Robert Downey Jr. has worked with enough filmmakers that when he starts comparing directing styles, I am going to listen. This is an actor whose career has taken him from his father’s underground film world to John Hughes, Richard Attenborough, Shane Black, Jon Favreau, Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan and, soon enough, back to the MCU for a new Marvel movie where he'll play Doctor Doom. So, when he casually drops a Clint Eastwood story about “calling action” while talking about how different movie sets operate, my ears perk up.

RDJ was recently asked what it was like working with Nolan on Oppenheimer. Instead of jumping straight into the usual praise, he backed into the answer by mentioning legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood, and the detail is one I had never heard before. He explained during an interview with Conversations for Our Daughters:

That is such a fascinating little detail about the A Fistful of Dollars star. Calling “action” is one of the most basic pieces of film language. Even people who have never been near a set know that rhythm: quiet on set, roll camera, action. It's practically baked into how most people imagine movies being made.

Yet, according to the Iron Man actor, Eastwood avoided it because he did not like the hard line it created between regular human behavior and performance. Interestingly, Downey does not appear to have worked with Eastwood himself, but this is clearly one of those Hollywood stories that has made the rounds, even if it was new to me.

The story makes sense for Eastwood, whose screen persona has often been built on economy. As a director, he has a reputation for working quickly, keeping setups simple and bringing films in under budget and on schedule. If you are trying to get actors into something natural, maybe a shouted command is not the cleanest way in, especially if they may only get one or two passes at the material.

Downey then used that thought to pivot to Nolan, whose approach sounds different but is similarly stripped down. He continued:

That description lines up with the Nolan lore that has built up over the years. His sets have a reputation for focus, discipline and very little wasted motion. Tom Holland, who worked with Nolan on The Odyssey, has also talked about how the director runs a set and how that experience influenced the attitude he brought to the making of the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The Avengers star went on to say Nolan “abhors waste” and “craves efficiency,” but he also made an important distinction. To Downey, Nolan’s style is not about avoiding chaos entirely. He continued:

The Chaplain actor also compared working with Nolan to working with “a good parent,” aka someone who will not let you get away with nonsense but who wants you to succeed. That might be my favorite part of his answer, because it explains why an actor of his stature would seem so eager to give himself over to that environment.

Both Nolan and Eastwood, at least in Downey’s telling, seem suspicious of unnecessary noise. During Eastwood's career, he avoided the big “action” command because it interrupted the delicate shift into performance. Meanwhile, Nolan strips away anything that does not belong in front of the camera because waste gets in the way. Two iconic filmmakers, two very different methods, and one surprising shared instinct: protect the moment.

RDJ returns to Marvel in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to hit theaters Dec. 18. As for Eastwood, he worked well into his 90s, though his family has indicated he is likely done making movies. His final acting and directing effort appears to be 2021’s Cry Macho. And honestly, after seven decades in show business, the man has more than earned the right to fold up his director’s chair.

It’s been a long time since I watched The Outlaw Josey Wales, starring Clint Eastwood. The last time I saw the book-to-screen adaptation was in college, a few decades ago. I recently rewatched it, and that’s when I learned that the movie was much more controversial than I ever knew. Not only were there issues on the set of the 1976 film that led to Eastwood taking over as director, but the author of the novel that the movie is based on wasn’t who he claimed to be. It’s a wild ride, so let’s giddy up.

Drama Behind The Scenes

I’ve always known The Outlaw Josey Wales as a Clint Eastwood-directed movie. It was one of the first movies he directed, but of course he’d gone on to direct dozens more, collecting a couple of Oscars for Best Director along the way in his long, storied career. I had no reason to think he wasn’t always the director. However, that’s not the case. Phillip Kaufman, who would later direct one of my all-time favorites, The Right Stuff, wrote the screenplay for the Western and was initially hired to direct as well.

It wasn’t long before tensions grew behind the camera. According to Eastwood’s biographer (via Collider), the actor clearly had a different vision for the movie, not to mention both Kaufman and Eastwood were supposedly romantically pursuing Eastwood’s co-star in the movie, Sondra Locke, at the same time. Locke would be Eastwood’s partner on and off screen for years after.

This all led to Eastwood firing Kaufman about three weeks into shooting. The brouhaha sparked a controversy between the production and the Director’s Guild. The guild wasn’t happy with a director being canned in favor of an actor (or anyone else on the crew) taking over as director of the film, and it actually led to a new rule, dubbed “The Eastwood Rule,” which prevents this kind of thing from happening today. As bad as that all sounds, it’s nothing compared to the controversy that would erupt after the film’s release in 1976.

The Author’s True Identity Came Out Later

The Outlaw Josey Wales is based on a 1972 novel called The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales by author Forrest Carter. Carter claimed to be of Cherokee descent. However, in the wake of the movie's success, rumors began to swirl that Forrest Carter was, in fact, Asa Carter. Asa Carter was a well-known speechwriter for the notorious segregationist governor of Alabama, George Wallace. Asa was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan and a virulent white supremacist.

Carter also wrote the beloved novel The Education of Little Tree, which he touted as a memoir of his Cherokee upbringing, but most of it turned out to be fiction. His history as a racist Klan member and co-writing of Wallace’s infamous “Segregation Forever” speech was hidden until the release of the movie. In fact, Carter denied it all the way to the end of his life in 1979. It’s now accepted that Forrest and Asa were, indeed, the same person.

The Plot Itself Is Problematic Too

I didn’t know all of this as I watched the movie; however, I wasn’t really surprised to learn it after reading about it. The main character, Josey Wales, is a Confederate bushwhacker, and I certainly noticed the “Lost Cause” overtones in the film. Though Josey is primarily motivated by revenge for the murder of his wife by Kansas Reglegs, there is the backdrop of the Civil War and Josey’s participation on the side of the Confederacy. One character, Jamie (Sam Bottoms), is much more forthright about the Confederacy, and through him, we see that Lost Cause narrative come through.

Wales' general distrust for the government, especially the Union, is on display in the movie as well. This isn’t as problematic for me from a character point of view, but that is a common ideology connected with the Lost Cause, given more fuel to the argument that Wales (and Jamie) are fighting the wrong fight.

