Clint Eastwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clint Eastwood
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Eastwood in 2010
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Clinton Eastwood Jr.
May 31, 1930 San Francisco, California, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1954–present |
| Organization | Malpaso Productions |
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| Political party | Libertarian (2008–present) |
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| Children | At least 8, including Kyle, Alison, Scott and Francesca |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
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| Years active | 1963–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. |
| 30th Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea | |
| In office April 8, 1986 – April 12, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Charlotte Townsend |
| Succeeded by | Jean Grace |
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Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is a famous American actor and film director. He became well-known for his role in the TV series Rawhide. Later, he became a huge international star playing the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy of spaghetti Western films in the 1960s. He also starred as the tough police officer Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry movies during the 1970s and 1980s. These roles made him a lasting symbol of strength and toughness in movies.
Beyond acting, Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1986 and served for two years. Some of his most popular films include the comedies Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980). He also starred in Westerns like Hang 'Em High (1968) and Pale Rider (1985), and action films like Escape from Alcatraz (1979) and In the Line of Fire (1993). More recently, he appeared in Gran Torino (2008) and The Mule (2018). Since 1967, his company, Malpaso Productions, has produced most of his American films.
Clint Eastwood has won many awards for his work. He won Best Director and Best Picture for his Western film Unforgiven (1992) and his boxing drama Million Dollar Baby (2004). He has also directed films he didn't act in, such as Mystic River (2003) and American Sniper (2014). His awards include four Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a special AFI Life Achievement Award.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Clint Eastwood was born on May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, California. His parents were Ruth and Clinton Eastwood. When he was born, nurses nicknamed him "Samson" because he weighed over 11 pounds! He has a younger sister named Jeanne. His family moved several times when he was young because his father changed jobs. They eventually settled in Piedmont, California, a nice area where they had a swimming pool and belonged to a country club.
Eastwood went to Piedmont Middle School but had trouble with his grades and had to go to summer school. He later attended Piedmont High School but was asked to leave for breaking school rules. He then went to Oakland Technical High School. It's not clear if he officially graduated, as his friends joked he "graduated from the airplane shop."
Before becoming an actor, Eastwood had many different jobs. He worked as a lifeguard, a paper delivery person, a grocery clerk, a forest firefighter, and a golf caddy. In 1951, he tried to go to Seattle University, but instead, he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War. He served as a lifeguard at Fort Ord in California. During his time in the army, he was a passenger on a bomber plane that ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. He and the pilot had to swim two miles to safety. Eastwood left the army in February 1953.
Starting His Acting Career
Early Roles and Rawhide
Clint Eastwood got his first chance in Hollywood when someone from Universal-International saw him at Fort Ord and invited him to meet a director. He met director Arthur Lubin, who was impressed by Eastwood's looks and height (6'4"). However, Lubin thought his acting needed work. He suggested Eastwood take drama classes and offered him a contract in April 1954, paying $100 a week. Eastwood was often criticized for being stiff and speaking his lines through his teeth, which later became his unique style.
After many auditions, Eastwood got a small role in the film Revenge of the Creature (1955). He also appeared in Lady Godiva of Coventry (1954), Francis in the Navy (1955), and had an uncredited role in the film Tarantula (1955). His first Western film role was a small, uncredited part in Star in the Dust (1955). Even with these roles, Universal ended his contract in October 1955.
Eastwood kept trying and got more small parts in TV shows like Reader's Digest and Highway Patrol in 1956. In 1957, he appeared in West Point and Death Valley Days. In 1958, he had a small role in the film Lafayette Escadrille and a bigger role in Ambush at Cimarron Pass, which he considers the worst film he ever made.
In 1958, Eastwood landed a big role as Rowdy Yates in the CBS Western TV series Rawhide. This was the breakthrough he had been waiting for. He wasn't thrilled with his character, feeling Rowdy was too young and clumsy for him. Rawhide quickly became a top 20 TV show and was very successful for several years. The filming was tough, often six days a week for 12 hours a day. By 1963, Rawhide's ratings started to drop, and it was canceled in 1965. Eastwood tried to direct an episode but wasn't allowed. When the show ended, he received $119,000 per episode as severance pay.
