Clint Eastwood's Life in Photos

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1930: A Young Clint Eastwood

The actor was born in San Francisco in 1930. The Eastwood family moved around throughout the Great Depression, until they finally settled in Oakland, California.

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1950: Serving in the Military

At the age of 20, he was called to serve in the Korean War. He was sent to a base in California and was discharged in 1953.

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1953: Headed for Hollywood

Eastwood enrolled in the Los Angeles City College after his discharge from the army and held a number of odd jobs to make ends meet until his friends encouraged him to get into film.

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1953: Getting Married

In 1953, Eastwood met Maggie Johnson, a model working in Los Angeles. The pair were set up on a blind date and got married six months later.

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1954: Signed to a Studio

After a screen test with Universal, Eastwood was signed to a 40-week contract. At first, the actor was tested in a series of small roles, like in Tarantula and Revenge of the Creature.

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1955: His First Feature Movie

In 1955, Eastwood secured his first role in a feature film. Although not a starring role, the young actor played a sailor named Jonesy in Francis in the Navy.

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1956: Another Movie

His next big part didn't come for another year, but in the meantime he picked up small roles in television. In 1956, he starred in The First Traveling Saleslady.

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1956: Dropped By Universal

After Universal dropped Eastwood's contract, the aspiring actor landed a few spots on TV shows, like Highway Patrol, but ultimately turned to digging swimming pools for work.

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1959: A Big Break

The actor caught his big break in 1959, when CBS cast him in their new western television series, Rawhide. Here, Eastwood leaves wardrobe on the CBS lot.

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1960: TV Success

With western programs at their peak in popularity, Eastwood made a name for himself in the genre as TV's Rowdy Yates on the popular show.

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1964: The End of His Marriage

After 10 years of marriage, Eastwood and Johnson separated in 1964 after Eastwood's affair with his Rawhide costar, Roxanne Tunis, resulted in the birth of a daughter, Kimber Tunis Eastwood.

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1965: Spaghetti Western Star

While working on Rawhide, Eastwood simultaneously appeared in a series of Italian Western films—dubbed Spaghetti Westerns—directed by Sergio Leone. The new films led to growing popularity for the actor, not only in the United States, but also internationally.

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1967: Box Office Star

In 1967, Eastwood had three Italian Westerns debut in the U.S.—A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). All were a huge success at the box office.

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1968: On Again, Off Again

Although Johnson and Eastwood remained separated, the pair did not officially divorce until 1984. They continued to have an on and off relationship, which resulted in the birth of their two children, Kyle Eastwood (1968) and Alison Eastwood (1972).

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1968: His First American Western

Eastwood successfully formed his own production company, Malpaso, in 1967. With the company, he produced his first American Western, Hang 'Em High.

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1971: Making 'Dirty Harry'

In the early '70s, Eastwood starred in the first film from the Dirty Harry franchise. The actor played a tough and ruthless cop who would do whatever means necessary to solve a crime. The films became a sensation and are some of Eastwood's most popular projects to this day.

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1971: Father and Son

Eastwood with his three-year-old son, Kyle, at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

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1972: Learning to Direct

The actor credits his Dirty Harry director, Don Siegel, with teaching him how to direct. Throughout the '70s, Eastwood began directing films that he starred in, starting with his directorial debut in 1971, Play Misty for Me, which was followed by High Plains Drifter (1972), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), and The Gauntlet (1977).

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1977: A New Romance

Actress Sondra Locke and Eastwood struck up a romance on the set of The Gauntlet. Even though Eastwood wasn't divorced from Johnson yet, he moved into a Bel-Air home with her. They were together for 12 years, during which time they made four films together.

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1978: Testing Out Comedy

In the '70s, Eastwood began dabbling in comedy. He appeared with Jeff Bridges in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot in 1974 and starred in Every Which Way but Loose in 1978. These films were a blimp on his career and he soon after returned to dramas.

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