The Clint Eastwood Character You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign

It's hard to believe that one of the most revered careers in the history of American cinema began with a cheap monster movie sequel. Nevertheless, 1955's "Revenge of the Creature" is a rushed follow-up to the 1954 Universal Studios classic "Creature from the Black Lagoon," and so bad that it was parodied on an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" decades later. In one scene, a 25-year-old Clint Eastwood plays a hapless laboratory worker with a mouse in his coat pocket. "This guy's bad," Tom Servo scoffs. "This is his first and last movie."

It was indeed Eastwood's first movie, but far from his last. In 1959 he would land the role of Rowdy Yates on the long-running TV western "Rawhide," gaining his first modicum of recognition. When that series ended in 1965, Eastwood headed across the Atlantic for a trio of monumental, genre-defining Westerns for Italian director Sergio Leone, and the rest, as they say, is history. In the more than six decades since "Revenge of the Creature," Eastwood has proven to be an American icon, one of the most recognizable movie stars of all time and a director of uncommon skill and discipline. Many of his best films have a thoughtfulness and ambivalence toward violence, nostalgia, and heroism that run counter to, or at least complicate, his popular image as a conservative tough guy.

Even if we are not all six-foot-four, steely-eyed jazz piano enthusiasts, audiences have been themselves in the many roles of Eastwood for an astounding 8 decades now. Which role fits you best? The answer, as it often does, lies in the stars. Using the signs of the zodiac, let's take a look at the Clint Eastwood character which most closely lines up with your personality.

You're an Aries. Brash and impulsive, you'll rush headlong into any situation like the symbolic ram that you are. Your optimism and self-confidence can be very attractive to others, but it can also curdle into a selfish streak and a quick temper when things don't go your way. You're ready to prove that you're the best at just about anything, but you're just as happy heading down the open road to the next new adventure, preferably with your orangutan pal by your side.

Yes, if you're an Aries, that means that you are the hard drinking, hard fighting Philo Beddoe from 1978's "Every Which Way but Loose" and its 1980 sequel "Any Which Way You Can." Riding a wave of country-fried hits in the mid-to-late 1970s that included the Burt Reynolds classic "Smokey and the Bandit" and C.W. McCall's 1975 novelty song "Convoy," the "Which Way" films found Eastwood at his most easy going. Philo Beddoe is still a man of violence, like Dirty Harry or Josey Wales, but it's a cheerful, no-hard-feelings sort, as the trucker turned bare-knuckle brawler travels California looking for the next good time with his pal Orville (Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis) and pet orangutan Clyde.

Is a Taurus stubborn, or simply dedicated? Many Eastwood characters could be described either way, but there's a sensuality to Taureans that marks them just as much as stubbornness. A Taurus is attuned to the natural world and the pleasures of the senses — sights, smells, sounds, tastes. For you, there is no greater joy than to roll up your sleeves and do things the old-fashioned way. And if that marks you as stubborn, perhaps it's because you know the new-fashioned way will never quite measure up.

Gus Lobel, Eastwood's character in the 2012 sports drama "Trouble with the Curve," is this kind of sensualist. A longtime talent scout for Major League Baseball, Gus relies on his eyes and instinct when evaluating players. The ballpark is his bucolic sanctuary, from the crack of a well-placed hit to the smells and tastes of hot dogs and cigar smoke. The problem is that Gus' eyes are not what they used to be, and the world of modern day scouting now favors measurable statistics and metrics over the gut instincts of old timers. On what might be his last road trip, Gus is joined by his estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams), who seeks to repair their relationship before it's too late, and rediscovers the old-fashioned magic of his world.

A Gemini is dual-natured, only content when keeping busy with many pursuits at once. Eager to communicate, generally impervious to shame, a Gemini like you can't be tied down by anyone else's rules or expectations. Your charm and wit let you fit in just about anywhere and make strangers into friends easily, but be careful. That same ease and energy may lead some to misinterpret your intentions, which is why Geminis have a reputation for being two-faced or duplicitous. 

Dave Garver, the caddish jazz DJ played by Eastwood in his 1971 directorial debut "Play Misty for Me," is a textbook Gemini. Dave hosts a late night radio show, and every evening brings a breathy request from a female caller for the Erroll Garner standard "Misty." One night he meets this woman, Evelyn (Jessica Walter), in real life. They share a passionate moment together, but as it becomes increasingly clear that Dave's interest in her doesn't extend any further than that, and that he already has a girlfriend (Donna Mills), Evelyn becomes unhinged and dangerous. Soon, Dave's life is in a shambles and his girlfriend finds herself caught in the crossfire as Evelyn's intentions turn from amorous to murderous.

