Clint Eastwood Nears 100 Years Old And Lives In His California Home Today

Nov 28, 2021

Clint Eastwood is known for being an incredibly famous and successful actor and director and has even showcased his talents in composing and producing along the way of his career that has spanned more than 70 years. Finding success in a variety of films and television series, including “Rawhide” and “Dirty Harry,” the handsome yet serious-looking man worked hard at making a name for himself and earned plenty of recognition and awards along the way. Most importantly, Eastwood has continued to do whatever he can to help the betterment of those around him.

Born on May 31, 1930, Eastwood grew up in a family that didn’t have many financial struggles, and he soon found his footing in the acting industry. Despite being surrounded by celebrities and some of the finest luxuries, Eastwood has never forgotten to honor the simplicity of life and its offerings. Starring in a plethora of Western shows and movies, it should come as no surprise that Eastwood has a soft spot in his heart for the great outdoors and ranches.

Similar to how successful movie star and director Eastwood has a deep history, so does the Mission Ranch. Like many men who came to Carmel-by-the Sea, California, before him, Eastwood was completely enamored with the old ranch. Nearing 100 years old, Eastwood has shown no signs of slowing down in the entertainment industry nor in the process of fixing up the Mission Ranch. After transforming the film and television industry and the Carmel town itself, he embarked on transforming the timeworn Mission Ranch. It wasn’t easy; it wasn’t cheap, but he did it.

Eastwood was only 21 years old when he first strolled into the Mission Ranch. The young man was looking for a place to unwind and have something affordable to eat. At the time, he had been recruited to the Fort Ord that sat nearby. Unlike what they are today, initially, the buildings in Mission Ranch were a combination of the Ford Ord officers’ club and a dairy farm.

Before being drafted, Eastwood was a lumberjack; he did not have many ideas about what to do after being discharged. However, when he went into the Mission Ranch, he fell in love with it immediately. “The first time I saw the place I thought it was terrific,” he said, according to Architectural Digest. “Visually it was something else, and I thought it was the place I’d like to call home. So I kind of adopted Carmel.”

The Mission Ranch is a magnificent piece of property located on the lush wetlands, exactly where the Carmel River meets the Pacific Ocean. As you can imagine, the ranch has breathtaking views of the sea along with scenic views of the Monterey coastline and the spectacular curve of the beach. It’s no wonder this place is considered one of the most beautiful places in Northern California. The area is also home to many goats, horses, and sheep, all of which you can spot grazing in the green pasture below strands of eucalyptus and oak. Of course, it’s very difficult to miss heroin fish and ducks moving at the riverside.

More than 40 years later, the smitten young boy has grown to become one of the most popular and successful actors and directors in the world. Eastwood’s fierce, carved smile and grizzled chin have led him into dozens of important roles, including a singer in “Honkytonk Man” and a detective in “Dirty Harry.” His revisionist Western, “Unforgiven,” earned him two Academy Awards. Today, this legendary star is the newest owner of the tastefully refurbished Mission Ranch.

When Eastwood moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, he starred in a popular television series called “Rawhide.” By that time, he had bought his first house in Monterey. Before long, he had migrated to California’s rugged central coast permanently. Eastwood became a passionate golfer. He frequented the Pebble Beach Golf Course located on Carmel Bay. This is the place where the first film he directed was shot, and it was filled with images of the rocky Monterey Peninsula. “I just gradually became part of the community,” Eastwood said. “Carmel gave me a different perspective from the movie business.” 

During the 1980s, Eastwood decided to renovate a certain building of his that was located downtown. Unfortunately, the city council of Carmel denied him permission to move ahead with the project, as per Architectural Digest. He discovered that the other poor residents of Carmel had also suffered the same fate and were denied the right to renovate their homes and businesses. The man dramatically rode to defend the powerless and protect the weak, just like he would have done in a movie. Court proceedings started, and Eastwood won. A year later, he ran for mayor of the town, according to the New York Times.

“We couldn’t get anyone else to do it… so after a few glasses of wine, I said I’d do it. Being a very determined person, I decided to win,” Eastwood explained to Architectural Digest. He did everything he could, including knocking on doors, talking to people at several coffee klatches, and holding rallies. As you can expect, he was elected by a landslide in 1986.

Although Eastwood was doing great politically and as a person, the Mission Ranch was floundering. After many years of being unmaintained, the ranch was quickly yielding to the termites, according to the ranch’s website. While its walls split, its screens were rusting and wearing away. Eastwood watched the ranch rot from his new home in Carmel. He watched as the wetlands invaded the old club’s polo field and swimming pool. The restaurant and hotel were now a sordid refuge for illicit couples and traveling merchants.

Eastwood decided to drop by to have a closer look. When he did, he saw a lot of broken windows and peeling paint. Notably, some of the windows had been painted black during World War II. Back then, the Carmel residents were expecting the Japanese to invade and attack them over the marshes.

In 1771, Carmel-by-the-Sea was Alta California’s spiritual center. This was when Father Junipero Serra constructed the San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, which is now Mission Ranch’s elegant neighbor. During the 18th century, the area was first settled by the Spaniards when they converted Monterey into the capital of Alta, California. The territory was the stretch between San Diego and Baja, California.

