Clint Eastwood has become one of the most respected figures in Hollywood, but that respect
hasn’t come without making some enemies.
The beloved actor-turned-director takes his work incredibly seriously, and that can spell
trouble for some of the actor’s on his film sets.
Some of the many actors that have rubbed Clint the wrong way include Matt Damon and Tom Hanks.
Join Facts Verse as we explore actors who got on Clint Eastwood’s bad side.
Body: All directors have different styles, and some
directors are easier on their stars than others.
When it comes to directing films, Clint Eastwood likes to do things fast and efficiently.
That means that his actors and actresses are typically encouraged to get things right on
the first take.
Since all actors and actresses have different workflows, this can prove disastrous for some
of the stars on the set of Clint’s films.
One such star that has fallen victim to director Clint Eastwood’s rigorous demands on the
set of his films is Matt Damon, who starred in Clint’s 2009 feature Invictus.
Invictus was a biographical drama about the events surrounding the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
In the film, Morgan Freeman portrayed South African President Nelson Mandela, while Matt
Damon portrayed the captain of the South Africa rugby union team, called the Springboks.
Of course, Matt’s character had to have a South African accent, something which Matt
himself does not.
It took Matt a while to perfect the accent, and he wasn’t totally sure that he had it
down when it came time to film.
However, Clint was adamant that the actor had to get his work done in just a few takes.
According to Matt, Clint’s method of directing on the set of Invictus led to the use of several
takes that the actor wasn’t completely happy with his performance in.
However, Matt went on to express that he still believed Clint was a great director, and had
confidence in the director’s vision.
Matt’s confidence in Clint’s abilities paid off, as Matt’s performance in Invictus
ended up netting him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Still, Matt prefers to do a few more takes when he’s the one in charge.
Clint has become notorious for encouraging his actors to get their performances right
in only one or two takes.
According to Clint, doing more than a couple of takes for a scene is a waste of everyone’s
time.
As well, Clint likes the rawness and spontaneity that he feels actors and actresses bring to
the first take.
In his eyes, too much rehearsing can ruin the human element of a scene.
Many directors like to spend numerous days filming single sequences, while Clint feels
that this kind of schedule can lead to low morale amongst the crew.
According to the beloved director, it’s good for the cast and crew to feel like things
are always moving.
Besides Matt Damon, another actor that has found himself the victim of Clint’s rigorous
demands on the set of his films is Tom Hanks.
Of course, Tom portrayed titular character Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger in Clint’s
hit 2016 film Sully.
The film was based upon the real-life incident in which the titular pilot became a hero by
successfully landing a crashing plane and saving over 100 people.
The film marked the first time that Tom had ever worked with Clint, although both had
been beloved Hollywood figures for decades.
According to Tom, the experience was a little bit intimidating.
Tom has said that he felt like Clint treated him like a cattle on the set of Sully, which
makes a lot of sense given that Clint rose to fame on film as a cowboy.
Clint has said that a lot of his directorial experience has come from watching the directors
on the set of the television series Rawhide.
As well, Clint was apparently enamored with the on-set wranglers’ abilities to deal
with the show’s livestock.
Clint considers himself a wrangler of his actors and actresses on the set of his films,
and that experience can be daunting for them.
According to Tom, Clint could communicate what he wanted with a simple disapproving
look.
Tom apparently began to fear this look while working on the set, but Clint wasn’t the
only intimidating figure on the set of Sully.
The real-life hero was a fixture on the set of the film, as well.
Sully was brought onto the film early on in an advisory capacity, and continued this role
throughout most of filming.
When the real-life Sully was on the set, he apparently had plenty of input to give to
the cast and crew.
However, Clint didn’t always warmly receive this input given that he was the film’s
director.
As rumor has it, Clint and the real-life Chesley Sullenberger butted heads numerous times during
the filming of Sully.
The real-life Sully always felt he knew what the best way to handle a scene was, while
Clint trusted his own vision more.