The depiction of Lone Watie, Wales’ Indian partner, played by Chief Dan George, seems honest and forthright, and there is no reason to believe that Eastwood or anyone else knew about Asa Carter’s identity as they were making the movie. Still, that Southern revisionist history stuck with me as I watched.

It’s Still One Of The Best Ever

The Outlaw Josey Wales is still a great movie. I’d only seen it once, way back in the ‘90s, and I’m not a huge fan of Eastwood’s Spaghetti Westerns from the ‘60s, so I wasn’t sure how much I would like it. I did really like it, though. Wales is a fantastic anti-hero. He’s gruff and squinty (like any great Eastwood character), and he’s crass and violent, but his motivation is true. He’s a Civil War-era Punisher, and I love those kinds of characters.

The locations, like any great Western, are beautiful, as is the cinematography. The movie is really well-paced and never drags, and all the acting performances are wonderful. Even Eastwood, who I don’t think is usually the best actor in his movies, is great here. The supporting cast, including Locke, Bottoms, George, John Vernon, and Paula Trueman, are all fantastic. Trueman, who plays Grandma Sarah Turner, really steals the show in all of her scenes, and I especially liked her character.

I completely agree that it belongs on the list of the Best Westerns of all time, which is a relief, because a couple of weeks ago, I watched another Western from 1976, The Missouri Breaks with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, and the more I think about that one, the more I dislike it. Seeing another movie in the same genre, from the same year, provides a stark contrast, and I much prefer The Outlaw Josey Wales over the very weird Brando/Nicholson joint.

If you're a millennial like myself, or younger, it might be inconceivable to you to imagine that one of Clint Eastwood's most successful movies is actually one in which he costars with an orangutan, but it's true!

Upon its release in 1978, the action comedy, Every Which Way But Loose was Clint Eastwood's most profitable movie to date. I know, right? Dirty Harry? Forget that! Sergio Leone’s westerns with Clint? Nope! It's Every Which Way But Loose, buddy, as it was a massive success at the box office.

Which I find funny since the film has kind of been forgotten by my generation. As a film fan, of course I'd heard of it, but mostly as a stain on Eastwood’s career, kind of like the non-traditional western, Paint Your Wagon. But, after watching it, I love it! Here’s why.

I Know It’s A Cheap Laugh, But I Always Giggle Whenever The Orangutan Is On Screen

The plot of Every Which Way But Loose honestly doesn’t even need an orangutan in it, but it’s all the better for it. Clint Eastwood plays a truck driver/bare knuckle boxer named Philo Beddoe, and his buddy, Orville (Geoffrey Lewis) arranges fights for him. One night, Philo becomes smitten with a sultry country singer named Lynn (Sondra Locke), but she goes missing, and Philo searches for her.

Simple, right? It is, but, for some reason - probably because monkey + movie = funny - Eastwood’s character is paired up with an orangutan named Clyde (whose real name was Manis). The reasoning behind this is because Philo won Clyde after a fight, and so the orangutan has been with him ever since. Now, even though Eastwood’s face is the main one on the poster, Clyde is the true star of the film. This orangutan has personality for days, and when he’s not drinking beer, he’s giving the finger to Nazi bikers (who I’ll get into later).

When I was flipping through movies on TCM, I was hesitant to watch this flick. I love movies like Unforgiven, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and I also love a lot of the movies that Eastwood’s directed, like Mystic River, and the gem Bird, which I wrote about recently. So, the idea of watching his “monkey movie” didn’t sound too appealing to me. But then, I started it, and I was laughing almost immediately, because the formula of monkey + movie = funny IS ACTUALLY TRUE.

Every single moment with Clyde and Eastwood together made me giggle uncontrollably, and now I have to see the sequel, Every Which Way You Can, because I LOVE this pairing. They’re great!

Clint Plays A Bare Knuckle Boxer. What Else Do You Need To Know?

Eastwood - at least to my generation - has always been known as a tough guy. He’s the man who squints and wonders if the punk in front of him feels lucky (well, does he?). Sure, he didn’t always play tough guys, but similar to how Sylvester Stallone will always be Rocky and Rambo to a certain generation, Clint will always be The Man With No Name, and Dirty Harry.

So, it makes sense that this film made Philo Beddoe a man’s man. And, what’s “manlier” than bare knuckle boxing with your shirt off? (I of course ask that in jest since I've seen Fight Club and caught the homoerotic undertones). Anyway, a lot of the film features close ups of him punching dudes in the face or stomach, and I mean A LOT of the film.

In fact, if you went to see this movie back when it first came out and wanted to see Eastwood punching dudes, and only punching dudes, then you would have gotten your money’s worth, because there are so many fight scenes in this movie…maybe even too many. There’s a lot of action in this action comedy, and as I mentioned earlier, this could have just been a bare knuckle boxing movie.

However, with the added benefit of Clyde being in attendance, you get tons of laughs, too. Honestly, it’s always a good time. And, I haven’t even brought up the neo-Nazis yet!

There Are Neo Nazi Bikers Here…For Comic Relief

Eastwood makes serious movies. Million Dollar Baby? Man, Maggie’s death breaks my heart. Gran Torino? Sad stuff. Same with Unforgiven. I always tend to shed a tear at Ned’s death. So, if he ever directed a movie about a neo-Nazi motorcycle gang, it would likely have been a tearjerker.

However, Eastwood didn’t direct Every Which Way But Loose. James Fargo did. Here, there are neo-Nazi motorcyclists, but they’re a joke! A complete and utter joke. In fact, Philo isn’t even the least bit concerned with them, and doesn’t even realize that they have a vendetta against him after he takes their motorcycles and sells them off to give his girlfriend the money.

Led by John Quade as a man named Cholla, the gang is called The Black Widows, and they all have matching tattoos and jackets with a picture of a black widow spider. And get this. The way they end up meeting Philo is because two of the gang members make fun of him and Clyde at a traffic stop, and Philo gets so mad that he chases them with his truck…for like five whole minutes of screentime! Eventually, the two motorcyclists go into a car wash (on their bikes!) in order to escape, and they eventually hop a train. It’s just utter calamity.

