17 Tough Guy Actors That Remind Us of Clint Eastwood

In the world of cinema history, there can be only one Clint Eastwood. As one of Hollywood’s best tough guy personas, Eastwood’s career is one of legend. While he’s best known for acting, Eastwood is also a director and producer achieving a level of success few Hollywood stars can hope for. 

Iconic characters like Harry Callahan and The Man with No Name will be long remembered as some of the greatest in movie history. There is no question Eastwood is a no-nonsense guy, and this is something we’re often looking for with modern-day actors. So, let’s take a look at today's “tough guy” actors and see who reminds us of Clint Eastwood. 

Embracing the everyman role similar to Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson has shown increasing versatility in his career. Between The Taken series, Cold Pursuit, and The Grey, Neeson has displayed the ability to successfully show both skilled and determined characters. These are very similar to Eastwood roles where action sequences combine with emotional complexity.

While not quite as versatile as Clint Eastwood, Jason Statham is a fitting choice as a Hollywood “tough guy”. Statham often sticks to action roles where he’s far more capable in hand-to-hand combat than Eastwood. However, where Statham and Eastwood are most similar is in the levels of intensity given to each role.

While many people remember Hugh Jackson as Wolverine, he’s far more than that. Jackman’s versatility also expanded to The Greatest Showman where he showed off his vocal range. As a tough guy, it's his role as Wolverine Jackman really gets to show off his physicality.

Boosted by roles in movies like Olympus Has Fallen and Den of Thieves, Gerard Butler has carved out a niche as a “tough guy”. Just as is the case with many actors on this list, Butler’s no-nonsense action work portrays him as the everyman “tough guy” audiences fall in love just as they did with Clint Eastwood.

One of the more unique actors on this list, Idris Elba has an intensity on screen that is unparalleled. His commanding presence has helped him become a favorite for future James Bond roles. However, it’s his roles in Beasts of No Nation, The Harder They Fall, and Luther, that give him a Clint Eastwood-like tough guy persona.

While Timothy Olyphant isn’t on the same level as a Western star as Eastwood, his role in HBO’s Deadwood was very well received. Portraying the town sheriff, there is something about Olyphant's acting that offers an Eastwood-like level of grit and determination. Olyphant even voiced an animated character in Spirit of the West modeled after Clint Eastwood.

Not as well known as some other actors on this list, Anson Mount is still a great everyman actor. Best known for his role in Hell on Wheels, Mount has some experience in the Western genre that made Eastwood famous. His strong presence on screen gives him a similar level of strength Eastwood portrayed.

Having acted with Clint Eastwood once, Tommy Lee Jones offers a similar tough guy persona as Eastwood. His roles in movies like No Country for Old Men and The Fugitive allowed Jones to showcase a no-nonsense tough guy. There is also something about Jones and his rugged appeal that works so well.

Appearing opposite Clint Eastwood in Absolute Power, Ed Harris often showed his chops as a tough guy on screen. In movies like The Rock, Harris came off as resolute and unwavering just like Eastwood has many times before as a General looking for revenge for fallen soldiers.

This might be a controversial choice but if you look at Schwarzenggers most recent acting choices, he’s taken on roles better suited for his age. Just as Eastwood has in films like Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby, so has Arnold in films like The Expendables 3 and Sabotage.

With a similar statute as Eastwood, Josh Brolin commands the screen whenever he appears. Nowhere is this more true when Brolin appears as the anti-hero in Sicario or No Country for Old Men. Brolin is quietly menacing, in a similar way Eastwood has been his entire career.

Just as Clint Eastwood was able to do his entire career, Denzel Washington is a “tough guy” who demands a presence on screen. Washington’s ability to act in both complex and simple roles echoes that of Eastwood. Washington has also tried his hand at acting with films like Antwone Fisher, just as Eastwood has.

While not yet a true Hollywood “tough guy” actor, Chris Pine’s performance in Hell or High Water showed he has the chops. Pine’s range is more expansive than Eastwood's, so if he can nail down the right “tough guy” or Western role, Pine would be well on his way to reminding us of Clint Eastwood.

It’s only right that the son of Clint Eastwood, Scott Eastwood makes an appearance on this list. Appearing alongside his father in Gran Torino, Eastwood has shown a bit of a “tough guy” cowboy persona in The Longest Ride. He doesn’t yet shoot like his father in A Fistful of Dollars, but he’s well on his way.

If there is any actor who brings the same level of intensity as Eastwood did in his early Hollywood days, Tom Hardy is at the top of the list. Like Eastwood, Hardy offers an incredible level of commitment to each role. He’s also had more than his fair chance to show off his “tough guy” skills.

Not quite an exact match with Clint Eastwood physically, but Ben Foster has a burning intensity. His roles in movies like Hell or High Water and Alpha show off a remarkable talent similar to Eastwood’s anti-hero days. Like Eastwood, Foster is willing to straddle the line between the “good guy” and the “bad guy”.

Another actor who has yet to truly off his tough guy persona, Glen Powell is on his wall. His role in Top Gun: Maverick shows off both a charm and toughness that remain the hallmark of Eastwood’s early Hollywood persona.