The Western was one of the most popular and captured the interest of millions of people over the last century. The first western films depicted the second half of the 19th century. But how did the lives of the actors who so skillfully showed us the period of the so-called Wild West of America change?

Ron Howard, The Shootist

A star-studded cast turns up outstanding performances in the film The Shootist, which is set amid the height of the "Western age." These actors include, to name a few, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, and Scatman Crothers.

The youthful Ron Howard, however, made a breakthrough and showed that he was more than simply the endearing Richie Cunningham from Happy Days. Howard received so many positive reviews for his performance that he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Support Actor.

@NedRyersonsHat/Reddit.com

Ron Howard Now

Ron Howard seems to have been around for ages! However, the actor/director is still active and continuing to do what he loves most: making movies.

In addition to being a well-known actor, Howard has also established himself as a skilled filmmaker. He has only produced successful films in the last ten years, including Frost/Nixon and the Dan Brown trilogy adaptations. Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Solo: A Star Wars Story was directed by Howard

Dustin Hoffman, Little Big Man

Dustin Hoffman played the unusual lead role in Little Big Man, another revisionist Western. However, Jack Crabb is first encountered in the year 1970, when he is 121 years old.

The movie spans a decade, and Crabb—the oldest man in the world—ends up reflecting about his childhood in 1859. Hoffman performed a big role in a film that is regarded as having cultural and aesthetic significance, despite the fact that he didn't receive any Academy Award nominations for his performance.

@closecaxton/Reddit.com

Dustin Hoffman Now

Dustin Hoffman still exudes the same vigor and zest for life as he had when he was younger, even though he is now in his 80s. The actor may be getting older, but he hasn't really slowed down when it comes to work.

Hoffman has recently appeared in successful films including Last Chance Harvey, Little Fockers, The Cobbler, and Chef, to mention a few. He also provided the voice of Master Shifu in the well-known animated film series Kung Fu Panda.

Kirk Douglas Then

To immigrant parents from Belarus, Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York. He had always wanted to be an actor since he was a small child, and he eventually got his big break in the movie The Strange Love of Martha Ivers.

Douglas initially desired to be a theater actor, but he rapidly established himself in the movie business. He received his first Academy Award nomination not long after that. He later starred in a number of western movies.

@Kirk Douglas Dead at 103: Watch His Best Hollywood Moments/Entertainment Tonight/YouTube.com

Kirk Douglas Later

Over the course of his career, Kirk Douglas appeared in hundreds of movies, the most of them were Westerns. But the performer showed that he was versatile and could play parts in various genres.

He has received numerous honors for his performances, including a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award and two Oscars. Kirk Douglas is one of the longest-serving actors in the annals of entertainment because he lived to be 103 years old! But in 2020, the actor's heart stopped beating!

Claudia Cardinale, Once Upon a Time in the West

Claudia Cardinale, an Italian actress of Tunisian descent, was already well-known and a national icon. But what really made her famous was her part as a former escort in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.

She was fortunate to share the stage with actors like Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, and Henry Fonda. Although she received accolades for her performance, Bernard Grant's wife, Joyce Gordon, gave her a bad review.

@Once Upon a Time in the West 1968 Jill's Themem4v/Edson Barbosa/YouTube.com

Claudia Cardinale Now

Claudia Cardinale, who gained fame in Hollywood for playing Jill McBain, resorted to just producing films in her native Europe rather than succumbing to the glitzy lifestyle.

She ultimately wed Pasquale Squitieri, who frequently worked with her in his films. In 2017, he recently passed away. Since 2000, Cardinale has worked extensively outside of the film industry as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for women's rights. A few years later, she served as an ambassador for World Water Day.

Suzy Amis, The Ballad of Little Jo

The Ballad of Little Jo by Maggie Greenwald is a special Western since it is one of the few works of its genre to include a female protagonist who is also the true hero. Jo is portrayed by Suzy Amis; she was exiled as a result of having an unmarried child.