But, the funniest thing is that Cholla keeps rubbing his face in dismay at just how incompetent his underlings are. Pretty much everybody beats them up, and when they finally collide with Clyde and Philo at the end, it’s almost like a Benny Hill skit with how ridiculous it is. It’s just so silly.

The “Love Story” Takes Some Interesting, Unexpected Turns

Okay, so while I’ve talked about the bare knuckle boxing, the neo-Nazi bikers, and the orangutan, I haven’t talked about the “love story” yet, and that actually might be the most interesting aspect about this film.

I put “love” in quotation marks because this movie turns out to be something entirely different than what you initially think it’s going to be. As mentioned, Philo takes a liking to a country singer, and she SEEMS to take a liking to him as well. However, when she disappears, WE know that she’s done this before, but Philo doesn’t know that. He just thinks she’s been kidnapped or something, and he’s on a quest to find her.

The only thing is, she doesn’t WANT to be found. She staged the whole disappearance, and is actually quite horrified when Philo winds up tracking her down. In fact, even though she gives him a pity lay, she yells at him and starts hitting him when he comes to see her again, asking him why he has to be so damn persistent.

It’s a turn I definitely didn’t see coming, and it makes the movie all the stronger for it. In the end, this is not a great movie, but I still love it. I know a lot of people likely wouldn’t consider this one of Eastwood’s best movies, but I do. Now, I just need to watch the sequel!

Have you seen this ‘70s gem? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

You know, looking back at Forest Whitaker’s amazing career, you’d be hard pressed to find an actor with a more versatile list of performances. Sure, he won Best Actor in 2007 for his portrayal of the horrifying Ida Amin in The Last King of Scotland. But, this is a guy who also played an introspective hitman in Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (which is legitimately one of my favorite movies), a White House servant in Lee Daniel’s The Butler, and even an alien in Battlefield Earth.

However, I think one of his finest roles was actually his first leading one in which he played the troubled saxophonist, Charlie Parker. He portrayed him in Clint Eastwood’s 1988 biographical musical drama, Bird, and I think Whitaker should have won an Academy Award for his performance. Here’s why.

Whitaker Convincingly Transforms Into Charlie “Bird” Parker

You know what’s interesting about Clint Eastwood? You’ll watch some of his westerns like Unforgiven, or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and you might get the impression that he’s some country music loving cowboy. However, Eastwood is actually a jazz enthusiast. Yeah! You can definitely tell when you watch 1988’s Bird, as Eastwood gets deep into the jazz culture, and Whitaker is definitely game for the ride.

We see Whitaker portray Charlie “Yardbird” Parker as a true jazz icon throughout his career. For example, we get him early on when Buster Smith (Played by Keith David) laughed him off the stage and a cymbal was thrown at Parker. That said, we also see Whitaker portray Parker as a veteran on the sax, working with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie (Samuel E. Wright) as they try (and fail) to bring bebop to the mainstream in America.

Another major aspect of this movie is Parker’s relationship with his common law wife, Chan Parker (Diane Venora) who was also deep into the jazz scene. In fact, a lot of this movie is Parker trying to reconcile his role as a notable musician, a father, and as a suitable partner (and his struggles as an addict, but I’ll get to that later). And, Whitaker flits through this world seamlessly.

There are a lot of great music movies out there, but Bird is one of the best because it’s so authentic to its particular era, and Whitaker is phenomenal in it.

That Said, Whitaker Also Nails The Troubled, Drug-Abusing Side Of The Man

Charlie Parker was a genius. I think anybody with the proper ear could listen to his explosive improvisation and ascertain that. However, he was also a deeply troubled alcoholic and heroin abuser, and Whitaker probably plays this part of Parker even better than the musical side.

Even though we didn’t include this movie on our list of thoughtful movies about depression, Bird is definitely one of those. As I mentioned earlier, the movie bounces around a lot, and early on, we see Parker attempt suicide by drinking iodine because he’s depressed over the death of his daughter. Chan has him committed in an asylum, and the doctors recommend giving Parker shock treatment, only for Chan to reconsider since she’s worried that it will sap Parker of his creativity.

However, the film then jumps to earlier in his life, and how he’s depressed even before his daughter’s death. He casually abuses heroin, and he even worries about going to other states to perform since it might be difficult for him to score drugs there. Throughout his life, he watches his success falter as producers stop wanting to work with him because his addiction is too much of a risk. He’s also a philanderer, and Whitaker does an excellent job of making Parker charming enough that we see why women considered him a lothario.

The best part though is that a lot of this acting is so subtle. You can see the hurt and pain in his eyes, and so can Chan, but he always has a smile on his face to mask his deep depression. So, while I know Whitaker’s bombastic performance in The Last King of Scotland is the more expressive one, I think his work in Bird is more impressive since I find it to be a more complex, quieter role. It’s the one where he “speaks” the loudest with an instrument at his lips, which I’ll get into next.

Whitaker Also Does A Convincing Job Of Making The Viewer Believe That He Can Play The Sax

People are always amazed when they see prominent actors play musicians, especially when those actors actually sing or play instruments. Jamie Foxx won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles, and Joaquin Phoenix received plaudits for his performance as Johnny Cash. Well, while Whitaker is not actually playing the saxophone in the movie (they used Parker’s original recordings), you damn well believe that’s Whitaker really blasting out that sound.

A lot of it is Whitaker’s face when he’s blowing into the sax, as well as his convincing finger work, and the way he moves. At no point do you believe that he’s not playing the sax, and I’m sure many people have done a quick Google search to see whether he’s actually using the instrument, because he’s just so convincing.

Which is another reason why I think Whitaker should have won Best Actor for this performance. Unlike other actors playing famous musicians, like Rami Malek as Freddy Mercury where you’re listening for that familiar voice, with Whitaker, unless you’re familiar with Parker’s recordings, you’re likely hearing him for the first time, and in that way, Whitaker IS Charlie Parker when he’s on that stage.

