Timothy Olyphant Is the Perfect Clint Eastwood Replacement

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Truly great Westerns are rare these days. While we’ve seen some newer takes on the genre, particularly from Taylor Sheridan, the classic Wild West stories feel like they’re fading away. One of the best Westerns of recent years is definitely HBO’s Deadwood, and that’s largely thanks to Timothy Olyphant‘s calm and compelling performance as Seth Bullock. Since playing Bullock, Olyphant has become a popular choice for gunslinger roles in both traditional and modern Westerns, appearing in shows like Justified and The Book of Boba Fett, and even making an appearance on The Simpsons.

The Western film genre is known for its legendary stars, like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, who defined it for much of the 20th century. However, with Wayne gone and Eastwood nearing 95, a new leading man is needed to carry the torch. That actor is Timothy Olyphant. While he isn’t known only for Westerns, Olyphant convincingly portrays a gunslinger, and a role he played in 2011 demonstrates he’s been prepared to take over as the genre’s face for years.

Timothy Olyphant Voices The Spirit of the West in Rango

Released in the last two decades, the animated film Rango, directed by Gore Verbinski, tells the story of a quirky chameleon who unexpectedly ends up in the town of Dirt. He renames himself Rango, poses as a tough outlaw, and surprisingly becomes the town sheriff. He promises to defend the town’s inhabitants and restore their water supply.

Beyond being a really funny movie, Rango boasts an incredible voice cast. Johnny Depp stars as the main character, and he’s joined by Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Harry Dean Stanton, Ned Beatty, and Timothy Olyphant.

I was completely captivated by Timothy Olyphant’s portrayal of the “Spirit of the West.” It’s this mysterious figure – honestly, he feels like a sun-baked wanderer more than a god – who shows up just when Rango is at his lowest. After Rango’s exposed as a fake and run out of Dirt by Rattlesnake Jake, this Spirit finds him and delivers this incredibly powerful line: “No man can walk out on his own story.” Then, he just…vanishes into the sunset. It’s such a beautiful moment! And the little detail that he has five Academy Awards in his golf cart – the same number Clint Eastwood has – just adds to the character’s magic and subtly hints at Eastwood’s influence.

Timothy Olyphant’s animated character clearly takes inspiration from Clint Eastwood’s famous roles in films like Hang ‘Em High, A Fistful of Dollars, and Unforgiven. However, Olyphant doesn’t simply copy Eastwood; he adds his own unique voice and style to the character, leaving viewers eager to see more.

Rango Remains One of the Forgotten Great Animated Movies of the 2010s

As a movie reviewer, I have to say the 2010s were a golden age for animation. We got some truly incredible films – titles like Zootopia and How to Train Your Dragon immediately spring to mind, and who could forget the phenomenon that was Frozen? Then there was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a real game-changer. But beyond the big franchises, there were some real gems too, like Rango, that deserve just as much attention.

Although 2011 wasn’t a particularly strong year for animated movies, Rango surprisingly won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It beat out films like Chico and Rita, A Cat in Paris, and popular titles Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots. Many were surprised by Rango‘s win, as it didn’t perform as well at the box office as Kung Fu Panda 2, despite still being a successful film.

Notably, Rango has earned a strong 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics praise it for brilliantly referencing classic Westerns – even better than most recent films – and say it feels like a movie directly from the style of Sergio Leone. Its Oscar win, beating out more widely known and popular films, is almost like a classic underdog story.

Rango is available for streaming on Paramount+.

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2026-01-08 16:36