The name Clint Eastwood shines not just in Hollywood but as a Western movie icon and an Oscar-winning filmmaker. Eastwood’s odyssey started with his big break A Fistful of Dollars, where he made only $15,000. Today, in his nineties, the actor is still active behind the camera, creating wonders.
It seems hard to believe that Universal once fired this phenomenal actor.
Eastwood Got Cast In His Big Break Because He ‘Looked Like A Cowboy’
Eastwood was cast for the role of Rowdy Yates in Rawhide when he went to visit a friend at CBS and a studio executive noticed him and thought he ‘looked like a cowboy.’
Eastwood’s Name Is An Anagram
Clint Eastwood is an anagram for ‘Old West Action’. Makes sense.
Eastwood Just Says, “Okay” When He’s Directing
While directing, Eastwood doesn’t say “Action” or “Cut”. All he says is “Okay”. That’s about it. Actors know that’s their cue.
Eastwood Always Keeps His Films Apolitical
Eastwood refuses to blend political or social agendas with his films. From Dirty Harry (1971) to Million Dollar Baby (2004), he solely focuses on the entertaining and captivating qualities of the film.
He Received An Honorary Doctorate
The Wesleyan University of Connecticut awarded Eastwood with an Honorary Doctorate Degree at their 168th Commencement Ceremony in 2000.
He’s Big Into Golf
Eastwood participated in the celebrity golf tournament hosted by the PGA tour every year at Pebble Beach California, consecutively from 1962-2002. Now he hosts the PGA Tour events.
He Wore The Same Boots In Rawhide And Unforgiven
In both Rawhide (1959) and Unforgiven (1992), Eastwood wore the same boots, which are now a showcased item in Eastwood’s private collection. The boots were exhibited at the Autry Museum of the American West in LA, California in 2005.
Eastwood Didn’t Like The Ending Of Dirty Harry
At the ending of Dirty Harry, Harry throws away his police badge into the water after killing the Scorpio Killer. But Eastwood was convinced that this character was suited to be only a policeman and would never quit
Once Eastwood Joked About Killing Filmmaker Michael Moore
After Moore’s gave a controversial interview with Charlton Heston, Eastwood jokingly commented at the National Board of Review awards dinner in New York City that he would probably kill Moore if he showed up to his home with a camera.
Eastwood Didn’t Want To Play Dirty Harry Again
When approached about a possible Dirty Harry reboot, he declined. Eastwood believed he had outgrown the character.
Eastwood Learned Mountain Climbing For A Role
In The Eiger Sanction (1975), he had to do a lot of mountain climbing. It was not done by any stuntman. He learned mountain climbing for this movie as he thought the scenes were too dangerous for a stuntman to do.
No one climbed up The Totem Pole in Mountain Valley after him. The crew members had to remove all the decades-old pitons left by early climbers as it was a part of the contract.
Clint Eastwood And Burt Reynolds Had A Lot Of Influence On Each Others’ Careers
Eastwood and Burt Reynolds have always influenced each other’s careers. Reynold turned Sharky’s Machine into a film after Eastwood sent him a copy of the novel. Eastwood did the same with The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Bridges of Madison County.
Eastwood Turned Down The Role Of Captain Willard In Apocalypse Now
Martin Sheen was cast for the role of Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now (1979) after Eastwood turned it down as he thought the story was ‘too dark’.
Eastwood Practices Transcendental Meditation
In 2013 he mentioned that he has been into meditation for the last 40 years. He even practices transcendental meditation twice daily.
Eastwood Named His Production Company After The Dollars Trilogy
Eastwood’s agent advised that it would be a ‘bad movie’ (mal paso) to accept the offer of Italian director Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western Trilogy, which eventually turned out to be Eastwood’s first big break. The irony of this incident left an imprint and Eastwood later named his production company Malpaso Productions.
Eastwood Served As President At Cannes
Eastwood served as president of Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994.
