The range of Clint Eastwood facts ranges from his inability to determine his total number of kids to his legendary number of Oscar-wins. Clint proves that once you’re a silver screen legend, you remain on that pedestal for decades. In his case, he’s remained at the peak of his fame for almost 60 years now. It’s quite a slap to the face of those who called him out for his acting skills when he was still a budding artist.
Get to know this silver screen superstar better by reading the following Clint Eastwood facts.
Clint Eastwood is now 90 years old.
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Clint Eastwood was born on May 31, 1930. He was raised in San Francisco by his parents, Clinton Eastwood and Ruth Wood. His father is a bond salesman while his mother was an IBM operator.
His upbringing was considerably comfortable within the confines of the middle-class environment nearby Piedmont.
He was expelled from high school.
Throughout the 1940s, the Eastwood family remained in Piedmont, California. He went to Piedmont High School, but not until he ended up getting expelled. It was his punishment for ruining a wet football field by riding his bike around.
He later transferred to Oakland Technical High School. However, it’s not entirely clear whether he graduated here.
He worked numerous odd jobs as teenager.
Before he’s known as one of today’s most celebrated directors and actors, he once worked for the California forestry service. He helped put out wild wires among other things. The young Clint spent most of his summer days doing this job while in high school.
After he graduated, Clint said he was down forging metal at Bethlehem Steel. He also tried bagging groceries, worked at Boeing doing aircraft parts, and canned goods in a factory.
Clint was also a lumberjack and patrolled as a lifeguard at the local beach.
He was drafted into the army for the Korean War.
As cool as this fact might sound, Clint actually wanted to get out of the war draft. He tried so by calling the draft board, saying he was off to college. However, his excuse didn’t pan out and went on to the war. In the end, he wasn’t able to fight.
He survived a crash landing on the sea.
One weekend, the 21-year-old Korean War draftee secured a pass. He proceeded to hitch on a ride to Seattle to spend some time with his girlfriend and see his parents. Yet, the twin-engine Beechcraft’s door malfunctioned, rendering it to pop open.
Clint attempted to keep the plane door closed by holding it close and shutting it with loose cables. Along the way, the pilot chose to avoid an oncoming storm by flying over it. As a result, Clint suffered from the thin air.
A little later, the pilot had to crash land at sea because the plane ran out of fuel. Although successful, Clint and the pilot had to swim for safety to the shore. It was found out later on that the sea was full of sharks. They were lucky that they made it alive by swimming from late afternoon until sundown.
Fans speculate that this near-death experience inspired him to tell the film “Sully (2016).”
He dropped out of college.
Clint Eastwood went to Los Angeles City College after his time in the army. He tried to pursue a business administration degree. But he only lasted two semesters before dropping out.
Not long enough, he would be busy in production studios, trying to make a name in Hollywood.
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As a budding actor, Clint had no idea how to act.
Clint Eastwood’s good looks were a contract director magnet. When he met Arthur Lubin, he landed a job with Universal Studios. However, his looks weren’t enough for him to succeed in the industry. He had zero ideas on how to move in front of the camera.
Luckily, he was set to be one of the new talents that a new production studio wanted to train. Clint was then hired on a temporary learning contract that lasted for seven years. He was making around $75 a week.
Speaking of good looks, Clint Eastwood totally had them in the 60s.
Clint Eastwood’s height is 6’4″. He donned that unique Italian looks with a convincing aura for Western movies. With his towering height, this green-eyed definition of a white man would soon capture the box office with his signature scowled facial expressions and gritty voice.
His first working contract only paid him $100.
After enough time, Clint learned how to be deserving of roles on the big screen. His first working contract paid him a hundred dollars per week. The job stretched for 20 weeks and was subject to extensions for up to half a year. If we adjust his rate for inflation, he’s making around $916/week in this year’s money.
His first acting part was in a terrible movie.
Clint Eastwood debuted on the silver screen through the movie “Revenge of the Creature (1954).” The movie grossed $1.1 million in the box office. It was horrible enough to have its own episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
Universal fired Clint because of his protruding Adam’s apple.
Five years into working with Universal Pictures, he was fired in 1959. By this time, he played a couple of roles where nine of ten of them were uncredited.
But actor Burt Reynolds said that Clint wasn’t fired because he lacked acting skills. Universal let him go because his Adam’s apple was too prominent.
He landed his first TV appearance and it paid well.
In 1959, Clint finally starred in a well-paying film production. His role in “Rawhide” lasted for eight seasons. By the end of this Western TV show, Clint was raking $100,000 per season.
But after this luck, he had a hard time finding a notable role in both TV and film. He would go on settling for projects that flopped in the box office.
He launched his film production company.
Clint finally found his place behind the camera. His production company called Malpaso Company was his attempt at having more control over his character for his next film called “Hang’ Em High.”
Produced by Malpaso, the film made around $1.5 million and grossed around $7 million during its release. This film production would later cement Clint to stardom.
His weekly rate skyrocketed and he continued on producing more notable movies.
He produced “Coogan’s Bluff,” and it raked another million-dollar in the box office. After which, he then produced 56 more films. Every movie starred Clint Eastwood.
Over the years, his success in film production didn’t slow down. One of his latest films, “The Mule,” opened with over a hundred million at the US box office. It starred Clint Eastwood and overall received countless positive reviews.
Clint grew to be more than an actor.
Over the years, Clint has collected multiple Golden Globe Awards among many of his awards and nominations.
However, his life’s later years didn’t focus on the film industry. He also got involved in politics. In 1986, he even sat at the mayor’s seat at the little town of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. In his free time, he gets busy golfing at Tehama Golf Club, which he owns too.
Clint Eastwood net worth in 2021
With his 60 years in the entertainment industry, Clint Eastwood’s net worth is $375 Million. From a measly $100 pay per week, he now employs hundreds of creative people in his own production company.
Like his highest-grossing films, his life is as interesting. This set of Clint Eastwood facts prove his grit in life as he climbed from nothing to owning almost everything every man could desire.