It’s really magical, too, as Whitaker goes from his soft-spoken self away from the sax, to a madman blasting into orbit when he’s on the sax. The contrast is quite startling, which is another reason why he’s so damn good in this film.

Overall, Bird Is Just A Masterful Movie, And Whitaker Truly Makes It Sing

I love that Whitaker is one of the few Black actors who has won an Academy Award for acting, but I wish he had won two, since I think that this was a worthy performance. Now, Bird actually did very poorly at the box office, and it’s one of Clint Eastwood’s lesser known movies. But, I don’t think that should prohibit people from watching it, because it’s a truly masterful film that has a fantastic performance at the center of it.

And, much like the Brian Wilson movie, Love & Mercy, I think Bird does an excellent job of showing that there are actually people (sometimes struggling people) behind the music that we love.

But, look, I know. You might not even like jazz. In fact, as somebody who only casually enjoys the art form, I, too, felt a little separated from the musical portions since I’m so unfamiliar with the sounds. Be that as it may, Eastwood’s passion for the medium is so strong that you can’t help but get invested in it, too.

It’s for that reason why I think you should check out this movie, even if you don’t like jazz. If anything, at least you’ll still witness a fantastic performance from one of Hollywood’s greats.

Oscar upsets are bound to happen here and there, and it could definitely be argued that Eddie Murphy experienced just that. Murphy's Dreamgirls nomination for Best Supporting Actor seemed to be locked up, though he ultimately lost to the late, great Alan Arkin that year. Most notably, after his loss, Murphy left the show early. Now, he’s now setting the record straight about the real reason he left the building, and he even mentioned Clint Eastwood while explaining his rationale.

Every year, the Academy Awards offer opportunities for unforgettable wins, losses, and human moments. For example, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock and the whole Moonlight/La La Land fiasco live rent free in my head, but I have trouble remembering the big winners from even two years ago. For Eddie Murphy, an interaction with Clint Eastwood right after his 2007 Oscar loss led to one of those unforgettable moments. He recently told Entertainment Weekly the real reason he walked out early was not because he was upset about losing, but rather the aftermath:

It's wild to think that for years, people thought the Shrek actor was a poor sport for losing the Oscar. Though I suppose it looked that way, given he even left before having a chance to support co-star Jennifer Hudson, who ended up winning Best Supporting actress for Dreamgirls that same night.

However, I can’t blame Murphy for trying to save his pride. It’s one thing to lose one of the main Oscar categories, but another to have past winners to try and comfort you all night. I’m sure Clint Eastwood meant well, but that was really the nail in the coffin for Murphy, it seems. The Coming to America star actually said he had come to terms with Arkin winning for Little Miss Sunshine, months before either of them were nominated for Best Supporting Actor:

In reality, “stealing” an Oscar is a silly concept. Yet audiences always seem to blame the winning actor when they think another nominee was robbed of the win, like when newcomer Mikey Madison took home Best Actress last year for Anora over a career-defining performance from Demi Moore in The Substance.

It’s easy to forget in the grandeur and showmanship of Oscar night that a body of people behind the scenes decide the awards, and Eddie Murphy explains it usually comes down to a lot more than just the final performance shown on screen:

I’m all for giving deserving career actors their flowers. It’s a huge reason why I hope Murphy’s fellow SNL alum Adam Sandler secures the nomination (and win) for his performance in Jay Kelly, which he has already received a 2026 Golden Globe nomination for. But, to Murphy’s point, the Happy Gilmore actor’s incredibly successful film career, as both an actor and producer, is not enough to put him ahead in the race. Sandler has been campaigning hard for this nomination, but like everything else in Hollywood, an Oscar win also comes down to money and favors.

I’m not saying Eddie Murphy didn’t deserve the win for his incredible performance as Jimmy Early. That’s the thing though: everyone else also deserved it. That’s why they were nominated in the first place, which I think is the true honor, sans all that intangible stuff the Norbit actor mentioned that goes into winning. Check out a snippet of Murphy's electric performance in Dreamgirls below:

However, Murphy's 2007 loss must have been a real eye-opener. He says he no longer cares about winning a golden statue but that the real reward is the long-lasting commercial success and fan appreciation of his films.

That’s not to say that I deem award season pointless, and it is still a huge honor to even just be nominated for an award. For many actors, they are “in pursuit of greatness” to quote Timothée Chalamet, and dream of being up on the Oscars stage. As for the audience at home, I personally will always tune in to root for my favorites, even as the program moves to YouTube in a few years.

Be on the look out for the 2026 Oscar nominations to see who gets in or gets snubbed when they drop January 22, and tune into the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026 to see who wins, live on ABC. Fans can also stream Dreamgirls now using a Paramount+ subscription.

While it’s still unclear whether we’ll see Ryan Reynolds reprise Deadpool in Avengers: Doomsday next year, the fact of the matter is that he has plenty of other projects to keep himself busy. Just a few days ago, it was announced that he’d play a villainous character in Netflix’s film adaptation of the Eloise book series. Now word’s come in that Reynolds will also be remaking one of Clint Eastwood’s classic films, although sorry to any of you who were hoping it’d be the one where the Hollywood icon shares screen time with an orangutan.

No, instead of putting his own stamp on 1978’s Every Which Way But Loose (which was followed in 1980 by Any Which Way You Can), Ryan Reynolds is instead turning his attention to a different comedic Clint Eastwood movie: 1974’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, which co-starred Jeff Bridges. Per THR, Reynolds’ production company Maximum Effort will team with Amazon-MGM for this remake. Along with being looked at to star, Reynolds is working on the script with Fargo duo Enzo Mileti and Scott Wilson. This will also mark the feature directorial debut of Deadpool & Wolverine editor Shane Reid.

hunderbolt and Lightfoot starred Clint Eastwood as John "Thunderbolt" Doherty, a bank robber who’s disguised as a preacher and on the run from his old gang because they believe he double-crossed them. Thunderbolt is rescued by Jeff Bridges’ Lightfoot, a car thief, and together they figure out a new heist to pull off with the gang after clearing things up. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot can be streamed for free on Tubi and Pluto TV, as well as on MGM+, which can be added on to your Amazon Prime Video subscription.

