This 2011 Cult Classic Couldn't Cast Clint Eastwood, So They Went With This Modern Western Legend Instead

The western genre might not be the dominant force it once was, but its spirit will remain alive and well if Timothy Olyphant has any say in the matter. Even though he hasn’t played cowboys much in the movies, Olyphant is forever enshrined in the Western Hall of Fame thanks to his signature roles in Deadwood and Justified. There’s something about Olyphant that seems to have that air of mystical justice about him, like history will be on his side, even when his characters are less than savory. His reputation for frontier justice has preceded him so much that he even brought that energy to science fiction when he appeared as Cobb Vanth in the Star Wars universe. His gunslinger credentials are so solidified that when Gore Verbinski wanted to make the ultimate shoutout to the Man with No Name himself, Clint Eastwood, in his animated masterpiece Rango, he knew there was only one man who could fit a hat so iconic.

Who is Timothy Olyphant in ‘Rango’?

What makes Rango so brilliant is the way it seamlessly blends together so many different subgenres of the western into one thrilling adventure that’s truly for all ages. It’s got the John Ford visual precision and communal spirit, Sergio Leone‘s weathered grit and grime, Sam Peckinpah‘s brutality and harsh atmosphere, and vital dashes of the acid trippiness of Alejandro Jodorowsky. That’s why it makes perfect sense that when the titular chameleon Rango (Johnny Depp) is in need of some soul-searching, he finds it by wandering into the hottest parts of the desert to find the legendary Spirit of the West (Olyphant). What he finds is a vision of the Man With No Name riding a golf cart while scrounging for junk with a metal detector, precisely modeled after Clint Eastwood’s older appearance and voice. He even has five “golden guardians” in the back of his cart, a cheeky reference to Clint’s five Oscar wins (four competitive and one honorary). When Rango asks him for advice, the Spirit vaguely speaks of having to dig deep to find who you are, and that Rango must make himself the hero for his friends, because he can’t walk out on his own story.

Timothy Olyphant Does a Perfect Clint Eastwood Impression

I’ll never forget watching this scene in theaters for the first time because I remember being truly convinced that this was Clint’s actual voice. Who else could possibly have that same combination of saltwater gravel and self-righteous conviction without a shred of doubt in their voice? Well, apparently Timothy Olyphant could, because it’s 100% his voice doing a spot-on Clint Eastwood impression, even if it isn’t quite as weathered and harsh as Eastwood’s deadliest weapon. Not only does he nail the general vibe of Eastwood’s voice, but he really gets that undefinable air of an otherworldly presence between his words, like he’s an unholy guardian angel looking out for those he deems worthy. In terms of direct comparison, it feels like Olyphant is going for more of a Pale Rider or Two Mules For Sister Sara era of Eastwood, a bit more smart-assy and flippant than his more straight-up dangerous personas like in the Sergio Leone trilogy or Hang ‘Em High. This may be because, according to Gore Verbinski, he was going for more of a loving parody of Clint than a full one-to-one depiction, which is why he didn’t want to have Clint himself do it, probably to avoid the risk of implied disrespect. Whatever the case may be, it was an inspired choice to go for Olyphant, a sign of the new west reaching back to the old west to both show reverence and to show how much the genre has evolved since then.

Gore Verbinski Wanted Clint to Represent the Heroism of the West

Speaking of Verbinski, he said that the reason he even thought of Olyphant was because he once happened to hear Olyphant talk on a TV show. Without looking at the TV screen, Verbinski had to do a double-take because he swore that he was actually listening to Clint Eastwood. This makes sense, since if you go back to even earlier episodes of Justified and close your eyes and just listen to how Olyphant talks as Raylan Givens, it really does sound like a younger Clint, without him even trying too hard to go for the cliché version. As to why it had to be Clint in the first place, Verbinski said that he needed Rango to have a certain kind of hero to look up to, and since he was trying to be the hero of a western story, Clint Eastwood seemed like the right choice. It’s interesting that Verbinski didn’t go for John Wayne, the other monolithic western icon, but the general energy and tone of Rango must have seemed to be a way better fit for the moral grayness and thick-skinned hide of Clint. Plus, let’s be honest, can anybody honestly come close to sounding like John Wayne? Be that as it may, Verbinski and company were truly lucky that Timothy Olyphant was around to be the spiritual vessel that they needed to resurrect the soul of not just one of the most striking stars the screen has ever seen, but a man who’s become a symbol for those who seek to stand by their own moral code, just like Raylan or Seth Bullock would want.