While many actors are defined by the roles and characters they portray, Clint Eastwood is as legendary for what he has accomplished off-camera as he is for the iconic cowboys he’s played on it. With over 50 years in the industry, Eastwood has proven to be the most versatile of all, stepping easily into acting and directing.
Eastwood has directed some of the most celebrated movies in Hollywood history, and yet, one genre has remained dear to his heart – the Western. He is known for revitalizing the Western genre in the 1960s with his role as the Man with No Name. And even though Westerns had been on the decline in the decades after that, Eastwood’s cool, mysterious, and strange persona helped bring gritty dramas, compelling biopics, and war films to life.
The actor still directs occasionally and appears in his own films, which is worth admiring. At the same time, he has racked up award after award and record-breaking hits at the box office. In fact, it is his box office dominance that makes this list of his 10 highest-grossing films of all time so impressive. From iconic Westerns to historical epics, crime thrillers to war stories, these films show his incredible range and enduring appeal.
10 A Perfect World (1993)
Box Office Gross – $135 million
A crime thriller set in 1960s Texas, A Perfect World centers around Robert “Butch” Haynes, a convict who escapes from the state penitentiary. Now on the run from the law, he stumbles upon a house and decides to take eight-year-old Phillip hostage, hoping he will aid the escape. Butch and Phillip take the Texas highway and eventually warm up to each other. Meanwhile, Texas Ranger Red Garnett is relentlessly pursuing Butch.
A Realistic Story of Unlikely Bonds
While not traditionally an action blockbuster, A Perfect World stands out due to Kevin Costner’s complex performance as the criminal who realizes through his bond with a kid that his violent life has opened up a void within him. This thoughtful exploration of a connection between two vastly different men was praised greatly by critics.
Even Clint Eastwood’s ranger, his deft handling of the tone of the movie, and the compelling drama filled up seats at the cinema. A Perfect World was not a box-office success in North America but was a surprise commercial darling in the international markets.
9 Mystic River (2003)
Box Office Gross – $157 million
Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River centers around three childhood friends who are reunited with each other twenty-five years after they partner when one of their daughters is murdered. Jimmy is the owner of a neighborhood convenience store and an ex-convict; Sean is a detective with the Massachusetts State Police; and Dave is a corporate worker haunted by a mysterious past.
With Sean working on the case and Dave becoming the prime suspect, the three friends deal with past traumas and navigate the lines between friendship and crime.
A Gripping Tale of Hidden Motives
Perhaps Eastwood’s most brooding and emotionally nuanced movie of all time, Mystic River draws out tremendous acting from stars like Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon, as well as the supporting ensemble, which includes Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. Penn and Robbins won an Oscar for their gritty performances.
The movie itself, which is a complex examination of loss and regret, earned praise for its handling of the sensitive subject and commenting on systemic failings. It grossed $157 million globally.
8 Unforgiven (1992)
Box Office Gross – $159 million
Unforgiven, a Western that arrived long after the genre was believed to have bit the dust, turned out to be one of the best movies of the 1990s. Directed by and starring Eastwood, it revolved around an aging outlaw named William Munny, who settled for a quieter life or farming and raising his two children years ago. But when a man named Schofield Kid brings him an offer, he takes the job and embraces his violent past one last time.
A Shakespearean Deconstruction of Westerns
Winning Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood, Unforgiven won widespread acclaim and grossed over $159 million worldwide after its opening weekend earnings of $15 million, which set a brand new record for Eastwood at the time, until it was outperformed by Andrew Davis’ The Fugitive.
Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman delivered standout turns in Eastwood’s subtle film, which was praised for subverting genre tropes and examining the nature of masculinity.
7 The Mule (2018)
Box Office Gross – $174 million
Stepping back into the acting arena after almost six years, Clint Eastwood starred as Earl Stone in The Mule, which was based on the 2014 The New York Times article about the real-life drug mule written by Sam Dolnick.
Stone is a 90-year-old Korean War veteran and horticulturalist who loses his business, goes bankrupt, and finds himself pushed to transporting cocaine for a Mexican cartel. As he grows closer to his estranged family, a DEA agent picks up on his new lifestyle and launches an investigation.
Proof of Eastwood’s Enduring Talents
The Mule hit the theaters at the same time as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and while its humble opening weekend performance of $17.5 million was nothing compared to the latter’s $35.4 million, it managed to reach the projected numbers and became the third-best opening of Eastwood’s acting career. Globally, The Mule grossed $174 million.
Thanks to Eastwood’s layered performance as a character way past his prime, the feel-good, midlife-reinvention movie struck a chord with audiences everywhere.
6 The Bridges of Madison County
Box Office Gross – $182 million
Based on the popular novel of the same name written by Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County tells the story of Francesca Johnson, an Italian world-weary war bride, who lives on an Iowa farm with her husband and two children. She meets National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid and has a torrid affair with him over the four days that her family is away, but eventually chooses the life she has built instead of real passion and freedom.