To prevent assault, she disfigures herself and even assumes a man's clothing. Although the film did poorly at the box office, it is nonetheless regarded as a significant Western film.

@The Ballad of Little Jo | 1993 | Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, Ian McKellen | Full Movies/WATCH CINEMA/YouTube.com

Suzy Amis Cameron Now

Even though Suzy's acting record wasn't the longest on this list, she nevertheless managed to become well-known for other reasons. She met director James Cameron while filming her role as Lizzy Calvert for the epic Titanic, and the two have been happily married since 2000.

They even follow a plant-based diet and have three kids. Given that she formed the group Plant Power Task Force, her diet has actually played a significant role in the advancement of her work.

Clint Eastwood, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Clint Eastwood is undoubtedly the king of the Western, as is obvious. The actor has been extremely active in the genre, appearing in many Western films both as a director and a star.

Under the alias The Man with No Name, he appeared in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, which consisted of the films A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

@The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - The Final Duel (1966 HD)/Christian Bates/YouTube.com

Clint Eastwood Now

Clint Eastwood is still making movies and acting in them now! The actor known for playing Dirty Harry has alternated between being in front of and behind the camera since the 1970s. In 2012, he appeared in Trouble with the Curve, which was his last major appearance.

The 15:17 to Paris, his most recent film under his direction, was released in 2018 and chronicles the story of the three American soldiers who contributed to stopping the 2015 Thalys train assault. Dina Ruiz and Eastwood's second marriage ended in 2014.

Burton Gilliam, Blazing Saddles

The actor who portrayed Lyle in the Mel Brooks comedy's original cast, Burton Gilliam, is one of the few surviving members of the original cast.

When Gilliam received the call from Mel Brooks requesting him to star in the film, he was employed as a firefighter in Dallas, Texas. In Honeymoon in Vegas, he also had an Elvis impersonator role. Bart was famously prodded into singing the Work Song by him.

@BLAZING SADDLES! The fart scene changed my life, says Burton Gilliam A WORD ON WESTERNS/A Word on Westerns/YouTube.com

Burton Gilliam Now

In actuality, one of Gilliam's earliest jobs was in Blazing Saddles. After appearing in Back to the Future III, the actor went on to enjoy a considerably more successful TV career, making guest appearances on series including The Waltons, Charlie's Angels, B.J. & Weird Science, Knight Rider, The A-Team, and the Bear.

The real success, though, is in his private life. In addition to having two children and four grandchildren, he is happily married to wife Susan.

@Burton Gilliam's Favorite Role/Antenna TV/YouTube.com

Kim Darby, True Grit

Even though it wasn't even her first appearance, Kim Darby appeared so young when she played Maddie Ross in the legendary 1969 version of True Grit. Alongside the illustrious John Wayne, who portrayed Reuben J. Darby made Rooster Cogburn her own, and the part served as the best starting point of her career.

Far though Wayne received both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal, many people were even more moved by Darby's work.

@Lawyer Daggett, Lawyer Daggett - True Grit Western 1969 John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell/Hey_ Joe/YouTube.com

Kim Darby Now

Darby has appeared on some of the biggest shows of the past fifty years, despite the fact that she has appeared in many films since her time as Maddie. These include, to mention a few, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bonanza, and The X-Files.

With two marriages under her belt, her personal life has also been fairly fascinating. She had a daughter during her first marriage to the late filmmaker James Stacy, and her second marriage to James Westmoreland also ended in divorce.

Tim Matheson, Bonanza

The youthful Tim Matheson was delighted to welcome Bonzanza, one of the most well-liked musicals of its period, for its final season in 1972. Griff King was portrayed by the same actor that portrayed Jonny Quest in the animated series of the same name.

He is a young offender who is making an effort to redeem his ways by working on the Ponderosa Ranch. Observing such fresh talent collaborate with legends like Lorne Greene was interesting.

