Clint Eastwood names the most underrated actor he’s ever worked with: “He’s taken for granted”
The western genre was changed for the better when filmmakers began straying from tales that were strictly patriotic and traditional, instead moving towards more complex stories full of violence, nihilism, and anti-heroes. Clint Eastwood emerged as the protagonist in the Dollars trilogy, a spaghetti western series directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone, which changed the western genre forever.
Eastwood earned acclaim for his performances across the trilogy, which launched him to international stardom. From there, he appeared in many more westerns, thrillers, comedies, and dramas, including the Dirty Harry series, another iconic antihero role. However, it wouldn’t be long until Eastwood began directing movies of his own on a regular basis, eventually becoming equally as acclaimed as a filmmaker.
His directorial debut came in 1971 with Play Misty For Me before making films like High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Bronco Billy. His directing career really took off in the 1990s, however, with his movie Unforgiven winning him Academy Awards for ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’. He won the same two awards for Million Dollar Baby in 2005 while scooping up a considerable amount of nominations from the institution for other films throughout his career, too.
During his time as a director, Eastwood has worked with many stars, both established and up-and-coming, but there is one he claims is rather underrated, going as far as to say that he is “taken for granted.” Fans of Eastwood’s movies might not be surprised to discover that he was talking about Morgan Freeman, who has frequently worked with the filmmaker.
While it feels wrong to call Freeman – the star of many acclaimed movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, and the Dark Knight trilogy – underrated, Eastwood simply believes that he doesn’t get as much credit as he truly deserves. He explained to Bright Lights Film Journal, “Morgan is one of those guys who’s so good, so consistent for so long, he’s taken for granted. And it comes so effortlessly, off the top of his head. But it is honest. The old James Cagney thing: ‘Plant your feet, and tell the truth.’”
He continued, “I’ve worked with Morgan twice, and I’m always very pleased about having him. He’s the lowest maintenance actor I’ve ever had. He’s ready to go on rehearsal.” Since 2005, when the interview was conducted, Eastwood has worked with Freeman again, directing him in the 2009 movie Invictus. He had previously worked with him on Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.
“On Unforgiven I had both Morgan and Gene Hackman, and with both of them you could shoot rehearsal. Sometimes it’s fun to have them come out for the first time. It doesn’t always work, but you try it. That’s a great thing about film,” Eastwood added.
Meanwhile, Freeman has previously sung Eastwood’s praises, telling RTE, “I think Clint is an actor’s director. He doesn’t direct actors. He directs movies. He hires actors, and it’s your job. And I love that about him that you establish your own character; you play it and do what the scene calls for.”
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