The Top 20 Western Actors of all times

The top 20 western actors of all time
For over a century, the silver screen has offered up more than its fair share of western movies. And the actors that came with them, perhaps hundreds. I’m limiting this list to lead actors.
I'm offering up these 20 as what I think is a fair representation of the tippy top 20.
Let me know what you think. Who is missing and who should shuffle down the list?
I’m ready to make a sequel to this video based on your comments.
Here are what I think are the top 10 best western actors, lets mozy on now…
Starting with…
Lee Marvin
Born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; otherwise known as Lee Marvin, was an American actor. Famous for his deep voice and premature white hair, best remembered for playing "tough guy" characters. Initially typecast as the "heavy", he gained fame for portraying anti-heroes. Lee played in 25 western movies in his career.

Gene Autry

Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall, born in 1931, is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. The recipient of many awards. A natural in the saddle and western movies. He has made his mark on this genre.

Tom Mix

Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen Lancaster (1913 – 1994) was an American actor and producer. Known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he achieved success with complex and challenging roles over a 45-year career in film. Winner of many awards. Very comfortable in the western genre, having spent some time here.

Audie Murphy

Steve McQueen
Born Terrence Stephen McQueen (1930 – 1980). His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 60s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 50s, 60s, and 70s. Nicknamed the "King of Cool".
No stranger to many genres of film. Very comfortable in westerns, thankfully for us.

Roy Rogers

Robert Mitchum
Born Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (1917 – 1997). He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), starring in several classic film noirs. His acting is generally considered a forerunner of the antiheroes prevalent in film during the 1950s and 1960s. Mitchum probably wouldn't have gone as far as he did without his work in the western genre.
A few notable movies…
Pursued (1947)
El Dorado (1966)
The Way West (1967)
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969)

Walter Brennan

Henry Fonda
This remarkable, soft-spoken American began in films as a difficult juvenile. With passing years, he matured into a star character actor who exemplified not only integrity and strength, but an ideal of the common man fighting against social injustice and oppression. Perfect for a Western movie.
A few notable movies…
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Fort Apache (1948)
How the West Was Won (1962)
The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
My Name Is Nobody (1973)

Randolph Scott

James Stewart
Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality he portrayed both on and off screen, he epitomized the "American ideal" in the mid-twentieth century. He brought a sincere honesty to his western movies.
A few notable movies…
Broken Arrow (1950)
The Man from Laramie (1955)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The Shootist (1976)

Ben Johnson

Gary Cooper
An stoic American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He was one of the top 10 film personalities for 23 consecutive years and one of the top money-making stars for 18 years. A natural in westerns.
A few notable movies…
The Westerner (1940)
Unconquered (1947)
Vera Cruz (1954)
The Hanging Tree (1959)

Gregory Peck

Clint Eastwood
An iconic actor, film director, producer and composer. Achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide, rose to fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy" of Spaghetti Westerns during the mid-1960s and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Eastwood is an enduring cultural icon of masculinity.
A few notable movies…
A Fistful of Dollars (1964),
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966),
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970),
High Plains Drifter (1973),
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976),
Unforgiven (1992).

Glenn Ford

John Wayne
Nicknamed The Duke, a name adopted from his dog, an actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Golden Age, especially in Western movies. He appeared in a total of 179 film and TV shows. Consistently in the top box-office for three decades, he shared the screen with many other Hollywood stars of his era.
A few notable movies…
The Big Trail (1930)
Stagecoach (1939)
Rio Grande (1950)
The Searchers (1956)
Rio Bravo (1959)
The Alamo (1960)
The Comancheros (1961)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
True Grit (1969)
The Shootist (1976)

Richard Widmark

[pawnslinger]

Jack Elam, famous villain of western films. Charles Bronson, all around tough guy, famous for many roles... including my favorite, "Once Upon A Time in the West"... a masterwork that is taught in film schools. Elam had a bit part in the classic opening gun fight of Once Upon A Time in the West.... unfortunately, Bronson killed him and 2 other baddies waiting for him to arrive at the train station. I just love Bronson's classic line, when asked the baddies said they brought only 3 horses, and Bronson calmly tells them they brought 2 too many!!

