11 best films directed by Clint Eastwood

Childhood and youth

Clint Eastwood was born in San Francisco. Clinton Eastwood Sr.'s father was a steel mill worker. Margaret's mother Ruth Runner worked as an engineer. Clint's parents were devout people, although they attended different churches. The father was a Presbyterian, and the mother belonged to the Mormon church.

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Actor Clint Eastwood
Since America was in the throes of the Great Depression at the time, the family frequently moved along the West Coast in hopes of finding high-paying jobs. Clint went to elementary and high school in Piedmont. Here he first appeared on the stage of the school theater.

He attended high school at Oakland Technical School, graduating in 1948. After receiving his matriculation certificate, the young man got a job at a gas station, later became a fireman and played the piano in various bars and clubs in California.

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Clint Eastwood in his youth
In 1950, Eastwood Jr. was drafted into the US Armed Forces. He was assigned to the air force unit in which Clint underwent flight training. He was supposed to go to fight in Korea, but during one of his training flights, Eastwood's plane crashed. The young pilot was saved and was able to swim about 5 km to the shore. After this, it was decided to leave the guy in the training camp as a swimming instructor.

After demobilization, Clint entered the local Los Angeles college, but studied there for only a year, as he decided to follow the advice of fellow soldiers Martin Milner and David Jansen, who recommended that a representative-looking young man (Clint’s height is 193 cm, weight - 86 kg) try himself in acting craft.

Clint Eastwood is 90. How does he manage to stay in shape and act at that age?

The ability of “old school” actors to remain in demand well into their seventh, eighth, and even ninth decades is sometimes admirable. You don’t have to look far for examples - Sylvester Stallone, in his 70s, crushed Mexican drug lords in the final part of the Rambo saga, and his eternal antagonist in courtyard disputes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, no less impressively returned to the action genre in Terminator 6.

Clint Eastwood is a different kind of actor who never had the form of a Greek god. But this does not in the least prevent him from releasing 1-2 films almost every year, where he acts as a director and producer, and in many of them he also plays one of the leading roles.

Clint has been asked many times what the secret of his longevity is. And every time the actor replies that he “refuses to let the old man into his life.” Yes, feeling young at heart is common to many of us, but what about a fading body? Looks like Clint has found his recipe here too.

Especially for you, we have dug through dozens of interviews with the actor about his life and work in order to highlight the main points that help Clint Eastwood remain young and active at 90.

Stay fit

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Clint Eastwood still works out several times a week. He has been going to the gym for several decades and not just does “light” yoga, but lifts weights and does exercises with his own weight, which not all men 20-30 years younger than Clint can do. Even now he can easily do 5-10 push-ups without warming up.

“One of the most important things in life is to feel good,” Eastwood says. “And when you’re in good shape, it’s much easier to feel good.” “I never trained to look like Mr. Olympia, I train to stay in shape, so I didn’t chase the weights, but concentrated on my strength, maintaining weight.”

Eat right

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Even in his youth, Clint Eastwood quit smoking and got rid of bad eating habits. His father died of heart problems, so Clint has been on a high-protein, low-fat diet for years. The only “cheat” that Clint still allows himself is beer. The rest of his menu is rich in fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, he eats pasta, drinks vitamins and sports protein shakes. At the same time, Clint tries not to eat dairy products and does not eat red meat at all.

“I cook my own food. This helps me control what I eat and stay active,” the director shares his secret.

He also opposes fast-digesting carbohydrates and advises against drinking sugary carbonated drinks.

Sleep better

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Quality sleep is one of the cornerstones of the Eastwood longevity system. The actor and director tries to go to bed at the same time, but wakes up early enough and tries to schedule activities for the whole day so as not to “let an old man into your life” at one fine moment.

He goes to the gym at least three times a week, runs, writes music, writes scripts, teaches roles, flies his own helicopter (Clint is a certified pilot) and makes films. In general, he does everything to remain active and in demand.

Enjoy your life

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Clint has repeated many times and never tires of saying that activity and training are the main secret to longevity, but without the appropriate way of thinking these are just words.

“Getting older can be fun if you approach it as such. Relax and take it for granted, enjoy life,” says the director.

Aging actively

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Most of Hollywood's centenarians remain active even into their old age. Kirk Douglas lived to be 102 years old not thanks to excellent genetics or the role of the legendary Spartacus, but due to the fact that even at his hundred years old he was not afraid to learn something new, communicated with people, actively mastered new technologies and continued to train. It is in physical and mental activity that the main secret of longevity lies, and Clint Eastwood knows this very well, which is why every year he releases his next “farewell film.”

Movies

In his youth, Clint Eastwood appeared in low-budget horror films, thrillers and westerns - “Revenge of the Creature”, “Francis in the Navy”, “Tarantula”, “Ambush at Cimarron Canyon” and a dozen other similar films. In 1956, the artist played his first leading role - Jack Rice in the comedy western "The First Female Salesman". In 1958, the actor appeared as another main character, Keith Williams, in the western Ambush at Cimarron Pass.

Clint Eastwood (still from the movie A Fistful of Dollars)

In 1959, Eastwood played the lead role in the television series Rawhide. The film project itself did not become particularly popular, but it was here that the actor was noticed by Italian film director Sergio Leone, who invited Clint in 1964 to play the role of cowboy Joe in his film A Fistful of Dollars.

This film became popular in Europe and the USA, so two sequels were released at once - “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. The latter film also became famous for the fact that in 2001, the quote from the leading actor “I’ve got sunshine in a bag” (“I carry happiness in my bag”) was used to create the single Clint Eastwood of the virtual British group Gorillaz.

Clint Eastwood (still from the film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly")

Subsequently, those films with Clint's participation in which he played the brave and purposeful “good guy with a gun” were more often successful. The actor continued to play leading roles in Westerns, gradually becoming an icon of this genre. Such films included “Hang Them High,” “Two Mules for Sister Sarah,” “High Plains Rider,” “Josie Wales is an Outlaw,” and the crime action films “Coogan’s Bluff,” “Kelly’s Heroes,” “Dirty Harry,” “Thunderbolt and Swiftfoot”, “Sanction on the Eiger Peak” and others.

The role of recidivist Frank Morris in the drama-thriller “Escape from Alcatraz” was somewhat different from similar images. The film told the story of the first escape from the impregnable Alcatraz prison fortress, from which it was considered impossible to escape for 30 years after its construction. It was built on an island and isolated from the outside world. The film is based on the biography of bank robber Frank Morris, who was the first to escape from this prison.

Clint Eastwood (still from the film "Escape from Alcatraz")

From 1980 to 1990, Clint played leading roles in all the films in which he participated, with the only exception being the film “Heartbreak Pass” in 1986. Viewers remember him as the central character of the films “Pink Cadillac”, “Game of Death”, “His Name is Death”, “Sudden Impact”, “Any Way You Can” and others.

Almost until the end of the 80s, Clint was a kind of cinema icon, included in the list of the most popular actors in Hollywood. But then its popularity declines. In the future, the artist will only play in films in which he himself acts as a director. Of these works, it is worth highlighting the drama “An Ideal World”, the melodrama “The Bridges of Madison County” and the dramatic film “Absolute Power”.

Clint Eastwood (still from the movie "The Bridges of Madison County")

Clint Eastwood was nominated for an Oscar for the detective story Mystic River. The Western “Unforgiven” in 1993 brought Eastwood the coveted statuette as a director, as well as a nomination as an actor. This success was repeated by the sports drama Million Dollar Baby, which was released in 2004.

A big event in American cinema was the thriller “Gran Torino,” created by the director in 2008. The director himself portrayed on screen the main character of the story - the elderly American Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War, who later worked at the Ford plant for 50 years. The old man lives in the suburbs of industrial Detroit, which is overpopulated with Asians and African Americans.

Clint Eastwood (still from the film "Gran Torino")

The character does not hide his dislike for them, but gradually he develops friendly relations with his neighbors, Hmong by nationality. To save his new friend from the demands of a local gang, Walt sacrifices his life. The film received positive reviews from film critics and impressive box office receipts.

The last time Clint's filmography appeared was in a film by another director in 2012. Her role was in the sports drama Curveball, where the actor plays the main role of an aging baseball scout.

Clint Eastwood (still from the movie Curveball)

In 2014, the historical drama “Sniper” became a landmark directorial work. This film was nominated for Oscars in 6 categories and won the award for Best Sound Editing. The film is based on the biography of SEAL Team 3 sniper Chris Kyle from Texas, who became the record holder for the most enemy kills while serving in Iraq and was nicknamed the Devil of Ramadi by the Iraqis.