Becoming a Star with Spaghetti Westerns
In late 1963, Eastwood's Rawhide co-star turned down a role in an Italian Western called A Fistful of Dollars (1964). The director, Sergio Leone, was not well-known. Eastwood took the role, hoping to change his image from Rawhide. He signed a contract for $15,000 for eleven weeks of work. Eastwood helped create the unique look of his character, the Man with No Name. Even though he didn't smoke, Leone insisted he smoke cigars to create the character's mysterious "mask."
A Fistful of Dollars was a very important film for spaghetti Westerns. It showed a tougher, more lawless world than traditional American Westerns. The film made Eastwood a big star in Italy. He then starred in the next two films of the trilogy: For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
The Dollars trilogy wasn't released in the United States until 1967. All three films were very successful, especially The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which earned $8 million and made Eastwood a major film star. However, many American critics didn't like the films at first. They were called "cheapjack" and "excruciatingly dopey." Despite this, Leone's filmmaking style was highly praised.
After these films, Eastwood got more roles. He starred in the Western Hang 'Em High (1968), earning $400,000 and 25% of the film's profits. With the money from the Dollars trilogy, Eastwood started his own production company, Malpaso Productions. Hang 'Em High was a huge success when it opened in August 1968.
Eastwood then worked on Coogan's Bluff (1968), where he played an Arizona deputy sheriff tracking a criminal in New York City. He was paid $1 million for this film. This was his first time working with director Don Siegel, who became a close friend and frequent collaborator. Eastwood also starred in the war film Where Eagles Dare (1968) with Richard Burton.
In 1969, Eastwood starred in his only musical film, Paint Your Wagon. He and Lee Marvin played gold miners. The film had many problems during production and cost over $20 million, which was a lot for that time. It was not a big success with critics or audiences.
Directing and Dirty Harry Era
Becoming a Director and Iconic Roles
Eastwood starred with Shirley MacLaine in the Western Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), directed by Don Siegel. He played a mysterious stranger again. Around the same time, he starred in the World War II film Kelly's Heroes (1970) with Donald Sutherland. This was the last film Eastwood appeared in that wasn't produced by his own company, Malpaso Productions.
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A major turning point in Eastwood's career came in 1971. He had always wanted more artistic control, and he got it by directing his first film, Play Misty for Me. He also starred in the film as a jazz disc jockey who has a casual relationship with a listener who then becomes a dangerous stalker. The film was highly praised by critics, who liked Eastwood's directing and acting.
Next, Eastwood starred in Dirty Harry (1971). He played a tough San Francisco police inspector named Harry Callahan who is determined to stop a dangerous killer. This role is considered one of Eastwood's most famous. The film helped create the "loose-cannon cop" movie style. His famous line, "Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?" became very well-known. Dirty Harry was a huge success, earning $22 million in the United States and Canada. It was the start of a series of films featuring Harry Callahan.
Eastwood was offered the role of James Bond after Sean Connery left, but he turned it down. He then starred in the Western Joe Kidd (1972). His first Western as a director was High Plains Drifter (1973), where he also starred. He played a mysterious stranger who protects a town from criminals. The film was a big success at the box office.
Eastwood also directed Breezy (1973), a film about a romance between an older man and a teenage girl. It was filmed quickly and efficiently, under budget and ahead of schedule. However, Breezy was not a major success.
He returned to his role as Harry Callahan in Magnum Force (1973), a sequel to Dirty Harry. This film was also a huge success, earning $58.1 million in the United States, a record for Eastwood at the time.
Eastwood then starred with Jeff Bridges in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), a crime comedy about a bank robber and a young con man. The film was praised for its mix of comedy and suspense.
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His next film was The Eiger Sanction (1975), where he played an assassin who is also an art professor. For this film, Eastwood insisted on doing all his own climbing and stunts in the dangerous Eiger mountain in Switzerland. The film had some accidents during production. After this, Eastwood decided to work mainly with Warner Brothers.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) was a Western where Eastwood played a former Confederate soldier who refuses to surrender after the American Civil War. The film was widely praised by critics and audiences. It was even listed in Time magazine's "Top 10 Films of the Year."
