Though their respective careers aren’t exclusive to the genre, there are great actors who are known only for their Western movies. Typically, this is because they’ve starred in more Westerns than any other type of films. Apart from movies, some have also starred in Western television series, or even featured in Western-themed comic books, radio shows, and other media.
While the stars of the most influential Western movies ever are usually also known actors in other genres, there are several reasons why they are mostly remembered by history as gunslinging cowboys from the Wild West. Many of these actors made their mark as the iconically rugged, handsome, and frontier-dwelling leading men of classic Western films from the 20th century. There are also great actors only known for their Western movie roles because of their more unusual performances and unique contributions to the genre and the era. Here are 10 actors who, throughout the years, have become stalwart representatives of the most prolific genre in the history of American cinema.
10 Randolph Scott
Best known for Westerns like The Nevadan, The Cariboo Trail, and The Stranger Wore a Gun, Randolph Scott had a career that spanned nearly the entire Golden Age of Hollywood. Though he appeared in a variety of genres – most notably war movies before he made Westerns – he is most remembered for being a seminal silver-screen cowboy as well as his iconic chiseled good looks. More importantly, Scott was also one of the first recipients of the Golden Boot Award, which are given to film industry workers who’ve made crucial contributions to the genre, an honor that Scott shares many of the other greatest Western movie actors of all time.
9 George “Gabby” Hayes
The man who popularized phrases like “young whippersnapper” and “yer darn tootin’!” George “Gabby” Hayes is the most famous funny Western sidekick in American film. Though he also played non-comical villains and heroes in some of his 174 Westerns, Hayes is best known for being the fiery old sidekick to stars like Roy Rogers, John Wayne, and Randolph Scott. After starring in films such as Blue Steel, Randy Rides Alone, and Dark Command, Hayes’ hosted The Gabby Hayes Show, a Western TV series. The actor also lent his name to the Gabby Hayes Western comic books. No wonder the actor’s known only for his Western movies.
8 Sam Elliot
While his tall frame and mustache make him recognizable everywhere, it is Sam Elliot’s gruff and calming voice that really secures his place alongside great actors only known for their Western movies. Indeed, despite also playing a variety of authority figures, tough guys, and wise old men, Elliot’s voice and look are more associated with Westerns than any other genre. Even in non-Westerns like The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot, Thank You For Smoking, and The Big Lebowski, Elliot played characters that literally represent Western films. Elliot was also in Tombstone and Gettysburg, two of the many Westerns among the best Sam Elliot movies.
7 Gene Autry
“The Singing Cowboy” made his mark in Westerns not just with his acting chops, but with his soulful voice. In Gene Autry’s films, rough outlaws and tough lawmen alike stopped what they were doing when Autry started singing, his signature songs being “Back In The Saddle Again,” “At Mail Call Today,” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.” After starring in movies like Last of the Pony Riders, Saginaw Trail, and Prairie Moon, Autry hosted The Gene Autry Show. Apart from being one of the great actors only known for their Western movies, he’s considered to be one of the most influential country music pioneers from the 20th century.
6 Tom Mix
The Hollywood legend Tom Mix appeared in 291 movies in total, 200 of which were Western films. Mix is easily the most prolific of the great actors only known for their Western movies. The reason why Mix isn’t a household name today is that most of his movies were made during the silent film era. Mix’s acting career actually ended near the beginning of the Golden Age of Hollywood – before the Western genre hit its peak – with his last movies being Destry Rides Again, Riders of the Purple Sage, and Miracle Riders. Mix was part of the generation that paved the way for more famous Western icons.
5 Lee Van Cleef
A legendary hero and villain in the Spaghetti Western world, Lee Van Cleef famously starred in films like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Day of Anger, Death Rides a Horse, and Return of Sabata. After starting out being typecast in minor antagonist roles, Van Cleef rose to stardom as a serious actor. Including the Dollars Trilogy movies, Van Cleef was in five of the eight films directed by Sergio Leone throughout the director’s short but foundational career. Like many great actors only known for their Western movies, Lee Van Cleef has also been given the Golden Boot Award for being an icon of the genre.
4 Richard Boone
Richard Boone had a prolific career in Broadway productions before he began starring in war and Western movies. One of the more well-rounded performers among great actors only known for their Western movies, Boone established himself as a serious dramatic actor. His most famous movies are a mix of Westerns and other genres, such as Arrangement, God’s Gun, The Big Sleep, Vicki, and City of Bad Men. However, what truly solidified Boone as a Western icon is the television show Have Gun – Will Travel, in which he played the fashionably deadly Paladin – one of the fastest gunslingers in the West – for 225 episodes.
3 Roy Rogers
One of the famous singers who starred in Westerns with John Wayne, Roy Rogers was also known as the “King of the Cowboys.” Rogers’ most prominent songs include “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” and “Happy Trails.” The actor often sang these songs in Westerns with a cheerful persona, but when he wasn’t performing for an audience, Rogers could also play rough and even dark characters. Beginning in the ’40s, Rogers starred in The Roy Rogers Show with his wife, singer Dale Evans. An iconic voice from the Old West, Rogers is one of the most beloved great actors known only for their Western movies.
2 Smiley Burnette
Alongside other singers and actors like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette was a talented musician who rose in popularity during the advent of sound in movies. Burnette was actually friends with Autry, who first hired him as a musician for one of Autry’s films, and later turned him into a frequent sidekick in more than 80 Western films. Burnette’s most famous films include Prairie Moon, The Phantom Empire, Galloping Thunder, In Old Santa Fe, and The Desert Horseman. Burnette was able to play around 100 different instruments (via Hollywood Walk of Fame), skills which he put to good use in a good number of musical Westerns and comedies.
1 Andy Devine
In addition to playing roles in some of the most influential Westerns such as Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and How The West Was Won, Andy Devine was the sidekick to Roy Rogers in 10 different films. This includes movies like Bells of San Angelo and Under California Stars. His name isn’t well-known today, but Devine was actually one of the biggest stars of the 20th century, even compared to other great actors known only for their Western movie roles. With help from his distinctive gravelly voice, Devine amassed a massive filmography of more than 400 movies.
Source: Hollywood Walk of Fame
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