Clint Eastwood Wouldn’t Let Matt Damon Break His Strict Filming Rules
Here's what Clint Eastwood told Matt Damon when the actor tried to break his rules on set.
This article is more than 2 years old
Clint Eastwood is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished legends, and even though he has garnered much acclaim as an actor, composer, and producer, he is undoubtedly revered for his affinity for directing. Cinema Blend recently reported on what another Hollywood icon, Matt Damon, thought about Clint Eastwood’s legendary directing style when he shared his experience working with him on 2009’s Invictus.
According to Cinema Blend, the academy-award-winning actor regaled viewers of the successful YouTube show Hot Ones about his time working with Clint Eastwood on one of his movies. In Invictus, Matt Damon’s character has a South African accent, which was challenging for the actor. Certainly, it was something he might have liked to have a second try at for some of the movie’s scenes. Damon explained that Clint Eastwood follows a one-take, rarely two-take, philosophy. While there are clearly risks associated with this strategy because it essentially calls upon an actor to be fully on point in their preparation and preparedness, it certainly has proven itself to be a success, at least for Clint Eastwood.
“…on Day 1 of shooting. We did the first take. It went pretty well. Clint says, ‘cut, print, check the gate,’ which means we’re gonna move on. And I said, ‘Hey boss, maybe you think we could get one more.’ He just turned and goes, ‘Why? Do you want to waste everybody’s time?”
Matt Damon
It is clear that Matt Damon has a profound respect for Clint Eastwood and his directing style. In fact, back in 2011, Damon was praising Eastwood for his uncanny ability to foster a filming environment that is inclusive and cognizant of everyone’s creative input and ideas.
Even at 91-years-old Clint Eastwood is still working and is showing no signs of slowing down. Giant Freakin Robot reported that he would once again be embracing his western roots in his upcoming project Cry Macho, in which he both acts and directs. Even though Clint Eastwood will clearly captivate an audience with his performance in the upcoming western, one of the more endearing elements of the movie is that Eastwood’s character develops an unlikely bond with a feathered friend, a rooster. Cry Macho is slated to hit both theaters and the streaming platform HBO Max simultaneously on September 17th.
For fans who can’t wait until Cry Macho releases, they can mosey on over to Netflix now to relive some of Clint Eastwood’s older work. Netflix just dropped Space Cowboy, which is similar to Cry Macho in that he both acts and directs. It is one of his lesser-known pieces but still well worth the watch. Or, if fans are seeking something even more nostalgic, they can also take a deep dive into one of his most iconic cowboy features, Outlaw Josey Wales.
It also seems like Clint Eastwood’s actor-director genes could have been passed down to his son, Scott Eastwood. While Scott Eastwood is not yet as accomplished as his father, he has been on the acting scene for quite a while, and rumors have recently been circling that Marvel could possibly be eyeing the younger Eastwood to replace Hugh Jackman and take on the role of Wolverine in one of Marvel’s future X-Men projects. While a big project with Marvel Studios would certainly serve as a springboard for Clint Eastwood’s son’s career, all information regarding whether or not Scott will be involved in an X-men project is still complete speculation.
Whether or not Scott follows in father, Clint Eastwood’s, stead fans can still look forward to the impending release of Cry Macho and take the opportunity to see Eastwood pay homage to his humble western beginnings.
