Clint Eastwood has appeared in dozens of films throughout his career. While he’s directed many and starred across several genres, Eastwood is probably best known for one in particular: The oddly titled Spaghetti Western. Eastwood was the first actor to appear in a Spaghetti Western, and he’s inescapably associated with them, thanks in large part to his work with director Sergio Leone. The pair collaborated on three Spaghetti Westerns in total, and they just so happen to be the best the genre has to offer.

The “Man with No Name” trilogy consists of 1964’s “A Fistful of Dollars,” 1965’s “For a Few Dollars More,” and 1966’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” These three films transformed Eastwood from a television actor into an international film superstar, and he fully understands their impact. Eastwood credits “A Fistful of Dollars” with changing his career, and he’s not wrong. Before starring in the film, Eastwood’s credits consisted of small, largely uncredited parts in movies, along with one significant TV show.

Eastwood appeared in 217 episodes of “Rawhide,” playing Rowdy Yates. He was already making a name for himself, but it was Leone’s “For a Few Dollars More” that changed it all. What’s fascinating about his work in the film is that he initially wasn’t interested. The film would be shot during “Rawhide’s” time off of production, and all Eastwood wanted to do was improve his golf game. Had he not taken the role, the genre could have played out differently. Because he did, though, Eastwood appears in three of the greatest Westerns ever filmed.

It’s fair to say that Clint Eastwood has starred in several Westerns everyone should watch at least once, but despite his range, it’s Sergio Leone’s trilogy that still stands out. Eastwood accepted the role in the film and spoke with the Associated Press in 1965 about how he came to it. “I was heading for the annual between-season layoff of ‘Rawhide’ last year when my agent sent me this script. I told him on the phone I wasn’t interested. I wanted to work on my golf game” (via MeTV).

Eastwood agreed to read it because it offered the promise of a trip to Europe. He read the script, knew it was the right move for him, and went to Italy to shoot the movie, where nobody knew who he was. In the interview, he explained that when he returned to film the sequel, he was mobbed by autograph seekers and earned the attention of Sophia Loren. Eastwood wrapped up his character in the trilogy finale, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” and continued filming Westerns with American-produced movies like “Hang ‘Em High” and “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”

The success of Eastwood’s Spaghetti Westerns eventually led him to other genres, giving him the opportunity to play Marines, police officers, and more. Whether fans know him for playing the lead in “Dirty Harry” or from directing “American Sniper,” it’s likely Eastwood wouldn’t have become an international film star had he not taken the role as a man with no name, which all started with “A Fistful of Dollars.”