The tumbleweed rolls across the dusty main road as the man in the Stetson walks toward the swinging saloon doors. The Morricone harmonica grows louder as he approaches.You know something really cool is about to happen. Inside, the barkeep is pouring a whiskey, sex workers are looking for some company, and a couple of games of poker are being played -with somebody holding an ace up their sleeve. It provided a stage for some of the coolest gunslingers in boots and spurs to either contribute to the drunken debauchery or challenge the quickest draw outside at high noon to settle the score.
The Western genre has delivered some of the most well-known names in film history.John Wayne,Clint Eastwood,Henry Fonda, andJames Stewartthrived in the medium. Some moved on to different types of films, while others never left. Either way, Western stars have been big-time Hollywood draws since the first silent stage coach train robbery wowed audiences over a hundred years ago. So this list is the elite of the elite in a genre that dates back to when your great-grandfather was paying a nickel to see the white hat versus the black hat.
10Alan Ladd
Best Known Western: ‘Shane’
“Shane!” It’s one of the most well-known single words in the history of Westerns. As the titular gunslinger,Alan Laddwanted nothing more than to put his rough-and-tumble past behind him and settle into a peaceful life in Wyoming. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Before you think to yourself, “Well, Alan Ladd wasn’t as prolific as the other cowboys on this list!” Hold on a second.
Ladd followed his best role in 1953 with terrific films likeThe Proud RebelandBranded. If you haven’t seen some of Ladd’s other works, treat yourself to a full night of his chiseled face. In the decade of the 1950s, there weren’t many men who drew an audience like Alan Ladd. Even with a somewhat top-heavy filmography, Ladd andShanedeserve a spot just inside this list of great Western stars.
Shanecan be streamed on Pluto TV in the U.S.
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9Eli Wallach
IsEli Wallachugly? No, of course he’s not! In fact, he is quite dashing.So why would acclaimed genre directorSergio Leonelabel him as suchin the legendaryClint Eastwoodspaghetti westernThe Good, the Bad, & the Ugly? In a film that brings out the best ofThe Man With No Nameand his despicable gunslinging nemesis Angel Eyes/Sentenza (Lee Van Cleef), Wallach’s unapologetic duplicity as Tuco steals many scenes from his larger-than-life co-stars.
He may be best remembered as Tuco, but Eli Wallach also starred in some of the best-known Westerns of the 1960s. InThe Magnificent Seven, he plays oppositeYul Brenner,Steve McQueen, andCharles Bronsonas Calvera. In the real “Who’s who?” of the enormously popular Western genre, he played Charlie Gant alongside many titans who appear later in this list, likeJohn Wayne, Henry Fonda, andJames StewartinHow the West Was Won. Wallach broughtan uncanny grittiness and authenticitythat had him at the top of the casting director’s shortlist for some of the biggest Westerns of the decade.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Uglycan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
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8Yul Brynner
Best Known Western: ‘Westworld’
Yul Brynner’s almost unidentifiable qualities made him one of the most sought-after actors for some of the best Westerns. His steely glare made him perfect in the part of Chris Adams inThe Magnificient Seven. He definitely had swagger, and that Stetson sat atop his bald head with just the right amount of tilt. He made black hats cool in several notable roles. Of course, his deep baritone dulcet also made him stand out.
Brynner was versatile enough to play bad guys like the villainous stalker robot in 1973’sWestworld. Still, he could also play guys like Adams and seductive and rakish rogue assassins like Jules Gaspard d’Estaing in the underratedInvitation to a Gunslinger. Brynner made Hay in other genres with huge parts inThe King and IandThe Ten Commandments, but his turns as mercurial cowboys leave a lasting impression within the Western genre.
Westworld (1973)
Westworld is a 1973 science fiction film directed by Michael Crichton. Set in a futuristic amusement park, the film follows guests who experience lifelike adventures with androids in different themed worlds. When the androids malfunction, chaos ensues and a vacation turns into a fight for survival. Yul Brynner stars as the iconic Gunslinger.
Westworldcan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
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7Gary Cooper
Best Known Western: ‘High Noon’
If there ever was a gentleman cowboy in the Western genre, it was the affable and handsomeGary Cooper. One of the true legends of Hollywood’s Golden Age,Cooper made hay in the earliest days of big screen dust-upswith outstanding performances as early as 1926. Cooper was the man who donned the white hat as the talking motion picture gained traction and became a mainstay in the industry. With his genteel exterior, he is a legendary pioneer of Western cinema and can never be replaced.But don’t mistake his earnestness for weakness!
With a winsome smile and a reassuring turn of phrase, Cooper rose to stardom in classics likeThe Virginian,The Westerner,High Noon, andMan of the West. Sure, a few didn’t do as well as his seminal works, but that is part ofsingularly ushering in an entire genre and finding out what audiences wanted to see and how they wanted to feel about the parts Cooper played. No list of top Western stars is complete without the man who carried the Western genre from its infancy into a fully formed thing.
High Nooncan be streamed on Pluto TV in the U.S.
6Steve McQueen
Best Known Western: ‘The Magnificent Seven’
A baby-facedSteve McQueengot in on the cinematic goodnessof 1960’sThe Magnificent Seven. Alongside Brynner,Charlie Bronson, and Eli Wallach, McQueen played the unforgettable Vin Tanner in the Western version of master filmmakerAkira Kurosawa’s Japanese movieSeven Samurai. It’s one of the genre’s best and most revolutionary films because of its compelling storyline and great performances by one of the best Western ensemble casts of all time.
