How did Sergio Leone’s Italian westerns make Clint Eastwood an international star?

Clint Eastwood achieved international stardom through his collaboration with director Sergio Leone on three influential Italian westerns, commonly known as spaghetti westerns.12

These films—A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)—featured Eastwood as "The Man with No Name," a laconic, ruthless, and stoic antihero. This characterization departed from the idealized, virtuous figures often found in traditional American westerns, offering a more cynical and morally ambiguous perspective that resonated with global audiences.1324

The massive commercial success of these films, particularly following their release in the United States in 1967, established Eastwood as a major box-office star. His performance in these stylized, violent productions defined his screen persona and provided the foundation for his subsequent career as a cinema icon.32