Clint Eastwood turns 90: 9 films to watch to celebrate the actor and director's career

The decorated actor turned director has had an incredible career spanning seven decades

'For a Few Dollars More'. Courtesy United Artists

Actors Clint Eastwood as Lt Morris Schaffer in 'Where Eagles Dare'. Getty Images

Clint Eastwood in 'Dirty Harry'. Courtesy Warner Bros Entertainment

Paul Benjamin and Clint Eastwood in 'Escape From Alcatraz', 1979. Getty Images

Clint Eastwood in 'Unforgiven'. Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment

Ed Harris And Clint Eastwood in 'Absolute Power'. Getty Images

Clint Eastwood stars in 'True Crime'. Getty Images

Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart in 'Sully', directed by Clint Eastwood. Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment

Jon Hamm and Paul Walter Hauser in 'Richard Jewell', directed by Clint Eastwood. AP Photo

Film actor and director Clint Eastwood turns 90 years old today and he is not showing any signs of slowing down.

Born in San Francisco in 1930, Clint Eastwood became a household name across the world for his roles as the brooding cowboy in Spaghetti Westerns.

There are many films you can enjoy from his incredible career, but here are nine you should definitely watch if you haven't yet.

1. 'For a Few Dollars More'

While everyone knows and loves The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and rightfully so, you should not overlook one of the other three films in Sergio Leone's collection. For a Few Dollars More is the more intense of the three and many fans even say it's the best one. Screen veteran Lee Van Cleef makes for an excellent counterpart to Eastwood's presence.

2. 'Where Eagles Dare'

Clint Eastwood was not in many war films, but the ones he was in were memorable and definitely worth watching. Where Eagles Dare is the best of the lot and puts Eastwood opposite acting legend Richard Burton, with the pair leading an elite squad during the Second World War. There's a lot of action and espionage to enjoy.

3. 'Dirty Harry'

The Spaghetti Westerns introduced the world to Eastwood, but Dirty Harry cemented his position as one of the all-time greats. Eastwood portrays a no-nonsense police officer in San Francisco who has to catch a serial killer who was modelled after the Zodiac Killer. This film spawned many sequels and famous catchphrases but the original remains the best.

4. 'Escape from Alcatraz'

Escape from Alcatraz details a breakout from the prison known as The Rock. Eastwood creates a comical cast of his head using scrap paper and that alone should make you want to watch this film.

5. 'Unforgiven'

Eastwood directs this Western that is anything but typical of the genre. It features a supporting cast that should make you want to watch any movie, with actors such as Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris. By the early 1990s, the Western had all but died and Clint Eastwood gave it a great send off, before Westerns were revived and became a more vibrant genre.

6. 'Absolute Power'

With enough clout in Hollywood to do what he wanted, Eastwood was regularly directing films by the time he made Absolute Power. Teaming up with Hackman again, Eastwood plays a jewel thief who witnesses a horrible murder, sparking a cat-and-mouse chase.

7. 'True Crime'

In the late 1990s, audiences were enjoying suspense and mystery genres and Eastwood wanted in. In True Crime, he plays a down-on-his-luck reporter with a nose for good stories. The focal point of the film is a crime that needs to be solved before an innocent man is put to death.

8. 'Sully'

In the past 10 years, Eastwood has worked behind the camera more than in front of it. Sully stars Tom Hanks as the pilot who landed a passenger plane in New York City's Hudson River in 2009 and saved the lives of everyone on board.

9. 'Richard Jewell'

The jewel in Eastwood's series of films about American heroes. Richard Jewell tells the story of a security guard at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that noticed a suspicious bag and alerted the authorities in time to save hundreds of lives. Jewell became the prime suspect in the investigation, as the FBI were led to believe he could have planted the bomb himself. What happened next was a media circus that focused on an innocent man who was hailed as a hero, before being made a scapegoat. The explosion scene will stay with you long after you watch this film.