Claim: Clint Eastwood is a director.

Clinton Eastwood Jr. '' ' -LRB- born May 31 , 1930 -RRB- is an American actor , filmmaker , musician , and political figure . After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide , he rose to international fame with his role as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone 's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the 1960s , and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s . These roles , among others , have made Eastwood an enduring cultural icon of masculinity .   For his work in the Western film Unforgiven -LRB- 1992 -RRB- and the sports drama Million Dollar Baby -LRB- 2004 -RRB- , Eastwood won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture , as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor . Eastwood 's greatest commercial successes have been the adventure comedy Every Which Way But Loose -LRB- 1978 -RRB- and its sequel , the action comedy Any Which Way You Can -LRB- 1980 -RRB- , after adjustment for inflation . Other popular films include the Western Hang 'Em High -LRB- 1968 -RRB- , the psychological thriller Play Misty for Me -LRB- 1971 -RRB- , the crime film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot -LRB- 1974 -RRB- , the Western The Outlaw Josey Wales -LRB- 1976 -RRB- , the prison film Escape from Alcatraz -LRB- 1979 -RRB- , the action film Firefox -LRB- 1982 -RRB- , the suspense thriller Tightrope -LRB- 1984 -RRB- , the Western Pale Rider -LRB- 1985 -RRB- , the war films Where Eagles Dare -LRB- 1968 -RRB- , Heartbreak Ridge -LRB- 1986 -RRB- , the action thriller In the Line of Fire -LRB- 1993 -RRB- , the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , and the drama Gran Torino -LRB- 2008 -RRB- .   In addition to directing many of his own star vehicles , Eastwood has also directed films in which he did not appear , such as the mystery drama Mystic River -LRB- 2003 -RRB- and the war film Letters from Iwo Jima -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , for which he received Academy Award nominations , and the drama Changeling -LRB- 2008 -RRB- . The war drama biopic American Sniper '' -LRB- 2014 -RRB- set box office records for the largest January release ever and was also the largest opening ever for an Eastwood film .   Eastwood received considerable critical praise in France for several films , including some that were not well received in the United States . Eastwood has been awarded two of France 's highest honors : in 1994 he became a recipient of the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres , and in 2007 he was awarded the Legion of Honour medal . In 2000 , Eastwood was awarded the Italian Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for lifetime achievement .   Since 1967 , Eastwood has run his own production company , Malpaso , which has produced all but four of his American films . Starting in 1986 , Eastwood served for two years as Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea , California , a non-partisan office .