The Greatest Western Actors of All Time

Published: April 17, 2024 by Nixza Gonzalez

Western films are beloved. They’ve been popular starting from the 1930s. The Western film genre is old. Generally, this genre tells stories of the Wild West during the mid to late 1800s. Film Westerns have a long history. Although these movies didn’t start on the big screen. Instead, we first got Wild West shows during the 1870s. These shows inspired the movies we have today. The first Western film was short and silent. It was released in 1894.

During the silent era of films, Western movies were everywhere. They were particularly popular in England, with one of the first films being ” Kidnapping by Indians.” Although the making of Western films slowed down after the 1920s, they were revived a decade later and have continued to be popular today. Possibly the best era for old Westerns though is the 1950s and 1960s. Countless Western movies were released in these two decades.

Some of the incredible Golden Age Western movies include “Vera Cruz,” “Apache,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” and “Duel in the Sun.” These movies wouldn’t have done so great though if it weren’t for the talented actors that portrayed exciting characters. So, what are some of the best Western actors of all time? Who can forget big names like John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and James Stewart? Listed below are other incredible great actors, including their highest-rating Western.

After you’re done learning about the greatest Western actors of all time, check out the most epic showdowns in Western films.

To determine the greatest Western actors of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception for Westerns from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Actors were ranked based on an index consisting of the average IMDb rating, average Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and average Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score for films in their Western filmography. Averages were calculated using the number of votes or reviews as a weight. Only movies for which an actor received top three billing on IMDb were aggregated in their score. Only actors with at least four Western films as top three billed actors and at least one Western film as lead actor were considered. Data is current as of April 2024.

40. Randolph Scott

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (48,542 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 60% (13,790 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 59% (54 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Tall T (1957)

39. Woody Harrelson

Source: alan-light / Flickr

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.8/10 (130,740 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 59% (88,361 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 68% (394 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Highwaymen (2019)

38. Burt Lancaster

Source: Burt Lancaster by classic film scans / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (82,885 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 61% (37,196 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 69% (112 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Professionals (1966)

37. Jack Nicholson

Source: Jack Nicholson figure at Madame Tussauds Hollywood by Castles, Capes & Clones / BY-ND 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.4/10 (25,226 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 54% (8,533 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 78% (42 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Missouri Breaks (1976)

36. Tommy Lee Jones

Source: Tommy Lee Jones the Jury President at Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2017 by Dick Thomas Johnson / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.9/10 (109,661 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 61% (98,295 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 74% (478 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

35. Maureen O’Hara

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (48,512 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 79% (41,704 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 58% (40 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Big Jake (1971)

34. Kris Kristofferson

Source: 2018 Kris Kristofferson - by 2eight - DSC5043 cropped by Stefan Brending (2eight) / BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en/)

Source: 2018 Kris Kristofferson – by 2eight – DSC5043 cropped by Stefan Brending (2eight) / BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.7/10 (39,878 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 71% (13,133 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 67% (67 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)

33. James Garner

Source: 1966 Royat, tournage du film Grand Prix, l'acteur américain James Garner by michelhuhardeaux / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Source: 1966 Royat, tournage du film Grand Prix, l’acteur américain James Garner by michelhuhardeaux / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (133,142 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 71% (173,985 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 69% (89 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

32. David Carradine

Source: File:David Carradine with family in 1987.jpg by Gerrits, Roland / Anefo / BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.4/10 (26,923 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 68% (13,108 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 75% (32 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Long Riders (1980)

31. Ben Johnson

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (27,847 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 68% (11,527 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 74% (41 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Wagon Master (1950)

30. Charlton Heston

Source: joelogon / Flickr

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.5/10 (20,995 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 58% (7,549 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 84% (45 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Major Dundee (1965)

29. Glenn Ford

Source: Glenn Ford with his third wife Cynthia Hayward in 1977 by Stanley Tretick / BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (45,417 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 70% (18,239 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 73% (59 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)

28. Kirk Douglas

Source: Kirk Douglas 1955c by Wim van Rossem for Anefo / BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.9/10 (84,104 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 77% (52,249 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 68% (92 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

27. Robert Mitchum

Source: William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy) and Robert Mitchum in “Hoppy Serves a Writ” (1943) by kndynt2099 / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (59,785 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 75% (20,314 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 73% (56 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: El Dorado (1966)

26. Richard Harris

Source: Mayor Raymond L. Flynn presenting proclamation for 'Camelot Day' to Actor Richard Harris by Boston City Archives / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Source: Mayor Raymond L. Flynn presenting proclamation for ‘Camelot Day’ to Actor Richard Harris by Boston City Archives / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 6.7/10 (22,206 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 60% (14,930 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 90% (59 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Major Dundee (1965)

25. Jason Robards

Source: Jason Robards in Eugene O'Neill's Hughie by Los Angeles Times / BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: Jason Robards in Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie by Los Angeles Times / BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (20,008 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 67% (7,027 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 84% (32 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

24. Robert Duvall

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (108,415 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 76% (68,530 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 76% (226 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Open Range (2003)

23. Joel McCrea

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.3/10 (24,727 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 75% (6,538 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 81% (27 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Ride the High Country (1962)

22. Yul Brynner

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.5/10 (100,345 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 83% (59,551 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 73% (55 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Magnificent Seven (1960)

21. Kevin Costner

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.5/10 (527,527 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 82% (341,711 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 75% (654 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Dances with Wolves (1990)

20. Lee Marvin

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Source: Le Gastronome (restaurant part of the Rimini Company). A festive diner with Placido Domingo, Chuck Norris, Sylviane Katz (wife of Manfred Katz) and Lee Marvin by Suissrael / BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.0/10 (41,149 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 75% (13,932 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 85% (54 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Professionals (1966)

19. Jean Arthur

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.5/10 (43,580 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 73% (20,020 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 89% (64 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Shane (1953)

18. William Holden

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (94,289 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 84% (39,975 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 79% (72 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Wild Bunch (1969)

17. Gregory Peck

Source: Actor Gregory Peck with Deputy Mayor Henry Scagnoli by Boston City Archives / BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.3/10 (77,893 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 75% (25,819 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 88% (94 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Big Country (1958)

16. Clark Gable

Source: Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, Gloria Holden, Adolphe Menjou by Susanlenox / PDM 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.1/10 (27,216 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 77% (10,514 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 87% (39 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Misfits (1961)

15. Claire Trevor

Source: Stagecoach (1939) by twm1340 / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (54,297 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 79% (18,689 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 86% (58 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Stagecoach (1939)

14. Rock Hudson

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.4/10 (56,962 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 82% (34,137 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 84% (62 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Giant (1956)

13. Gary Cooper

Source: Hulton Archive / Moviepix via Getty Images

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (132,558 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 81% (34,893 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 85% (128 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: High Noon (1952)

12. John Wayne

Source: John Wayne / Gail Russell by twm1340 / BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.5/10 (638,786 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 81% (334,299 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 85% (584 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Rio Bravo (1959)

11. James Stewart

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.5/10 (200,795 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 80% (73,947 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 87% (210 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

10. Robert Redford

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Avg. IMDb user rating, Westerns: 7.7/10 (291,349 reviews)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes audience score, Westerns: 84% (135,720 votes)
Avg. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, Westerns: 83% (130 reviews)
Highest-rated Western: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

9. Dean Martin

Source: Sharon Tate,Dean Martin,and Mia Farrow in Joshua Tree National Park (1968) by Sharon Tate fan Lily Laurent / CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)