Jessica Walter]]), a listener who had been calling the radio station repeatedly at night, asking him to play her favorite song – [[Erroll Garner]]'s "[[Misty (song)|Misty]]". When Dave ends their relationship, the unhinged Evelyn becomes a murderous stalker.<ref name="McGilligan193">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 193</ref> Filming commenced in [[Monterey]] in September 1970 and included footage of that year's [[Monterey Jazz Festival]].<ref name="McG194">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 194</ref> The film was highly acclaimed with critics, such as [[Jay Cocks]] in ''Time'', [[Andrew Sarris]] in the ''[[Village Voice]]'', and Archer Winsten in the ''New York Post'' all praising the film, as well as Eastwood's directorial skills and performance.<ref name="McG195">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 195</ref> Walter was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actress Award (Drama), for her performance in the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jessica Walter Awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910055/awards |website=Internet Movie Database |access-date=March 17, 2021 |archive-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419115323/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910055/awards |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{blockquote|I know what you're thinking{{snds}}"Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But, being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do you, punk?|source=Eastwood, in ''Dirty Harry''}}

''[[Dirty Harry]]'' (1971), written by [[Harry Julian Fink|Harry]] and [[Rita Fink]], centers on a hard-edged New York City (later changed to San Francisco) [[Police inspector#Municipal police|police inspector]] named [[Harry Callahan (character)|Harry Callahan]] who is determined to stop a psychotic killer by any means.<ref name="McG205">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 205</ref> ''Dirty Harry'' has been described as being arguably Eastwood's most memorable character, and the film has been credited with inventing the "loose-cannon cop" genre.<ref name=Mathijs/><ref name=Cardullo/> Author Eric Lichtenfeld argues that Eastwood's role as Dirty Harry established the "first true archetype" of the action film genre.<ref name=Lichtenfeld/> His lines (quoted above) are regarded by firearms historians, such as Garry James and Richard Venola, as the force that catapulted the ownership of [[.44 Magnum]] revolvers to new heights in the United States; specifically the [[Smith & Wesson Model 29]] carried by Harry Callahan.<ref name="Communications2003">{{cite journal |last=Hicks |first=Jerry |title=A Line to Remember |journal=Orange Coast |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TAQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 |access-date=January 13, 2011 |date=March 2003 |page=23 |issn=0279-0483 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208225416/https://books.google.com/books?id=TAQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Sweeney/> ''Dirty Harry'', released in December 1971, earned $22&nbsp;million in the United States and Canada.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 272</ref> It was Siegel's highest-grossing film and the start of a series of films featuring the character Harry Callahan. Although a number of critics praised Eastwood's performance as Dirty Harry, such as Jay Cocks who described him as "giving his best performance so far, tense, tough, full of implicit identification with his character",<ref name="McG210">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 210</ref> the film was also widely criticized as being [[fascism|fascistic]].<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 273</ref><ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 281</ref><ref name=Baker/> After having been second for the past two years, Eastwood was voted first in Quigley's Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll in 1972 and again in 1973.<ref>{{cite book | title = Screen World 1973 Film Annual, Vol. 24 | year = 1973 | editor = John Willis | publisher = Crown Publishers, Inc. | pages = 6–7 | location = New York | isbn = 978-0517504154 | url = https://archive.org/details/screenworld197300will/page/6}}</ref>

Following [[Sean Connery]]'s announcement that he would not play [[James Bond]] again, Eastwood was offered the role but turned it down, saying, "that was someone else's gig. That's Sean's deal. It didn't feel right for me to be doing it."<ref>{{cite news |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |title=Clint Eastwood as Superman or James Bond? 'It could have happened', he says |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909162555/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/09/07/clint-eastwood-as-superman-or-james-bond-it-could-have-happened-he-says/ |archive-date=September 9, 2010 |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/09/07/clint-eastwood-as-superman-or-james-bond-it-could-have-happened-he-says |url-status=dead |access-date=September 8, 2010}}</ref> He next starred in the loner Western ''[[Joe Kidd]]'' (1972), based on a character inspired by [[Reies Lopez Tijerina]], who stormed a courthouse in [[Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico|Tierra Amarilla]], [[New Mexico]], in June 1967. During filming, Eastwood suffered symptoms of a bronchial infection and several panic attacks.<ref name="McG219">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 219</ref> ''Joe Kidd'' received a mixed reception, with [[Roger Greenspun]] of ''The New York Times'' writing that it was unremarkable, with foolish symbolism and sloppy editing, although he praised Eastwood's performance.<ref name="GreenNYT">{{cite news |last=Greenspun |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Greenspun |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE6D71F31E73BBC4851DFB1668389669EDE |title=Joe Kidd (1972) |work=The New York Times |date=July 20, 1972 |access-date=January 23, 2010 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725200303/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE6D71F31E73BBC4851DFB1668389669EDE |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eastwood's first western as director was ''[[High Plains Drifter]]'' (1973), in which he also starred. The film had a moral and supernatural theme, later emulated in ''Pale Rider''. The plot follows a mysterious stranger (Eastwood) who arrives in a brooding Western town where the people hire him to protect them against three soon-to-be-released felons. There remains confusion during the film as to whether the stranger is the brother of the deputy, whom the felons lynched and murdered, or his ghost. Holes in the plot were filled with black humor and allegory, influenced by Leone.<ref name="McG221">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 221</ref> The revisionist film received a mixed reception, but was a major box-office success. A number of critics thought Eastwood's directing was "as derivative as it was expressive", with [[Arthur Knight (film critic)|Arthur Knight]] of the ''[[Saturday Review (US magazine)|Saturday Review]]'' remarking that Eastwood had "absorbed the approaches of Siegel and Leone and fused them with his own paranoid vision of society".<ref name="McG223">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 223</ref> [[John Wayne]], who had declined a role in the film, sent a letter to Eastwood soon after the film's release in which he complained that, "The townspeople did not represent the true spirit of the American pioneer, the spirit that made America great."<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 291</ref>

[[File:Clint Eastwood-Holden-Breezy.jpg|thumb|left|Directing William Holden in ''Breezy'', 1972]]

Eastwood next turned his attention towards ''[[Breezy]]'' (1973), a film starring [[William Holden]] and [[Kay Lenz]] about love blossoming between a middle-aged man and a teenage girl. Various actresses had lobbied for the title role, including Eastwood's future longtime companion [[Sondra Locke]], who at 29 was nearly twice the character's age.{{efn|Locke's age was misstated in 50 years' worth of publications, including every Eastwood biography on the market. At no point during their post-split mutual disparagements did the discrepancy come up, and it was not until after Locke's death that the press consistently acknowledged she was born in 1944.<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/021590 "Starring Sondra Locke"]. TCM. March 18, 2022. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414230607/https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/021590|date=April 14, 2023}}".</ref><ref>"[https://www.thetimes.com/article/sondra-locke-obituary-c0fqztgr5 "Sondra Locke obituary".] ''The Times''. December 15, 2018. [https://www.thetimes.com/article/sondra-locke-obituary-c0fqztgr5]".</ref><ref name=White>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/sondra-locke-clint-eastwood-b2550936.html "Sondra Locke, Clint Eastwood and the tragic disappearance of a Hollywood trailblazer"]. ''The Independent''. May 26, 2024.</ref> If Eastwood knew Locke was older than she always pretended to be, he never let on, and allowed her lie to go uncorrected for decades.}} The film, shot very quickly and efficiently by [[Frank Stanley (cinematographer)|Frank Stanley]], came in $1&nbsp;million under budget and was finished three days ahead of schedule.<ref name="McG230">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 230</ref> ''Breezy'' was not a major critical or commercial success.<ref name="McGilligan231" /> Eastwood then stepped back in front of the camera to reprise his role as Harry Callahan in ''[[Magnum Force]]'' (1973), a sequel to ''Dirty Harry'', about a group of rogue young officers (among them [[David Soul]], [[Robert Urich]], and [[Tim Matheson]]) in the San Francisco Police Department who systematically exterminate the city's worst criminals.<ref name="McG233">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 233</ref> Although the film was a major success after release, grossing $58.1&nbsp;million in the United States (a record for Eastwood), it was not a critical success.<ref name="Eliot153">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 153</ref><ref name="McG236">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 236</ref> ''The New York Times'' critic [[Nora Sayre]] panned the often contradictory moral themes of the film, while the paper's [[Frank Rich]] called it "the same old stuff".<ref name="McG236" />

