Movies - TV
Western Actors That Brought Some Of Most Memorable Characters To Life
By LIAM GAUGHAN
20. Ed Harris
Often cast as stern figures of authority, Ed Harris is incredibly flexible. He launched his career as the selfish smuggler Hotchkiss in the Western "Borderline."
Harris starred as a hired gun protecting a small town in 2008’s "Appaloosa," and, more recently, reinvented the Man in Black on “Westworld.”
19. Lee Van Cleef
Lee Van Cleef's fearsome performance as Angel Eyes in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" is one of the greatest embodiments of pure evil ever depicted on screen.
Van Cleef had a significant presence in spaghetti Westerns, playing a bank robber in 1967’s "Death Rides A Horse," and the title role of the 1969 Western heist thriller "Sabata."
18. Alan Ladd
One of the most popular stars of the '40s and '50s, Alan Ladd became a household name thanks to his frequent roles in exciting adventure Westerns.
Ladd starred in “Shane,” one of the greatest Westerns ever made. His sensitive, dramatic turn created realistic romance in a film acclaimed for its pacing and cinematography.
17. Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell's roles in "Escape From New York" and "Big Trouble In Little China" felt plucked out of old school Westerns, but he awed as Wyatt Earp in "Tombstone."
"Bone Tomahawk" combines genres into a lurid thriller; Russell's gripping performance as Sheriff Franklin Hunt helped keep its emotional undercurrent amidst the goriest moments.
16. Buster Keaton
Before even Charlie Chaplin became a household name, Buster Keaton was the silent film star renowned for performing incredible physical feats in the early 1920s.
Many of Keaton's early projects were Western-centric, like 1918's "Out West" satire, 1925's "Go West" feature, and the war epic "The General."