Can You Name These Cowboy Stars From Memory?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Name These Cowboy Stars From Memory?
Image: Wiki Commons by Jolly Film

About This Quiz

In the real world, a cowboy was legit just a man who herded cattle. Not very glorious or inspiring, but honest work if nothing else. You ride a horse, you wear a hat, you keep the cattle where they need to be. And sure, some cowboys had to be armed, had to fight off cattle rustlers or bandits. And from these humble origins, the myth of the cowboy rose. Others would be given the mantle of cowboy even though they were bandits. They lived in America's most romantic time, the days of the Frontier when things were new and mysterious. When the world seemed undiscovered and untamed, cowboys were men on either side of the law. You could tell them on sight by their hats, their horses, their boots and their guns. And our love affair with the idea of the cowboy began.

When film became popular and their stories could be told on the big screen, the cowboy became a staple of American cinema. Audiences loved Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp and Butch Cassidy. They wanted more and Hollywood delivered. For decades Hollywood made hundreds if not thousands of Westerns, as well as cemented the legacy of some of the biggest stars ever. So how many cowboys do you know on sight? Take the quiz and see!

Charlton Heston
Anthony Productions / Worldwide Productions
Even though this actor famously fought apes, he also did his turn in Westerns. Who is it?
James Franco
Charlton Heston
Tommy Lee Jones
Charles Bronson
Chuck Connors
Wiki Commons by NBC Television
This actor also played professional baseball and basketball. Who was he?
Chuck Connors
Larry Hagman
Jack Palance
James Drury
Gary Cooper
Wiki Commons by United Artists
This actor got his start in silent films. Tell us who he is.
Gary Cooper
Nick Adams
Woody Strode
Roy Rogers

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Robert Redford
Rastar / Wildwood Enterprises
You can find this actor working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Who is it?
Robert Conrad
Robert Vaughn
Robert Redford
Robert Wagner
James Coburn
The Mirisch Company / Alpha Productions
He was one of "The Magnificent Seven." Who was he?
James Coburn
Rory Calhoun
James Garner
Robert Stack
Lee Marvin
Wiki Commons by CBS Television
This actor was such a good cowboy he won an Oscar for playing two different ones in the same movie. Who is it?
Lee Marvin
Lee Majors
Doug McClure
Jack Palance

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Paul Newman
Wiki Commons by Paramount Pictures
This actor didn't always play cowboys but he did play one of the most famous ones ever. Who is it?
Paul Newman
George Kennedy
Steve McQueen
Robert Redford
Burt Lancaster
Wiki Commons by Hal Wallis Productions
Do you recognize this tough-guy actor who actually wanted to be an opera singer?
Burt Lancaster
Robert Mitchum
Richard Boone
Paul Crawley
Lorne Greene
Wiki Commons by NBC Television-photo by Elmer Holloway
You'd known this actor if you were a fan of classic TV Westerns or sci-fi. Who is it?
Lorne Greene
Ernest Borgnine
Clayton Murphy
Michael Landon

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Robert Mitchum
Wiki Commons by RKO Radio Pictures
This tough-guy actor wasn't just pretending to be tough; he was pretty scrappy in real life. Do you recognize him?
Dale Evans
Victor French
Gregory Peck
Robert Mitchum
Glenn Ford
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
This actor was actually a great-nephew of the first Prime Minister of Canada. Do you know who he was?
Robert Fuller
Glenn Ford
John McIntire
William Holden
Kurt Russell
Wiki Commons by ABC Television
This actor started his career in Westerns at the age of 12. Who is it?
Kurt Russell
Val Kilmer
Jeff Bridges
Sam Elliott

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James Arness
Wiki Commons by CBS Television
If you know Marshall Matt Dillon you know this actor. Who is it?
Lorne Greene
Clu Gulager
James Arness
Tim Drake
Gregory Peck
Hal Wallis Productions
Some of the best Westerns of all time featured this actor who usually did his own stunts. Who was it?
Eli Wallach
Roy Rogers
Jimmy Stewart
Gregory Peck
Richard Boone
Wiki Commons by CBS Television
This actor was most famous for his starring role in "Have Gun - Will Travel." Who is it?
Richard Boone
Forrest Tucker
Fess Parker
Clayton Moore

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Dan Blocker
Wiki Commons by NBC Television
If you've ever heard someone called "Hoss" or "Big Hoss" it's because of this actor. Who is it?
Paul Newman
Ken Curtis
Dan Blocker
Ward Bond
Clint Eastwood
Wiki Commons by Sergio Leone
The Hollywood ideal of a tough guy cop and cowboy owe a ton to this actor. Who is he?
Clint Eastwood
Lee Marvin
Charlton Heston
Charles Bronson
Kirk Douglas
Rastar Pictures
This 102-year-old actor was born Issur Danielovitch. Who is he?
Gregory Peck
Ken Curtis
Kirk Douglas
Michael Landon

