The 1960s were an iconic era for lovers of Western movies, making household names of the likes of Clint Eastwood, whose career now spans over seven decades.
Meanwhile, Hollywood veterans such as Jane Fonda, Sophia Loren and Joan Collins all starred in Western films in the fifties and sixties and are still going strong today. Let's explore some of the most recognisable stars from this genre and their transformations sixty years on…
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Clint Eastwood
Now 96, Clint Eastwood was in his early thirties when he became one of the most iconic sixties actors with roles in the series Rawhide, along with the Man With No Name trilogy, which culminated with The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in 1966.
Over the following decades he moved into directing, and won four Oscars for his films The Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. Clint made a return to the Western genre in 2021 with a leading role in Cry Macho, at the impressive age of 91.
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Jane Fonda
You may know her for her roles in Grace & Frankie, 9 to 5, or even her famous workout videos, but Jane Fonda took a leading role in the 1965 Western comedy, Cat Ballou, which remains a classic decades later.
The actress, now 88, continues to work and made a cameo in Lisa Kudrow's series, The Comeback, in 2026. She is pictured above at the premiere of Gaslit in June 2026, which she worked as executive producer on.
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Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren was one of the most popular movie stars of the 1960s, and started the decade with a starring performance in Western movie Heller in Pink Tights alongside co-star Anthony Quinn.
She won an Oscar in 1962 for her role in Two Women, and was named one of the greatest stars of American film history by the American Film Institute in 1999. She is now the last remaining living entrant on the lists. Her most recent film credit was The Life Ahead in 2020, at the age of 86.
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Frankie Avalon
Teen icon Frankie Avalon made a foray into Western films in the late fifties and early sixties, including Guns of the Timberland and The Alamo, in which director John Wayne described him as "the finest young talent I've seen in a long time".
Hollywood success continued with appearances in Drums of Africa, Beach Party and Grease. Frankie still performs and is pictured above in concert in 2023.
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Joan Collins
British-born star Joan Collins acted alongside Gregory Peck in hit Western film The Bravados, and has worked almost continuously ever since.
Now aged 93, Joan has this year starred in mystery film A Murder Among Friends, and is expected to portray Wallis Simpson in an upcoming movie, so shows no signs of retiring just yet!
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Dolores Hart
Dolores Hart quickly became a rising star in Hollywood after starring alongside Elvis Presley in the films Loving You and King Creole, and appeared in a number of hit Western movies.
However, at the age of just 24, she decided to leave her acting career behind to become a nun. She released her memoir, The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows, in 2013.
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Carroll Baker
Carroll Baker was a Western icon in the sixties, thanks to appearances in hit films such as How the West was Won and Cheyenne Autumn. Over the following decades she starred in a number of films and television series, including the 1990 movie Kindergarten Cop. She formally retired from acting in 2003, at the age of 72.