Eastwood teamed up with [[Jeff Bridges]] and [[George Kennedy]] in the buddy action caper ''[[Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]]'' (1974), a road movie about a veteran bank robber Thunderbolt (Eastwood) and a young con man drifter, Lightfoot (Bridges). On its release, in spring 1974, the film was praised for its offbeat comedy mixed with high suspense and tragedy but was only a modest success at the box office, earning $32.4&nbsp;million.<ref name="McG241">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 241</ref> Eastwood's acting was noted by critics, but was overshadowed by Bridges who was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. Eastwood reportedly fumed at the lack of Academy Award recognition for him and swore that he would never work for United Artists again.<ref name="McG241" /><ref name="McG240">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 240</ref>

[[File:Film shoot for The Eiger Sanction in Zurich (10).jpg|thumb|right|With an unidentified colleague at a film shoot for ''The Eiger Sanction'', 1974]]

Eastwood's next film ''[[The Eiger Sanction (film)|The Eiger Sanction]]'' (1975) was based on [[Trevanian]]'s [[The Eiger Sanction (novel)|critically acclaimed spy novel]] of the same name. Eastwood plays Jonathan Hemlock in a role originally intended for [[Paul Newman]], an assassin turned college art professor who decides to return to his former profession for one last "sanction" in return for a rare [[Pissarro]] painting. In the process he must climb the north face of the [[Eiger]] in Switzerland under perilous conditions. [[Mike Hoover]] taught Eastwood how to climb during several weeks of preparation at [[Yosemite]] in the summer of 1974 before filming commenced in [[Grindelwald]], Switzerland on August 12.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 314</ref><ref name="McG244">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 244</ref> Despite prior warnings about the perils of the Eiger, Eastwood insisted on doing all his own climbing and stunts. The film crew suffered a number of accidents, including one fatality.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 315</ref><ref>[[#Zmijewsky|Zmijewsky and Pfeiffer]], p. 176</ref> Upon release in May 1975, ''The Eiger Sanction'' was marginally successful commercially, receiving $14.2&nbsp;million at the box-office, and gained mixed reviews.<ref name="McG253">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 253</ref> Joy Gould Boyum of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' dismissed the film as "brutal fantasy".<ref name="McG253" /><ref name="Schickel, p. 316">[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 316</ref> Eastwood blamed Universal Studios for the film's poor promotion and turned his back on them to make an agreement with [[Warner Bros.]], through [[Frank Wells]], that has lasted to the present day.<ref name="McG256">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 256</ref>

[[File:Josey Wales publicity.jpg|thumb|left|Chief Dan George with Locke and Eastwood at a barbecue in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], promoting ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' (1976)]]

''[[The Outlaw Josey Wales]]'' (1976), a western inspired by [[Asa Carter]]'s 1972&nbsp;novel of the same name,<ref name="McG257">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 257</ref> has lead character Josey Wales (Eastwood) as a pro-Confederate guerrilla who refuses to surrender his arms after the American Civil War and is chased across the old southwest by a group of enforcers. The supporting cast included Locke as his love interest and [[Chief Dan George]] as an elderly Cherokee who strikes up a friendship with Wales. Director [[Philip Kaufman]] was fired by producer Bob Daley under Eastwood's command in October 1975, three weeks into the shoot, resulting in a fine reported to be around $60,000 from the [[Directors Guild of America]]{{snd}}who subsequently passed new legislation reserving the right to impose a major fine on a producer for discharging and replacing a director.<ref name="McG264">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 264</ref> The film was pre-screened at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities in Idaho during a six-day conference entitled ''Western Movies: Myths and Images''. Invited to the screening were a number of well-known film critics, including Jay Cocks and Arthur Knight; directors such as [[King Vidor]], [[William Wyler]], and [[Howard Hawks]]; and a number of academics.<ref name="McG266">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 266</ref> Upon release in the summer of 1976 ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' was widely acclaimed, with many critics and viewers seeing Eastwood's role as an iconic one that related to America's ancestral past and the destiny of the nation after the American Civil War.<ref name="McG266" /> [[Roger Ebert]] compared the nature and vulnerability of Eastwood's portrayal of Josey Wales with his Man with No Name character in the ''Dollars'' westerns and praised the film's atmosphere.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19760101/REVIEWS/601010306/1023 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=The Outlaw Josey Wales |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=January 1, 1976 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116002157/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19760101%2FREVIEWS%2F601010306%2F1023 |archive-date=January 16, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film would later appear in ''Time''{{'s}} "Top 10 Films of the Year".<ref name="McGilligan267">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 267</ref>

Eastwood was then offered the role of [[Benjamin L. Willard]] in [[Francis Ford Coppola|Francis Coppola's]] ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'', but declined as he did not want to spend weeks on location in the Philippines.<ref name="McG268">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 268</ref><ref>[[#Kitses|Kitses]], p. 305</ref> He also refused the part of a platoon leader in [[Ted Post]]'s Vietnam War film, ''[[Go Tell the Spartans]]''<ref name="McG268" /> and instead decided to make a third ''Dirty Harry'' film, ''[[The Enforcer (1976 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1976). The film had Callahan partnered with a new female officer ([[Tyne Daly]]) to face a San Francisco Bay area group resembling the [[Symbionese Liberation Army]]. The film, culminating in a shootout on [[Alcatraz]] island, was considerably shorter than the previous ''Dirty Harry'' films at 95{{nbsp}}minutes,<ref name="McG273">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 273</ref> but was a major commercial success grossing $100&nbsp;million worldwide to become Eastwood's highest-grossing film to date.<ref name="McG278">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 278</ref>

[[File:Eastwood Locke The Gauntlet 1977.jpg|thumb|Eastwood and Locke in ''The Gauntlet'' (1977)]]

Eastwood directed and starred in ''[[The Gauntlet (film)|The Gauntlet]]'' (1977) opposite Locke, Pat Hingle, [[William Prince (actor)|William Prince]], [[Bill McKinney]], and [[Mara Corday]]. In this film, he portrays a down-and-out cop assigned to escort a prostitute from Las Vegas to Phoenix to testify against the [[organized crime|mob]]. Although a moderate hit with the viewing public, critics had mixed feelings about the film, with many believing it was overly violent. Ebert, in contrast, gave the film three stars and called it "classic Clint Eastwood: fast, furious, and funny".<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19770101/REVIEWS/701010304/1023 |title=The Gauntlet |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=January 1, 1977 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612184015/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19770101%2FREVIEWS%2F701010304%2F1023 |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[Every Which Way but Loose]]'' (1978), he had an uncharacteristic offbeat comedy role. His character, Philo Beddoe, is a trucker and brawler who roams the American West searching for a lost love (Locke) accompanied by his best friend, Orville Boggs (played by [[Geoffrey Lewis (actor)|Geoffrey Lewis]]) and an orangutan called Clyde. The film proved surprisingly successful upon its release and became Eastwood's most commercially successful film up to that time. Panned by critics, it ranked high among the box-office successes of his career and was the second-highest-grossing film of 1978.<ref name="McG302">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 302</ref>

Eastwood starred in ''[[Escape from Alcatraz (film)|Escape from Alcatraz]]'' (1979), the last of his films directed by Siegel. It was based on the true story of [[Frank Morris (prisoner)|Frank Lee Morris]] who, along with [[John Anglin (criminal)|John]] and [[Clarence Anglin]], escaped from the notorious [[Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary]] in 1962. The film was a major success; [[Stanley Kauffmann]] of ''[[The New Republic]]'' praised it as "crystalline cinema"<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 307</ref> and Frank Rich of ''Time'' described it as "cool, cinematic grace".<ref>[[#Zmijewsky|Zmijewsky and Pfeiffer]], p. 213</ref>

