Clint Eastwood On "Gran Torino," Getting Old And The Spike Lee Feud

NEW YORK — As one of Hollywood's most honored figures, Clint Eastwood can be selective about his on-screen company _ and for "Gran Torino," he didn't choose a group of people making their film debut. He chose a group of people making their acting debut.

Eastwood went with a group unknown, untrained actors for his latest film (with a screenplay by first-time scriptwriter Nick Schenk).

The Oscar and Golden Globe winner also stars as Walt Kowalski, a bigoted retiree who has trouble accepting his changing Detroit neighborhood, but is forced to reassess his prejudices when he becomes a hero by defending the family next door from a Hmong gang.

Like his character Walt, Eastwood says he, too, is ever-changing and learning.

"The real lesson that you learn is that it is amazing that you still can learn," the 78-year-old actor explains. "Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it."

Eastwood spoke with The Associated Press about "Gran Torino," Angelina Jolie, the election and his recent war of words with Spike Lee.

___

AP: The principal actors in "Gran Torino" were first-time actors. Did you feel you were taking a risk casting them?

Story continues below

advertisement

Eastwood: Yes, I was taking a chance. I felt that was the only way to do it. There certainly weren't many Hmong actors. There was only one that I know of. It is very obscure for us. We don't know a lot about that group of people and that is what made it interesting for us.

AP: Is "Gran Torino" your last acting film?

Eastwood: I don't know. I never think of retirement really. The only reason I ever thought about retiring from the front part of the camera as opposed to the back is sometimes you think, "How many roles are there for someone my age?" I enjoy working. ... I keep working because I learn something new all the time.

AP: Have you ever felt pressure to have plastic surgery?

Eastwood: I think being able to age gracefully is a very important talent. It is too late for me. The horse is out of the barn. We don't need to worry about that (plastic surgery). ... In past generations, people would try to play younger than they really are. My trick is, I don't try to play younger than I really am.

AP: You've seen firsthand the paparazzi that surrounds Angelina Jolie. If you were coming up in this time, would you have gone into acting?

Eastwood: I suppose. I like doing the process. Of course when you get to the franticness that she (Angelina) is at, at this present time, it is out there. It wasn't that way when I got in. ... It has always been a little different for guys than it is for girls. Girls get in the glamour aspect of it. They get more attention. Sometimes people get attention who haven't even done anything.

AP: Did you feel that Spike Lee's criticism for not having any African-Americans in "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" was to gain attention for his own World War II movie?

Eastwood: Probably. I like him. I don't know him well. He did that a little bit when "Bird" came out. He said, "Why is this white guy making this picture about Bird (Charlie Parker)?" The answer to that was because I was the only one who wanted to make it. Later he told me, "I didn't mean to say anything about that because I like your work."

AP: So, were you surprised when he criticized you again?

Eastwood: I just kind of thought, "What the hell?" Go ahead and promote your film and good luck with it, but don't try to make a racial thing out of it. ... Yes, there are stories of black military in Iwo Jima, but this was a story about the guys who raised the flag and they happened to be white.

AP: You supported John McCain. Were you disappointed when he lost?

Eastwood: I met him years ago when he first came back from Vietnam. This was back when (Ronald) Reagan was the governor of California and he had a big function for all of the prisoners of war who were released. I thought he was a terrific guy, a real American hero. I didn't dislike the other man either. As far as who was going to be the best person still remains to be seen. You hope whoever it is that they are going to be great. (Barack) Obama is my president now and I am going to be wishing him the very best because it is what is best for all of us.

Comments

[Thulzadoom]

Clint is one of the best filmakers/actors alive today. Any student of his work will tell you that he uses minorities (blacks, Indians, women, etc) in "good" roles as well as "bad" roles. He also uses whites in both types of roles as well. To depict him as anything close to a racist in his work is the epitome of ignorance.

Any who watches interviews, his or other actors', connected to his work will tell you that he has a passion for getting the story "right" (ex: chewing tobacco in "The Outlaw Josey Wales" although he couldn't stand the stuff). He doesn't always succeed 100%; one of those who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi was an Indian (Ira Hayes), but he does better than any other movie maker in Hollywood today.

Clint identifies himself politically as a Libertarian - NOT a Republican... and couldn't care less if he pisses off Republicans OR Democrats. At least McCain was the better choice of the two evils.

Clint is an artist and he likes to be true to his art. If he is telling a story that deals with predominantly white people in it - the cast will be predominantly white. If the story is about Nelson Mandela (his next stated project) then Mandela won't be portrayed by a white man. It never ceases to amaze me to see people read trouble into something where it doesn't exist. Those people should take a cue from the director and "just shut their mouth"!

[justaskinman]

Suspicious, I must say, that he says "the other man" in reference to Obama. I have no doubt in my mind that Eastwood would not tolerate racism on his set or in his home. He's a decent man.

