The one actor Clint Eastwood called the best in the world: “That covers my inadequacies”
Being one of the best actors in the world isn’t a requirement to become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and with no offence intended to one of the most iconic names in Hollywood history, Clint Eastwood isn’t going to be remembered as a top-tier thespian.
Does that make him a bad actor? Of course not, because he’s given many memorable performances in a wide range of movies dating back more than 60 years. He’s also got a pair of Academy Award nominations for his on-camera efforts, but he won all four of his Oscars from the other side of it.
When you think of the industry’s elite thespians, Eastwood’s name doesn’t, or shouldn’t, come up. That’s not a slight, because he’d be the first to admit he’s not Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Paul Muni, Meryl Streep, or Katharine Hepburn. When you think of the industry’s greatest-ever stars, though, it’s impossible to leave him out.
He’s been around the block and back several times over, and he’s worked with plenty of awards-laden legends and methodical performers. And yet, as he was constantly reminded by the person he said it about, there was only one name on the Dirty Harry star’s lips, and, if anything, it became a bit of a love-in.
Morgan Freeman’s passion project, Invictus, was years in the making, and he felt destined to play Nelson Mandela after getting the seal of approval from the man himself. As the focal point of the story and a producer, he revealed that there were only a pair of names on his preferred list of directors for the film.
“I said, ‘I can only think of two,'” he shared, per Today. “Clint Eastwood, and then there’s Clint Eastwood. He’s the best director I know.” In response, Freeman’s Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby director thanked his friend for being “obviously, a man of very good taste and selectivity in life.”
Since Freeman called Eastwood the best director he ever worked with, it was only fair that Eastwood called Freeman the best actor he ever worked with. Those weren’t his exact words, but the Shawshank Redemption stalwart never let his pal forget that time he placed him at the pinnacle of the profession.
He wanted everybody to know that Eastwood had previously “stood up in public with a microphone and called me the best actor in the world,” which was a source of much pride for the sonorous sage. “I do pride myself on that,” the filmmaker interjected. “I believe in surrounding myself with the very best people, and that cuts down the margin for error, and that covers my inadequacies.”
With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Freeman couldn’t help himself from firing one final shot across the bow: “And he says, he can stand back and let them do their thing, then take all the credit.” They made three pictures together, but based on how they loved to needle each other at every opportunity, somebody missed a trick by not trying to cast them in a buddy comedy where they played a couple of old guys getting up to no good.
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