Among the finest Western stars of all time are nonetheless working at present, and a few of their work rivals even that of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. The Western style is an attention-grabbing one as a result of it is likely one of the earliest and most profitable genres in Hollywood. Nevertheless, it’s also one which fell out of favor after the Nineteen Seventies.
Even though Westerns are a distinct segment style in at present’s society, there have nonetheless been some nice releases over the previous 40 years, and if something, having fewer Westerns helps those which are launched stand out. There have been even two Westerns listed as one of the best motion pictures of the twenty first century, with some unbelievable Western actors taking the lead.
Man Pearce
The Western film isn’t a strictly American affair, as there are additionally a lot made in Italy and set in international locations like Australia. Probably the greatest Western motion pictures of the twenty first century was not solely set in Australia, however was based mostly on the historical past of the bushrangers in Australia within the Eighteen Eighties, which is corresponding to the American West.
What actually made The Proposition stand out was the unbelievable appearing efficiency of Man Pearce within the lead function. Pearce performs real-life bushranger Charlie Burns, a person who has an nearly legendary historical past within the Australian wilderness. Pearce was capable of ship a superb efficiency in a really totally different Western function.
On high of his function in that seminal Western film, Pearce additionally has a number of roles in Western-adjacent movies, comparable to The Convert, which is a 2023 historic drama going down in New Zealand, and each time he takes on one in all these roles, he proves to be an ideal alternative for a Western character.
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones has confirmed over his profession that he can do absolutely anything in motion pictures, and this contains some unbelievable Western movies. Jones’s gruff exterior and appearing type are an ideal match for Western motion pictures, and he has delivered some masterful performances through the years that surpass even John Wayne’s basic roles.
Jones had a supporting function in one of many two Westerns listed within the High 10 of the New York Instances’ finest motion pictures of the twenty first century, as voted on by trade professionals. This was No Nation for Outdated Males, and Jones’s weary legislation enforcement officer completely performed into the tropes of the neo-Western style.
Jones is a two-time Oscar nominee and is broadly thought-about one in all his technology’s best actors. He’s additionally an excellent director, and he directed and starred within the Western film The Homesman in 2014. He has different Western roles in movies like The Comeback Path, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and Coal Miner’s Daughter.
Gil Birmingham
Gil Birmingham has made a profession out of enjoying Western roles, even in motion pictures that are not precise Westerns. Born in San Antonio and a member of the Comanche tribe, he has performed Native roles in lots of movies and TV exhibits through the years, and has grow to be a recognizable face to quite a lot of style followers.
He grew to become very well-known for his function as Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater within the streaming collection Yellowstone. He additionally carried that over into film roles for Taylor Sheridan in Hell or Excessive Water and Wind River. He additionally appeared within the big-screen remake of The Lone Ranger as Pink Knee.
Birmingham additionally has a uncommon connection to the youthful technology, who seemingly know little about Westerns. He starred as Billy Black in The Twilight Saga, Jacob’s father. Whereas not a Western in any sense of the phrase, he performed an elder within the Quileute tribe, bringing in a little bit of a Western taste to the younger grownup fantasy romance franchise.
Hailee Steinfeld
Hailee Steinfeld has grow to be referred to as one in all at present’s most promising younger stars. Apparently, her most distinguished breakout function got here when she was solely 14 years outdated within the Western True Grit. The Coen brothers’ remake of the John Wayne Western noticed Steinfeld play younger Mattie, the lady who hires Rooster Cogburn to seek out the person who killed her father.
She was spectacular and earned an Oscar nomination for her efficiency, proving she was a expertise on the rise. Steinfeld went on to star in one other main Western film as a young person, when she took on a task in Tommy Lee Jones’s The Homesman when she was 18.
Steinfeld has gone on to seek out prominence within the MCU as Kate Bishop, however she stays a strong actor in Western-themed movies, as she appeared within the 2025 historic horror movie Sinners, which came about within the Thirties Jim Crow South.
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson received his massive break on the tv collection Cheers after which parlayed that into a really profitable movie profession. What’s most spectacular about Harrelson is that he has a really distinctive appearing type, however he has nonetheless been capable of cross over by way of genres, by no means lacking a beat.
He has confirmed to be a strong hand in a number of totally different manufacturers of Western motion pictures as nicely. He appeared within the Coen brothers’ No Nation for Outdated Males, which is taken into account top-of-the-line Western motion pictures of the twenty first century. He additionally had a number one function in The Highwaymen with Kevin Costner, a Bonnie and Clyde story.
