Clint Eastwood Western "Pale Rider" (1985), the war films "Where Eagles Dare" (1968), "Kelly's Heroes" (1970), and "Heartbreak Ridge" (1986), the action thriller "In the Line of Fire" (1993), the romantic drama "The Bridges of Madison County" (1995), and the drama "Gran Torino" (2008). In addition to directing many of his own star vehicles, Eastwood has also directed films in which he did not appear, such as the mystery drama "Mystic River" (2003) and the war film "Letters from Iwo Jima" (2006), for which he received Academy Award nominations, the drama "Changeling" (2008), and the South African biographical political sports drama "Invictus"
Clint Eastwood of Spain by the then relatively unknown Sergio Leone. Richard Harrison suggested Eastwood to Leone because Harrison knew Eastwood could play a cowboy convincingly. Eastwood thought the film would be an opportunity to escape from his "Rawhide" image. Eastwood signed a contract for $15,000 in wages for eleven weeks' work, with a bonus of a Mercedes automobile upon completion. Eastwood later spoke of the transition from a television western to "A Fistful of Dollars": "In "Rawhide" I did get awfully tired of playing the conventional white hat. The hero who kisses old ladies and dogs and was kind to everybody.