Clint Eastwood is many things: action star, prolific filmmaker, chair whisperer. He’s also something that he’s rarely given credit for: actor’s director. For most of his directing career, Eastwood has attracted some very high-profile acting talent, often getting memorable performances from them.

The latest example, “Sully,’’ opens Friday. It’s hard to get higher-profile than Tom Hanks, who stars as airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger. Sullenberger’s calm professionalism prevented any loss of life when the USAirways Airbus 320 he was flying had an emergency landing in the Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009.

This is Hanks’s first collaboration with Eastwood. He’s the latest in a long line of notable Clint first-timers.

BIRD, 1988

actor: Forest Whitaker

Oscar nomination: no (Whitaker did win best actor at Cannes)

UNFORGIVEN, 1992

Actor: Gene Hackman

Oscar win: yes (SUPPORTING ACTOR)

ACTOR: Morgan Freeman

Oscar nomination: no

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, 1995

ACTRESS: Meryl Streep

Oscar nomination: yes

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, 1997

ACTOR: Kevin Spacey

Oscar nomination: no

MYSTIC RIVER, 2002

ACTOR : Sean Penn

Oscar win: yes

ACTOR: Tim Robbins

Oscar win: yes (SuPPORTING ACTOR)

MILLION DOLLAR BABY, 2004

ACTRESS: Hilary Swank

Oscar win: yes

CHANGELING, 2008

ACTRESS: Angelina Jolie

Oscar nomination: yes

INVICTUS, 2009

ACTor: Matt Damon

Oscar nomination: yes

J. EDGAR, 2011

ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio

Oscar nomination: no

AMERICAN SNIPER, 2014

ACTOR: Bradley Cooper

Oscar nomination: yes

Mark Feeney can be reached at mfeeney@globe.com.