The real-life Earl Stone in Clint Eastwood’s The Mule is based on Leo Sharp, who was once the oldest drug mule in the world
Here’s what happened to him after the events depicted in the movie. Sharp was a horticulturist before he started working for the Mexican cartel as a drug courier. Sharp and Stone, played by Eastwood, share many similarities, although some details were altered for the fictionalized telling of Sharp’s unique story.
For instance, the fictional Stone served in the Korean War while Sharp was a decorated World War II veteran.Several aspects of Sharp’s true story behind The Mule, such as names and locations, are changed to protect the real-life people involved.
The screenplay is based on a 2014 New York Times Magazine article about Sharp by Sam Dalnick, depicting the elderly protagonist’s descent from a humble horticulturist and war veteran to a drug mule.Like Stone, Sharp was the perfect fit for a drug courier because nobody would expect it. Sharp turned to the cartel because his horticulturist business was failing, leaving him desperate for money.
Leo Sharp Was Released From Prison After One Year
The Mule ends with Earl Stone going to federal prison where he grows daylilies as a convict. In reality, Leo Sharp was sentenced to three years in federal prison but only ended up serving one due to his declining health and dementia. Sharp was caught by DEA agents and arrested in October 2011 while in possession of 200 kilograms of cocaine.
He would make routine runs from the southern U.S. border to Detroit, Michigan transporting between 100 and 300 kilograms at a time. He also transported millions of dollars for the Mexican cartel.
Sharp was given the opportunity to speak during his prosecution, during which he asked the judge if he could avoid serving a prison sentence by growing Hawaiian papayas instead.
This reveals the innocence of the real-life Earl Stone’s personality who can be sympathized with for the desperate circumstances which brought him to becoming a drug courier. Despite Sharp’s guilt and plea, the judge could not allow him to carry on without lawful consequences and turned down his offer.
The Mule’s Real Earl Stone Died At 92 Years Old
Leo Sharp died at the age of 92 on December 12, 2016, two years before The Mule’s release. Sharp was allowed to live outside federal prison for roughly 16 months before his death. He was buried honorably at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
There are not many details documented about the real Earl Stone’s life in the short time he had after his early prison release. He likely kept his day lily farm that made up such a significant part of his life and instigated the unfolding action in The Mule.