The original Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was met with positive critical reception and performed modestly at the box office, and Jeff Bridges’ performance in it later netted him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. THR states that the remake could be “an ideal vehicle for an A-lister two-hander,” and there’s the possibility that this could be what brings Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman together after Deadpool & Wolverine. They're already gearing up to be paired again under the direction of filmmaker Shawn Levy for Boy Band.

It remains to be seen where the Thunderbolt and Lightfoot remake rests on Ryan Reynolds’ list of priorities, but regardless, we’ll have to wait a while for this arrival. Meanwhile, catch the actor next in Animal Friends, which Warner Bros. Pictures is releasing June 5 on the 2026 movies schedule.

Some of the most enduring stars got their starts more than six decades ago, and they are still going strong today. Stars like Harrison Ford, Dame Judi Dench, Jeff Bridges, and even Jodie Foster have been acting their whole lives, and their amazing careers will live on forever. Here is our list of amazing actors who started in the 1960s and are still working today.

Robert Duvall

After cutting his teeth with some television appearances starting in 1959, Robert Duvall made one of the most memorable film debuts of all time as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill A Mockingbird. Duvall hasn't stopped stealing scenes in the 60+ years since. He's starred in some of the greatest movies ever, like The Godfather, and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies. His most recent credit is The Pale Blue Eye from 2022.

Sally Field

Sally Field is truly America's sweetheart. Her breakout role came on the classic TV show Gidget, and she's starred in some legendary movies and TV shows ever since. With roles in movies as diverse as Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, and Fried Green Tomatoes, Field has proven she can handle any role she takes on.

Clint Eastwood

There are no bigger legends in Hollywood history than Clint Eastwood. Not much has been said here. His career started in earnest with Spaghetti Westerns, and he's been directing and starring in movies ever since.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Henry Fonda, so it's no surprise that she started her career at a young age. Her first credit goes all the way back to 16960's Tall Story, and she's still starring in movies today, like 2023's 80 for Brady.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman's career really didn't take off on screen until the 1980s (though he had plenty of credits in the '70s, too). He started mostly on stage in the 1960s and kept his focus there until landing a TV gig in 1971 on PBS's The Electric Company. Today, he remains one of America's most beloved stars.

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine made her film debut way back in 1955 and by the 1960s was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her star has never dimmed in the decades since, either, with memorable roles in Downton Abbey and the live-action The Little Mermaid in 2018.

Dustin Hoffman

When you burst onto the scene in a movie like The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman did in 1967, it's pretty much a guarantee you're going to be a star. In the 60 years since that seminal movie, Hoffman has won countless awards and starred in everything from comedies like Tootsie to dramas like Rain Man, getting nominated for Oscars for both (and winning his second for the latter).

Faye Dunaway

If you look at a list of the best movies of all time, you'll notice Faye Dunaway in the credits of many of them. Starting with Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, right up until the 2020s. She took a small hiatus in the teens, but has been back working regularly since.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell's career started when he was just a kid, often starring in Disney projects. It's even Hollywood folklore that Walt Disney's last words were when he scrawled Russell's name on a piece of paper. Though there is no way to know when the note was written. Still, for the better part of seven decades, Kurt Russell has been a Hollywood superstar.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren (you know they are important when they get a title like "Dame") started in film in 1966, and that was after having already started acting professionally on stage in the UK. She's never stopped, including starring in the recent hit MobLand on Paramount+

Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins' first credited film role came in the Shakespeare adaptation The Lion in Winter in 1968 alongside Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. He's since become one of the most beloved actors of his generation and has won countless awards and accolades.

Jodie Foster

If you look at Jodie Foster's credits, you might think she started in the 1970s as a teenager, but she was starring in commercials as far back as 1967 when she was just three years old.

Jeff Bridges

When you have a legend for a father like Jeff Bridges with Lloyd Bridges, its not hard to understand how he got his start so young. His amazing career in the decades since can only be credited to his immense talent, charm, and charisma on and off screen. And that's not, like, my opinion, man, it's a fact.

Rita Moreno

Puerto Rican superstar Rita Moreno can do it all. She can act, she can sing, and she can dance, and she's been dancing into our hearts since she first way back in 1950! For those of you counting, that's EIGHT decades of excellence.

Judi Dench

Like Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Judy Dench started in the theater, especially doing Shakespeare plays. Her first professional stage credits date back to 1957, and right up through the 2020s, she's been a favorite of millions. One of the best actors of her generation, it's crazy she's only won one Oscar (for Shakespeare in Love).

Harrison Ford

The first thing you might think of when you think of Harrison Ford is Star Wars or Indiana Jones. It's true that it was those movies in the late '70s and early '80s that made him a superstar, but his career started humbly with roles in movies like A Time for Killing and Luv in 1967.

Sophia Loren

For more than 70 years, Sophia Loren has been a star in Europe and the United States. She started in her native Italy in 1950 before coming Stateside in 1958 when she signed on to star in movies for Paramount. Before long, she was a superstar on both sides of the pond.

Warren Beatty

Like his co-star in Bonnie and Clyde, Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty has been a star in Hollywood for decades. He's also been discerning in the roles he's taken over the years, so he doesn't have a long list of credits like most of the people on this list. That's not because his star dimmed. He's just particular, and that is something we all strive for.

Barbra Streisand

What can we really say about Barbra Streisand? She's a legendary singer and actor, and she's equally well-known for both. There are few stars as enduring and amazing as "Babs."

Robert Redford

Though he is officially retired now, Robert Redford is still one of the biggest Hollywood stars today (and ever). His career started with early roles on shows like The Twilight Zone, and by the time he hung up his cleats, so to speak, the star of The Natural was one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry.

Blythe Danner

Like many on this list, Blythe Danner started her professional career on Broadway and Off-Broadway in the 1960s. Her first movie credit came in 1972, but by then, she was a seasoned pro. She may be best known as the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow these days, but that is selling her way short, as she's been an award-winning actress for decades.