Eastwood then made a third Dirty Harry film, The Enforcer (1976). In this film, Callahan is partnered with a new female officer. The film was a major commercial success, earning $100 million worldwide.
Eastwood directed and starred in The Gauntlet (1977). While popular with audiences, critics had mixed feelings about its violence. In Every Which Way but Loose (1978), he took on a different role in a comedy about a trucker and brawler who travels with his orangutan friend, Clyde. This film was surprisingly successful and became one of his highest-grossing films at the time.
Eastwood starred in Escape from Alcatraz (1979), based on the true story of a prison escape. This film was also a big success.
1980s: More Directing and Varied Roles
Eastwood directed and starred in Bronco Billy (1980), a film he enjoyed making very much. Although it wasn't a huge commercial hit, critics liked it. He then made a sequel to Every Which Way but Loose, called Any Which Way You Can (1980). This film was a major box office success.
In 1982, Eastwood directed and starred in Honkytonk Man, a drama about a country singer with tuberculosis. His real-life son, Kyle, played his nephew in the film. He also directed and starred in the Cold War thriller Firefox (1982), which was his most expensive film to date.
Eastwood directed and starred in the fourth Dirty Harry film, Sudden Impact (1983). This film is known for the famous line "Go ahead, make my day", which was even quoted by President Ronald Reagan. It was a very successful film.
He starred in the crime drama Tightrope (1984) and the comedy City Heat (1984) with Burt Reynolds.
Eastwood returned to the Western genre with Pale Rider (1985), which he directed and starred in. He played a preacher who helps miners during the California Gold Rush. This film was highly praised and considered one of the best Westerns in a long time.
He co-starred with Marsha Mason in the military drama Heartbreak Ridge (1986), about the 1983 Invasion of Grenada. Eastwood played a tough Marine veteran. The film was a commercial success.
The fifth and final Dirty Harry film, The Dead Pool (1988), starred Eastwood alongside Liam Neeson and a young Jim Carrey. It was the lowest-grossing Dirty Harry film and is generally seen as the weakest in the series.
Eastwood, who loves jazz music, directed Bird (1988), a film about jazz musician Charlie Parker. He won two Golden Globes for this film. However, Bird did not do well at the box office. He then appeared with Jim Carrey again in the comedy Pink Cadillac (1989), which was also not successful.
Major Awards and Continued Success
1990s: Unforgiven and More Directing
Eastwood directed and starred in White Hunter Black Heart (1990), a film about a director making a movie in Africa. He also directed and co-starred with Charlie Sheen in the action film The Rookie (1990).
Eastwood returned to the Western genre with Unforgiven (1992), which he directed and starred in. He played an aging former gunfighter. Eastwood had waited many years to make this film because he wanted to be old enough for the role. Unforgiven was a huge success with both audiences and critics. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood. Many people called it one of the best Westerns ever made.
In 1993, Eastwood played Frank Horrigan in the Secret Service thriller In the Line of Fire, co-starring John Malkovich. This film was very popular, earning over $102 million in the United States. A few months later, Eastwood directed and co-starred with Kevin Costner in A Perfect World (1993). Critics praised Eastwood's directing in this film.
In 1995, Eastwood received a special Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his work in film. He also starred opposite Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County (1995), a romantic drama. The film was a commercial and critical success, and Streep was nominated for an Academy Award.
Eastwood directed and starred in the political thriller Absolute Power (1997) with Gene Hackman. Later in 1997, he directed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In 1999, Eastwood directed and starred in True Crime, playing a journalist covering an execution. This film did not do well at the box office.
2000s: Continued Success and Awards
Eastwood directed and starred in Space Cowboys (2000) with Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland. He played one of a group of older test pilots sent into space. The film was well-received by critics and earned over $90 million. In 2002, Eastwood played a former FBI agent in the thriller Blood Work, which was not a commercial success.
In 2003, Eastwood directed and scored the crime drama Mystic River, starring Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. The film was highly praised and won two Academy Awards for its actors. Eastwood was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.
The next year, Eastwood received even more praise for Million Dollar Baby. This boxing drama won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Eastwood, Best Actress for Hilary Swank, and Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman. At 74, Eastwood became the oldest director to win two Best Picture awards.