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Gabby Hayes
Wiki Commons by NBC Television
Cantankerous comedy sidekick is what this actor is best known as. Who is it?
Gabby Hayes
Gene Autry
George Kennedy
Bernard Lewis
John Wayne
Wiki Commons by CecilF
Arguably the most famous cowboy in film history, this actor's real name is Marion. What did most people call him?
Clint Eastwood
Roy Rogers
Chuck Conners
John Wayne
Robert Duvall
Telegenic Programs Inc. / RHI Entertainment / Rysher TPE
This actor was nominated for seven Academy Awards though none were for Westerns. He has an Emmy for that, though. Who is he?
Robert Redford
Robert Stack
Robert Vaughn
Robert Duvall

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Alan Ladd
Wiki Commons by Wikiwatcher1
After making a splash in noir films, this actor headed to Westerns. Who is it?
Burt Lancaster
Alan Ladd
James Garner
Robert Duvall
Jack Elam
Cherokee Productions / Three Pictures
Not all cowboys are good guys. This actor made a career out of playing villains. Who is he?
Robert Stack
Joel McCrea
Alan Ladd
Jack Elam
Doug McClure
Wiki Commons by NBC Television
This actor is probably most famous for playing the cowboy Trampas on "The Virginian." Who is he?
Doug McClure
Yul Brynner
Terrence Hill
Fess Parker

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Kevin Costner
Tig Productions / Majestic Films International / Allied Filmmakers
Few actors have had such successful roles followed by such dramatic failures as this actor. Who is he?
Yul Brynner
Paul Newman
Kurt Russell
Kevin Costner
Charles Bronson
Euro International Film / Paramount Pictures / Rafran Cinematografica / Finanzia San Marco
Can you name this action hero who only spoke Russian and Lithuanian until he was in his teens?
Clint Eastwood
Eli Wallach
Charles Bronson
Robert Stack
Jack Palance
Wiki Commons by BlueBreezeWiki
Few actors had quite as raspy and sinister a voice as this one was famous for. Name him.
Lee Van Cleef
James Coburn
Walton Goggins
Jack Palance

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Lee Van Cleef
Wiki Commons by Albert C. Gannaway
Though you couldn't tell in many of his movies, this actor had one blue eye and one green eye. Who was it?
Lee Van Cleef
Lee Marvin
El Wallach
Warren Oates
Steve McQueen
MGM Television / Rackin-Hayes Productions
He's known as "The King of Cool." Who is he?
James Cagney
Robert Mitchum
Steve McQueen
Spencer Tracy
Sam Elliott
Wiki Commons by NBC Television
This actor has been starring in Westerns from the 1960s all the way to the present. Who is he?
Kurt Russel
Val Kilmer
Sam Elliott
Bill Paxton

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James Garner
Wiki Commons by Warner Brothers Television
Not only did this actor play a cowboy, but he also played a space cowboy. Do you know who he is?
Tom Mix
James Garner
William Holden
Ernest Borgnine
Gene Autry
Wiki Commons by Seattle Packing Company-Bar-S Brand
You might know this actor as "The Singing Cowboy." Who was he?
Jay Silverheels
Robert Redford
Strother Martin
Gene Autry
Jimmy Stewart
Twentieth Century Fox
"It's a Wonderful Life" has cemented this actor's legacy, but he made his fair share of Westerns, too. Name him.
Tim Holt
Jimmy Stewart
Denholm Elliott
Robert Carradine

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Clint Walker
Wiki Commons by Macfadden Publications
"Cheyenne" was the show that this actor is best known for. Do you know him?
Jason Robards Jr.
Warren Oates
Tom Mix
Clint Walker
Jeff Bridges
Hal Wallis Productions
You might know this actor as "The Dude." Who is he?
Sam Elliott
Kurt Russell
Jeff Bridges
Jeff Daniels
Ben Johnson
Ventura Pictures Corporation
Aside from being an actor, this person was also a world champion rodeo cowboy. Who was it?
Ben Johnson
Harry Carey, Jr.
Michael Landon
Gene Autry

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Eli Wallach
Wiki Commons by Produzioni Europee Associate
He wasn't the Good or the Bad, he was the Ugly. Name him!
James Cagney
Eli Wallach
Bruce Dern
Clu Gulager
Slim Pickens
Hawk Films
Louis Lindley Jr. was the birth name of this famous Western star. Do you know who he is?
Randolph Scott
Henry Fonda
Slim Pickens
Gabby Hayes
Yul Brynner
Wiki Commons by Stevan Kragujević
Not only did this actor play cowboys but he also played robot cowboys. Who is it?
Abe Vigoda
Yul Brynner
Charles Bronson
James Garner

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Roy Rogers
Wiki Commons by Orange County Archives
Some people called this actor "The King of the Cowboys." Do you know who he is?
Gene Autry
Ben Johnson
Roy Rogers
Slim Pickens