@Bonanza | Episode 421 | New Man | Tim Matheson/Once Upon Hop Sing/YouTube.com

Tim Matheson Now

Tim Matheson's time working with Ben Cartwright on Bonanza has long since passed. The actor has acted in a lot of movies and TV shows.

She's All That, Van Wilder, and most recently Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle are a few of Matheson's more prominent film roles. He has, however, been in many more TV programs, including CSI, The West Wing, and The King of Queens, to mention a few.

Marianne Koch, A Fistful Of Dollars

In the classic western A Fistful of Dollars, German actress Marianne Koch got an important part to perform with Clint Eastwood. She played Marisol, who finds herself in an unpleasant predicament between her family and a group of gangsters, and was already well-known for her roles in countless earlier spaghetti Westerns.

The first book in the loosely referred to Dollars Trilogy, which also includes For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, was A Fistful of Dollars.

@A Fistful of Dollars (1964) - Joe helps Marisol to get out from San Miguel/kinobscura/YouTube.com

Marianne Koch Now

Koch co-starred with The Man with No Name more than 50 years ago, and her present role could not be any different. The actress continued to be interested in medicine in 1971, and a few years later she graduated as a doctor.

She worked in the profession up until the turn of the millennium and continues to talk about medicine on the radio today. Given that Koch hasn't played a leading role in a film since 1984, her acting days are well behind her.

@Prof. Markus M. Lerch im Interview mit Dr. Marianne Koch
/Deutsche Gesellschaft für Innere Medizin e.V./YouTube.com

Michael Moriarty, Pale Rider

Twenty years after A Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood starred in Pale Rider, another outstanding Western film. The actor not only played the lead role but also served as the film's director.

The plot that turned out to be the highest-grossing western of the 1980s benefited from the addition of another layer by his supporting actor, Michael Moriarty. The Preacher, played by Clint Eastwood, is meant to be a ghost, therefore this gave Moriarty the opportunity to effectively play Hull Barret, the movie's protagonist.

@Pale Rider - The Face Of Death (1985)/Iamthe80sguy2/YouTube.com

Michael Moriarty Now

Executive A.D.A. Ben Stone in the crime drama Law & Order is without a doubt one of Michael Moriarty's most well-known roles since Pale Rider. He garnered a lot of praise for the part and was nominated for Best Actor Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.

The music sector has seen some modest success for Moriarty as well. The actor, who has a passion for jazz music, has made three CDs and regularly played in the US and Canada.

@Michael Moriarty Interview - Gunfight at Dry River/Vegas Film Critic/YouTube.com

Kevin Kline, Silverado

In the end, Lawrence Kasdan chose to make his own western film, Silverado, as opposed to Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Kevin Kline was the man he had on his short list for the role of Paden, the main character.

In the end of this well-known 80s tune, Paden gets appointed the Silverado sheriff. It turns out that the Academy enjoyed the film just as much as audiences and critics did. For both Best Sound and Best Original Score, Silverado received nominations.

@Silverado (4/8) Movie CLIP - You're Wearing My Hat (1985) HDMovieclips/YouTube.com

Kevin Kline Now

Kevin Kline has only appeared in a few of TV episodes over his career, but he is unquestionably better recognized for his cinematic roles. He has worked on notable films like A Fish Called Wanda, Chaplin, and Orange County.

Kline has also played several voices, but The Hunchback of Notre Dame's Captain Phoebus stands out as her most notable performance.

He appeared in the live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast in 2017 and played the part of Maurice.

Casey Siemaszko, Young Guns

Young Guns, a 1988 western film, was substantially inspired by Billy the Kid's recollections of the Lincoln County War, in contrast to many other western films. Many critics viewed it as one of the most historically accurate depictions of the key players of the time.

Charlie Bowdre, who was portrayed by Casey Siemaszko, was a part of the gang. Before getting the part, the actor had already made appearances in Back to the Future and Stand By Me.

@Young Guns (4/10) Movie CLIP - He's a Spy! (1988) HD/Movieclips/YouTube.com

Casey Siemaszko Now

Siemaszko did not repeat his role for the Young Guns II sequel because Charlie Bowdre perishes in a cross-fire with bounty hunter John Kinney, but his performance earned him tremendous praise, and the actor went on to have many more noteworthy roles.

These appeared in the films Of Mice and Men and Public Enemies, as well as in the television programs Damages, Oz, and Law & Order: SVU. His most recent performance was in the 2013 television film Killing Kennedy.

@Create or Else: Casey Siemaszko/Ogilvy/YouTube.com

Mariette Hartley, Ride the High Country

Ride the High Country was notable because it amply demonstrated established actors passing the torch to the next generation. The film was significant for both Joel McCrea's final critically acclaimed performance and the final screen appearance of western legend Randolph Scott.

Elsa Knudsen, played by the gifted young actress Mariette Hartley, was also her first acting role. Gil and Steve have the duty of keeping Elsa safe from the bad guys.

@Why SAM PECKINPAH TREATENED TO FIRE Mariette Hartley in RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY for putting on socks!/LandumC goes there/YouTube.com

Mariette Hartley Now

Hartley's career prospects never stopped, and she was cast in shows like Gunsmoke and a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie. Hartley had intermittent appearances over the following decades, despite the fact that the most of her acting achievement occurred in the 1970s.

In the television series Dirt, she portrayed the character's mother. Courtney Cox. Her most recent appearance was as Patricia Clark in the drama 9-1-1. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was founded by Hartley.

Mitch Vogel, Bonanza

Following a brief cameo in a 1968 Bonanza episode, Mitch Vogel joined the show's regular cast two years later for the remaining three seasons. He played Jamie Hunter, an orphan that the Cartwrights adopted toward the end of the program's run.

After giving a spectacular performance as Lucius McCaslin in the film The Reivers, which won Vogel a Golden Globe nod for Best Supporting Actor, he was given the part.

@What Really Happened to MITCH VOGEL - Star in Bonanza/Celebrity Tribute/YouTube.com

Mitch Vogel Now

Mitch Vogel's involvement in Bonanza was just the first of numerous Western programs he would work on during his career. The Virginian, Gunsmoke, and Here Come the Brides are a few additional Westerns in which the actor appeared.

In Little House on the Prairie, he played Johnny Johnson on a regular basis. Vogel has taken a break from the spotlight since the late 1970s in order to prioritize her family. He nevertheless continues to go to numerous Bonanza gatherings today.

@Mitch Vogel | The Complete Pioneers of Television Interview/Pioneers of Television/YouTube.com

Lance Henriksen, The Quick and the Dead

Lance Henriksen's role in Sam Raimi's Western The Quick and the Dead was highlighted in one moment, despite the fact that it's safe to say that Sharon Stone and others stole the show from him.

It was done to show how much like the sniper John Herod played by Gene Hackman he really was. Ace Hanlon put up a valiant, though brief, fight despite Herod shooting him in the hand and declaring victory.

@Quick And The Dead - "Ace" - Gene Hackman x Lance Henriksen/Josh Busfield aka bitterphase/YouTube.com

Lance Henriksen Now

Prior to playing the lead in The Quick and the Dead, Lance Henriksen had already made a name for himself as a successful actor. His acting credits include The Godfather Part II, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Terminator, and Aliens. His career is really outstanding.

Henriksen has remained active in the TV industry despite being close to 80 years old, appearing in series like Hannibal, Grey's Anatomy, and Criminal Minds. He has also provided the voices for many video games.

Melissa Gilbert, Little House on the Prairie

The role of Laura Ingalls, played by Melissa Gilbert, is arguably that of Little House on the Prairie's most recognizable figure. The television program is an adaptation of the Laura Ingalls Wilder, a real-life author, children's books of the same name.

