The cop drama Dirty Harry would mark one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable and career-defining roles, all while re-invigorating and evolving the genre. Eastwood would embrace and bring the character to life with such conviction that it seems the role was made specifically with him in mind. However, Eastwood was not the first considered for the role, or even the second, with the actor in a long line of famous actors that turned down the role for various reasons.
Out of all of these, though, one actor in particular helped push the role onto Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman. Newman was known for playing charming, rebellious characters, from Cool Hand Luke to Butch Cassidy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One can imagine him filling the shoes of the maverick cop and executing his unique brand of justice. However, Paul Newman was adamantly against participating in the movie for personal reasons.
Paul Newman Turned Down Dirty Harry For its Right-Wing Messaging
The simple reason that Paul Newman turned down the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry was that he felt it did not align with his political beliefs at the time. Newman was known for his outspoken stance on many issues, from opposing the Vietnam War to supporting gay rights and same-sex marriage to raising awareness about global warming. His contention against the Vietnam War made him a particular target for the time, making President Nixon’s infamous “enemies list.” When pitched the idea of Dirty Harry, Paul Newman felt the ideology was too right-leaning and in stark contrast to his liberal beliefs. It was the radical form of justice that led Newman to this conclusion.
However, that is not to say that Paul Newman opposed anyone playing the part of Harry Callahan. When the original script by Harry Julien Fink hit his desk, he recommended that it be sent to Clint Eastwood. In an interview with Fresh Air, Clint Eastwood commented on how he came to the project:
“Paul Newman had led me onto it. He told Jennings Lang, who is an executive at Universal at that time, that ‘there is a script that I read this exciting detective story, might be great for Clint,’ and, of course, when Jennings told me that, I said, ‘Well, how come Paul didn’t want to do it?’ He says, ‘Well, he had some questions about the political ramifications of what have you, but he thinks it’s an exciting story, and you might want to do it.” Clint Eastwood
To say Clint Eastwood embraced the role is an understatement. He would not just go on to star in the film but also help produce it under The Malpaso Company and had great creative input into the final product, tweaking and updating the script, including removing an extravagant ending involving marine snipers. Clint Eastwood also hand-picked Don Siegel to direct the film, allowing him to maintain creative control over almost every aspect of the production.
It should also be noted that Clint Eastwood has never viewed Dirty Harry as a political film, a position backed up by director Don Siegel, who said politics was never brought up during the movie’s filming. Instead, Eastwood said his vision of Dirty Harry “showed the frustration with our courts and our judicial system.”
Paul Newman Was Just One of Many Actors To Turn Down Dirty Harry
While Paul Newman’s refusal of the role remains the most relevant in the movie’s lore, with him passing it on to Clint Eastwood, plenty of actors reportedly turned down the part. This happened for various reasons, but many expressed the same sentiment as Newman and found the work too crude or political for their image or personal beliefs.
All these iconic performers make for an interesting ‘what if?’ Yet it is obvious that, in the end, everyone who passed over the project and Eastwood putting his own creative energy into it ended up being the best result for the now iconic film.
The Legacy of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry
Paul Newman handed Eastwood a special gift in Dirty Harry, which remains one of the actor’s most iconic roles. The movie re-invented the cop genre, marking a shift in tone and content and embracing a more flawed protagonist; many hard-boiled detectives in cinema owe their popularity to Harry Callahan. Moreover, Dirty Harry is the movie that really rocketed Clint Eastwood into stardom, with highly quotable lines and a script that challenged viewers’ morality and brought up heated discussion about its sensationalized violence and ‘reactionary political ideology.’ Whether you love or hate it, Dirty Harry is a landmark film in the cop drama that will always be adored by a large audience.