[[File:Any Which Way You Can.jpg|thumb|With Locke in ''Any Which Way You Can'' (1980)]]

Eastwood directed and played the title role in ''[[Bronco Billy]]'' (1980), alongside Locke, [[Scatman Crothers]], and [[Sam Bottoms]].<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 317</ref> Filming commenced on October 1, 1979, in the [[Boise metropolitan area]] and was shot in five and a half weeks on a budget of $5 million.<ref name="Schickel, p. 316"/> Eastwood has cited ''Bronco Billy'' as being one of the most relaxed shoots of his career and biographer [[Richard Schickel]] argued that Bronco Billy is Eastwood's most self-referential character.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 362</ref><ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 365</ref> The film was a commercial disappointment,<ref name="Maslin 1280">{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=Any Which Way You Can (1980): Screen: Clint and Clyde |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E03E7DB1339F934A25751C1A966948260 |work=The New York Times |date=December 17, 1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101175543/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E03E7DB1339F934A25751C1A966948260 |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> but was liked by critics. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote that film was "the best and funniest Clint Eastwood movie in quite a while", and praised Eastwood's directing, intricately juxtaposing the old West and the new West.<ref>{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=Bronco Billy (1980): Eastwood Stars and Directs 'Bronco Billy' |work=The New York Times |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C01E5D61638F932A25755C0A966948260 |date=June 11, 1980 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101170304/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C01E5D61638F932A25755C0A966948260 |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> Released later in 1980, ''[[Any Which Way You Can]]'' was the sequel to ''Every Which Way but Loose'' and also starring Eastwood. The film received a number of bad reviews from critics, although Maslin described it as "funnier and even better than its predecessor".<ref name="Maslin 1280" /> In theaters over the Christmas season, ''Any Which Way You Can'' was a major box office success and ranked among the top five highest-grossing films of the year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1980 |title=1980 Yearly Box Office Results at Boxofficemojo.com |access-date=November 27, 2014 |archive-date=November 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128103602/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1980 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Eastwood1981.jpg|thumb|upright=0.73|left|Eastwood in 1981]]

Eastwood directed and starred in ''[[Honkytonk Man]]'' (1982), based on the eponymous [[Clancy Carlile]]'s depression-era novel. Eastwood portrays a struggling western singer Red Stovall who suffers from tuberculosis, but has finally been given an opportunity to make it big at the [[Grand Ole Opry]]. He is accompanied by his young nephew (played by real-life son [[Kyle Eastwood|Kyle]]) to [[Nashville, Tennessee]], where he is supposed to record a song. Only ''Time'' gave the film a good review in the United States, with most reviewers criticizing its blend of muted humor and tragedy.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 383</ref> Nevertheless, the film received a more positive reception in France, where it was compared to [[John Ford]]'s ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (film)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'',<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 384</ref> and it has since acquired the very high rating of 93{{nbsp}}percent on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/honkytonk_man |title=Honkytonk Man (1982) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |date=December 15, 1982 |access-date=May 1, 2011 |archive-date=September 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926121423/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/honkytonk_man/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Around the same time, Eastwood directed, produced, and starred in the [[Cold War]]-themed ''[[Firefox (film)|Firefox]]'' (also 1982). Based on a 1977 [[Firefox (novel)|novel with the same name]] written by [[Craig Thomas (author)|Craig Thomas]], the film was shot before but released after ''Honkytonk Man''. Russian filming locations were not possible due to the Cold War, and the film had to be shot in [[Vienna]] and other locations in Austria to simulate many of the Eurasian story locations. With a production cost of $20&nbsp;million, it was Eastwood's highest budget film to that time.<ref name="Schickel378">[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 378</ref> ''[[People (American magazine)|People]]'' likened Eastwood's performance to "[[Luke Skywalker]] trapped in Dirty Harry's Soul".<ref name="Schickel378" />

Eastwood directed and starred in the fourth ''Dirty Harry'' film, ''[[Sudden Impact]]'' (1983), which is considered the darkest and most violent of the series.<ref>[[#Zmijewsky|Zmijewsky and Pfeiffer]], p. 232</ref> By this time, Eastwood received 60&nbsp;percent of all profits from films he starred in and directed, with the rest going to the studio.<ref>[[#Munn|Munn]], p. 194</ref> ''Sudden Impact'' was his final on-screen collaboration with Locke. She plays a middle-aged painter who, along with her sister, was gang-raped years before the story takes place and seeks revenge for her sister's now-vegetative state by systematically murdering the rapists. The line "[[Go ahead, make my day]]" (uttered by Eastwood during an early scene in a coffee shop) has been cited as one of cinema's immortal lines. It was quoted by President [[Ronald Reagan]] in a speech to Congress, and used during the [[1984 United States presidential election|1984 presidential elections]].<ref>[[#Smith|Smith]], p. 100</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes100.pdf |title=Frankly, My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn |publisher=[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150615/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes100.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |url-status=dead  |access-date=March 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name=Rogin/> The film was the second most commercially successful of the ''Dirty Harry'' films, after ''The Enforcer'', earning $70&nbsp;million. It received very positive reviews, with many critics praising the feminist aspects of the film through its explorations of the physical and psychological consequences of rape.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 352</ref>

''[[Tightrope (film)|Tightrope]]'' (1984) had Eastwood starring opposite [[Geneviève Bujold]] in a provocative thriller, inspired by newspaper articles about an elusive Bay Area rapist. Set in [[New Orleans]] to avoid confusion with the ''Dirty Harry'' films,<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 389</ref> Eastwood played a divorced cop drawn into his target's tortured psychology and fascination for [[sadomasochism]].<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 361</ref> ''Tightrope'' was a critical and commercial hit and became the fourth highest-grossing [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|R-rated]] film of 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tightrope.htm |title=Tightrope (1984) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=October 23, 1984 |access-date=July 23, 2013 |archive-date=August 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808223055/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=tightrope.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Eastwood next starred in the crime comedy ''[[City Heat]]'' (also 1984) alongside [[Burt Reynolds]], a film about an ex-cop turned private eye and his former police lieutenant partner who get mixed up with gangsters in the [[Prohibition era]] of the 1930s. The film grossed around $50&nbsp;million domestically, but was overshadowed by [[Eddie Murphy]]'s ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]''.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 400</ref>

[[File:Clint & Sondra & Burt & Loni.jpg|thumb|Eastwood and Locke at the premiere of ''City Heat'' (1984) with [[Burt Reynolds]] and [[Loni Anderson]]]]

{{blockquote|Westerns. A period gone by, the pioneer, the loner operating by himself, without benefit of society. It usually has something to do with some sort of vengeance; he takes care of the vengeance himself, doesn't call the police. Like Robin Hood. It's the last masculine frontier. Romantic myth, I guess, though it's hard to think about anything romantic today. In a Western you can think, Jesus, there was a time when man was alone, on horseback, out there where man hasn't spoiled the land yet.|source=Eastwood, on the philosophical allure of portraying western loners<ref>[[#Munn|Munn]], p. 95</ref>}}

Eastwood made his only foray into TV direction with the ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]'' episode "Vanessa in the Garden" (1985), which starred [[Harvey Keitel]] and Locke as a married couple. This was his first collaboration with [[Steven Spielberg]], who later co-produced ''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'' and ''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Halbfinger |first=David M. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/movies/21flag.html |title=The Power of an Image Drives Film by Eastwood |work=The New York Times |date=September 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402230455/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/movies/21flag.html |archive-date=April 2, 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> He would revisit the Western genre when he directed and starred in ''[[Pale Rider]]'' (1985), a film based on the classic western ''[[Shane (film)|Shane]]'' (1953) and follows a preacher descending from the mists of the Sierras to side with the miners during the [[California Gold Rush]] of 1850.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 371</ref> The title is a reference to the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], as the rider of the pale horse is Death, and shows similarities to Eastwood's western ''High Plains Drifter'' (1973) in its themes of morality and justice as well as its exploration of the supernatural.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 375</ref> It was hailed as one of the best films of 1985 and the best western to appear for a considerable period, with [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' remarking, "This year (1985) will go down in film history as the moment Clint Eastwood finally earned respect as an artist."<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 378</ref>