As outgoing as a Gemini might be, a Cancer flows in the opposite way, toward reticence, domesticity, and peace and quiet. As a Cancer you might have only a few close friends, but not because you don't value friendship. On the contrary, your loyalty to your friends is second to none; it just takes some time for them to get past your defenses. For some, the effort might not be worth it, but for the lucky few willing to put in the work, you are a lifelong partner.

That might as well be the plot synopsis of "The Outlaw Josey Wales," Eastwood's celebrated 1976 Western based on a novel by fake Indian and segregationist speechwriter Forrest Carter. The eponymous outlaw has much of the same grim stoicism and deadly intent as Eastwood's roles in the "Man with No Name" trilogy and "High Plains Drifter," but with the added wrinkle that he can't help but collect strays wherever he goes, from a wily indigenous man played by Chief Dan George to a group of pacifist Kansans led by longtime Eastwood paramour Sondra Locke. At the start of the film, Wales is the only survivor of a Union Army raid that kills his entire family; by its bloody climax, he has collected a new family to protect and to die for, if needed. Typical Cancer.

A Leo like you loves the spotlight. Just as your leonine namesake, you are the leader of your pride, and with plenty of pride to go around. Larger than life, gregarious, dramatic — to a Leo, all the world's a stage. Leo is a fire sign, ruled by the sun, and like the sun, your light can't be diminished, but it can be eclipsed. Losing the spotlight is perhaps your greatest fear, and the insecurity that provokes it is perhaps a Leo's greatest weakness.

The typical Eastwood hero is one who shuns the spotlight, even (or especially) when he becomes well-known, like Josey Wales or William Munny from "The Unforgiven." "Bronco" Billy McCoy, the Wild West showman at the heart of 1980's "Bronco Billy," is one of the few true Leos in his body of work. Billy presides over a ragtag crew of cowboys and carnies, traveling across the West and performing stunts for increasingly dwindling crowds. Released the same year as "Any Which Way You Can" (also the year Eastwood turned 50), it's not hard to read a certain amount of autobiography into Billy, a phony cowboy staring down age and obsolescence, a Leo facing his greatest fear.

Virgos, you know what's up. You're meticulous, detailed, and practical. You want to help others in any way you can. This desire to be useful is often a noble thing, but it has its drawbacks. It's never good to put anything or anyone — including yourself — on a pedestal. Failure can lead to crushed dreams, lost ideals, and cynicism. You are at your best when applying your intellect and skills in service of something greater than yourself.

If that description reads like it might also apply to a self-destructive journalist given one last shot at redemption, you're not wrong. In 1999's "True Crime," Eastwood adapted Andrew Klavan's death row potboiler into a meditation on second chances and last ones. Washed-up investigative journalist Steve Everett (Eastwood) has nearly tanked his career with drinking and womanizing when he is assigned to cover a convicted killer's (Isaiah Washington) last day before he is executed. But when Everett begins to suspect that the man may be innocent, he launches a desperate investigation to stop the execution. Like a true Virgo, he is invigorated by a renewed sense of purpose and the hope of making a real difference, however long a shot it might be.

The Libra is symbolized by a set of scales for good reason: They crave symmetry, balance, and fairness. As a Libra, you naturally gravitate toward people, places, and things — often the finer things — that will help achieve equilibrium in your life. Relationships are paramount; it takes two to balance the scales, after all. But those scales can also symbolize ambivalence and indecision. It can be easy to get lost in your own head when weighing your preference for one thing over another; trust your instinct to guide you correctly.

Walt Kowalski, the angry, openly-racist retired autoplant worker who becomes the unlikely protector of a family of Hmong refugees in 2008's "Gran Torino," might not seem to be a very good Libra. Walt would certainly never think of himself as an aesthete, except for the fact that he has a pristine 1972 Ford Gran Torino in his garage. As the film begins, Walt has recently become a widower; he doesn't talk about his feelings, but the loss of his wife has clearly unmoored him and weighs heavily on his decision-making. While the film doesn't sugarcoat Walt's racial prejudices, ultimately his sense of fairness and justice overcomes his bigotry.

The mysterious Scorpio is patient, and knows when to strike at the right time for maximum (or Sudden) impact. Though often mistaken for a fire sign due to your passionate nature, a Scorpio like you is actually a water sign, calculating and methodical, able to sense danger from a mile away. You know what you want and are not afraid to go get it, and that confidence is enough to win over any skeptic. Well, that and a well-chosen poncho.

