In An Ideal World, 91-Year-Old Clint Eastwood Would Keep Shooting Forever

Jun 01, 2021

Clint Eastwood celebrated his 91st birthday on May 31, 2021. Nearly anyone who has been a fan of Hollywood movies has heard the name Clint Eastwood. Clint has been a beloved American actor since the age of 24. He turned 90 years old in 2020, but despite his advanced age, he is still active in the glorious world of entertainment, leaving plenty of people to marvel at his longevity. 

Clint was born Clint Eastwood Jr. and is best known for his iconic image set during the '70s and '80s. While older patrons may immediately recognize him for his previous roles in entertainment, the younger generation knows him for "Gran Torino" and "The Mule." The younger generation has only seen Clint in his white-haired days and has not fully had the opportunity to appreciate the iconic image of male masculinity he set back in the '80s.

No matter how or in what form Clint appears in his films, one thing is for sure: his energy is vivid. There is no denying that Clint has had a life well-lived. While his success in the entertainment industry has created a positive reputation for him, his most outstanding legacy is now his longevity. It is very rare for someone to live such a long and successful life.

His career is something that the veteran star can be proud of; while he was an actor, he made a name for himself and now, as a director, he has set a new bar for others to reach. In a perfect world, Clint would certainly be making movies forever.

Clint's acting career took off in 1954 during his first film "Revenge of the Creature." Almost immediately after, he landed a role in the film "Lady Godiva of Coventry." Clint was criticized for his amateur acting, being that he was new to the acting industry. He continued to struggle over the years until he landed a major role in 1958. Since then, he has starred in a large number of films, including spaghetti westerns "The Beguiled," "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" and "Where Eagles Dare."

Eastwood took inspiration from his father when he began his directing career. “I was forty the first time I directed. I formed a company in 1967, looking to the future. My dad taught me that whatever you do, do it well. Be the best at what you can do for that particular job in life. That always resonated with me,” he said to Esquire.

Having conquered acting, he moved on to directing by the 1990s and has had great critical and commercial success with movies such as “Million Dollar Baby,” “Mystic River” and “Letter From Iwo Jima.” He's been honored with many accolades during his lengthy career including Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement, among numerous other film awards. 

In an interview with Esquire, Eastwood opened up about his insecurities as a filmmaker. “I never figured anything I made was ever gonna be a hit. And that goes for even the ones that were pivotal in my life, like "Unforgiven" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and ‘Million Dollar Baby.’ They seemed good, but by the time you're finished with them, you go, ‘Oh, nobody's ever gonna wanna see this.’ Because you've lived with it too long,” said Eastwood. 

However, Clint has only seen success after success with his films. Many filmmakers want to call it quits after a certain age or number of movies, such as Quinten Tarantino who, Screenrant reported, has said that he plans on retiring after making his 10th movie. However, Clint makes no such claims and has only provided quality movies and content over the years. And it looks like his son, Scott Eastwood, will be following in his father's footsteps. 

While some of his siblings also entered the acting arena, Scott is the best-known among the Eastwood brood. Scott began working under his mom's surname, Reeves, to avoid riding his father's coattails. According to a 2017 interview with CinemaBlend, Scott auditioned for many of his father's movies, he did not get cast in many. The actor was quick to point out that he did not pass every audition despite his family ties as he said:

"Here's the thing, he's put me in a few movies. I've auditioned for a lot and haven't gotten a lot."

Scott Eastwood has caused many a cinephile to do double-takes because of his resemblance to his father. The Clint lookalike has already appeared in "Trouble with the Curve," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Suicide Squad," "Invictus," "Pacific Rim: Uprising," "The Forger," and "Gran Torino." His resume even includes a cowboy movie, a romance called The Longest Ride.

Scott is just one of many siblings in the Eastwood family. Although many of Clint Eastwood's brood of children are only half-siblings, they indeed appear very close, often posting photos with each other and supporting one another on social media. That's certainly a testament to Clint and his partners' parenting styles that have taught them the importance of family. 

Join us in celebrating Clint Eastwood's birthday and his amazing life. What do you think of the iconic star's life and cinematic career? Tell us, and be sure to share this with your friends as well!