A Timeless Tale of Second Chances
Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood’s incredible chemistry and the stunning Iowa setting captivated audiences immensely. Under his deft direction, the movie not only honored the source, but also was universally resonant in its themes of marital entrapment, life’s fleeting moments, and a decade-defining weepy romance.
Looking at the numbers, The Bridges Of Madison County’s domestic earnings reached $71.5 million and overseas earnings were an additional $104 million, marking a worldwide total of over $182 million.
5 In the Line of Fire (1993)
Box Office Gross – $187 million
In the Line of Fire is a politically charged, action-packed thriller starring Eastwood as Frank Horrigan, a Secret Service agent who is haunted by his failure to stop the assassination of JFK in 1963. When the master criminal, Mitch Leary, resurfaces and threatens to take out the current president, Frank is determined to stop him. But as Leary gets increasingly close, Frank grows more obsessive and deadlier.
A Game Between Two Adversaries
Eastwood sank into the role of an aging agent opposite John Malkovich’s chilling villain. Under his tight direction, the tension built rapidly, and the lines between who was hunting who blurred constantly. Praised for its realistic depiction of law enforcement work, In the Line of Fire offered a thrilling experience and kept audiences on the edge of their seats. The movie ended up grossing $187 million globally against a $40 million production budget.
4 Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Box Office Gross – $217 million
Considered as one of the best movies of the 21st century and of all time, Million Dollar Baby is a sports drama that centers around a down-on-his-luck boxing trainer named Frankie Dunn, played by Eastwood, who takes an underdog boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald under his wing. Dunn has no faith in Maggie; he believes that she cannot succeed in the ring due to her age, gender, and background. But the more she trains, the better she gets, until one match changes both their lives forever.
A Deeply Moving Sports Drama
Eastwood produced, directed and starred in this Academy Award-winning drama that tugged at our collective heartstrings. Both Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman also scored Oscars for their intimate and moving performances.
The movie is testament to Eastwood’s ability to tap into the most profound emotions, and while it leaves you numb and depressed, it’s also the greatest in giving lessons. A box office success both domestically and internationally, Million Dollar Baby grossed $217 million in theaters.
3 Sully (2016)
Box Office Gross – $239 million
Clint Eastwood teams up with Tom Hanks to craft a movie that underscore each of their talents. Sully follows Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who, on January 15th, 2009, safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers on board after a devastating strike from a flock of birds disabled both engines. Reliving the miracle through controversy and investigation, Sully tries to prove that it was the only landing option.
A Riveting Story of Heroism
Hanks disappeared into Sully with subtle nuance, bringing dignity and thoughtfulness to the real pilot’s ordeal as he justified his actions while being in the spotlight. As for Eastwood, his confident direction perfectly recreated the urgency of the situation. As absorbing as a procedural thriller and still so heartfelt, Sully asks audiences to walk in Sully’s shoes on what can only be described as his worst day. The movie’s minimalism and eye-opening narrative earned it a worldwide total of $240 million.
2 Gran Torino (2008)
Box Office Gross – $274 million
With Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood created yet another iconic character you’d remember and recognize by the name itself in the form of Walt Kowalski, a widowed Korean war veteran living in Detroit. He’s known around the neighborhood for holding onto his prejudices despite the social and ethnic changes. When his young neighbor, Thao Vang Lor, is pressured into stealing Walt’s Ford Torino, Walt not only stands up to him but also ends up forging an unlikely friendship with the boy in the process.
About Forging An Unbreakable Bond
A project that Eastwood produces, directs, and stars in, Gran Torino is the legendary actor’s second-highest-grossing movie of all time, earning $29 million in the opening weekend and going as high as $274 million worldwide.
As the grumpy yet loving Walt, Eastwood showcases unexpected layers of empathy, and as director, he crafts a poignant story about finding shards of humanity even in the most divided neighborhoods. At the same time, the movie also packs suspense and action, which leads to its massive success.
1 American Sniper (2014)
Box Office Gross – $547 million
In American Sniper, Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle, a lethal Navy SEAL sniper for the U.S. Army, who racked up a record number of kills during his deployment in Iraq following the September 11 attacks. When he returns home to his wife and son, Chris finds it extremely difficult to leave the war behind. He questions his actions and motives, and is traumatized by the memories, especially when the insurgents grow increasingly violent.
An Immersive Portrait of the Hidden Costs of War
Going over double when compared to Gran Torino, at a worldwide box office gross of $548 million, American Sniper is the highest-grossing war film of all time and Eastwood’s highest-grossing film to date. Its legacy extends to the award-season buzz as well, with Cooper earning an Academy Award nomination for his unflinching performance as Kyle.
The movie is as jolting as it is thought-provoking, and it helped start important discussions about heroism and the toil it takes on an individual’s psychological well-being.
