The good old days of Hollywood can be outlined through the classic Western films that the world came to recognize the industry by, and to this day, their influence can be witnessed around the globe. Trailblazing through this phase of the industry was none other than Clint Eastwood himself, the man who is now hailed as a living legend of the business.
And today, along with being hailed as one of the greatest actors to have ever lived, the star is also one of the most distinguished filmmakers in the industry for his award-winning films over the years. But when people come to know the reason why he chose to stay behind the camera after being the face of many films, they are shocked to hear what he has to say.
Clint Eastwood Became A Filmmaker Because He Feared He Would Become Irrelevant
Hailed as one of the biggest and most important stars in the industry for bringing revolutions in Hollywood with his films, may it be from behind the camera or in front of it, Clint Eastwood will always be remembered for his contributions. Apart from his career in old Western films like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, the star has also been the vision for making some of the most impactful films ever seen in the industry. And while it seems like he was born with the creative gift of filmmaking, his decision to become a director stemmed from his fear.
In a past interview with Film Comment, the Dirty Harry star talked about his long and illustrious acting career that spans more than half a century and his gradual shift to the director’s chair as time went on. Here, he also revealed his reason for becoming a filmmaker was the fact that he feared people would get exhausted watching him doing his regular stuff on the screen, which would lead to a decline in his acting career. Therefore, to explore new horizons and keep doing what he loved, he decided to become a director. He said:
“You know, I do. I’ve threatened to quit, but maybe that’s a defense mechanism, because there aren’t enough good roles at my age. That’s probably true, and if it is, I’ll stay behind the camera. The reason I started directing 37 years ago was I thought some day I or the audience would probably look at the screen and say, “That’s enough of that.” I had a great experience directing the last film [Mystic River] without being in it. I’m always amazed looking at other actors when they’re conquering the difficulties of different sequences.”
Unlike another award-winning director Ben Affleck, who decided to make films after a series of disappointments acting in movies, Eastwood’s decision was far more insightful and calculated.
Are The Films Made By Clint Eastwood Good?
While he may have been one of the biggest names as an actor in the industry, Eastwood’s shift to filmmaking would make him the icon that he’s known as today. Among the films that he’s directed all these years, five of them have been nominated in multiple categories for the Academy Awards, and two of them have been awarded the same.
Among these films, his directorial Million Dollar Baby was nominated for three awards, and it went ahead and won them in the Best Director and Best Picture categories. Along with this, his film Letters from Iwo Jima was also nominated for three awards and went ahead to win the Best Director and Best Picture categories again.