The tales were partially based on her own upbringing in a pioneering and settler family. Melissa Gilbert received a great deal of appreciation for her performance and was even nominated for a 1981 Golden Globe for Best Actress.

@Melissa Gilbert: Little House on the Prairie | Full Documentary | Biography/Biography/YouTube.com

Melissa Gilbert Now

Melissa Gilbert has had a consistent career in TV despite never being able to establish herself in the movie industry. She not only used her success as Laura Ingalls to launch numerous Little House spinoffs, but she has also contributed to other television programs including Nip/Tuck, 7th Heaven, and Babylon 5.

In the popular television program Batman: The Animated Series, she also provided the voice of Batgirl. She has experience in politics, and in 2016 she ran for Congress.

Kris Kristofferson, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

Kris Kristofferson, a country singer most renowned for his singing and songwriting skills, has also had a successful career in film. He played Billy the Kid in one of his first roles, which was in the Western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

Billy the Kid is arguably the most well-known figure in Western culture, and Kristofferson's portrayal of the character won him the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer. He definitely lived up to his potential.

@Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)/ Enrique Téneria/YouTube.com

Kris Kristofferson Now

A Star Is Born earned Kristofferson a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor a few years after he played Billy the Kid. When he was chosen to play Abraham Whistler, Eric Brooks' tutor in the Blade trilogy played by Wesley Snipes, it was one of his most distinctive performances.

However, Kris's rural endeavors are what have made him such a well-known character. He founded The Highwaymen in 2004 with fellow country greats Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson.

Gary Cooper Then

At the turn of the 20th century, Gary Cooper was born into a wealthy, upper-middle class family. He grew up on a 600-acre ranch where he learned the traditional cowboy way of life and was an expert horseback rider and cattle herder.

As a stunt rider and extra in the beginning of his career in the film business, things quickly changed when he began getting main roles. He rose to prominence as one of the Western genre's most recognizable figures.

Gary Cooper Later

He starred in an astounding 84 films, each of which had a primary or leading role, after getting his first leading role in the movie The Virginian.

His name eventually came to be associated with the Western subgenre, and he came to be regarded as an iconic figure of the early film age. He was hailed as one of the finest actors in movie history and went on to win an Oscar and an Academy Award for his performances. In 1961, he went away.

@SunshineOnline16/Reddit.com

Katharine Ross, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

It is impossible to dispute the influence Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had on subsequent Western films. Although Paul Newman and Robert Redford received the most attention, Katharine Ross proved she could hold her own against the finest.

Ross, who was already an Academy Award nominee for her work in The Graduate, played Etta Place, the love interest of Harry Longabaugh, the Sundance Kid. The couple and Butch Cassidy run away to Bolivia in order to live a life of crime.

@Reporter_at_large/Reddit.com

Katharine Ross Now

Voyage of the Damned, for which Katharine Ross won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 1976, was another film that received high praise from critics. Ross then had a prominent role in the 1980s television series The Colbys, appearing in all 49 episodes.

Ross appeared in the cult masterpiece Donnie Darko as well. When she wed Sam Elliot in 1984, it was her fifth marriage overall. The couple appeared together in the Malibu Playhouse production of Love Letters in 2015.

Robert Redford, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Without a doubt, Robert Redford's breakout performance caught both fans and reviewers off guard when he faced off against Paul Newman in the timeless Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Butch Cassidy and Harry Longabaugh, better known as The Sundance Kid, are on the run from a gang after committing multiple crimes; their story is based on a true one. They transport Katharine Ross's character, Etta Place, who is the Sundance Kid's sweetheart, to Bolivia in search of a better life.

@Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Knife Fight Scene (1/5) | Movieclips/Movieclips/YouTube.com

Robert Redford Now

Ever since playing Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Robert Redford has never looked back. Redford has amassed a sizable respect for other people's filmmaking because to his many successful roles in films including Jeremiah Jones, All the President's Men, and The Horse Whisperer.