Al Pacino

Famously, Al Pacino entered the American consciousness in 1972's The Godfather, but he'd been working for a few years at that point, mostly on stage. His film debut was in Me, Natalie, alongside Sopranos cast member Nancy Marchand. He has been widely considered one of the best actors of his generation ever since.

Ellen Burstyn

Though her breakthrough didn't come until 1971 with The Last Picture Show, Ellen Burstyn had been picking up small roles on TV shows for years at that point. She has since gone on to win an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award. Not too shabby.

Robert De Niro

When you ask someone who the best actor of the last 60 years is, there is a decent chance Robert De Niro will be the name that comes out of their mouth. For many, many decades, De Niro has been stealing scenes and working his tail off to be the best actor he can be. He's gained weight for roles, dropped weight for others, and gotten completely cut for still others. All the while delivering his trademark charm and skills.

Cher

If you could turn back time and you were taking bets in the 1960s that Cher would still be one of the biggest stars in the world in the 2020s, you would probably get pretty good odds that she wouldn't be. She's proven everyone wrong, winning an Oscar for Moonstruck and continuing to wow audiences with her concerts.

Martin Sheen

It's hard to say just what role Martin Sheen will be best remembered for long after he's gone. Will it be Jeb Bartlett on The West Wing? Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Apocalypse Now? Carl Fox in Wall Street? Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg? What is for sure is that Sheen, who landed his first movie role in 1967, will be remembered fondly by millions of fans.

Vanessa Redgrave

English actress Vanessa Redgrave got her star in period pieces like A Man For All Seasons and Camelot in the 1960s. She parlayed that into a decades-long career that is still going, including a role in Cold Storage in 2025.

Ian McKellen

For modern generations, Ian McKellen is known for his roles as Gandalf the Grey and Magneto, but his career is so, so much more. One of the great Shakespearean actors of the last 60 years, he's been starring on stage and screen since the mid-'60s.

Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen found her biggest fame in the 1990s with Murphy Brown, but her career started way back in 1966 in the Sidney Lumet film The Group. She was a model before that, and has turned in role after beloved role on TV and in films.

Ron Howard

These days, Ron Howard is pretty much sticking just to directing, and he's an ace director to be sure. He famously started his Hollywood career as a kid in the 1950s and became a child star in the '60s as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. He later starred in Happy Days, before getting behind the camera and becoming one of the great directors of his time.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn first became a household name in 1968 when she starred in Laugh-In. She's been a star ever since, including starring in a slew of box office hits in the '70s and '80s. There is no question she is one of the funniest actors of her generation, and now she's also the mother to some big stars, too, in Wyatt Russell and Kate Hudson. Not a bad legacy to leave.

Patrick Stewart

Like others on this list, Patrick Stewart will be best known for roles that came in the second half of his career, like Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor X in The X-Men series. Of course, his career is much more than those two roles. It's a career that started in TV in the '60s on British shows like Coronation Street and Civilisation.

Clint Eastwood has officially called out a widely circulated interview as completely fake, and he’s not mincing words. The legendary actor and director, who recently turned 95, issued a blunt statement after an Austrian newspaper published what it claimed was an interview with the Hollywood icon. According to the great actor-turned-great director, the internet was duped by the “entirely phony” article.

According to Deadline, which initially aggregated the piece before learning it was fabricated, the interview appeared in the German-language Austrian outlet Kurier. In it, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly star was quoted as criticizing Hollywood's reliance on remakes and franchises, lamenting the loss of original storytelling in today’s industry. Although Kurier has a modest circulation of around 100,000, the story went viral online, amplified by outlets and fans eager to hear from the famously private star.

What Was in the Fake Interview

A fake article circulated over Eastwood’s birthday weekend, which added to its credibility. Although the Gran Torino actor has continued working in his 90s, the faux article portrayed him as someone who is somewhat reflective and disillusioned with today’s film industry. The piece had him reminiscing about the “good old days” of studio writing while taking shots at modern studios for their obsession with sequels and reboots. It even included some fabricated details about his personal life and his approach to directing some of his best movies.

The tone and content seemed plausible to casual readers, but red flags eventually emerged. Kurier hadn’t posted the article prominently on its main site, and the translation appeared oddly phrased, suggesting either bad reporting or outright fabrication. As the quotes spread, skepticism grew.

The outlet, for its part, has responded with a disclaimer, acknowledging the Richard Jewell director's denial and stating its editorial team is “investigating the matter,” though noting that time zone differences with the U.S. have delayed their internal response.

How Clint Eastwood Responded to the Fake Article

On Tuesday, Eastwood issued a brief but clear statement via his official representatives. The statement read:

That’s about as direct as it gets. The Cry Macho filmmaker isn’t known for engaging with internet gossip, but this case was different. The speed and scale of how the fake interview spread, paired with the intimate nature of the fabricated quotes, left the actor little choice but to address it head-on.

The Fallout From the Article

Celebrity misinformation isn’t new, but Eastwood’s case is a standout example of how fast phony stories can spread — and how even reputable outlets can be fooled. That so many outlets ran with the quotes before confirming their legitimacy shows how quickly the digital news cycle can overtake verification processes.

So yes, the A Fistful of Dollars star did just turn 95. No, he didn’t slam Hollywood in a European tabloid. And if you see quotes floating around from that interview, you can seemingly file them under fiction.

Clint Eastwood's latest film, Juror No. 2, was released in 2024, and you​​ can watch it with a Max subscription. There’s been a lot of talk that this might be his last movie, and if that’s true, it's not a bad way to wrap up a career. The legal thriller impressed both critics and audiences. We'll keep everyone updated if there’s any official word on his retirement.

The last movie Clint Eastwood directed was 2024's Juror #2 (which you can stream with a Max subscription). It was widely rumored to be his swan song, and audiences raved about the legal thriller, with the verdict of critics being that it is an enjoyable flick. However, that was not the end of his directorial career, as the 95-year-old recently explained why he plans to keep directing movies.