Eastwood directed two films about World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima in 2006. Flags of Our Fathers focused on the American soldiers, and Letters from Iwo Jima showed the battle from the Japanese soldiers' point of view. Both films were praised by critics and received several Academy Award nominations.
Eastwood then directed Changeling (2008), based on a true story from the 1920s, starring Angelina Jolie. The film earned over $110 million and was highly acclaimed.
Eastwood returned to acting after a four-year break in Gran Torino (2008), which he also directed and produced. He played a tough, older man. Gran Torino was a huge success, earning over $268 million worldwide, making it his highest-grossing film to date.
His 30th film as director was Invictus (2009), about the South African rugby team and Nelson Mandela. The film received positive reviews.
2010s and Beyond: Directing Focus
Eastwood directed Hereafter (2010), a film about a psychic, starring Matt Damon. He also served as an executive producer for a documentary about jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.
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Eastwood directed J. Edgar (2011), a film about FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the main role. DiCaprio's performance was widely praised. Eastwood then starred in the baseball drama Trouble with the Curve (2012).
During the Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Eastwood narrated a commercial for Chrysler called "Halftime in America". He later clarified that the ad was about job growth and the American spirit, not about politics.
Eastwood directed Jersey Boys (2014), a musical film about the group The Four Seasons. He also directed American Sniper (2014), based on the memoir of Chris Kyle. American Sniper was a massive commercial success, earning over $547 million globally.
His next film, Sully (2016), starred Tom Hanks as Chesley Sullenberger, who successfully landed a plane on the Hudson River. This film was also a commercial success. He directed The 15:17 to Paris (2018), which featured the real-life heroes playing themselves. The film received mostly negative reviews. Eastwood then starred in and directed The Mule (2018), his first acting role since 2012.
In 2019, Eastwood directed and produced Richard Jewell, a film about the security guard wrongly suspected in the 1996 Olympic bombing. The film stars Paul Walter Hauser as Richard Jewell.
In 2021, Eastwood directed, produced, and starred in Cry Macho. In 2023, he began directing Juror #2, which was released in 2024. It is rumored that this might be his last film as a director.
Directing Style
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Clint Eastwood has directed over 30 films, including Westerns, action movies, musicals, and dramas. He is one of the few famous Hollywood actors who has also become a successful director.
From the beginning of his career, Eastwood didn't like how directors would reshoot scenes many times. When he started directing, he tried to avoid this. He is known for being very efficient and fast when making films, which helps control costs. He usually doesn't have actors rehearse much and prefers to get scenes right in the first take. Eastwood also tries to keep character details brief in scripts, so the audience can use their imagination. He believes in giving the audience enough information without "insulting their intelligence."
Eastwood's films often explore ideas about right and wrong, justice, and mercy. He often uses low-key lighting to give his films a "noir-ish" or dark and mysterious feel.
Political Life
Clint Eastwood used to be a Republican but has sometimes supported Democrats. He is now a registered Libertarian.
In April 1986, he was elected mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He donated his $200 monthly salary to the Carmel Youth Center. As mayor, he helped make it legal to eat ice cream on city streets and added public restrooms to the beach. He served for two years and chose not to run again.
In 2012, Eastwood supported Mitt Romney in the presidential election. He gave a speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention, where he spoke to an empty chair representing President Barack Obama. He later said he regretted that speech. In 2020, Eastwood announced he would support Democrat Michael Bloomberg for president. He said he wished President Trump would act "in a more genteel way, without tweeting and calling people names."
Musical Interests
Clint Eastwood loves music, especially jazz, blues, country, and classical music. He played the piano when he was young and once thought about a career in music. In 1959, he released an album called Cowboy Favorites, but it wasn't a big hit. A producer told him in 1963 that he would "never make it big as a singer."
Even though he didn't become a famous singer, he passed his love of music to his son, Kyle, who is a professional jazz bassist and composer. Eastwood owns his own record label, Malpaso Records, which releases the music from his films. He has also composed music for many of his films, including Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. He wrote and performed the song heard at the end of Gran Torino.
In 2007, Eastwood received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music. The scoring stage at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank was renamed the Eastwood Scoring Stage in his honor.