After six years on "Rawhide," Eastwood made a trio of spare, mythic Westerns in Spain for Italian director Sergio Leone: 1964's "A Fistful of Dollars," 1965's "For a Few Dollars More," and 1966's Civil War-set "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." The films were billed as a trilogy in the US, with Eastwood as "The Man with No Name," even though his characters all have names — in fact, different names — in each film. The "Dollars" trilogy was about as far away from "Rawhide" as Spain was from California, more violent and sexual than Hollywood dared at the time, and with a moral ambiguity that rankled some cowboy stars of the previous generation. No matter if his name is Joe, Monco, or Blondie, Eastwood stalks across the barren landscape of Leone's dreamlike West in his wide-brimmed hat and striped serape, sensing violence around every corner and ready to respond in kind.

Sagittarius is a traveler, hungry for movement and thirsty for knowledge, as symbolized by the half-man half-horse centaur. Sagittarius is the last fire sign on the zodiac calendar, and those of you born under its sign are unique in your passion and versatility. You make fast friends, though you can lose friends just as quickly, as your honesty can run to the blunt side. No matter, because the next adventure always awaits.

Robert Kincaid from 1995's "The Bridges of Madison County" is a traveler and a man of knowledge, charming and handsome, a natural Sagittarius. And like that sign, the film is unique in Eastwood's filmography, a gentle if forbidden romance between his Kincaid (a photographer for National Geographic) and Francesca (Meryl Streep), an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. A chance meeting leads to Francesca guiding him through the titular county and its bridges while her husband and children are away. Their love is no less passionate for having an expiration date, as her family must return and he must move on to the next assignment. The film belongs to Streep as much as it does Eastwood, as his love of life awakens her own passions; decades later, Francesca's children learn just how deeply their mother was marked by Robert.

As astrologer Aliza Kelly writes, "Capricorns are relentless: They are determined to overcome whatever stands in their way." Hardworking and dedicated, a Capricorn like you will get the job done no matter what. You are ambitious and resilient. You attract others through a combination of confidence, modesty, and a rebellious streak that not everyone can see. And if others sometimes see that dedication as coldness, what they think doesn't matter anyway. You'll get the job done, no matter what anyone else or the Bill of Rights has to say about it.

Eastwood's "Dirty" Harry Callahan is perhaps his most indelible role after The Man with No Name, and a Capricorn to his core. A police officer dedicated to the rule of law, Callahan simultaneously has no compunction with breaking those same laws, often violently, in the name of justice. This often puts him on the wrong side of the Constitution, if not history, as in the first film of the series, when Callahan's brutal apprehension of the suspected Scorpio Killer (Andrew Robinson) constitutes a civil rights violation and puts the killer back on the streets. Callahan knows what's right and what's just, and if anyone or anything gets in the way of that higher aim, then so be it.

Despite its name, Aquarius is not a water sign, but rather an air sign. If you are an Aquarius, you are a water-bearer, reflective and restorative, but with a stubborn streak. Once an idea gets into your head, it isn't going anywhere. And if someone does in fact manage to change your mind, it is often through an appeal to community service. Aquarians want to make the world a better place, whether that means raising your children in a world without violence, or returning to violence in the name of social justice.

William Munny, the destitute Kansas hog farmer in Eastwood's 1992 Western farewell "Unforgiven," was once a vicious gunslinger. He put his guns away once to become a husband and father, but now picks them up again, along with his old friend (Morgan Freeman), to apprehend a group of cowhands who disfigured a sex worker in the frontier town of Big Whiskey. The promise of a bounty lures William back into the life, but he's also moved by the plight of the injured woman and her fellow prostitutes, who have put up the bounty money themselves to buy the justice that the law (represented by Gene Hackman's dictatorial sheriff Little Bill) won't provide. Blood and death await William in Big Whiskey, but also the chance to make a difference in the world, no matter how small.

The final constellation on the zodiac calendar, Pisces carries the accumulated experiences, positive and negative, of the signs that came before. As a Pisces you are symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, representing how you exist in both the physical and spiritual realms, as well as your penchant for escapism, especially when things get rough. You are a dreamer and an artist, no matter if your canvas rests on an easel or underneath a boxing ring.

Frankie Dunn, the cantankerous trainer in Eastwood's 2004 boxing Oscar-winning drama "Million Dollar Baby," allows himself to dream once more as he begins to train unlikely phenom Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), who comes into his gym one day not even knowing how to work a speed bag. Before long she (and he) are climbing the ranks of women's professional boxing — but when tragedy strikes, Frankie faces an impossible decision. Though he has a reputation as a man's man, many of Eastwood's most enduring screen partners have been women, whether romantic pursuits like Streep and Sondra Locke, kindred spirits like the sex workers in "Unforgiven," or daughter figures like Amy Adams and Swank here. Frankie and Maggie find physical transcendence in the ring, and spiritual transcendence in each other, as seen in their heartbreaking final moments together.