Also in 2014, Eastwood directed the film Jersey Boys. This is also a biographical film, a musical drama about the formation of the group The Four Seasons, which became a symbol of the generation. In 2015, the film “Bringing the War Home: The Cost of Heroism,” again directed by Clint, was released in the United States. It has not been translated into Russian.

In 2016, Eastwood directed and produced the drama Miracle on the Hudson. The film was an adaptation of Chesley Sully Sullenberger and Jeffrey Sasslow's autobiography A Higher Duty: My Search for What Really Matters and was about the 2009 incident with US Airways Flight 1549.

Tom Hanks as Chesley Sullenberger (still from the film "Miracle on the Hudson")

Pilot Sullenberger made an emergency water landing on the Hudson River in New York. At the same time, 155 people - passengers and crew members - remained alive. The landing was called the “miracle on the Hudson,” but instead of gratitude, Sullenberger received a lawsuit and a career threat. The drama tells the story of the events after landing and the doubts about the actions of the hero pilot.

The role of Chesley Sullenberger was played by Tom Hanks. Other main roles were played by Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney. The film was released on September 9, 2021 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Clinton Elias Eastwood Jr. was born on May 31, 1930 in San Francisco. “I grew up during the Great Depression. I remember how my father was constantly looking for work in those years... How people came to our house and asked if we would hire them for something, even chopping wood. Then everyone was carried from place to place, and we also moved every now and then. Four months in one city, six in another, eight in a third. And I was always a newbie to the neighbors, I always defended myself, and I had to fight to prove something,” the living Hollywood legend recalls about his growing up. Since his youth, Clint dreamed of becoming a musician. “When Fats Waller died, my mother brought home a collection of his records... I learned to play the piano by listening to his records and trying to imitate other jazz musicians,” Eastwood says. — He was fond of boogie-woogie, jazz and bebop. I was telling stories on the piano long before I made my first film." But military service prevented him from enrolling in the music department, and there Clint became interested in cinema. Several actors served with him. “Very soon I began to think about whether I should try to play someone too?” - he recalls. After the service, Eastwood entered the university to study economics and at the same time went to auditions. The tall young man with a textured appearance was noticed, and Clint began to appear in minor westerns as a cowboy, firing a Colt at villains. At 34, Clint Eastwood finally receives an offer from the then little-known director Sergio Leone to play the lead role in the western A Fistful of Dollars (1964). The film became a stunning success and glorified the creative union of Eastwood and Leone, which continued in the films “For a Few Dollars More” (1965) and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966), which became classics of cinema. Clint began to receive lucrative offers. In 1971, he played the cult hero Dirty Harry in the film of the same name. Then he starred in the films “The Thug and the Runner” (1974), “Escape from Alcatraz” (1979) and others.

In 1986, 56-year-old Clint made his directorial debut with the war drama Heartbreak Pass. He is very productive and shoots a film per year, which does not affect their quality.

In 1988, Eastwood made the film “Bird” about the famous jazzman Charlie Parker. In 1990, the film “White Hunter, Black Heart” and “The Newcomer” (1990), which received prestigious awards. In 1992, Eastwood directed the western Unforgiven, which won an Oscar for Best Film of the Year, and Eastwood himself was recognized as Best Director. Clint Eastwood invites Hollywood stars to appear in his films, and also plays leading roles in his own films, admitting: “Being the director of a film in which you yourself play is very tiring, and there is something schizophrenic about it.” Clint has established himself as a very successful director, whose work has received awards and the love of audiences around the world. Among his best works are “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” (1997), “Space Cowboys” (2000), “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) (Eastwood received his second Oscar), “Changeling” (2008), “ Gran Torino (2008), Invictus (2009), Beyond (2010), J. Edgar" (2011). In 1995, Clint received an Oscar for his contribution to the development of cinema. Despite his 82-year-old age, Eastwood continues to film and act. In 2012, the film “Curveball” by Robert Lorenz is expected to be released, in which Eastwood plays the main role. “If I wasn’t a dreamer, I wouldn’t have achieved anything,” Clint admits. “And I certainly wouldn’t bother with such trifles as acting in films.”

Personal life

In 1953, before becoming a famous actor, Clint Eastwood married actress Maggie Johnson. They had two children: a son, Kyle Clinton, and a daughter, Alison. Clint and Maggie officially divorced in 1984, although they separated much earlier. Back in 1964, the actor had a daughter, Kimber, from a short-term affair with dancer Roxanne Tunis, and starting in 1978, for 4 years, Clint lived in a civil marriage with actress Sondra Locke.

