Clint Eastwood: From Western Icon to Hollywood Legend

Early Life and Career

Clint Eastwood was born May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, California. His father was a bond salesman, and his mother was a factory worker. Eastwood began his career as a bit player in the 1950s, appearing in small roles in films such as "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) and "Tarantula" (1955).

Spaghetti Western Breakthrough

Eastwood's breakthrough role came in 1964 when he starred in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars." The film, a low-budget spaghetti western, was a massive hit and launched Eastwood's career as a leading man. He went on to star in two more spaghetti western sequels, "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966).