Clint Eastwood has rejected some of the most popular roles of this era, that’s gotta hurt right? The actor revealed he regrets nothing! Renowned for his multifaceted talents as an actor, director, and producer, Eastwood has dominated Hollywood for a long time. Although he has an elaborate career with a plethora of hits, back in the day he rejected two of the most career-changing roles, and deemed them not the right fit for him.
Without actually giving it a try, the actor was too scared to switch from his usual cowboy and cop movies and suspects people would not like to see him in the much-anticipated roles that will paint him in a whole new different color. The actor failed to realize the potential the roles held and rejected them without any second thought, but on the brighter side does not regret his career decisions.
Clint Eastwood Didn’t Think the Role of Superman Would Be a Right Fit for Him
The role is too iconic for anyone to not envision themselves playing it. What other actors dream of Clint Eastwood got the opportunity to live, but chose not to, based on a reason that many cannot comprehend. The actor rejected the role just because he didn’t feel like it, although one has to be on top of the hierarchy to enjoy such privilege, the actor who once dominated Hollywood decided that not playing the role would be best for him. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actor explained,
“I can remember – and this was many years ago – when [Warner Bros. President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman… I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.’”
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He then praised his fellow actor, Christopher Reeve who actually ended up playing the iconic role,
“That was part of the consideration, a big part. Look at Reeve, he was excellent. That was a big factor. You get a role like that, and it locks you in a bit—True, I had the western genre and the Dirty Harry role, but everybody made westerns and did cop movies; they didn’t seem as bad.”
Eastwood feared this role would be ill-fitted for someone who the audience has been familiar with as a cowboy for a long period of time. Thus, the actor did not want to take risks and ruin what he had going for him at the moment. Although the actor lost an opportunity that could have propelled him to greater heights, his decision to reject the roles also made him one of the most iconic actors in the industry.
Why Did Clint Eastwood Reject the 007 Role?
Call it being egoistic or respectful of one’s boundary, the actor did not want to touch what was someone else’s. He deemed the role of the Brit detective, as a discarded item, and thus did not want to get involved in the matter. In the same interview, Eastwood explained,
“I was also offered pretty good money to do James Bond… This was after Sean Connery left… But to me, well, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it.”
Now, playing the scenarios in the head of what could have been is the only thing that the fans can do. Although he was urged to play those two characters, his strong determination and loyalty to his fans and type of films prevented him to explore newer avenues.