[dcjohnson]

Audie Murphy was not only “one the the most decorated hero’s of WWII”, Audie Murphy was THE MOST DECORATED hero of WWII.

[drjprice]

Thanks for the video. Brought back memories.

[Harmony]

Charles Bronson
Jason Robards
Jack Elam
Lee Van Cleef
Eli Wallach

[mikz]

Joel McCrea

After 'The Virginian' in 1946, which was a great success, McCrea made westerns exclusively for the rest of his Hollywood career, and he made many of them - no less than 25 Westerns between 1946 and 1966, the most significant being Sam Peckinpah's classic 'Ride the High Country' in 1962 with Randolph Scott.

[robertcrompton]

Glad to see at least one commentor mentioned *Terence Hill* - I've enjoyed many of his films. Will also mention Eli Wallach, who had such a strong screen presence that at times he overshadowed Clint Eastwood.

[ronsmith]

James Stewart, Brigadier General, US Air Force, Distinguished Flying Cross. Clark Gable, Captain Army Air Corp, Distinguished Flying Cross. Audie Leon Murphy, Field Captain, Medal of Honor and a whole fist of others.

[Doug]

That was a great line up please keep them coming.

[platoon]

Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson, Bob Steele, Johnny Mack Brown, William S. Hart, William Boyd

[nevadadesertrat]

Audie Murphy When you see him in movies against over whelming odds and comes out on top. He lived it in WW2 so when he wins in the movies he could really do it.
Ben Johnson was a real cowboy

[Milestonemonger]

Although John Wayne is the undisputed king of cowboys, Clint Eastwood is the Sultan of Swing. No one is cooler, sexier, or more badass than The Man With No Name.

[toinimoore]

You take up a lot of time about Pecks movies and while some are Good wish you had mentioned more of Audie Murphy’s such as Six Black Horses which is Very Good and Glenn Ford movies and Bob Steel! Thanks for finally mentioning Tom Mix He was wonderful helping children on the Oregon coast not many people came there in the middle 1920s and you don’t realize just how much that helped save my Dad from an awful life ! He was saved so were many kids that he helped at that time! Dan was in several of Audie Murphy’s movies playing likable bad guy too !😉

[thescarletandgrey]

Looking up Richard Widmark, I was surprised at the relatively few number of films he made (again, emphasis on ‘relatively’), at least compared to most of his contemporaries. I suppose that speaks well to how memorable he was as an actor.

[HartmutJagerArt]

It is unforgivable that you forgot Alan Ladd ; especially when he was the lead in what some consider the best Western in 'Shane' !

[LoneStarLawman]

Although they did not make as many Westerns, as others in the list, I always liked Rory Calhoun, and Jock Mahoney.

[nstixxitsn]

Why do they always say of Audie Murphy nowadays, "He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II"? He wasn't "one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II." He wasn't even "merely" the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. Audie Murphy was the most decorated American military man of WWII, encompassing all branches of the military. And how he paid for it!

[charylliss]

Absolutely great 2nd list ESPECIALLY AUDIE MURPHY!

[franknicholson]

Interesting info on everyone. A lot of this I didn't know. Very interesting about a jonra (spelling ?) of movies that really like. Thanks

[BuckJones]

Like you mentioned you will probably extend this to 30 or maybe 40! I think that Ward Bong, Errol Flynn, Alan Ladd, Col. Tim McCoy, Ken Maynard, William Boyd, & my favorite, Buck Jones deserve a mention. Harry Morgan’s list of westerns is quite remarkable too. This present list is excellent as you can’t please all the people all the time!! Thank you for taking the time to put together this video!! It is very much appreciated!

[lorimcquinn]

A huge McCrea, quite possibly the finest Western Actors of all time.