Buddy Van Horn, Director of Clint Eastwood’s ‘Any Which Way

Wayne “Buddy” Van Horn, Clint Eastwood’s longtime stunt double and typically director, died on May 11, in line with an obituary from the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. He was 92.

Van Horn served as stunt coordinator on Eastwood’s movies from 1972 to 2011, together with “The Enforcer,” “The Gauntlet” and “Sudden Impact.” He additionally served as second unit director on Eastwood’s “Magnum Force” earlier than taking over full directing duties on 1980’s “Any Which Way You Can,” 1988’s “The Dead Pool,” the fifth and closing look of Eastwood’s iconic character, “Dirty” Harry Callahan, after which 1989’s “Pink Cadillac.”

A talented horseman from a younger age, Van Horn beloved to inform tales of using his pony for miles within the valleys and canyons surrounding North Hollywood as a child. His rugged skillset earned him a gig using horses as an additional in westerns. However, on the set of his second movie, Van Horn obtained a letter notifying the 21-year-old that he’d been drafted. This led to 2 years of U.S. Army service in Germany throughout the Cold War.

Following his service, Van Horn continued to work in tv and movie. His first big-time job was as Guy Williams’s stunt double in Walt Disney’s Zorro sequence, which ran from 1957 to 1958. The 1960s noticed Van Horn doubling for even larger names on even larger jobs, together with Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin and Henry Fonda. He additionally utilized his fencing abilities in struggle scenes in movies comparable to “Spartacus” and “The War Lord.”

Van Horn grew to become Clint Eastwood’s stunt double in 1967, a partnership that may endure for over 44 years and over 30 movies, together with the traditional “Dirty Harry” movie sequence. His most outstanding on-screen look not as Eastwood got here in 1973’s “High Plains Drifter,” wherein he performed Marshal Jim Duncan. Taking benefit of Van Horn’s resemblance to the actor, his casting was meant to recommend that he and Eastwood’s “Stranger” character had been truly the identical individual. The veteran stunt man adopted Eastwood all through his personal directorial profession till 2011’s “J. Edgar.”

Van Horn is survived by his spouse Konne, two daughters Erika and Jennifer; and 5 grandchildren, Morgan, Cade, Hayden, Cole, and Landon.