But the reference to meeting McCain in the 70s and the inability to say "Barack or Senator Obama" suggests he's not really intellectually engaged.

[ThePhantom]

justaskinman

Terribly silly comment. There were two candidates in the race, and this was an old school, and still very proper way to discuss the two of them. Talk about creating a problem out of (less than) nothing.

[SEQUOIABISON]

Sorry to sound so condescending but when someone tells me they supported McCain, I automatically think they are morons, especially when they invoke McCains experience in Vietnam.

First of all, I would still like an explanation as to why we sacrificed so many lives in that unnecessary conflict and secondly what is so brave and courageous about killing innocent people, especially from a Bomber plane.

Mr Eastwood seems to relish every aspect of violence, his movies are always about fighting or killing, fully in compliance with republican philosophy and wars that represent either imperialistic endeavors or racism.

[Clavis]

The above is more proof that you can type and type without actually saying anything.

[IQ]

I like Alicia Quarles. I am a fan of Mr Eastwoods. The follow up question or better yet the first question asked of Mr Eastwood concerning Spike Lee's criticism of his film "Flags" should have been "was his criticism of the film historically accurate?"

In fact hundreds of Black soldiers were on Iwo Jima. Furthermore "Yvonne Latty, a NY Univ professor and author of We Were There: Voices of African-American Veterans (2004), wrote to Eastwood and the film's producers pleading with them to include the experience of black soldiers. HarperCollins, the book's publishers, sent the director a copy, but never heard back."

On a personal note my Grandfather fought , was wounded and earned many medals and commendations in WWII. When he returned home to SC he was welcomed with the subjugation of separate water fountains, back seats of buses and the like, while German prisoners of War being held in one of the Prisoner of War camps in America at the time had the 'freedom' to go about town(in the fronts of those same buses) as long as they were back by certain times. TRUE STORY.

Indeed, Mr Lee could have been PR'ing his upcoming work. That does not mean his observation is invalid. It seems many people want to create a Spike Lee Bogeyman so they are absolved of having to question and acknowledge the falsehoods and inaccuracies of history that are perpetuated in film, classrooms and in our own homes.

[moonraker7]

Lets start dealing in facts, not revisionist fantasy. Approximately 290,000 Americans during World War II, only 1,700 of which were African Americans That is a ratio of less than one for in every 150 killed. These are the FACTS, live with it.

[txgal44]

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It don't get much better.

[hitchhiker777]

"High Plains Drifter" by Tim Shey

www.wallso­fjericho.5­0megs.com

[fanifesu]

BTW, Eastwood's wife is part African-American, and he's a lover & supporter of jazz music & musicians. He's no racist...

[robXdion]

Having an ethnic wife does not equate to having a respect or bond with men from a similar ethnicity as the wife. All this "he has a part black wife so he has no beef with black people" or "he couldn't possibly hate black men" is naive and ridiculous. And loving jazz doesn't mean you'll see him at a black family reunion with a plate of soul food either.

[DrJimmy]

Why does Spike hate Italians so much??

[carlopietro]

I imagine if I met MCCain after he was released from a POW camp I would have a different opinion of him then the MCCain who pushed the Republican Party platform in 2008.

Combat units were segregated during WW2, unfortunately that is how history was. Dont blame Clint for being accurate.

It was the black units who liberated some of the concentration camps in Germany, history will thant those units forever.

[LovingHope]

I was very disappointed when I heard Clint Eastwood was a republican. I've seen many of his movies. But that gives me a little insight behind this man and It saddened me. Although, I wouldn't boycott him because I admire his brilliance, I wish he would have more democratic views. Then he probably would have worked with Spike instead of insulting him. And they would have created a beautiful historical story. Too bad he has those old school prejudice.

I love Spike Lee. He has always been a voice for black america.

[alanposting]

What "brilliance".... sorry, you can't be a republican and be brilliant, PERIOD!

[williamina]

weirder

[williamina]

weird

[trailerboy114]

He insulted Spike? Did Spike not start the feud? If anybody thinks Clint Eastwood is the least bit concerned with what Spike thinks they need to think again.

[Mattie]

so do you just generalize about everyone. All Republicans are bad. I actually have republicans in my family that I love. Some are Republicans for fiscal reasons, and some because of social issues. I don't agree with their politics, but I look at the whole person. As a Democrat, I could never support FISA, or the Cheney Energy bill, yet Obama did. How narrow minded of you, to just automatically condemn someone just for their politics. I'm sure he wishes your views were more open minded, and not filled with stereotypes and hate. Maybe you should get out more, and not just associates with groups you don't condemn.

[TrippyWeekender]

They broke the mold when they made Clint Eastwood. It's hard to find another director, American or otherwise, who gets more mileage from his talent on both sides of the camera.