Clint Eastwood has been in the industry since the late ‘50s, when he starred in the Western TV series Rawhide, and continued to build a reputation in the Western genre. But the great actor became a great director, starting with 1971’s Play Misty For Me, and he hasn’t stopped directing since.

The Gran Torino actor has continued working in his 90s, with his explanation being that he’ll decide when enough is enough. Age alone will not impact his decision. The same is true now, too. With Juror #2 initially rumored to be Eastwood’s last movie before retiring, he told Austrian newspaper Kurier (via Reuters) why he plans to keep directing at 95:

The Mystic River director certainly hasn’t lost his touch. Like Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell cast once said, his movies stand the test of time as they create complex characters with incredible stories. Eastwood’s best movies as a director, like American Sniper and Unforgiven, do not shy away from intensity or moral ambiguity. The vision of the Golden Globe winner is still as clear as ever. So, why stop?

When talking about the current state of the film industry, Clint Eastwood also got real on missing the days of 1942’s Casablanca when filmmakers had new ideas. This is all the more reason why the Changeling director wants to continue making new flicks:

It’s a major relief when a director is interested in bringing original ideas to the big screen, compared to remakes and sequels we’re used to seeing. He's also said he loves to challenge himself and bring new elements to his films, and that kind of mentality has proved to work throughout his entire career. Juror #2 demonstrated that again, and fully solidified that age is but a number when it comes to this filmmaker and his career.

Even though Clint Eastwood turned 95, it doesn’t mean his directing days are over. With Kurier reporting that the American director is in good physical shape and in pre-production for another movie, it’s clear that creativity and drive for storytelling have no age limit.

The Night Agent’s Season 2 premiere on Netflix’s 2025 schedule means Gabriel Basso is about to be catapulted back into the spotlight because he plays the titular agent, Peter. However, while he’s the big name in this megahit series, he spent some time between seasons working on movies in smaller supporting roles. This included starring in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2, and now he’s opening up about working with the legendary director. Let me tell you, it sounds like a totally different experience from leading The Night Agent.

While chatting about Juror #2 on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon pulled up an image of Basso sitting next to Eastwood, who appeared to be giving him a direction. The host asked the actor if he remembered what the director was telling him at that moment, and in response, The Night Agent star joked:

Obviously, he’s joking, however, I would assume that it’s quite intimidating working with Clint Eastwood, especially since he’s one of the legendary great actors-turned-directors. Not to mention, Basso wasn’t the lead of this film.

For context, he plays James Michael Sythe in Juror #2, the man on trial for the murder that Nicholas Hoult’s titular juror is hearing. While Basso plays a pivotal part in the film, he’s also part of a much larger ensemble that includes Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch and more. So, that alone makes this a different experience from leading a show like The Night Agent.

However, adding the fact that he worked with Clint Eastwood makes matters even more distinct. While chatting about what it was like to collaborate with the “badass” director, Basso said:

While Basso is the badass in The Night Agent, there’s no question (I don’t think) that he can out cool someone like Eastwood, not many can.

To that point, the actor told a story about his director and working on Juror #2, noting that the filmmaker's “lore is just way cooler” than anyone else, and you know what, he’s right:

So, not only is Eastwood apparently quite charming, but, he also made a great movie with Juror #2 (as reviews show) at 94 years old, talk about impressive! Despite being ignored in theaters, the film has found its audience, and people love the story, cast and direction.

However, now, it’s time for Gabriel Basso to step back into the No. 1 spot as The Night Agent is set to premiere on the 2025 TV schedule on Thursday, January 23. So, make sure your Netflix subscriptions are ready for that, and in the meantime check out the actor in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 with a Max subscription.

Nicholas Hoult knew he had the opportunity of a lifetime when he signed on to Clint Eastwood’s latest critically acclaimed film, Juror No. 2. Eastwood is not only an incredibly accomplished director, but also one of the biggest film stars of all time. Actors for generations have looked up to the Oscar winner, and his unrelenting filmmaking endeavors. While working with the legendary movie star, Hoult asked for acting advice, and Eastwood responded with sound perspective on the art form.

In a recent interview with People Magazine Hoult opened up about working with the Dirty Harry star, and what made Eastwood different from many of the directors he’d worked with in the past. Hoult praised Eastwood, and also talked about his general creative process, and his more easy going approach to the artform. While some may have been intimidated to ask such an icon of American movies about acting advice, Hoult thought that not doing so would be a missed opportunity. He said:

This is pretty sound advice, as actors have frequently talked about the craft in terms of “becoming” a character. If you’ve done enough character work and know the person you're playing inside and out, behaving and responding as the character should be instinctual. If the emotionality is felt, acting emotionally should come naturally. Even as movies evolve and filmmaking techniques get more advanced, the bare-bones of performance technique seems to remain the same, even as Hollywood welcomes new generations of actors.

Of course, different actors have different approaches to character work. Some of the most intense performers like to embody their characters to their fullest extent. Daniel Day Lewis famously would embody and behave like his characters off screen. Jeremy Strong is also known for his intense character approach, often isolating himself during Succession to maintain his character’s head space. However, Clint Eastwood with his simplistic advice seems to have more of a “in the moment” approach to his characters, and maybe Nicholas Hoult will adapt this attitude as well.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Eastwood would have a “no frills” approach to acting, as this also seems to be his approach to filmmaking. The 94-year-old director famously does minimal takes during production. Matt Damon once said Eastwood expressed annoyance when he asked for more during Invictus. Clearly, the director relies a lot on his instincts and hopes that his actors do the same. There can be beauty in the mistakes, and if you take on Eastwood’s perspective to performance, nailing it in one take should be a breeze.

You can see Nicholas Hoult in Juror No. 2, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription. The Clint Eastwood-directed film is getting a lot of buzz and may be an awards contender, so make sure to check it out. For more information on other exciting titles available on the streaming service, consult our feature on the best movies on Max right now.

Excuse me, but what happened with the release of Juror #2 on the 2024 movie schedule? This film was directed by the legendary actor and “badass” director Clint Eastwood, and it features an all-star lineup of performers, including Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland. Not to mention, the movie is a heart-pounding courtroom thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. So, your honor, I ask again, why did the studio seemingly give up on this movie? Because people sure seem to love it (myself included).