Clint had also experienced what it was like to be on a crashing plane, as he had suffered
an infamous plane crash years before that nearly killed him.
However, Clint has never been forced to heroically pilot a crashing plane to safety.
Regardless of the tension between Clint, Tom, and Chesley himself, Sully turned out pretty
good for all involved.
The film was a major success with both audiences and critics, with particular praise being
heaped on Tom’s performance and Clint’s direction.
As well, the real-life Chesley Sullenberger received more fame and recognition than ever
before for his heroic deeds.
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Creative decisions weren’t the only thing that divided Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks
on the set of Sully.
The movie was filmed and released in the year leading up to the 2016 election.
That election was perhaps the most volatile that the country had ever experienced, and
Clint and Tom had found themselves on opposing ends of the political spectrum.
Clint has always been one of Hollywood’s unlikely Republicans, and has even dabbled
in politics himself as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, from 1986 to 1988.
Given that Clint has always found himself on the conservative side of the political
spectrum, it wasn’t too surprising when the famed actor and director came out in support
of 2016 Republican nominee, and eventual victor, Donald Trump.
However, this put Clint in direct opposition with most of his Hollywood brethren, including
Tom Hanks.
Like most of Hollywood, Tom was an adamant supporter of Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton
during the election.
However, Clint and Tom were able to brush this off for the most part on set and keep
things professional during the filming of Sully.
Audiences, regardless of the two stars’ political affiliations, warmly received the
film.
Tom isn’t the only person that has been put off by Clint’s political ideologies.
Clint has made public remarks about his political beliefs that have rubbed many people the wrong
way, including documentarian Michael Moore.
The two infamously became embroiled in a feud, which culminated in Clint jokingly threating
to shoot the famed documentarian during a speech.
Clint has had much to say about the so-called era of “political correctness”, which
he believes to be a detriment to both the country and to Hollywood filmmaking.
Despite Clint’s intimidating demeanor, the director has expressed that he strives to
make his cast and crew feel comfortable on the set of his films.
Despite the occasional hiccup, it appears that he typically accomplishes this.
Even Matt Damon and Tom Hanks were satisfied with how their performances turned out in
Invictus and Sully, respectively, even if they had qualms while they were being filmed.
Clint’s decision to work fast on his films is one of the reasons that the legendary actor
and director is able to take on so many projects.
Most of Clint’s film are released to wide acclaim, so it doesn’t seem as if the director
is suffering by only allowing his stars a couple of takes.
Still, it’s understandable that Clint’s unique directing methods might not jive well
with all of the actors and actresses on his sets.
In addition to his efficiency, Clint’s amicable relationship with Warner Bros. has allowed
him to stay active over the years, working at a rate that makes most other filmmakers
envious.
Clint has maintained a working relationship with the studio for decades, and they have
come to allow the director an unprecedented amount of control over his films.
Given that Clint always turns in high-quality work on time and within budget, this amicable
relationship comes as no surprise.
If working on the set of Clint’s films is difficult, imagine how difficult it must’ve
been for his son, Scott Eastwood!
Scott has appeared in several of his father’s films, including 2012’s Trouble with the
Curve and 2008’s Gran Torino.
Although working with his father on the set of his films was certainly tough, Scott has
expressed that it was an incredible learning experience for him.
Scott has learned a lot from his father’s work ethic, although he has since preferred
to star in films helmed by other directors.
Scott recently appeared in 2021’s Wrath of Man from director Guy Ritchie.
Perhaps, Scott will one day follow in his father’s footsteps and decide that he wants
to be an on-set wrangler of actors and actresses, too!
Over the course of his career, Clint Eastwood has directed dozens of films, and starred
in even more!
Comment down below to share what you favorite feature film from the star’s long and successful
career is, or if you’re looking forward to his upcoming return to the screen as a
leading man in his most recent directorial effort Cry Macho.
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