Eastwood co-starred with [[Marsha Mason]] in the military drama ''[[Heartbreak Ridge]]'' (1986), about the 1983&nbsp;United States [[invasion of Grenada]]. He portrayed a United States Marine Corps [[Gunnery Sergeant]] veteran of the Vietnam War who realizes he is nearing the end of his military service. Production and filming were marred by internal disagreements between Eastwood and long-time friend and producer Fritz Manes, as well as between Eastwood and the [[United States Department of Defense]], which had expressed contempt for the film.<ref name="McG398">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 398</ref><ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 406</ref> At the time, the film was a commercial rather than a critical success, and has only come to be viewed more favorably in recent times.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 421</ref> The film grossed $70&nbsp;million domestically.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 407</ref>

Eastwood starred in ''[[The Dead Pool]]'' (1988), the fifth and final film in the ''Dirty Harry'' series. It co-starred [[Patricia Clarkson]], [[Liam Neeson]], and a young [[Jim Carrey]] who plays Johnny Squares, a drug-addled rock star and the first of the victims on a list of celebrities drawn up by horror film director Peter Swan (Neeson) who are deemed most likely to die, the so-called "Dead Pool". The list is stolen by an obsessed fan who, in mimicking his favorite director, makes his way through the list killing off celebrities, of which Dirty Harry is also included. ''The Dead Pool'' grossed nearly $38&nbsp;million, relatively low receipts for a ''Dirty Harry'' film. It is generally viewed as the weakest film of the series, though Roger Ebert thought it was as good as the original.<ref name="The Film journal">{{cite book |title=The Film journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hAnsAAAAMAAJ |access-date=May 1, 2011 |date=1988 |publisher=Pubsun Corp. |page=24 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208225417/https://books.google.com/books?id=hAnsAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Ebert1992">{{cite book |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Roger Ebert's movie home companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTshz3206kYC |access-date=May 1, 2011 |year=1992 |publisher=Andrews and McMeel |isbn=978-0-8362-6243-8 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208225418/https://books.google.com/books?id=lTshz3206kYC |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eastwood began working on smaller, more personal projects and experienced a lull in his career between 1988 and 1992. Always interested in jazz, he directed ''[[Bird (1988 film)|Bird]]'' (1988), a biopic starring [[Forest Whitaker]] as jazz musician [[Charlie Parker|Charlie "Bird" Parker]]. Alto saxophonist [[Jackie McLean]] and [[Spike Lee]], son of jazz bassist [[Bill Lee (musician)|Bill Lee]] and a long time critic of Eastwood, criticized the characterization of Charlie Parker remarking that it did not capture his true essence and sense of humor.<ref name="McG433">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 433</ref> Eastwood received two [[Golden Globes]] for the film, the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award]] for his lifelong contribution, and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director award]]. However, ''Bird'' was a commercial failure, earning just $11&nbsp;million, which Eastwood attributed to the declining interest in jazz among black people.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 435</ref> Carrey would appear with Eastwood again in the poorly-received comedy ''[[Pink Cadillac (film)|Pink Cadillac]]'' (1989). The film is about a bounty hunter and a group of white supremacists chasing an innocent woman ([[Bernadette Peters]]) who tries to outrun everyone in her husband's prized pink [[Cadillac]]. The film failed both critically and commercially,<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 442</ref> earning barely more than ''Bird'' and marking a low point in Eastwood's career.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 437</ref>

=== 1990–2009: critical acclaim and awards success ===
Eastwood directed and starred in ''[[White Hunter Black Heart]]'' (1990), an adaptation of [[Peter Viertel]]'s ''[[roman à clef]]'', about [[John Huston]] and the making of the classic film ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]''. Shot on location in Zimbabwe in the summer of 1989,<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 452</ref> the film received some critical attention but with only a limited release earned just $8.4&nbsp;million.<ref name="McG461">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 461</ref> Eastwood directed and co-starred with [[Charlie Sheen]] in ''[[The Rookie (1990 film)|The Rookie]]'', a buddy cop action film released in December 1990. Critics found the film's plot and characterization unconvincing, but praised its action sequences.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 460</ref> An ongoing lawsuit, in response to Eastwood allegedly ramming a woman's car,<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 466</ref> resulted in no Eastwood films being shown in cinemas in 1991.<ref name="McG467">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 467</ref> Eastwood won the suit and agreed to pay the complainant's legal fees if she did not appeal.<ref name="McG467" />

{{blockquote|quote=[I]f possible, he looks even taller, leaner and more mysteriously possessed than he did in Sergio Leone's seminal ''Fistful of Dollars'' a quarter of a century ago. The years haven't softened him. They have given him the presence of some fierce force of nature, which may be why the landscapes of the mythic, late 19th-century West become him, never more so than in his new ''Unforgiven''.{{nbsp}}... This is his richest, most satisfying performance since the underrated, politically lunatic ''Heartbreak Ridge''. There's no one like him.|source=Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'', on Eastwood's performance in ''Unforgiven''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE7DB103EF934A3575BC0A964958260 |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |title=Unfo |date=August 7, 1992 |access-date=January 17, 2011 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725200316/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE7DB103EF934A3575BC0A964958260 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Eastwood revisited the western genre in ''[[Unforgiven]]'' (1992), a film which he directed and starred in as an aging ex-gunfighter long past his prime. Scripts existed for the film as early as 1976 under titles such as ''The Cut-Whore Killings'' and ''The William Munny Killings'', but Eastwood delayed the project because he wanted to wait until he was old enough to play his character and to savor it as the last of his western films.<ref name="McG467" /> ''Unforgiven'' was a major commercial and critical success; Jack Methews of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' described it as "the finest classical western to come along since perhaps John Ford's 1956 ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]''".<ref name="McG473">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 473</ref> The film was nominated for nine [[Academy Award]]s<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 475</ref> (including [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for Eastwood and Best Original Screenplay for [[David Webb Peoples]]), and won four, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for Eastwood. In 2008 ''Unforgiven'' was ranked as the fourth-best American western, behind ''[[Shane (film)|Shane]]'', ''[[High Noon]]'', and ''The Searchers'' in the [[American Film Institute]]'s "[[AFI's 10 Top 10]]" list.<ref>{{cite news |author=American Film Institute |title=AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres |publisher=ComingSoon.net |date=June 17, 2008 |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072 |access-date=January 17, 2011 |author-link=American Film Institute |archive-date=August 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080818100312/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Top Western |url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/western.html |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605084249/http://www.afi.com/10top10/western.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |url-status=dead  |access-date=January 17, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Clint Eastwood Cannes 1993.jpg|thumb|upright=0.81|left|Eastwood at the [[1993 Cannes Film Festival]]]]