McQueen played Tanner, a smooth-talking cowboy and former bounty hunter with a knack for tracking and a skilled sharpshooting rifleman.He lives by the dying words of his beloved mother, who said to him, “Boy, you are a Tanner. Don’t you ever forget that.” This mantra dictates his every action. McQueen also made two more memorable Westerns, with the 1966Nevada Smithand later in his career as the titular cowboy inTom Horn.
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Sevencan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
5Glenn Ford
Best Known Western: ‘3:10 to Yuma’
Before he was Superman’s adoptive dad,Glenn Fordwas a versatile and prolific star who made great Western movies.He is arguably best known as the quick draw Ben Wade in the legendary3:10 to Yumain 1957. One of his most underrated and underseen performances came in the 1956 filmJubal. Ford plays the titular Jubal Troop, a wounded cowboy who finds a haven in a small town.Ernest Borgnineis a friendly rancher who employs Troop, but problems arise when the rancher’s wife takes a liking to him.
Like most stars on this list, Ford brings a ruggedness and steely resolve that are requisite for any Western star. His stoic demeanor, sharp jawline, and commanding on-screen presence allow Ford to own his scenes and create hard-boiled and sympathetic characters. Like Alan Ladd, Ford may not have the bullet point references of some of his contemporaries, but he makes up for it with powerful performances in lesser-known Westerns.
3:10 to Yuma
3:10 to Yumacan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
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4James Stewart
Best Known Western: ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’
Jimmy Stewartwas so dynamic that it’s impossible to say he excelled in a singular genrebecause he was so good at everything. He may be best remembered for the holiday classicIt’s a Wonderful Life, but his work within the Western genre is also impressive. The ultimate “good guy,” Stewart was in a bevy of memorable shoot' em-up winners.His uncanny ability to play each character with a unique twistmade audiences forget that they were watching one of the biggest big screen stars and immerse themselves within his films.
It’s difficult to say which of Stewart’s performances is the best. Certainly, you can make a strong argument forThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The exchanges and differing opinions between him andJohn Wayneon dealing with the criminal element remain some of the strongest scenes in the genre.How the West Was Wonmay be the most visually stunning and boldly shot of all of Stewart’s westerns, so it is difficult to separate thesetwo with honorable mentions forWinchester ‘73(1950), which explores the darker side of the iconic actor, andDestry Rides Againas one of his earliest Westerns that established his bona fides.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancecan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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3Henry Fonda
Best Known Western: ‘Fort Apache’
Henry Fondabegat a long line of famous Hollywood entertainers who are still making movies today. But the patriarch left an indelible mark on the Western genre. He had a look that could drop you where you stood; it was a thing to behold on the big screen. It all started in the late 1930s and lasted 40 more years. Still, his unforgettable turn in 1962’sHow the West Was Wonas Jethro Stuart, playing alongside John Wayne, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, andGregory Peck. His stronghold within what isarguably the most prolific and successful ensemble in the genre’s history truly cemented his legacy in Westerns.
His star rose after standout performances inMy Darling Clementine,Fort Apache,andTin Star. The blue-eyed cowboy parlayed the role into severalmore top-notch performances inOnce Upon a Time in the West,andMy Name Is Nobody, among several others. He is as prolific as they come within the genre, and a combination of his dramatic range and unforgettable drop-dead stare as he chomped on a cigar has him on the list. Fonda had a unique polecat swagger that dared you to underestimate him.
Fort Apache
Fort Apachecan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
2Clint Eastwood
Best Known Western: ‘For a Few Dollars More’
LeavingThe Man With No Nameout of the top spot on the list is tough, but number two is nothing to sneeze at.Clint Eastwoodbroughta combination of unadulterated machismo with an unflinching on-screen presencethat only the man ahead of him on this list could match. For the first twenty years of his career, he andSergio Leonecollaborated to invent a sub-genre of spaghetti westerns that changed how we viewed Western film and ostensibly invented the quiet cowboy.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,For a Few Dollars More,The Outlaw Josey Wales,Two Mules For Sister Sara…the list goes on, but these are just a few titles that made Eastwood a legendary gunslinger. So, let’s get right to the point about Eastwood.His unforgettable scowl with a cigar hanging out of his mouth, accompanied by the Morricone harmonica, is what most movie-goers associate with Westerns. Add the natural swagger and his lightning-fast draw of a six-shooter from his holster;it is everything we want and need from a Western icon.
For a Few Dollars More
For a Few Dollars Morecan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
1John Wayne
Best Known Western: ‘True Grit’
The Duke or Eastwood? Eastwood or the Duke? If you think about it too long, you’ll drive yourself insane. Alas, it is incredibly difficult to go with anyone in the Western genre more than the man who defined the purposeful polecat swagger. There is a long list of great shoot-em-up movies that John Wayne starred in. Some of the most memorable areTrue Grit,The Searchers,Rio Bravo, andThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. These are films that carried the genre through the 50s and 60s.
Wayne carried the torch of many of the men on this list, like Gary Cooper, Glenn Ford, and Alan Ladd. His role as Tom Doniphon, a smooth-talking cowpoke who stole scenes from the likes of Jimmy Stewart andLee Marvin.There is no denying that Wayne’s throaty voice, camera-friendly face, and steely demeanor are impossible to match as he ushered in a different kind of cowboy.Westerns now had that signature iconic presence, unlike anything that audiences had seen before.The Duke is a solid number 1, but Eastwood gives him a run for his money.