Consider his directorial efforts of the last five years ...

Gran Torino (2008)
Changeling (2008)
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Mystic River (2003)

And oh yes, he often composes and performs the music for his own films while bringing in every one at or below budget. The guy oozes integrity.

[alanposting]

And we should all be thankful that the mold was broken.... come on, get off this acting fetish...he made millions and millions and got to keep marriage younger wife's ... Instead of telling us about, there will never be another Eastwood, give us a list of his REAL accomplish­ments.....­you know real life.

[deepfreezevideo]

So does Joe Horn, another "angry white male" LOL.

[cre8ive]

I'm a huge fan of Eastwood the director, but this was not some complicated fix we're talking about. We're talking about adding a few African American extras or at most, some day players with a line or two shot at a meaningful angle or two, and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Accuracy sometimes gives way to interpretation, but this was a stubborn disregard for facts that I think compromised the impact of the work as a whole.

In "A League of Their Own," there is a scene where the women let a ball get away from them. An African American woman picks it up from outside the fence and powerfully throws it back in. She and the others with her give a look and walk away. The message was clear: "We don't get to play on that side of the fence, but we are still athletes. You are fighting for your right to play, not ours. But we're just as good as you. We know it, and so do you." No dialogue. Less than 5 seconds in the final cut. Honor where it was due.

Giving honor where it is due. Eastwood could have done that. He should have.

[robXdion]

African Americans were a part of the actual story too. THAT'S the problem. And on the flip side, AA's can't even show a mainstream film portraying their own lives, fictional or non, without one white person being included to appease the majority since so many have an aversion to identifying with AA humanity or culture beyond the superficial parts they can imitate and co-opt. A truly AA story with an AA cast is just not profitable to the masses.

[harriettubman]

Gran Torino looks like a good movie. As for Flags of Our Fathers, many years ago I heard some black soldiers, at least 1 or 2 helped raise that flag but of course, in America, those types of events were erased like everything else. I heard this from someone who had been there.

As for Spike, I don't always agree with him but he does like history told correctly. After years of being disparaged and blacks being told they contributed nothing to this country, I can see why he takes a peep to ensure something is real. Slaves built the White House.

[elizabethf86]

I can understand Clint's reverence for McCain, but I can't understand how he could so easily fall for Palin. Come on, even Dennis Hopper couldn't bring himself to support the Republican ticket this year.

I know political affiliation shouldn't have much bearing on one's opinion of an actor/entertainer, but I can't help but love those left leaning ones just a little bit more. ;-) Bogart, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman come to mind...

[ArmyCentrist]

Mmmmm...Paul Newman....

[alanposting]

YES, Paul Newman.... He accomplished more for real people than that good for nothing Eastwood.....he was always two-bit....

[Mattie]

what about Jimmy Stewart, he was a Republican, and I think he was one of the most decent men, and made some of the best movies of anyone of that era. I don't judge someone entirely on who they vote for. I have friends and family who are Republicans, I have occasionally voted Republican myself, we have a great Congressman in MN, (he retired this term) Jim Ramstad, who would get 75% of the vote. He just did a good job, so people voted for him. I couldn't support Obama for President, because of his support of FISA and the Cheney Energy bill, so I went third party. I to wish him well, because if he succeeds we all succeed. It's not so strange to support your president no matter what side you are on. There are crazies on the right and there are crazies on the left.

[Wanjiru]

Eastwood: I think being able to age gracefully is a very important talent.
===============

...too bad you don't have it...

.

[mapleaforever]

Why do people with nothing to say have the need to take up so much space to say it?

[imgeorgewill3]

Clint Eastwood is Hollywood Royalty . Hollywood is a rough town but he has shown everyone that being older doesn't mean your time is up. I was amazed at just how talented this man is. He acts, directs, produces, writes and even writes MUSIC (something I hever knew!). Amazing. The guy has enormous talent and his movies have made a lot of money. That alone earns him the respect he deserves. Most Hollywood people refuse to sign autographs but if you ask Clint Eastwood for one he gives it to you with a smile. Now that is class! I don't like his politics or his personal life (several different children by several women) but it isn't my business and shouldn't be anyone's (Ask Steve Croft from "60 Minutes" who tried to pry into Eastwood's personal relationships with his daughters and his former girlfriends and was met with a cold stare that would have sent you into orbit) But you compare Eastwood and Spike Lee as filmmakers they are from different worlds. Lee shows the African American side and Eastwood (more or less) is interested in different stories but not necessarily the African American side of things. Both are good directors, but Eastwood is by far the more diverse.

[Metoyer]

Thanks for the update, Willy. By the way, Roger Corman made money on every film he produced, and there were lots of 'em. That means he deserves and gets respect as a film maker?

[alanposting]

F**K.....Get a life!