Credit: The Mule
In 2018, one of the most gripping crime drama movies of the 21st century premiered. Titled The Mule, the film was a masterpiece by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, who, at 88 years old, starred in and directed the movie. The film was based on a New York Times article by journalist Sam Dolnick titled “The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule,” which tells the story of Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran who, in the ’80s, acted as a drug courier for the Sinaloa Cartel. An official description of the movie, via Rotten Tomatoes, is as follows: “Broke, alone, and facing foreclosure on his business, 90-year-old horticulturist Earl Stone takes a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. His immediate success leads to easy money and a larger shipment that soon draws the attention of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. When Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on his conscience, he must decide whether to right those wrongs before law enforcement and cartel thugs catch up to him.”
The Mule was mainly positively received by critics, with Flickering Myth writing about the film: “There’s something about The Mule’s gently avuncular charm that makes it work, even as it falls over and over into cliché.” While it’s overshadowed by previous Eastwood films, the movie has been regarded as an instant Clint classic.
Another thing that made the movie a hit with audiences is its perfectly assembled cast. If you want to learn more about the cast members of The Mule, read ahead.
Clint Eastwood
Credit: The Mule
Clint Eastwood portrayed Earl Stone, a character based on Leo Sharp, in the hit 2018 movie The Mule. A Hollywood legend, Eastwood began his career appearing in spaghetti Westerns in the ’60s, including his most iconic early film, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. He then starred in Dirty Harry movies, playing the anti-hero Harry Callahan. His directorial debut was the movie Play Misty for Me, in which he also starred. His first Oscar nomination and a win would be for the 1988 movie Bird. His more recent movies include Sad Hill Unearthed, Richard Jewell, and Cry Macho, in which he starred at 90 years old.
Bradley Cooper
Credit: The Mule
Hollywood star Bradley Cooper co-starred with Eastwood in The Mule as Colin Bates, a DEA agent based on the real-life Jeff Moore. Like Eastwood, Cooper is also a prolific Academy Award nominee, having received nominations nine times. Although Cooper has yet to win an Oscar, he has appeared in some of the most high-profile blockbusters of the last decade. He appeared in Joy, 10 Cloverfield Lane, War Dogs, A Star Is Born, Joker, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Cooper is set to star in an upcoming biopic titled Maestro.
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne portrayed Colin Bates in The Mule. Fishburne is best known for his portrayal of Morpheus in The Matrix series. He also reunited with Keanu Reeves in the John Wick franchise, portraying the Bowery King. Fishburne’s recent credits include Where You’d Go, Bernadette, Running with the Devil, Under the Stadium Lights, The Ice Road, and All the Old Knives. He is set to appear in the fourth installment of John Wick and the children’s fantasy film The School for Good and Evil.
Michael Pena
Michael Pena played Trevino, Bates’ partner, in The Mule. The actor is most notably known for his appearances in Crash, World Trade Center, Shooter, Observe and Report, Tower Heist, and Battle: Lost Angeles. His more recent films are Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Jexi, Fantasy Island. Tom & Jerry, Moonfall, and Secret Headquarters.
Dianne Wiest
Credit: The Mule
Dianne Wiest played Mary Stone, Earl’s ex-wife, in The Mule. The veteran actress won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets over Broadway. Wiest appeared in three movies in 2020: I Care a Lot, Let Them All Talk, and My Father’s Dragon.
Ignacio Serricchio
Ignacio Serricchio played Julio Gutierrez, Earl’s handler, in The Mule. Most people would recognize Serricchio for his role as Diego Alcazar in the medical drama General Hospital. He also appeared as Alejandro Chavez in another soap opera, The Young and the Restless. His more recent credits include Lost in Space, El Recluso, and the hit NBC comedy series, Good Girls.
Andy Garcia
Andy Garcia portrayed the role of cartel boss Laton in The Mule. The actor has appeared in a diverse range of films, from musicals like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again to action blockbusters like the upcoming movie The Expendables 4. His most iconic role was as Agent George Stone in 1987’s The Untouchables.
Other cast members
Other actors who appeared in The Mule include Taissa Farmiga, Alison Eastwood, Richard Herd, Manny Montana, Lobo Sebastian, Noel G., Eugene Cordero, Clifton Collins Jr., Victor Rasuk, Robert LaSardo, and Daniel Moncada.Clint Eastwood
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