Personal Life
Clint Eastwood has been married twice and has had several relationships. He has eight known children with six different women. He doesn't like to talk about his family life with the media, saying he wants to protect them.
His first marriage was to Maggie Johnson in 1953. They had two children, Kyle (born 1968) and Alison (born 1972). He also had a daughter named Laurie (born 1954) who was adopted by another family, and a daughter named Kimber (born 1964) with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis.
In 1975, Eastwood began living with actress Sondra Locke. He divorced Maggie Johnson in 1984. Eastwood also had two children, Scott (born 1986) and Kathryn (born 1988), with flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves. Later, he had a daughter, Francesca (born 1993), with actress Frances Fisher.
Eastwood married news anchor Dina Ruiz in 1996, and they had a daughter named Morgan that same year. Their marriage ended in 2014. Since 2014, Eastwood has been seen with Christina Sandera, a restaurant hostess, until her passing in 2024.
Health and Hobbies
Eastwood has always been very focused on health and fitness. He eats healthy foods, avoids sugary drinks and too much alcohol. His father's death from a heart attack at 64 greatly affected him, making him even more dedicated to his health and work.
He used to own a pub called the Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He later sold it and now owns the Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel.
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Eastwood loves to play golf and owns the Tehàma Golf Club. He also invests in the famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and helps with charity golf events. He is a licensed pilot and often flies his helicopter to avoid traffic.
Spiritual Beliefs
Eastwood has said he doesn't believe in God in the traditional sense. He finds spirituality in nature, like when he looks at the Grand Canyon. He believes in living life to the fullest because it's a gift. In 1975, he publicly shared that he practices Transcendental Meditation every morning.
Real Estate
Eastwood has a strong interest in real estate, especially in the Carmel area. He has bought and sold many properties over the years. He even donated some land for senior housing and for conservation. He owns several homes in California, Idaho, and Hawaii.
Filmography
Clint Eastwood has worked on over 50 films as an actor, director, producer, and composer. He also acted in several TV series, including Rawhide. He started directing in 1971 and producing in 1982. He has mainly starred in Westerns, action films, and dramas. His films have earned over $1.81 billion in the United States.
Awards and Honors
Clint Eastwood has received many awards and nominations for his work in movies, TV, and music. He has won Academy Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and People's Choice Awards. He is one of only two people to be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Director for the same film twice (for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby). He is also one of the few directors who started as an actor to win an Academy Award for directing. At 74, he was the oldest person to win the Academy Award for Best Director.
Eastwood has directed five actors who went on to win Academy Awards for their performances in his films.
In 1984, Eastwood was honored at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where he placed his hand and footprints in cement. He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1996. In 2006, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
In 2007, France gave him their highest civilian honor, the Légion d'honneur. In 2009, he received the Lumière Award in France for his entire career. In 2010, President Barack Obama honored him with an arts and humanities award, calling his films "essays in individuality, hard truths and the essence of what it means to be American."
Eastwood has also received several honorary degrees from universities. In 2009, he received the Honorary Golden Palm Award from the Cannes Film Festival. In the same year, Emperor Akihito of Japan honored him with the Order of the Rising Sun for helping improve relations between Japan and the United States.
| Year | Title | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
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| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 1971 | Play Misty for Me | 1 | |||||
| 1973 | Breezy | 3 | |||||
| 1976 | The Outlaw Josey Wales | 1 | |||||
| 1986 | Heartbreak Ridge | 1 | |||||
| 1988 | Bird | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1992 | Unforgiven | 9 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1995 | The Bridges of Madison County | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2000 | Space Cowboys | 1 | |||||
| 2003 | Mystic River | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Million Dollar Baby | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2006 | Flags of Our Fathers | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Letters from Iwo Jima | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2008 | Changeling | 3 | 8 | 2 | |||
| Gran Torino | 1 | ||||||
| 2009 | Invictus | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 2010 | Hereafter | 1 | |||||
| 2011 | J. Edgar | 1 | |||||
| 2014 | American Sniper | 6 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2016 | Sully | 1 | |||||
| 2019 | Richard Jewell | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 13 | 22 | 1 | 33 | 8 | |
See also
In Spanish: Clint Eastwood para niños
