Is it true you didn’ t use the name Eastwood when you started …
Yeah, I just wanted to see if I could do it on my own. You realize sort of quickly it doesn’ t really matter! If you don’ t work, if you don’ t hustle, you’ re not going to get anywhere, whatever your name. When I was younger, I thought that was a big thing. I had a lot of pride. I wanted to earn it on my own merit. And not have people say it’ s because of a name. But the reality is people are going to say whatever the fuck they want anyway! You can’ t control that. At some point you say,“ Fuck it. That’ s my dad’ s last name, that’ s my legacy.”
My dad said,“ Whatever you do, do it well. Be humble, work hard and be a man.”
You’ ve worked with your father on a number of films. Do the dynamics between director / actor and father / son get muddied up?
Yeah, a bit. I mean, he’ s like tougher on me when I work with him. He doesn’ t want any favoritism at all. Invictus, Trouble With The Curve, Gran Torino, Flags of our Fathers. He was tough on me on all of them but outside of that, we have a great father / son relationship.
You’ re being presented very much as a‘ man’ s man’? Is that accurate?
I dunno … I like making testosterone-driven movies because that’ s what I like to watch. But, I’ d like to do everything. Comedy, etc. To me, a‘ man’ s man’ is not someone who tries to act macho or tough. He doesn’ t take himself too seriously.
Pictures of you have prompted quite a frenzied response on the internet. You do seem to be shirtless quite a lot.
It’ s all in good fun. My friends will say,“ Put a shirt on!” But I grew up surfing and hanging out on the beach, so I’ ve sort of always liked being shirtless.
You don’ t live in Hollywood …
No I try and keep as far away as possible. I live a very simple life. I’ m not interested in celebrity or fame. I just want to work.
But celebrity is a currency that sometimes helps get work
Yeah, that is sort of the way the business is. Sometimes the best actor isn’ t going to get the role. Which is shitty but it’ s the world we live in. There are‘ other factors’ to why certain people get a role- they have a big movie coming out, they have‘ heat’ on them, or whatever that is … so it is what it is. But I didn’ t get in this to be famous. I grew up loving my father’ s work, loving movies, and telling stories, wanting to be a part of that. To affect people. Whether they’ re laughing or crying. It’ s supposed to elicit a response. It’ s art, right?
36 treatsmagazine. com