He had a significant role in the growth of the esteemed Sundance Film Festival, which has been held annually for the past 40 years.

Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves

The main character in the critically acclaimed Dances with Wolves, which got an astounding 12 Academy Award nominations and won seven of them, was portrayed by Kevin Costner, a star of the 1990s cinema.

Costner portrays a Union Army lieutenant who runs upon a group of Lakota Indians and finds himself in an odd circumstance. The Sioux Nation actually made Costner one of its honorary members because the film was so well-liked and gave such a compelling portrayal of Native Americans.

@Dances With Wolves (1990) - Kevin Costner Western Movie HD/Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTube.com

Kevin Costner Now

Since the turn of the millennium, Costner's acting career has really somewhat slowed down. That hasn't stopped him from working hard in other fields, too. His wife Christine pushed him to establish his own band, Kevin Costner & Modern West.

In 2008, he launched his debut album, Untold Truths, and since then, the group has been touring the world. Additionally, Costner has shared ownership of the Lake County Fielders baseball team from Illinois.

Warren Beatty, McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Some of the most enjoyable films in the history of cinema have been revisionist Westerns.

Warren Beatty and Julie Christie delivered some mind-blowing performances in McCabe & Mrs. Miller, which ranks right up there with the finest.

The latter's performance was so favorably acclaimed that she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. However, if Beatty hadn't provided the ideal counterpoint to her role, her performance might not have been as powerful.

@McCabe & Mrs. Miller / 1971/Robert Altman/BooKerD/YouTube.com

Warren Beatty Now

Warren Beatty is renowned for being one of Hollywood's biggest womanizers, and it seems as though he has dated almost every A-list celebrity over the past 50 years. Beatty has been wed to Annette Benning since 1992 and has been true to her.

The actor went on to star in a number of timeless films, including Bulworth, Reds, Bugsy, and Heaven Can Wait. Beatty recently made headlines when he mispronounced the Best Picture winner at the 89th Academy Awards.

Robert Duvall, True Grit

True Grit was the first western film to appear on Robert Duvall's resume, despite the fact that he has appeared in his fair share of them throughout his career. What better way to begin his streak than by playing the bad guy?

Duvall portrayed Lucky Ned Pepper, who in the film had no issue killing a horse before being killed by Glen Campbell's La Boeuf. But don't worry, no actual horses were hurt.

@JOHN WAYNE v ROBERT DUVALL/MT- TVC15/YouTube.com

Robert Duvall Now

Robert Duvall has firmly established himself throughout the years as one of the finest performers of all time, which should go without saying, but for all the casual fans out there.

He has received an incredible seven Academy Award nominations and one for his performance in the Western Tender Mercies. In addition, of the seven Golden Globe nominations Duvall received, he has won four of them. He wed Luciana Pedraza, who is 41 years his junior, in 2005.

Val Kilmer, Tombstone

Tombstone was another 90s Western that was a commercial and critical triumph, albeit it wasn't as popular as Dances with Wolves.

Both the Earp Vendetta Ride and the Gunfight at the O.K. are essential to the film. Corral; actual occasions that took place in the 1880s. Doc Holliday, a deputy marshal who has tuberculosis and is transported to a sanatorium in Colorado before the film's conclusion, was portrayed by none other than Val Kilmer.

@TOMBSTONE "Best Doc Holiday Scenes" Part 1 (1993) Val Kilmer/JoBlo Movie Clips/YouTube.com

Val Kilmer Now

Val Kilmer, who once played a Batman-like character in the film Batman Forever, hasn't been in many noteworthy films since the 1990s. After being admitted to the hospital in 2015, Kilmer used social media to address speculations regarding his health.

In spite of his repeated denials, The Hollywood Reporter eventually reported that he had a “two-year fight with throat cancer...and an operation on his trachea has reduced his voice to a rasp.”