Why Clint Eastwood risked his career to star alongside an orangutan in 1978

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Clint Eastwood was a Hollywood icon defined by gritty Westerns and Dirty Harry when he chose to star in a slapstick comedy about a trucker and his pet orangutan. Despite warnings from his own team, the film became a massive commercial success, fundamentally shifting the trajectory of his career.

In 1978, Clint Eastwood took a gamble that baffled his industry peers. After building a reputation on intense, stoic roles, he signed on for Every Which Way but Loose, a comedy directed by James Fargo. The film followed Philo Beddoe, a bare-knuckle fighter roaming the American West with his brother and an orangutan named Clyde. Eastwood’s agents and production team reportedly advised against the project, fearing it would undermine his established persona. Even the film’s music supervisor, Snuff Garrett, commissioned the title song with little more context than the bizarre premise of a man traveling with an ape.

Critical reception was overwhelmingly negative. Reviewers labeled the film a "sluggish shambles" and "plotless junk heap," with some critics questioning if Eastwood was intentionally testing how much "bad" cinema his audience would tolerate. Janet Maslin of The New York Times dismissed it as "harebrained," while others noted the jarring shift from Eastwood's usual emotional intensity to slapstick farce. Despite this critical drubbing, the film was a massive hit, grossing over $104 million in the U.S. and Canada—ranking as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1978.

The film’s success was bolstered by a popular country music soundtrack, featuring hits that dominated the Billboard charts. Eastwood’s willingness to embrace the "blue-collar" aesthetic of the American West—filming in locations ranging from California to Colorado—resonated with audiences in a way that defied the critics. The orangutan, played by an animal actor named Manis, was described by Eastwood as one of his most natural co-stars, provided the crew captured the shot on the first take. Ultimately, the film proved that Eastwood could pivot away from his signature roles, paving the way for his 1980 sequel, Any Which Way You Can, and cementing his status as a versatile, if unconventional, box-office draw.

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