Five Screen Legends Who Passed on Playing Dirty Harry
Before Clint Eastwood made Dirty Harry iconic, five Hollywood greats—Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, and John Wayne—each declined the role for their own reasons.
Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry may not be the first film that springs to mind when thinking of festive releases, yet it drew crowds to cinemas just before Christmas in 1971. The gritty police thriller, which saw Clint Eastwood step into the shoes of a maverick inspector, became a box office sensation, earning back its budget many times over. Eastwood’s portrayal of the rule-bending lawman marked a defining moment in his career, following his earlier success as the enigmatic gunslinger in Sergio Leone’s westerns. The film’s impact was such that it spawned a string of sequels and left a lasting mark on popular culture, with Eastwood’s performance often cited as one of his finest. Remarkably, he was far from the first actor considered for the part.
While some critics, notably Pauline Kael, took issue with the film’s supposed political undertones—a point Eastwood always refuted—these concerns were enough to put off a number of high-profile stars. Each had their own reasons for turning down the opportunity to play the now-legendary detective.
Actors Who Declined the Role
Robert Mitchum was one of the earliest names linked to the project. With his rugged features and a history of playing tough authority figures, he seemed a natural fit for the role. However, Mitchum showed little interest when the script landed on his desk. Despite his absence from the lead, the family connection remained, as his brother John took on the part of Frank DiGiorgio.
Steve McQueen, fresh from his turn as a hard-edged detective in Bullitt, felt it was too soon to revisit similar territory. He decided against taking on another law enforcement character so soon, preferring to avoid repetition. McQueen later joked about the contrast between his own final film role and Eastwood’s, quipping,
“They shoulda called me Clean Harry.”
Sinatra, Newman, and Wayne: Different Motives
Frank Sinatra was at one point attached to the project, but a wrist injury requiring surgery left him unable to handle the now-famous .44 Magnum. Eastwood, upon learning of Sinatra’s withdrawal, reportedly thought,
“That sounded like a pretty lame excuse,”
though he was hardly bothered by inheriting the role.
Paul Newman declined the offer due to his discomfort with the film’s perceived political stance. Known for his liberal views, Newman was unwilling to be associated with what he saw as a right-leaning narrative, even though the filmmakers denied any such agenda. Eastwood later remarked that Newman
“thought the character was sort of a radical guy on the right, so politically he couldn’t do it.”
Regret and Rivalry
John Wayne was another major star who passed on the opportunity, only to later regret his decision. In an effort to capture some of the magic that Dirty Harry had conjured, Wayne went on to star in McQ, a crime drama with more than a passing resemblance to Siegel’s film. Wayne himself admitted,
“I thought I could be Dirty Duke,”
though the results suggested otherwise.