Clint Eastwood agreed to do Every Which Way but Loose because it was different from his typical action films
- Clint Eastwood is not limited to any genre of movies and loves to experiment and showcase his versatility.
- In 1978, he appeared in the comedy-drama film “Every Which Way but Loose” as Philo Beddoe, with a pet orangutan named Clyde.
- Eastwood’s manager and inner circle warned him not to do the film as it could potentially hurt his career
Clint Eastwood has been one of the biggest names in the movie industry since the mid-1950s. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has appeared in several renowned films such as Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, The Mule, and many more films. Eastwood is not limited to any genre of movies, as he loves to experiment and showcase his versatility. Throughout his career, the Unforgiven actor has appeared in different genres, as in his youth he was not afraid to branch out.
To do so, the actor decided to eye a project that was quite different from his typical action films. The film was none other than the 1978 smash-hit blockbuster comedy-drama film, Every Which Way but Loose. Clint Eastwood’s role was the polar opposite of what he normally did and he was warned not to do it didn’t showcase any potential.
Clint Eastwood’s Close Circle Begged Him Not To Appear in The 1978 Blockbuster
Clint Eastwood’s 1978 comedy-drama, Every Which Way but Loose was an interesting film of his career, as he had made himself a big name in the action genre. However, he was keen on doing a film that was different from his typical films. In the film, he played the role of Philo Beddoe, a trucker and a part-time fighter with a pet orangutan named Clyde. Hence, his manager and his inner circle told him not to do the film as it could potentially hurt his career.
During an exclusive interview with The Guardian, the Escape from Alcatraz actor acknowledged that he has “made some strange choices along the way,” and everyone including his manager, and everyone tried to persuade Eastwood to change his mind.
“That was a film my agent and everyone else begged me not to do. This is after Dirty Harry and I’d done a lot of action and adventure films and they said ‘That’s not you’ and I said ‘Well, what is me? I don’t know.’ To me, it was about reaching out to a younger generation, making a movie that kids could see, with a little less mouth.”
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Clint Eastwood added the film was different from what he had been doing, and it was the character of Philo Beddoe that convinced him to do the project.
“And there was something hip in an odd way about the movie – this strange guy tells his troubles to an orangutan and loses the girl, everything about it was a little bit off-center. It seemed like something to do at the time.”
The veteran actor’s instincts were right as the film was a massive hit at the box office, accumulating a total of $104.2 million, making it one of his most successful films. The film was so popular that it earned itself a sequel, Any Which Way You Can, where the 93-year-old actor reunited with the Orangutan.
Clint Eastwood Shares His Experience Working with Clyde
In the same interview, Eastwood was asked by the interviewer, “What was it like working with Clyde, though?” The actor had a great time acting alongside Clyde, as Orangutans have an attention span of a 6 or a 7-year-old.
“It was great – it was like working with a six-year-old. Supposedly they reach about the level of a seven-year-old child and they only have the attention span of a child, so you have to go on the first take.”
The 1978 film remains the most distinct movie of his career, as Eastwood gave an outstanding performance in the film, that has made it a timeless classic, often giving its viewers a good laugh.