Eastwood played Frank Horrigan in the [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] thriller ''[[In the Line of Fire]]'' (1993), directed by [[Wolfgang Petersen]] and co-starring [[John Malkovich]] and [[Rene Russo]]. Horrigan is a guilt-ridden Secret Service agent haunted by his failure to save [[John F. Kennedy]]'s life.<ref>[[#Schickel|Schickel]], p. 471</ref> The film was among the top&nbsp;10 box office performers in that year, earning $102&nbsp;million in the United States alone, and 25 years after he was first listed on Quigley's Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll, Eastwood was voted number one again.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 480</ref><ref name=mint/> A few months after film wrapped, Eastwood directed and co-starred alongside [[Kevin Costner]] in ''[[A Perfect World]]'' (also 1993). Set in the 1960s,<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 481</ref> Eastwood plays a Texas Ranger in pursuit of an escaped convict (Costner) who hits the road with a young boy ([[T.J. Lowther]]). Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the film marked the highest point of Eastwood's directing career,<ref name="costner">{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/24/arts/reviews-film-a-perfect-world-where-destiny-is-sad-and-scars-never-heal.html |title=A Perfect World; Where Destiny Is Sad and Scars Never Heal |work=The New York Times |date=November 24, 1993 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706031852/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/24/arts/reviews-film-a-perfect-world-where-destiny-is-sad-and-scars-never-heal.html |archive-date=July 6, 2018 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 28, 2018}}</ref> and the film has since been cited as one of his most underrated directorial achievements.<ref name="wpostreview">{{cite news |last=Hinson |first=Hall |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/aperfectworldpg13hinson_a0a8b5.htm |title=A Perfect World |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 24, 1993 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091410/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/aperfectworldpg13hinson_a0a8b5.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead  |access-date=August 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], pp. 485–86</ref>

At the [[1994 Cannes Film Festival]] Eastwood received France's [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] medal,<ref name="McG491">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 491</ref> and in 1995, he was awarded the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]] at the [[67th Academy Awards]].<ref name=Verlhac/> His next film appearance was in a cameo role as himself in the children's film ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'' (1995). He expanded his repertoire by playing opposite [[Meryl Streep]] in ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (also 1995). Based on the novel by [[Robert James Waller]],<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 492</ref> the film relates the story of Robert Kincaid (Eastwood), a photographer working for ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'' who, while photographing historic covered bridges in Iowa, meets and has an affair with an Italian-born farm wife, Francesca (Streep). Despite the novel receiving unfavorable reviews, ''The Bridges of Madison County'' film was a commercial and critical success.<ref name="McG503">[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 503</ref> Roger Ebert wrote, "Streep and Eastwood weave a spell, and it is based on that particular knowledge of love and self that comes with middle age."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950602/REVIEWS/506020301/1023 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=The Bridges of Madison County |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=June 2, 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327232154/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19950602%2FREVIEWS%2F506020301%2F1023 |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]] and won a [[César Award]] in France for Best Foreign Film. Streep was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.

Eastwood directed and starred in the political thriller ''[[Absolute Power (film)|Absolute Power]]'' (1997), alongside [[Gene Hackman]] (with whom he had appeared in ''Unforgiven''). Eastwood played the role of a veteran thief who witnesses the Secret Service cover-up of a murder. The film received a mixed reception from critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/absolute_power/ |title=Absolute Power (1997) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=June 2010 |access-date=January 13, 2011 |archive-date=April 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417074706/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/absolute_power/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in 1997, Eastwood directed ''[[Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (film)|Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil]]'', based on the novel by [[John Berendt]] and starring [[John Cusack]], [[Kevin Spacey]], and [[Jude Law]]. The film met with a mixed critical response.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971121/REVIEWS/711210303/1023 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=November 21, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919040703/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19971121%2FREVIEWS%2F711210303%2F1023 |archive-date=September 19, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The roles that Eastwood has played, and the films that he has directed, cannot be disentangled from the nature of the American culture of the last quarter century, its fantasies and its realities.|source=Author Edward Gallafent, commenting on Eastwood's impact on film from the 1970s to 1990s<ref name=Gallafent/>}}

Eastwood directed and starred in ''[[True Crime (1999 film)|True Crime]]'' (1999). He plays Steve Everett, a journalist and recovering alcoholic, who has to cover the execution of murderer Frank Beechum (played by [[Isaiah Washington]]). ''True Crime'' received a mixed reception, with Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' writing, "his direction is galvanized by a sense of second chances and tragic misunderstandings, and by contrasting a larger sense of justice with the peculiar minutiae of crime. Perhaps he goes a shade too far in the latter direction, though."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9807EFD61731F93AA25750C0A96F958260 |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=True Crime |work=The New York Times |date=March 19, 1999 |access-date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725193151/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9807EFD61731F93AA25750C0A96F958260 |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was a box office failure, earning less than half its $55&nbsp;million budget and was Eastwood's worst-performing film of the 1990s aside from ''White Hunter Black Heart'', which had a limited release.<ref>[[#McGilligan|McGilligan]], p. 539</ref>

Eastwood directed and starred in ''[[Space Cowboys]]'' (2000) alongside [[Tommy Lee Jones]], Donald Sutherland and [[James Garner]]. Eastwood played one of a group of veteran ex-test pilots sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite. The original music score was composed by Eastwood and [[Lennie Niehaus]]. ''Space Cowboys'' was critically well-received and holds a 79&nbsp;percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes,<ref>{{cite web |title=Space Cowboys (2000) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/space_cowboys/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=August 4, 2000 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-date=November 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111160556/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/space_cowboys/ |url-status=live }}</ref> although Roger Ebert wrote that the film was, "too secure within its traditional story structure to make much seem at risk".<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000804/REVIEWS/8040306/1023 |title=Space Cowboys |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=August 4, 2000 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612184025/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20000804%2FREVIEWS%2F8040306%2F1023 |archive-date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> The film grossed more than $90&nbsp;million in its United States release, more than Eastwood's two previous films combined.<ref name="Hughes152">[[#Hughes|Hughes]], p. 152</ref> Eastwood played an ex-[[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agent chasing a sadistic killer ([[Jeff Daniels]]) in the thriller ''[[Blood Work (film)|Blood Work]]'' (2002), loosely based on the 1998 [[Blood Work (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[Michael Connelly]]. The film was a commercial failure, grossing just $26.2&nbsp;million on an estimated budget of $50&nbsp;million and received mixed reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes describing it as, "well-made but marred by lethargic pacing".<ref>{{cite web |title=Blood Work (2002) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=August 9, 2002 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blood_work |access-date=January 10, 2011 |archive-date=October 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017131223/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blood_work/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:AngelinaJolieClintEastwoodCroppedMay08.jpg|thumb|upright|With a pregnant Angelina Jolie on the red carpet of the [[2008 Cannes Film Festival]]]]

Eastwood directed and scored the crime drama ''[[Mystic River (film)|Mystic River]]'' (2003), a film dealing with themes of murder, vigilantism and sexual abuse and starring [[Sean Penn]], [[Kevin Bacon]], and [[Tim Robbins]]. The film was praised by critics and won two Academy Awards – Best Actor for Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Robbins – with Eastwood garnering nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3552323 |title=Acclaim flows for 'Mystic River' at Oscars |date=March 2, 2004 |agency=[[Reuters]] |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121085501/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=3552323 |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref> The film grossed $90{{nbsp}}million domestically on a budget of $30{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="BOM2">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mysticriver.htm |title=Mystic River |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=September 4, 2009 |archive-date=June 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601150709/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mysticriver.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2003, Eastwood was named Best Director of the Year by the [[National Society of Film Critics]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Clint Eastwood |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/88601/Clint-Eastwood/awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219155815/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/88601/Clint-Eastwood/awards |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 19, 2013 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2013 |access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Clint is a true artist in every respect. Despite his years of being at the top of his game and the legendary movies he has made, he always made us feel comfortable and valued on the set, treating us as equals.|source=Tim Robbins, on working with Eastwood.<ref name="Guardian 08" />}}

