Which actor played detective Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry film series?

Clint Eastwood played detective Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry film series.

Eastwood first portrayed Callahan in Dirty Harry, released in 1971. Callahan is a San Francisco Police Department inspector known for an uncompromising approach to violent crime and for the famous line involving his .44 Magnum revolver.

The original film was directed by Don Siegel and became a major police thriller. Eastwood returned as Callahan in four sequels: Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact and The Dead Pool. Callahan is a fictional character, despite the films’ use of recognizable San Francisco locations and police procedures. The role is distinct from Eastwood’s Western characters, including the unnamed gunslinger in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy.