Clint Eastwood’s 10 Most Iconic Movie Lines

Clint Eastwood is a cinematic legend whose career has spanned more than 60 years. As both actor and director, Eastwood made a name for himself on the Western TV series Rawhide before making international headlines as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’s trilogy of spaghetti westerns. What’s more, his works have earned him several Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Director, and even Best Picture. Considering his filmography, Eastwood’s reputation has earned him status as a symbol of masculinity.

Among Eastwood’s massive catalog of movies, several films have been added to many “must-watch” lists everywhere. From Dirty Harry to Million Dollar Baby, he has managed to make an impression in just about every film he’s touched. One thing that Eastwood has become known for is his phenomenal delivery of lines in his films, bringing us some of the most quotable in cinematic history. Here are 10 of Clint Eastwood’s most iconic movie lines.

10, “Those with loaded guns and those who dig.”

In what is arguably Eastwood’s most iconic film, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, his character Blondie says, “You see, in this world, there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” Blondie said these words to Tuco when the pair discovered the treasure in the cemetery and a great deal of digging was required to recover it, to which Tuco reluctantly complied. This light-hearted line is well-crafted and a classic Eastwood movie line that brings Blondie’s toughness out while also keeping a sense of humor.

9, “And I’m here to kill you.”

Unforgiven is the tale of William Munny, an aging killer who takes on one last job. The full quote is: “I’ve killed women and children. I’ve killed everything that walks or crawls at one time or another. And I’m here to kill you, little Bill, for what you done to Ned.” William says this to little Bill, making it clear who he and what his purpose is in the final stand-off of the film. This quote sends a chill down your spine as William is unafraid to admit what he’s done in the past and wears it as a badge of honor.

8, “Do I feel lucky?”

Dirty Harry is arguably Eastwood’s most well-known film to date. Jam-packed with iconic moments, Dirty Harry has also provided cinephiles with one of the greatest lines of all time. As the alarms blare in the background, Harry says to the perp, with a smirk, “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?” This line has been referenced innumerable times within pop culture, from being referenced on hit shows like Family Guy to making cameos in a variety of films. Here, Eastwood calmly delivers what is arguably the most memorable quote in cinematic history.

7, “The dead can be very useful sometimes.”

A Fistful of Dollars is one of Eastwood’s best spaghetti westerns. The Man with No Name speaks to Ramon Rojo about the value of the dead as they are placing up dead bodies to look as if they are alive and guarding a grave. He speaks about how they don’t talk and how you don’t need to worry about killing them because they’re already dead. He says that the dead are useful and implies that they are even more useful than those that are living. This dark line may be difficult to stomach, but it’s the fact that he can so easily speak of the dead as if they’re objects and were not once people with their own lives.

6, “Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have f***ed with? That’s me.”

Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino is one of Eastwood’s most detestable characters. However, Walt pulls himself out of his misanthropic slump when he chooses to help his young neighbors fight off the real bullies. One day, when the daughter of his neighbor is being pushed around by a group of men, Walt steps in, and with some colorful language, says the above line before he eventually pulls a gun on the men and saves the girl from a dangerous situation.

5, “Dying ain’t much of a living, boy.”

The Outlaw Josey Wales is one of Eastwood’s lesser known movies, getting lost under the hype of other films like Dirty Harry. When Josey Wales is confronted, being told that he is a wanted man, he replies by asking the man if he is a bounty hunter. When the bounty hunter says that he has to make a living, Josey says, “Dying ain’t much of a living, boy.” This line sticks extra hard after a long pause follows, increasing the tension and letting the audience understand what his words really mean. Despite Josey’s outlaw status, he sees fault in bounty hunting as people are making money from the deaths of others.

4, “Go ahead. Make my day.”

Sudden Impact is one of the many films in the Dirty Harry film series. This iconic line was brought to us when Harry entered a coffee shop to complain about his coffee, only to find a robbery taking place. After Harry shoots one of the robbers and another takes a civilian hostage, the police arrive and Harry delivers the famous line. Much like the “Do I feel lucky?” line, “Make my day” has become so iconic that it’s appeared in a number of other films and parodies, including Back to the Future Part III.

3, “Okay, you did two things wrong. First, you asked a question, and second, you asked another question.”

Million Dollar Baby is not your typical Eastwood Western or dirty cop film as it revolves around an aspiring boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald, who hunts down veteran boxing trainer Frankie. While Frankie is not fond of people in general and is reluctant to train Maggie at first, the two eventually form a close bond that none would have expected. The above quote comes from Frank, delivered to Maggie when he was criticizing her curiosity. This line makes it clear that Frankie’s methods are for his trainees to follow orders without asking questions, a method that some may not agree with, but one that is proven to make great boxers.

2, “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I kinda lost track myself.”

This line arrives in Dirty Harry and in one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history. Shortly before the famous “Do I feel lucky?” line is delivered, Harry stands above the perp who glances at the gun nearby, wondering if he can grab it. At this point, Harry says his line and admits to losing track of the number of shots fired. The best part about this quote is that Harry says the words not only calmly, but with a sense of humor in his tone. Typical of Eastwood’s characters, it’s unclear whether or not Harry actually lost track, or he’s only saying that to keep the perp on his toes to believe that Harry is still a threat.

1, “Go where you’re lookin’, and look where you’re goin’.”