The following year, Eastwood found further critical acclaim with ''[[Million Dollar Baby]]''. The boxing drama won four Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress ([[Hilary Swank]]) and Best Supporting Actor ([[Morgan Freeman]]).<ref name=Roberts/> At age 74, Eastwood became the oldest of eighteen directors to have directed two or more Best Picture winners.<ref>{{cite web |title=Directing: Directors with 2 or More Directing Awards |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/helpMain.jsp?helpContentURL=statistics/indexStats.html |access-date=January 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301005626/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/helpMain.jsp?helpContentURL=statistics%2FindexStats.html |archive-date=March 1, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=D'Angelo |first=Jennifer |title='Million Dollar Baby' Wins Best Picture Oscar |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/million-dollar-baby-wins-best-picture-oscar |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |date=February 28, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204065612/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,148881,00.html |archive-date=February 4, 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=January 11, 2011}}</ref> He also received a nomination for Best Actor, as well as a [[Grammy]] nomination for his score,<ref name="Eliot313">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 313</ref> and won a Golden Globe for Best Director, which was presented to him by daughter Kathryn, who was [[Miss Golden Globe]] at the [[62nd Golden Globe Awards|2005 ceremony]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/miss_golden_globe/ |title=HFPA – Miss/Mr. Golden Globe |publisher=Goldenglobes.org |access-date=March 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321182707/http://www.goldenglobes.org/miss_golden_globe/ |archive-date=March 21, 2012}}</ref> [[A. O. Scott]] of ''The New York Times'' lauded the film as a "masterpiece" and the best film of the year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=A. O. |author-link=A. O. Scott |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/movies/15baby.html |title=3 People Seduced by the Bloody Allure of the Ring |work=The New York Times |date=December 14, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530022938/http://movies.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/movies/15baby.html |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 6, 2017}}</ref>

Eastwood directed two films about World War II's [[Battle of Iwo Jima]] released in 2006. The first, [[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|''Flags of Our Fathers'']], focused on the men who raised the American flag on top of [[Mount Suribachi]] and featured the film debut of Eastwood's son [[Scott Eastwood|Scott]]. This was followed by ''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]'', which dealt with the tactics of the Japanese soldiers on the island and the letters they wrote home to family members. ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' was the first American film to depict a war issue completely from the view of an American enemy.<ref name="Eliot320">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 320</ref> Both films received praise from critics and garnered several nominations at the [[79th Academy Awards]], including Best Director, Best Picture, and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] for ''Letters from Iwo Jima''. At the [[64th Golden Globe Awards]] Eastwood received nominations for Best Director in both films. ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' won the award for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/letters-iwo-jima |title=Winners & Nominees-Letters From Iwo Jima |publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220153007/https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/letters-iwo-jima |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:ClintEastwoodCannesMay08.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=An older man is at the center of the image smiling and looking off to the right of the image. He is wearing a white jacket, and a tan shirt and tie. The number 61 can be seen behind him on a background wall.|Eastwood in 2008]]

Eastwood next directed ''[[Changeling (film)|Changeling]]'' (2008), based on a true story set in the late 1920s. [[Angelina Jolie]] stars as a woman reunited with her missing son only to realize he is an impostor.<ref name="Eliot327">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 327</ref> After its release at several film festivals the film grossed over $110&nbsp;million, the majority of which came from foreign markets.<ref>{{cite news |first=Pamela |last=McClintock |url=https://variety.com/2009/film/box-office/clint-mints-overseas-box-office-1118001053/ |title=Clint mints overseas box office |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=March 10, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120044234/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001053 |archive-date=January 20, 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=May 11, 2010}}</ref> The film was highly acclaimed, with Damon Wise of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' describing ''Changeling'' as "flawless".<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/cannes2008/Post.asp?id=145 |title=Clint Eastwood's Changeling Is The Best of the Festival So Far |first=Damon |last=Wise |journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=May 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117034517/http://www.empireonline.com/features/cannes2008/Post.asp?id=145 |archive-date=November 17, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Todd McCarthy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' described it as "emotionally powerful and stylistically sure-handed" and that the film's characters and social commentary were brought into the story with an "almost breathtaking deliberation".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2531&reviewid=VE1117937210 |title='Changeling' review |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104153056/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2531&reviewid=VE1117937210 |archive-date=January 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 14, 2011}}</ref> For the film, Eastwood received nominations for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] at the [[66th Golden Globe Awards]], [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]] at the [[62nd British Academy Film Awards]] and director of the year from the London Film Critics' Circle.<ref name="Winners & Nominees-Clint Eastwood">{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/clint-eastwood |title=Winners & Nominees-Clint Eastwood |publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152839/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/clint-eastwood |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebafta.com/hot/62nd-british-academy-film-awards-winners-and-nominees.html |title=62nd British Academy Film Awards |publisher=British Academy Film Television Award (BAFTA) |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=January 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180124032816/http://www.thebafta.com/hot/62nd-british-academy-film-awards-winners-and-nominees.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Eastwood ended a four-year "self-imposed acting hiatus"<ref>{{cite news |last=Turan |first=Kenneth |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/reviews/la-et-torino12-2008dec12,0,2314630.story |title=Review: 'Gran Torino' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214235139/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/reviews/la-et-torino12-2008dec12,0,2314630.story |archive-date=December 14, 2008 |url-status=dead  |access-date=December 13, 2008}}</ref> by appearing in ''[[Gran Torino]]'' (also 2008), which he also directed, produced and partly scored with his son Kyle and [[Jamie Cullum]]. Biographer Marc Eliot called Eastwood's role "an amalgam of the Man with No Name, Dirty Harry, and [[William Munny]], here aged and cynical but willing and able to fight on whenever the need arose".<ref name="Eliot329">[[#Eliot|Eliot]], p. 329</ref> ''Gran Torino'' grossed almost $30&nbsp;million during its opening weekend release in January 2009, the highest of his career as an actor or director.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Reuters]] |title=Clint Eastwood leads box office with 'Gran Torino' |url=https://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/01/11/afx5905250.html |date=January 11, 2009 |work=[[Forbes]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115071626/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/01/11/afx5905250.html |archive-date=January 15, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Gran Torino'' eventually grossed over $268&nbsp;million in theaters worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of Eastwood's career so far (without adjustment for inflation).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=clinteastwood.htm&sort=gross&order=DESC&p=.htm |title=Box Office Mojo – Clint Eastwood |publisher=imdb.com |access-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-date=February 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220212234/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=clinteastwood.htm&sort=gross&order=DESC&p=.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Eastwood's 30th directorial outing came with ''[[Invictus (film)|Invictus]]'' (2009), a film based on the story of the [[South Africa national rugby union team|South African team]] at the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]] with [[Morgan Freeman]] as [[Nelson Mandela]], [[Matt Damon]] as rugby team captain [[François Pienaar]], and [[Grant L. Roberts]] as [[Ruben Kruger]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Keller |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Keller |title=Entering the Scrum |date=August 15, 2008 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/review/Keller-t.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602033505/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/review/Keller-t.html |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was met with generally positive reviews; Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars and described it as a "very good film{{nbsp}}... with moments evoking great emotion",<ref>{{cite news |title=Invictus |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091209/REVIEWS/912099994 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=December 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213113653/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091209%2FREVIEWS%2F912099994 |archive-date=December 13, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> while ''Variety''{{'s}} Todd McCarthy wrote, "Inspirational on the face of it, Clint Eastwood's film has a predictable trajectory, but every scene brims with surprising details that accumulate into a rich fabric of history, cultural impressions and emotion."<ref>{{cite news |title=Invictus |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941681.html |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |date=November 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116094329/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941681/?refCatId=31 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> For the film, Eastwood was nominated for Best Director at the [[67th Golden Globe Awards]].<ref name="Winners & Nominees-Clint Eastwood" />

