The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Dirty Harry

In 1971, Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan saved San Francisco from a theatrical serial killer while simultaneously establishing the "loose canon" genre of cop movies. "Dirty Harry" saw Andrew Robinson's Scorpio Killer sniping innocent Franciscans before he's taken down by Eastwood's lone wolf cop, in a film that caused significant controversy upon its release with many critics accusing it of being fascist propaganda. As time has gone on, the prevailing view of the film has become much more favorable, and "Dirty Harry" is now considered easily one of the best films of the 1970s, and even 21st century as a whole.

That's a good thing, because despite the fact that Eastwood's cavalier inspector appears to be a walking endorsement of police brutality and extreme right-wing values, the movie as a whole should leave any discerning viewer conflicted and reflective. After all, director Don Siegel obviously went to great lengths to draw a parallel between Callahan's violent nature and the Scorpio Killer's depraved deeds. But too often, the conversation surrounding "Dirty Harry" becomes mired in the film's supposed politics and totally overlooks the fact that this is one hell of an action thriller. Eastwood's first outing as Harry Callahan remains as gripping as it was when it first arrived in 1971, with Siegel making excellent use of the San Francisco backdrop to deliver an unforgettable adventure.

For these reasons, "Dirty Harry" will always be remembered as one of the greats, long after the people involved with its production have passed on. It's now been a good 50-odd years since the movie first debuted, during which time many of the cast and crew have indeed departed. With that in mind, here's a rundown of who's still knocking about half a century after "Dirty Harry" was released.

How else could Harry Callahan justify his questionable methods than by using them in the pursuit of a truly despicable villain? While the acts of the Scorpio Killer themselves are reprehensible enough (they were inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer) the antagonist of "Dirty Harry" just wouldn't have come across as so odious without the efforts of actor Andrew Robinson, who made his film debut in the role at 28 years old. Responsible for some of the best moments in "Dirty Harry," Robinson made the Scorpio Killer his own, doing such a memorable job that he struggled to shake the role for years. In a 2021 interview with Rue Morgue, Robinson spoke about shooting the movie as being "the most creative experience [he'd] ever had in film," before adding, "the sad thing is, I thought all film experience was going to be like that. I was quickly educated to the contrary."

After playing the Scorpio Killer, Robinson quit acting for some time, choosing to live in what he described as a "small, mountain town" and remaining completely removed from the industry for years. He did, however, find time to star in Siegel's 1973 effort "Charley Varrick" but otherwise found he was only being offered parts similar to his role in "Dirty Harry." He did, however, play a lead role (or rather two) in 1987's "Hellraiser," in which he appeared as Frank and Larry Cotton, before portraying Elim Garak in the show "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," which ran from 1993–1999. He's since directed multiple episodes of various series, and taught acting at USC for several years before retiring in 2018. Now 81, having more than proved his talent as an actor and director, he can still be found attending the odd horror convention.