Clu Gulager first rose to prominence through his roles in TV shows like The Tall Man and The Virginian. He later started booking big-screen roles as well. Some of his most notable ones were in The Killers and The Last Picture Show. 

Being an actor was not the only thing that Clu showed a talent for and he pursued directing as well. He directed a short film titled A Day with the Boys and his work later earned a Palme d’Or nomination during the Cannes Film Festival back in 1969. Gulager appeared in the 2019 movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.