NEW YORK—Clint Eastwood was gazing with that quintessential stare. It’s the one he’s been known for his entire acting career—from his western anti-heroes to Dirty Harry, to most recently as Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino.
He holds it just long enough so that the tension builds in the room of approximately 100 reporters, at a press conference for his new film Hereafter (at the New York Film Festival’s closing on Oct. 10).
The blank, passive-aggressive stare is the immediate response to a long meandering statement, requesting Eastwood to comment on a noticeable theme running through his films (about trying to remain relevant as one becomes older)—a possibly touchy topic if misinterpreted by the 80-year-old filmmaker.
“What?” blankly replies Eastwood after the longest five second pause ever, maintaining his stare and causing the entire room to burst out in laughter as the reporter appears a bit nervous.
“What was the old John Ford thing when they would ask him a long question and he would say ‘Cut!’” quipped Eastwood, imitating the celebrated director on set. The room yet again erupts into laughter, as the reporter feels like perhaps he’s digging himself in deeper.
“I was just wondering if you had any comment,” whispers the reporter.
The brief and hilarious exchange exemplified the 45-minute conversation, where Eastwood was flanked by actors Matt Damon, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cecile De France, as well as screenwriter Peter Morgan.
“You know its very subjective, and it’s a very difficult one for me to answer,” genuinely replied Eastwood—like a lovable and mischievous elder uncle who’s made his point and now wants to move on after having his fun.
“I think it would be better for someone else than me to evaluate, because I don’t think of it in that way. I think, to me that, everything is spontaneous. Unforgiven to me is an example of a script that I liked right away but, I said ‘This is great, but I’d like to do it when I’m older.’ So I stuck it in the drawer for 10 years. And then I took it out.
“I have no real rhyme or reason. I wish I could give you some pseudo-intellectual thing that would be great and maybe if this was a French cinema class I’d have to fake something.” The room burst out yet again with laughter and whoops.
Just as Eastwood gently brushes off the question, Matt Damon pipes up.
“I actually asked a similar question of him [Eastwood] on Invictus, but it was about directors as they got older. Why was it that they historically seemed to fall off … I remember asking him, because he has obviously completely avoided that,” as Damon nods in Eastwood’s direction.
“Not so fast” interjects Eastwood with another dose of self-deprecation—gently but firmly squashing any and all adulation directed his way—as if he’s built up a search and destroy mechanism to pretension.
He holds it just long enough so that the tension builds in the room of approximately 100 reporters, at a press conference for his new film Hereafter (at the New York Film Festival’s closing on Oct. 10).
The blank, passive-aggressive stare is the immediate response to a long meandering statement, requesting Eastwood to comment on a noticeable theme running through his films (about trying to remain relevant as one becomes older)—a possibly touchy topic if misinterpreted by the 80-year-old filmmaker.
“What?” blankly replies Eastwood after the longest five second pause ever, maintaining his stare and causing the entire room to burst out in laughter as the reporter appears a bit nervous.
“What was the old John Ford thing when they would ask him a long question and he would say ‘Cut!’” quipped Eastwood, imitating the celebrated director on set. The room yet again erupts into laughter, as the reporter feels like perhaps he’s digging himself in deeper.
“I was just wondering if you had any comment,” whispers the reporter.
The brief and hilarious exchange exemplified the 45-minute conversation, where Eastwood was flanked by actors Matt Damon, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cecile De France, as well as screenwriter Peter Morgan.
“You know its very subjective, and it’s a very difficult one for me to answer,” genuinely replied Eastwood—like a lovable and mischievous elder uncle who’s made his point and now wants to move on after having his fun.
“I think it would be better for someone else than me to evaluate, because I don’t think of it in that way. I think, to me that, everything is spontaneous. Unforgiven to me is an example of a script that I liked right away but, I said ‘This is great, but I’d like to do it when I’m older.’ So I stuck it in the drawer for 10 years. And then I took it out.
“I have no real rhyme or reason. I wish I could give you some pseudo-intellectual thing that would be great and maybe if this was a French cinema class I’d have to fake something.” The room burst out yet again with laughter and whoops.
Just as Eastwood gently brushes off the question, Matt Damon pipes up.
“I actually asked a similar question of him [Eastwood] on Invictus, but it was about directors as they got older. Why was it that they historically seemed to fall off … I remember asking him, because he has obviously completely avoided that,” as Damon nods in Eastwood’s direction.
“Not so fast” interjects Eastwood with another dose of self-deprecation—gently but firmly squashing any and all adulation directed his way—as if he’s built up a search and destroy mechanism to pretension.
