Buddy Van Horn

A stuntman, most famously and frequently for Clint Eastwood, Buddy Van Horn is also a director, having directed the star he doubled for in three films, including "Any Which Way You Can." Van Horn grew up with training as a horseman, a skill that proved to be valuable with the growing popularity of the western film genre in the '50s. His stunt credits are extensive, having been featured in "Gunsmoke," Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus," and the television series "Bonanza" among many, many others. Van Horn acted as a stunt double for Clint Eastwood in many of Eastwood's starring roles, including "Dirty Harry," "High Plains Drifter," and "Every Which Way but Loose." In 1980, Van Horn stepped behind the camera to direct the sequel to the latter, "Any Which Way You Can." He would go on to direct Eastwood in two more films, 1988's "The Dead Pool," the fifth and final film in the Dirty Harry series, and 1989's action comedy "Pink Cadillac." Altogether, Van Horn is responsible for the stunts in over 100 films, having worked as a stuntman into his 60s. He continued to work with his frequent collaborator Eastwood as a stunt coordinator on his hit films "Million Dollar Baby," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Letters from Iwo Jima," and "Changeling." Buddy Van Horn died on May 11, 2021 at the age of 91.