In 1985, Eastwood met flight attendant Jacqueline Reeves, with whom he lived in a de facto marriage for about 3 years. They had two children: son Scott and daughter Katherine. In the early 90s, he began dating actress Frances Fisher, who gave birth to Clint's daughter Francesca. In 1995, the couple separated.

Embed from Getty Images Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher

In 1996, Eastwood officially married TV presenter Dina Ruiz, who was 35 years younger than the actor. Another daughter was born in this marriage, Morgan. It seemed that there was peace in the actor’s personal life. Clint and Dina lived together until 2013, when the wife filed for divorce due to the fact that her husband began to cheat on her. After the divorce, the 83-year-old artist began dating actress Erica Fisher.

The artist’s children chose creative professions. Eastwood's eldest son Kyle became interested in music and is now an established jazz musician with an extensive discography. Alison Eastwood became famous as an actress and producer.

Embed from Getty Images Clint Eastwood and Dina Ruiz

The youngest son Scott began his professional career as a model. At one time he collaborated with the Hugo Boss brand, and later began appearing on screens. He has roles in the films “Suicide Squad”, “Snowden”, “Fast and Furious 8”. Francesca Eastwood also gained media fame when she became a participant in the reality show “Mrs. Eastwood and Company.” In 2013, she was awarded the Miss Golden Globe Award.

Clint, in addition to directing and acting, is also interested in jazz. He even composed several compositions himself, which are heard in some of the director’s films. In addition, the man is a successful businessman and owns a restaurant and hotel in the city of Carmel. By the way, Clint Eastwood was the mayor of this town from 1986 to 1988.

Embed from Getty Images Clint Eastwood plays golf

The actor's main hobbies are golf and transcendental meditation. The celebrity carefully monitors his health; his excellent condition can be judged from the latest photos. Unlike his heroes, he does not smoke, and he also trains in the gym every day. On each film set, Eastwood sets up a small training area with exercise equipment.

Despite his on-screen “tough guy” persona, in real life Eastwood is afraid of insects. The artist is famous for his conservatism; for transportation he prefers not a premium car, but an old Cadillac.

Clint Eastwood now

On the eve of his 90th birthday, the actor once again surprised fans of his work. Clint directed the crime drama Drug Courier, in which he played the main character. As the artist explained in an interview, he is disgusted by the very idea of ​​participating in fantasy films, where there are still big roles for older actors. Otherwise, modern cinema does not provide the opportunity to reveal one’s potential at such an advanced age.

The script of the film seemed worthy of film adaptation to the director. An elderly American, mired in debt, decides to earn extra money by transporting cargo. The old man does not suspect that the goods will be drugs. Now his task is to break the vicious circle.

Embed from Getty Images Clint Eastwood in 2021

Film critics saw in the plot echoes of another Eastwood film – “Gran Torino”, only, unlike its hero, the main character of “Drug Courier” made a mistake for which he had to pay dearly. The premiere of Eastwood's new work took place in the United States at the end of 2021; in Russia, viewers saw the film in February 2019.

Clint's latest directorial work includes the film "Train to Paris", created in the genre of dramatic thriller. The film deals with the case of preventing a terrorist attack that occurred in 2015. The main roles of the three friends were played by real participants in those events.

Films starring Clint Eastwood

After leaving Universal, the aspiring actor managed to get the role of cowboy Rowdy in the television series Rawhide, which became the first project in the cinematic biography of Clint Eastwood.

Pictured: Eastwood in the film Rawhide

In the image of a cowboy, he looked so harmonious that soon directors of westerns, a genre that was gaining popularity in those years, began to invite him to their projects.

Filmography

• 1964 – “For a Fistful of Dollars”
• 1965 – “For a Few Dollars More”
• 1966 – “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
• 1971 – “Dirty Harry”
• 1976 – “Josie Wales – Outlaw”
• 1978 – “No matter how you look at it, you’ll lose”
• 1979 – “Escape from Alcatraz”
• 1980 – “Any Way You Can”
• 1982 – “The Man from the Brothel”
• 1992 – “Unforgiven”
• 1993 – “Ideal World”
• 1995 – “The Bridges of Madison County”
• 2000 – “Space Cowboys”
• 2004 – “Million Dollar Baby”
• 2012 – “Curve Ball”
• 2018 – “Drug courier”