Hollywood in History

Signs with Universal-International and begins small film and television roles.

Appears in Francis in the Navy during his early period of small studio roles.

Appears in Lady Godiva of Coventry while working under his early studio contract.

Makes an uncredited acting debut as a laboratory assistant in the film Revenge of the Creature.

Appears in the science-fiction film Tarantula during his early Hollywood career.

Appears in Away All Boats as part of his run of minor film roles.

Takes a supporting role in Never Say Goodbye during his early screen career.

Appears in the western Star in the Dust before his later breakthrough in television westerns.

Appears in The First Traveling Saleslady, another early studio-era film role.

Appears in Death Valley Days, gaining experience in western television drama.

Appears in the television series West Point before achieving wider fame in Rawhide.

Appears in Ambush at Cimarron Pass, one of his final films before Rawhide made him prominent.

Appears in Lafayette Escadrille, a war film released before his Rawhide breakthrough.

Makes a guest appearance on Maverick opposite James Garner as a cowardly villain seeking money through marriage.

Receives his major break as Rowdy Yates in the CBS western television series Rawhide.

Debuts on American television as Rowdy Yates when Rawhide begins its CBS run.

Stars as an Arizona deputy in Coogans Bluff, directed by Don Siegel.

Stars in the revisionist western Hang Em High with Inger Stevens, Pat Hingle and Dennis Hopper.

Stars in the musical western Paint Your Wagon with Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg.

Stars with Shirley MacLaine in Don Siegel's western Two Mules for Sister Sara.

Stars in The Beguiled, a dark Civil War drama directed by Don Siegel.

Stars in Joe Kidd, a western directed by John Sturges.

Directs Breezy, a romantic drama that does not feature him in the leading role.

Directs and stars in High Plains Drifter, then directs Breezy and returns as Harry Callahan in Magnum Force.

Stars with Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy in the action caper Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

Directs and stars in The Eiger Sanction, an action thriller set partly on mountain climbs.

Directs and stars in The Outlaw Josey Wales, one of his major westerns.

Directs and stars in The Gauntlet with Sondra Locke.

Stars in Every Which Way But Loose, one of his biggest commercial successes.

Stars in Any Which Way You Can and directs Bronco Billy alongside Sondra Locke.

Directs and stars in Firefox, a Cold War aviation thriller.

Directs and stars in Honkytonk Man, a Depression-era musical road drama.

Stars with Burt Reynolds in the period crime comedy City Heat.

Places his handprints and footprints in cement at Graumans Chinese Theatre.

Death of Truman Capote

Directs and stars in Pale Rider, reviving the western at the mid-1980s box office.

Directs and stars in Heartbreak Ridge as a veteran Marine sergeant.

Directs Bird, a biographical film about jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.

Stars in Pink Cadillac, an action comedy released near the end of the 1980s.

Directs and stars in The Rookie with Charlie Sheen.

Directs and stars in White Hunter Black Heart, a film inspired by the making of The African Queen.

Directs and stars in Unforgiven, a revisionist western examining violence and reputation.

Directs A Perfect World, a crime drama starring Kevin Costner.

Stars as a Secret Service agent in the political thriller In the Line of Fire.

Composes the theme Doe Eyes for The Bridges of Madison County.

Directs and stars in The Bridges of Madison County opposite Meryl Streep.

Releases Apollo 13, dramatizing the 1970 mission emergency.

Portrays Jim Lovell in the Apollo 13 film.

Directs and stars in Absolute Power, a political thriller about presidential corruption.

Produces a television miniseries about the Apollo program.

Directs and stars in True Crime, a journalism and death-row thriller.

Directs and stars in Space Cowboys with Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner.

Directs and stars in Blood Work, a crime thriller based on Michael Connelly's novel.

Directs and stars in Million Dollar Baby, a boxing drama with Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman.

Directs Flags of Our Fathers, one of two companion films about the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Directs Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima as companion war films.

Directs Letters from Iwo Jima, presenting the battle from the Japanese perspective.

Composes the music for Grace Is Gone, a film written and directed by James C Strouse.

Receives Golden Globe nominations for the Grace Is Gone score and song.

Directs Changeling, a period drama starring Angelina Jolie.

Directs Gran Torino and Changeling, two major late-career films released in 2008.

Directs WALL-E for Pixar, combining animation with environmental themes

Stars as Batman in The Dark Knight, one of the year's major films

Directs The Dark Knight, which becomes a major critical and commercial success

Stars as Harvey Milk in the biographical drama Milk

Directs Hereafter, a supernatural drama starring Matt Damon.

Directs J Edgar, a biographical drama about FBI director J Edgar Hoover.

Acts in Trouble with the Curve, one of his rare starring roles for another director in later career.

Directs American Sniper, a war drama based on the memoir of Chris Kyle.

Directs Jersey Boys, adapted from the stage musical about the Four Seasons.

Directs Sully, starring Tom Hanks as airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger.

Directs The 15:17 to Paris, casting the real-life men involved in the train incident.

Directs and stars in The Mule, a crime drama about an elderly drug courier.

Directs Richard Jewell, a drama about the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing investigation.

Directs and stars in Cry Macho, a late-career western road drama.

Directs Juror Number Two, a courtroom drama released in the 2020s.:wq