Clint Eastwood has made multiple million-grossing films throughout his renowned career. Even though he is known for being an expert in his craft, there have been situations when the Dirty Harry star faced tremendous stress.
In one of his films, a biographical work on a celebrated American war veteran, Eastwood was under severe pressure. The pressure and stress arose from the war veteran’s family who were apprehensive of his abilities and Hollywood in general.
Clint Eastwood Was Under Phenomenal Pressure During His $547M Movie
Few can excel at everything they do, and Clint Eastwood is one of those few. An exceptional actor, the star has gone on to direct several successful films across genres. Despite being the illustrious star and filmmaker he is, there have been those who have doubted his capabilities time and again.
During the pre-production of his $547 million grossing film, American Sniper, the actor and filmmaker was under tremendous pressure. The reason was that the film was based on the life and career of a renowned and beloved American War Veteran, Chris Kyle. The pressure stemmed from the veteran’s family, particularly his father, who was rightfully apprehensive of Hollywood distorting his son’s legacy for a few dollars.
Chris Kyle’s father looked right into Eastwood’s eyes, and stated,
“Disrespect my son and I’ll unleash Hell on you.”
However, both Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper, who essayed the role of Kyle, promised they would do things right.
“They looked me in the eye and told me they would honor my son’s memory. That was good enough for me. Both Mr. Eastwood and Mr. Cooper were men I could trust. They were very open and engaging and did not want to hide anything.”
Despite the immense pressure, Clint Eastwood went on to make one of his most successful War movies.
Clint Eastwood Considers American Sniper As A Significant Story To Tell
Clint Eastwood has made many war-based movies, but then he considers the Bradley Cooper starred American Sniper as his most significant film. The film, based on America’s number one sniper, explores the career and personal life of the celebrated War Veteran. In an interview, Eastwood explained why he liked telling the story.
“I have done war stories before, but this was exciting to me because it was a cross between Chris’ exploits in combat and the personal aspects of his life, which made him even more interesting.”
And then he added,
“It shows the toll war takes on a person but also the pressure it puts on the whole family. It’s good to be reminded of what’s at stake when people are sent into war and to acknowledge the sacrifices they make, so I thought that made it an especially significant story to tell.”
American Sniper went on to earn over $547 million all over the globe, with several accolades.