=== 2010–present: directorial focus and later roles ===
In the Eastwood-directed ''[[Hereafter (film)|Hereafter]]'' (2010), he again worked with Matt Damon, who portrayed a psychic. The film had its world premiere at the [[2010 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] and was given a limited theatrical release.<ref>{{cite news |last=Punter |first=Jennie |title=Eastwood, Boyle among new Toronto entries |url=https://variety.com/2010/biz/markets-festivals/eastwood-boyle-among-new-toronto-entries-1118023009/ |date=August 17, 2010 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106022235/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118023009?refCatId=13 |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mercer |first=Benjamin |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/10/eastwoods-hereafter-matt-damon-shines-despite-schmaltz/64236/ |title=Eastwood's 'Hereafter': Matt Damon Shines, Despite Schmaltz |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=October 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017000809/http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/10/eastwoods-hereafter-matt-damon-shines-despite-schmaltz/64236 |archive-date=October 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> ''Hereafter'' received mixed reviews from critics, with the consensus at Rotten Tomatoes being, "Despite a thought-provoking premise and Clint Eastwood's typical flair as director, ''Hereafter'' fails to generate much compelling drama, straddling the line between poignant sentimentality and hokey tedium."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hereafter/ |title=Hereafter Movie Reviews, Pictures |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=October 22, 2010 |access-date=October 30, 2010 |archive-date=October 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021033355/http://www.rottentomatoes.com//m//hereafter// |url-status=live }}</ref> Around the same time, Eastwood served as executive producer for a [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM]] documentary about jazz pianist [[Dave Brubeck]], ''[[Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way]]'' (also 2010), to commemorate Brubeck's 90th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mergner |first=Lee |date=November 29, 2010 |url=http://jazztimes.com/articles/26871-in-dave-brubeck-s-own-sweet-way |title=In Dave Brubeck's Own Sweet Way |work=[[JazzTimes]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104024433/http://jazztimes.com/articles/26871-in-dave-brubeck-s-own-sweet-way |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Clint Eastwood J. Edgar Premier, November 2011 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Eastwood at the Washington, D.C. premiere of ''J.&nbsp;Edgar'' (2011)]]

Eastwood directed ''[[J. Edgar]]'' (2011), a biopic of [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI director]] [[J. Edgar Hoover]], with [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] in the title role.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Adam |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1641867/20100618/story.jhtml |title=Leonardo DiCaprio To Star in J. Edgar Hoover Biopic |publisher=[[MTV.com]] |date=June 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007120935/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1641867/20100618/story.jhtml |archive-date=October 7, 2010 |url-status=dead  |access-date=January 21, 2011}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews, although DiCaprio's performance as Hoover was widely praised.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar |title=J. Edgar (2011) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Flixster]] |access-date=November 10, 2011 |archive-date=November 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111090503/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Roger Ebert wrote that the film is "fascinating", "masterful", and praised DiCaprio's performance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=J. Edgar |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/j-edgar-2011 |work=The Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=January 16, 2018 |date=November 8, 2011 |archive-date=May 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501011145/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/j-edgar-2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[David Edelstein]] of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine, while also praising DiCaprio, wrote, "It's too bad ''J. Edgar'' is so shapeless and turgid and ham-handed, so rich in bad lines and worse readings."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/melancholia-2011-11 |title=First World Problems |last=Edelstein |first=David |access-date=February 28, 2019 |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=November 14, 2011 |department=The Movie Review |issn=0028-7369 |archive-date=March 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190310110431/http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/melancholia-2011-11/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eastwood starred in the baseball drama ''[[Trouble with the Curve]]'' (2012), as a veteran baseball scout who travels with his daughter for a final scouting trip. [[Robert Lorenz]], who worked with Eastwood as an assistant director on several films, directed the film.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/05/clint-eastwood-may-act-again-in-baseball-drama-breaking |title=Clint Eastwood may act again in baseball drama |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 5, 2011 |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006220910/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/10/05/clint-eastwood-may-act-again-in-baseball-drama-breaking/ |url-status=dead  |access-date=October 6, 2011}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Everybody wonders why I continue working at this stage. I keep working because there's always new stories.{{nbsp}}... And as long as people want me to tell them, I'll be there doing them.|source=Eastwood, reflecting on his later career<ref>{{cite video |title=The Eastwood Factor (Extended Edition) |medium=DVD |publisher=[[Warner Home Video]] |time=1:26:15 |date=June 1, 2010}}</ref>}}

During [[Super Bowl XLVI]], Eastwood narrated a halftime advertisement for [[Chrysler]] titled "[[Halftime in America]]" (2012).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwood-chrysler-super-bowl-commercial-287778 |title=Clint Eastwood's Chrysler Super Bowl Ad: The Untold Obama Connection |first=Tina |last=Daunt |date=February 7, 2012 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=February 10, 2012 |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209113912/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwood-chrysler-super-bowl-commercial-287778 |url-status=live }}</ref> The advertisement was criticized by several U.S. Republicans, who claimed it implied that President [[Barack Obama]] deserved a second term.<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/10498087-452/republicans-reaction-to-chrysler-super-bowl-ad-beautiful-for-dems.html Republicans' Reaction to Super Bowl ad beautiful for Dems"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', February 7, 2012. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210183423/http://www.suntimes.com/news/roeper/10498087-452/republicans-reaction-to-chrysler-super-bowl-ad-beautiful-for-dems.html |date=February 10, 2012 }}</ref> In response to the criticism, Eastwood stated, "I am certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama. It was meant to be a message about job growth and the spirit of America."<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/clint-eastwood-on-chrysler-super-bowl-commercial-not-affiliated-obama_n_1258701.html "Clint Eastwood On Chrysler Super Bowl Commercial: 'I'm Not Politically Affiliated With Mr. Obama{{'"}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226180950/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/clint-eastwood-on-chrysler-super-bowl-commercial-not-affiliated-obama_n_1258701.html |date=December 26, 2016 }}. ''[[The Huffington Post]]''. February 6, 2012.</ref>

