Kurt Russell has made five Westerns throughout his legendary career, but there is one iconic role that could be considered a secret Western as well. Russell began acting as a child and gained notoriety as a star in several Disney movies. However, the actor's talents at playing gruff and capable men, as well as a heroic stoicism, seemed to suggest he was always destined for the Western genre. Along with a memorable Russell appeared in five Western movies to date, including some genuine genre classics.

While Russell's earlier Westerns as a child star are not as well known, he cemented himself in the genre with his portrayal of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. It took a long time for Russell to return to the genre, but he managed to star in two of the best Western movies of the 21st century, with Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight as well as the Western horror movie Bone Tomahawk. However, perhaps Russell's most famous character could also be seen as another Western role, despite its sci-fi story.

Kurt Russell's Escape From New York Is A Secret Western Movie

John Carpenter's Direction And Russell's Performance Take Inspiration From Classic Westerns

Despite Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken makes for a perfect Western anti-hero. Escape From New York is set in the future (1997 in the universe of the movie), in which New York City has been designated as an island prison and is impossible to escape from. However, when the President of the United States' plane goes down in the city, criminal Snake Plissken is forced to go into the lawless area in order to rescue the President.

The dystopian world certainly gives the movie its unique style and sets up the great premise, but many of the other elements are perfectly aligned with the Western genre. Escape From New York was another iconic collaboration between Russell and John Carpenter. While the director never made a true Western, Carpenter's love of Westerns is all over his movies, with Assault on Precinct 13 being a remake of Rio Bravo. In Escape From New York, Carpenter once again seems to be bringing in a lot of influence from those movies while putting his own spin on them.

The lawless nature of New York City in the movie feels just like those outlaw towns like Deadwood and Dodge City seen in classic Westerns. The deserted streets and random gunfights that erupt evoke the feel of the Wild West. Carpenter also shoots the movie similar to some of those classic Westerns with heroic closeups, tense showdowns, and sets that look lived-in. The themes of corruption, betrayal, and a sense of honor are also common in the Western genre, but the real similarities can be found in Russell's anti-hero.

Escape From New York even casts Eastwood's costar in the Dollars Trilogy, Lee Van Cleef.

Snake fits into the archetype of the Western gunfighter perfectly. In fact, Russell based his performance on Clint Eastwood's Western characters, especially the Man with No Name from the Dollars Trilogy. There is a clear similarity, as Snake is also the strong, silent type, growling most of his dialogue, prone to hardened stares, and looking out for himself above all else, despite an underlying sense of honor. Escape From New York even casts Eastwood's costar in the Dollars Trilogy, Lee Van Cleef, as the military man, Hauk, who sends Snake on the mission.

How Escape From New York Compares Against Kurt Russell's Actual Westerns

Russell Stars In One Of The Greatest Western Movies Of All Time

While Escape From New York may not be a true Western, it holds up well with its genre elements against Russell's more traditional Western movies. In fact, Escape From New York is a more enjoyable Western than the first two movies Russell made in the genre as a young actor. The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band is a musical Western from Disney that is more songs than shootouts. Russell did get the chance to work with a Western icon in Guns of Diablo alongside Charles Bronson, but it is a rather forgettable one all these years later.

Kurt Russell's Westerns

Escape From New York certainly gives fans more of a Western feel, which they are used to with Russell, compared to those early genre roles. Snake was the kind of character that helped Russell escape those more innocent child actor roles and be seen as a leading man. It also likely helped him be seen as a potential Western star later on. However, Russell's later Western roles took him away from the anti-hero archetype of Snake and saw him play more stoic heroes, albeit in very different ways.

When it comes to Russell's Western roles, there is simply no beating Tombstone.

The Hateful Eight features Russell giving a performance that feels largely inspired by Western icon John Wayne. That makes for a fun element in Quentin Tarantino's Western as it is filled with nefarious characters, and Russell gets to play the noble bully who isn't afraid to push around these other tough customers. Bone Tomahawk sees Russell playing a more traditional hero lawman who is only looking to protect his people and keep his town safe. This grounded performance works especially well given the wild horror elements that are gradually introduced into the story.

However, when it comes to Russell's Western roles, there is simply no beating Tombstone. Not only does the movie allow Russell to play one of the most legendary Old West figures in history with the lawman Wyatt Earp, but Tombstone is considered one of the best Westerns of all time. It is a thrilling and epic adventure that looks at the classic good vs. evil story in a more grounded way. While Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday steals the show, Russell's performance carries Tombstone as the ideal stoic hero, which is quite different from his outlaw anti-hero in Escape From New York.