Carmel had also served as a refuge for an important group of writers and artists in the West during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Robinson Jeffers set up his Tor above the Pacific, and plenty of influential writers lived and enjoyed writing in the calm, Caramel atmosphere, including Upton Sinclair and Sinclair Lewis. Also, one of the first families to live in the Monterey peninsula built the farmhouse in the 1850s, which contained six guest rooms. About 45 years later, the house was reconstructed, and it became a two-story residence.

Robert Louis Stevenson, a famous Scottish writer, was only 29 years old when he arrived in Monterey in 1879. His mission was to win the heart of the lovely Fanny Osbourne, who at the time was married to another man. The lovesick, young writer somehow became enthralled by San Carlos Borromeo as he hopelessly wandered the rocky coast and wooded hills. The mission had long been abandoned when the Spaniards were driven out. “The church is roofless and ruinous… sea breezes and sea-fogs, and the alternation of the rain and sunshine, daily widening the breeches,” the impoverished young man wrote.

Stevenson, as he passionately sought fame and love, went past the mission and paced the pasture and beach right at Carmel River’s mouth and then climbed the rough rocks at Point Lobos. He eventually went back to Scotland, perhaps after being heavily inspired by love. Eventually, his view from the Mission Ranch and Point Lobos became the setting for the remarkable adventure novel “Treasure Island.” Osbourne also became his wife.

About 100 years later, in 1986, the ranch caught the attention of a developer who wanted to build condominiums there. Just before he bought it, Eastwood was able to acquire the whole 22 acres together with the shabby buildings on it for a total of $5 million. “I had always loved the place and they were just going to flatten it,” Eastwood explained to Architectural Digest. “They said it was obsolete. I thought it should be preserved as what it was.”

He became part of the short dynasty of men, including Stevenson and Serra, who left a mark on the tiny cove in the Pacific. The Mission Ranch was not a lovely sight to anyone unless they were either too sentimental or outright stubborn. The entire wiring was damaged, and the piping system was broken. In fact, the pipes leaked so terribly that about 40% of the gas was getting lost beneath the floor. “When you open up a place like this, it’s like the bear who climbs a hill to see the next hill… it never ends,” Eastwood said.

Still, the ranch had the potential to be everything Eastwood had hoped it would be, but it was going to take a lot of work to make his dreams a reality. “There’s a big difference between doing preservation and advocating preservation. It’s different to put your money where your mouth is,” Eastwood quickly discovered. The man has put in a couple of millions so far and has said that he’ll still consider the ranch a huge success if it is able to break even, a feat that is sure to take plenty of tiring manual work.

As reported back in 2017, the Mission Ranch’s gleaming buildings currently have 31 deluxe guest rooms, a modern restaurant, and a bar, and it still offers some of the best views of the state of California. Eastwood has already enlisted the help of many professionals to make the ranch as perfect as possible, so it captures the same beauty that he had always seen in it. The director is also still constructing tennis courts and modern workout rooms.

The famous actor and director decided to get Alan Williams on board to help with the renovation. Williams worked with the Carmel Development Company, a company that specialized in building restoration. The chimneys were renovated by a mason who had restored the Mission San Carlos Borromeo. When the ranch required furniture, he brought in a few timeworn pieces from movie sets. Actress Frances Fisher, who worked with Eastwood in the film “Unforgiven,” offered her own great advice on the quilts and flower arrangements. “She cares more about details, I see the big picture,” Eastwood noted.

Eastwood hired Edgar Broyhill, a North Carolina-based furniture manufacturer, to get him more serious furniture. Broyhill is a friend that the actor met at the golf course and went on to design the Mission Ranch Collection. “Furniture is what gives a room its character… I wanted this furniture to have a solid feel but be very comfortable,” Eastwood confessed. According to Broyhill, the emphasis of the collection is on the physical comfort, which is why he added so many deep cushions for practicality. He made it clear that he wasn’t trying to make any style statement.

Eastwood is a popular figure not only on the ranch but also around Carmel. However, he is very private and reclusive. Eastwood has admitted that he is not the “jolly host” type; rather, he’s a modest and friendly man who readily gives credit to other people and downplays his personal accomplishments. On the ranch, the man is nearly unrecognizable — judging from his shamble and baggy wear. He loves being in the sky, a big reason as to why he probably pilots his very own helicopter.

Today, at 91, Eastwood has been involved in more than 30 movies. It seems the love affair he started with the small town has sprouted into a passionate combination of worldly power and natural beauty. “Carmel is primo… The place just gets in your blood,” he said. “When you’ve been away and you come back here, you always feel like you’re coming home.” The Mission Ranch clearly became Eastwood’s mission when he first saw it. Today, finally nearing its completion, it is something he ought to be extremely proud of.

Between making his mark on the entertainment industry and reconstructing such an important part of history, Eastwood has a lot to celebrate and be proud of. He has become one of the most well-known actors and directors, and as he nears 100 years of age, he seems to be showing no signs of slowing down. Along with this, the established star has worked day and night to make sure the Mission Ranch continues to be at the peak of its glory.

What did you think about the story of Mission Ranch? Would you have acted differently from Clint Eastwood upon seeing the place for the very first time? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family to find out what they think, too!