Movie great Clint Eastwood didn’t want to be an actor because he was an introvert, and he believed stars had to be extroverts. Little did he know growing up in Piedmont, Calif., that he was the epitome of the strong, silent type.

Here are the actor and director’s 10 favorite roles and what the 95-year-old says they mean to him.

Rawhide (1959)

“It was a good training ground for me. Over seven years, I learned how different directors direct. I subconsciously absorbed things, tried to emulate what they did well and discard methods that didn’t work.”

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

He fought for the “Man With No Name” to be a man of words. “The more he would repeat explaining things, the more it would dissipate his mystery. You’re not quite even sure he lies. You’re not even sure he’s the hero.”

Dirty Harry (1971)

Playing the titular cop in Dirty Harry and its four sequels, Clint went from star to icon. “It’s gotten me out of a lot of speeding tickets through the years.”

Every Which Way but Loose (1978)

“It’s a film everyone begged me not to do. There was something hip in an odd way — this strange guy tells his troubles to an orangutan and loses the girl. Everything about it was a little bit off-center. It seemed like something to do at the time.”

The Mayor (1986)

In a role that lasted two years, Clint played … Clint Eastwood, Mayor of Carmel, Calif.! Running against such things as a ban on ice cream cones, “I enjoyed it for two years, but not beyond. At about a year and a half, I said, ‘I might go back and make more movies!’”

Unforgiven (1992)

He won Oscars for Best Picture and Director — but says the true reward was working with Morgan Freeman. “He’s one of those guys who’s so good, so consistent for so long, he’s taken for granted.”

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

The romantic photographer he portrays “is more like me than some of the things I’ve played. He’s in love with the small things. He doesn’t need a lot of fancy things to enjoy life.”

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Again, he won Best Picture and Director Oscars after the studio “saw it as a boxing movie. I saw it as a love story.” It’s a father-daughter love story. And it’s about hopes and dreams. And it’s about people and the fragility of life.”

American Sniper (2014)

“I think my reputation for speed is not necessarily a good one — you don’t want to do Plan 9 From Outer Space, where the gravestones fall over and you say, ‘I can’t do another take. We’re too busy. Move on.’ You’re still making a film that you want to be right.”

The Mule (2018)

“When I did The Mule, I had no idea of starring in it. I thought, ‘That’s just something I’ll direct.’ A gal in the office said, ‘You’ve got to play it.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding.’ I just thought it was a good script. Sometimes you have to listen to what’s going on around you.”