Eastwood next directed ''[[Jersey Boys (film)|Jersey Boys]]'' (2014), a musical biopic based on the [[Tony Award]]-winning [[Jersey Boys|musical of the same name]]. The film told the story of the musical group [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.broadway.com/buzz/172856/clint-eastwoods-jersey-boys-movie-starring-tony-winner-john-lloyd-young-sets-2014-release-date |title=Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys Movie, Starring Tony Winner John Lloyd Young, Sets 2014 Release Date |work=Broadway.com |access-date=November 27, 2014 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906183218/http://www.broadway.com/buzz/172856/clint-eastwoods-jersey-boys-movie-starring-tony-winner-john-lloyd-young-sets-2014-release-date/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eastwood directed ''[[American Sniper]]'' (also 2014), a film adaptation of [[Chris Kyle]]'s eponymous memoir, following Steven Spielberg's departure from the project.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwood-talks-direct-american-611186 |title=Clint Eastwood in Talks to Direct 'American Sniper' |date=August 21, 2013 |first=Borys |last=Kit |access-date=November 5, 2013 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=November 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112063345/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwood-talks-direct-american-611186 |url-status=live }}</ref> Released on Christmas day, ''American Sniper'' grossed more than $350&nbsp;million domestically and over $547&nbsp;million globally, making it one of Eastwood's biggest movies commercially.<ref>{{cite web |title='American Sniper' as Eastwood's biggest film? |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/27/clint-eastwoods-biggest-film-ever-the-bar-started-low.html |website=CNBC |date=January 27, 2015 |access-date=December 4, 2015 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208172227/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/27/clint-eastwoods-biggest-film-ever-the-bar-started-low.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=American Sniper (2014) – Box Office Mojo |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americansniper.htm |website=www.boxofficemojo.com |access-date=December 4, 2015 |archive-date=November 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130091136/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americansniper.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> His next film, ''[[Sully (film)|Sully]]'' (2016), starred [[Tom Hanks]] as [[Chesley Sullenberger]], who successfully landed the [[US Airways Flight 1549]] on the [[Hudson River]] in an emergency landing, keeping all passengers on board alive.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Michael |title=In 'Sully,' New York Is Clint Eastwood's Latest Star |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/movies/in-sully-new-york-is-clint-eastwoods-latest-star.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 2, 2018 |date=September 7, 2016 |archive-date=January 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072904/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/movies/in-sully-new-york-is-clint-eastwoods-latest-star.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It became another commercial success for Eastwood, grossing over $238&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sully (2016) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sully.htm |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=January 16, 2018 |archive-date=January 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109100130/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=sully.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He directed the biographical thriller ''[[The 15:17 to Paris]]'' (2018), which saw previously non-professional actors [[Spencer Stone]], [[Anthony Sadler]], and [[Alek Skarlatos]] playing themselves as they stop the [[2015 Thalys train attack]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Jenkins |first=Aric |title=The True Story Behind the Movie The 15:17 to Paris |url=https://time.com/5141400/the-1517-to-paris-movie-true-story/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=February 10, 2018 |date=February 9, 2018 |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202110616/https://time.com/5141400/the-1517-to-paris-movie-true-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film received a generally negative reception from critics, who were largely critical of the acting by the three leads.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 15:17 to Paris (2018) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_1517_to_paris |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |date=February 9, 2018 |access-date=March 26, 2018 |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222085657/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_1517_to_paris/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eastwood next starred in and directed ''[[The Mule (2018 film)|The Mule]]'', which was released in December 2018. He played Earl Stone, an elderly drug smuggler based on [[Leo Sharp]], Eastwood's first acting role since ''Trouble with the Curve'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/clint-eastwoods-the-mule-kicks-its-way-onto-december-release-calendar-1202472363/ |title=Clint Eastwood's 'The Mule' Kicks Its Way Onto December Release Calendar |website=deadline.com |date=September 27, 2018 |first=Anthony |last=D'Alessandro |access-date=November 28, 2018 |archive-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416183505/https://deadline.com/2018/09/clint-eastwoods-the-mule-kicks-its-way-onto-december-release-calendar-1202472363/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On the eve of ''The Mule''{{'}}s opening, news belatedly surfaced that Eastwood's ex-significant other Sondra Locke had died over a month earlier on November 3; no explanation was given for the [[media blackout]].<ref name=White/><ref>{{cite news|title=Mystery six-week delay in announcement of Hollywood actress death|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/mystery-six-week-delay-in-announcement-of-hollywood-actress-death/MBCDRCVYF5WDJEWCAT3ROEWZKQ|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=December 13, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2019, it was announced that Eastwood would direct ''The Ballad of Richard Jewell'', based on the life of heroic security guard [[Richard Jewell]], who was wrongly suspected in the [[1996 Olympic bombing]]. Later retitled simply ''[[Richard Jewell (film)|Richard Jewell]]'', Eastwood directed and produced the film, through Warner Bros., his tenth straight film with the company. [[Jonah Hill]] and [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] were originally set to star in the film in 2014, when it was to be directed by [[Paul Greengrass]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/11/jonah-hill-and-leonardo-dicaprio-to-star-in-olympic-terrorism-drama|title=Paul Greengrass set to direct Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio in Olympic terrorism drama|work=The Guardian|date=September 11, 2014|last=Brooks|first=Xan|access-date=December 12, 2020|archive-date=April 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414020555/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/11/jonah-hill-and-leonardo-dicaprio-to-star-in-olympic-terrorism-drama|url-status=live}}</ref> but DiCaprio and Hill would ultimately serve only as producers on Eastwood's film.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwoods-richard-jewell-movie-moves-fox-warner-bros-1213617 |title=Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell Movie Moves From Fox to Warner Bros. |website=hollywoodreporter.com |date=May 24, 2019 |first=Borys |last=Kit |access-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525225458/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clint-eastwoods-richard-jewell-movie-moves-fox-warner-bros-1213617 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/clint-eastwood-ballad-of-richard-jewell-warner-bros/ |title=Disney Drops Clint Eastwood's 'Ballad of Richard Jewell' as WB Saves the Day |website=collider.com |date=May 24, 2019 |first=Jeff |last=Sneider |access-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-date=May 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526094028/http://collider.com/clint-eastwood-ballad-of-richard-jewell-warner-bros/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film stars [[Paul Walter Hauser]] in the titular role, along with [[Sam Rockwell]], [[Kathy Bates]], [[Jon Hamm]], and [[Olivia Wilde]] in supporting roles. Filming began on June 24, 2019, and ''Richard Jewell'' was released on December 13, 2019.

In October 2020, it was announced that Eastwood would direct, produce, and star in ''[[Cry Macho (film)|Cry Macho]]'', an adaptation of [[Cry Macho|the 1975 novel of the same name]], for Warner Bros. Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/clint-eastwood-cry-macho-warner-bros-1234582757/|title=Clint Eastwood Finds His Next Film, Coming On To Star And Direct 'Cry Macho' For Warner Bros|date=October 2, 2020|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|author=Justin Kroll|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003220835/https://deadline.com/2020/10/clint-eastwood-cry-macho-warner-bros-1234582757/|archive-date=October 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Production of the film took place in [[New Mexico]] between November and December 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/1511464/clint-eastwood-to-bring-cry-macho-to-nm-for-production.html|title=Clint Eastwood to bring 'Cry Macho' to NM for production|date=October 27, 2020|author=Adrian Gomez|website=[[Albuquerque Journal]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027221534/https://www.abqjournal.com/1511464/clint-eastwood-to-bring-cry-macho-to-nm-for-production.html|archive-date=October 27, 2020|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2020}}</ref> It was released on September 17, 2021,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/dune-many-saints-of-newark-sopranos-release-date-changes-warner-bros-1234781687/|title=Warner Bros Shuffles Fall Release Deck With 'Dune', 'Cry Macho' & 'The Many Saints Of Newark'|date=June 25, 2021|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=August 17, 2021|archive-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626185421/https://deadline.com/2021/06/dune-many-saints-of-newark-sopranos-release-date-changes-warner-bros-1234781687/|url-status=live}}</ref> to mixed reviews and [[Box-office bomb|commercial failure]].

In April 2023, reports emerged that Eastwood would direct and produce ''[[Juror No. 2|Juror #2]]'', from a screenplay by Jonathan Abrams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Aaron |date=May 6, 2023 |title=92-Year-Old Clint Eastwood's Pals Worry His Health 'Has Taken a Turn' as Actor Hasn't Been Seen in 454 Days |url=https://radaronline.com/p/clint-eastwood-health-taken-a-turn-retirement-friends-concerned/ |access-date=May 9, 2023 |website=RadarOnline |archive-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507221020/https://radaronline.com/p/clint-eastwood-health-taken-a-turn-retirement-friends-concerned/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film stars [[Nicholas Hoult]], [[Toni Collette]], [[Zoey Deutch]], [[Kiefer Sutherland]], and [[J.K. Simmons]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Galuppo|first1=Mia|last2=Kit|first2=Borys|title=Clint Eastwood Sets New Movie, 'Juror No. 2,' With Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/clint-eastwood-direct-juror-no-2-nicholas-hoult-toni-collette-1235353258/|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=April 14, 2023|access-date=May 3, 2023|archive-date=May 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531024606/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/clint-eastwood-direct-juror-no-2-nicholas-hoult-toni-collette-1235353258/|url-status=live}}</ref> Production began in June 2023, but was temporarily suspended due to the [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike]], resuming in November 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Umberto |date=2023-07-14 |title=All The Movies Affected by the SAG-AFTRA Strike From 'Deadpool 3' to 'Mission: Impossible 8' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/sag-aftra-strike-movies-affected-deadpool-3-mi8/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=TheWrap |archive-date=July 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714014112/https://www.thewrap.com/sag-aftra-strike-movies-affected-deadpool-3-mi8/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=Filming to resume for Clint Eastwood's 'Juror #2' in Savannah |url=https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/filming-to-resume-for-clint-eastwoods-juror-2-in-savannah/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=WSAV-TV |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204152049/https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/filming-to-resume-for-clint-eastwoods-juror-2-in-savannah/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and released in November 2024, to generally favorable reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=Juror #2 Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/juror-2/ |website=Metacritic |access-date=9 November 2024}}</ref> It has been rumored that ''Juror #2'' may be Eastwood's final directorial effort, though insiders deny this.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Erickson |first1=Nicholas |title=Clint Eastwood Is 'NOT done … or Even Retired' Just 'Slowing Everything Down' After 'Juror No. 2' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/clint-eastwood-not-done-even-002825424.html |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=December 25, 2024 }}</ref>