There are additionally loads of adjoining Western-styled roles he has appeared in, together with his function as Tobias Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and that whole franchise is ready up as a sci-fi fantasy collection.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams is not somebody who many individuals thought would grow to be a Western star after she broke out on the teenager drama collection Dawson’s Creek within the late Nineteen Nineties. Nevertheless, it did not take lengthy for her to show to be top-of-the-line actresses of her technology and somebody who might ship in any style.
Nevertheless, it’s attention-grabbing to appreciate that earlier than she took on the function in Dawson’s Creek, she appeared within the drama A Thousand Acres with Michelle Pfeiffer and Jessica Lange, which was about three daughters provided an opportunity to run a profitable farm in Iowa. Then, in 2005, she had a task within the Oscar-favorite Western Brokeback Mountain.
Williams earned an Oscar nomination for that movie and has gone on to look in Westerns like Meek’s Cutoff, which has an 86% Rotten Tomatoes ranking.
Walton Goggins
Walton Goggins is likely one of the hottest fan-favorite actors working in Hollywood at present. He received his greatest break within the police corruption collection The Defend, however he has gone on to take roles in a number of different style movies over his profession, together with some highly regarded Western properties.
His two most distinguished Western film roles got here due to Quentin Tarantino. Goggins starred within the 2012 Western Django Unchained alongside Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz. He then took on a task within the 2015 Tarantino Western film The Hateful Eight, the place he performed Chris Mannix. Whereas it gave the impression to be attention-grabbing casting, he was nice in each movies.
Goggins additionally has Western roles on tv. He first appeared in Justified as one of many antagonists within the modern-day Western collection. He’s at present starring within the sci-fi Western collection Fallout, based mostly on the online game collection of the identical identify.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank loved her breakout function within the award-winning drama Boys Do not Cry, and she or he then earned extra Oscar recognition for her efficiency in Clint Eastwood’s Million Greenback Child in 2004. These two motion pictures earned her Oscar nominations, and she or he was rapidly ranked as one in all Hollywood’s high up-and-coming actresses.
In 2014, she took one of many two lead roles within the solid of The Homesman, the Western film directed by Tommy Lee Jones. This Western was extremely acclaimed and was even in competitors for the Palme d’Or on the Cannes Movie Pageant. With an 81% Rotten Tomatoes ranking, it stays a spotlight of Swank’s profession.
It’s a small pattern in comparison with others, nevertheless it proved that Swank was on a degree above many different actresses from the previous and current in terms of her portrayal of a lady within the Outdated West, and she or he was magnificent within the function.
Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell has a diversified profession in Hollywood, starring in all the things from motion motion pictures to horror movies. Nevertheless, within the Nineteen Nineties, he confirmed that he was a grasp in one other style as nicely, as he took on the function of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone and was even higher than Kevin Costner, who had his personal rival Wyatt Earp film.
Tombstone is likely one of the most beloved modern-day Westerns, and whereas Val Kilmer stole the film as Doc Holliday, Russell greater than held his personal as Earp, one of many best-known lawmen of the Outdated West. Whereas Russell continued to combine up his style roles, he cemented his place in Western historical past as one of many style’s finest.
Add in movie roles like John “The Hangman” Ruth in The Hateful Eight and Sheriff Franklin Hunt in Bone Tomahawk, and it proves it wasn’t a one-and-done affair, and Russell stays top-of-the-line Western stars of all time.
Kevin Costner
If there may be one modern-day Western star who matches, and in some methods, surpasses John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, it is Kevin Costner. Whereas his most up-to-date foray into the Western style was a flop, with Horizon: An American Saga failing to hit it on the field workplace, his previous credit cement his standing as a legend of the style.
This all began in 1985, when Costner received his first style of Western appearing in Silverado. This led to him placing his personal cash as much as make Dances With Wolves in 1990, which was a large success, each critically and on the field workplace. He then starred in Wyatt Earp in 1994 earlier than taking a break from the style.
In 2003, he returned to direct and star in Open Vary, which proved he was nonetheless one of the best Western actor working at present. Add within the TV collection Yellowstone, which was the most important on tv for a number of years, and his function within the Bonnie and Clyde film The Highwaymen, and Kevin Costner stays the finest actor in modern-day Westerns.