Juror #2 Has Gotten Nowhere Near The Attention It Deserves From The Studio

Back in October, it became apparent that Warner Bros. was seemingly burying Juror #2. To be clear, this film, which was rumored to potentially be Eastwood’s last, was getting a very limited version of a limited release.

When the drama came out in October, Variety reported that the plan was to play it in less than 50 theaters, Vulture then noted that it played in 28 cinemas on its opening weekend. For context, AMC has 900 theaters across the world while Regal has 425 theaters in the US, that’s a massive number, and we aren’t even counting smaller chains and local cinemas yet. So, 28 is nothing, and at the time, there was no plan to expand Eastwood’s movie release either.

On top of that, WB did not report the film’s domestic box office grosses, which isn’t normal, and Variety noted that it wasn’t featured on the studio’s FYC page. However, it is now.

Notably, the film has gotten quite a bit of attention over all this, because as more people see the movie, they realize how great it is!

However, I Saw Juror #2 In Theaters, And I Loved It

As Juror #2 reactions from critics started to roll in, it became clear that this film was worth seeing. Plus, being familiar with Clint Eastwood’s best work and a fan of Nicholas Hoult’s finest films, I figured I’d enjoy it.

So, I drove 45 minutes out of my way to see Juror #2, because thankfully out of the ten AMCs I live within an hour of, one was playing it. And I was right, this movie rocks.

Following Hoult’s juror Justin as he goes through jury duty and deals with a serious personal dilemma related to the case he’s helping call the verdict for, this film is so enticing. The complexity of the issue at hand (which I don’t want to spoil) is what makes this movie so thrilling, and the way Hoult plays it out is near perfection.

Plus, when you mix Eastwood’s collected direction with the ensemble’s brilliant performances, you get a project that is honestly wonderful and deserving of attention. However, I’m not the only one who thinks this, critics and audiences do too.

I’m Not The Only One, Juror #2 Also Has An Outstanding Rotten Tomatoes Score

If you take a look at Rotten Tomatoes, it’s abundantly clear that Juror #2 is a hit among those who have seen it.

Take a moment to reflect on these numbers. Based on 135 critics’ reviews, this film’s Tomatometer sits at 93%. Meanwhile, over on the Popcornmeter, over 250 “verified ratings” from fans puts the flick at 92%. That’s guaranteed certified fresh right there, so now there’s really no telling why it was buried when it was initially released.

To add some reasoning to these numbers, here are a few reviews written by the fans:

• Just over halfway through and I can’t help but seeing the similarities with the classic Henry Fonda film 12 Angry men. Even some of the dialogue is the same. Really engrossed -Nigel S
• A powerful representation of one mans moral struggle to reconcile a past accident with his role as a new father and member of a jury in a life and death case. The dilemma is incredibly tense and performances captivating. -Paul
• Great movie. Definitely deserved more marketing. Will miss Clint and his talent. -Hugo G
• Juror #2 is another thought-provoking Clint Eastwood film that includes great acting, a subtle and interesting plot and leaves you thinking about the people and events depicted in the film. A moral dilemma with no easy solutions. WOW! Clint Eastwood delivers again. -midwesternmoviefan

Now, many other reviews from critics and fans alike point out that the movie is by no means perfect. However, it is compelling and wildly entertaining, so it’s confusing why it didn’t get much love from the studio during its release.

Thankfully, Juror #2 is about to be available to a much wider audience, because it’s out on VOD, and it will be steamable with a Max subscription starting December 20. So, hopefully, an entirely new and large audience will find and enjoy this courtroom thriller, because it deserves appreciation.

Clint Eastwood’s legal thriller Juror No. 2 has been wowing critics with its thought-provoking journey of a family man on jury duty faced with the moral dilemma of saving a defendant on trial for a murder the juror committed. But, would critics and audiences be watching what could be Eastwood’s final movie? The cast of the thriller-drama responds to the speculations of their director’s possible retirement as the rumor mill swirls.

The American Sniper director is living his best life at the ripe age of 94 years old. But after the release of Juror No. 2, rumors have been circulating that the legal thriller could be Clint Eastwood’s swan song. Allegations first circulated via DiscussingFilm in March 2023 about the Escape From Alcatraz actor directing his “final film.” RadarOnline added more fuel to the fire of those rumors with insiders making allegations of the actor-turned-director’s health worries and “gathering up the troops one last time” for Juror No. 2 after Cry Macho bombed.

While nothing has been confirmed that Juror No. 2 will be Clint Eastwood’s final project, the cast of the 2024 movie release has a few things to say regarding those rumors. Gabriel Basso, who plays the film’s accused murderer, told THR about his disbelief of his director’s retirement and how he could “stick it to everybody” for all we know:

The Golden Globe winner very well could just surprise everybody with another project we don’t know about. Clint Eastwood previously said he had no reason to stop working in his ‘90s believing audiences will say when they’ve had enough of his works. But, you can never have enough Eastwood! He’s got to be one of the best actor-directors out there with his directorial works like Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven giving him Oscar success later in life. Eastwood has the gift of directing films that can truly hit you in the gut like Mystic River, Changeling, Hereafter, and more. He proves that age has nothing to do with talent and that if you’ve got the strength, don’t let it go to waste.

Juror No. 2’s actress Toni Collete also told THR that she doesn’t believe Clint Eastwood’s days of cranking out projects are over either:

It doesn’t surprise me that the cast of Juror No. 2 spoke in high praises of their director. In fact, they had nothing but “badass” things to say about him like Chris Messina who found him “completely gentle” working on the thriller film expecting him to be a tough guy like his Western characters. The Julie & Julia actor remarked on his director’s great sense of humor and gave great notes working behind the camera. I wouldn’t blame any of the cast for wanting the legendary actor/director to continue making great works.

No one knows if Clint Eastwood’s time in the film industry will end after Juror No. 2. But it would be great if Eastwood could “stick it to everybody,” as Gabriel Basso said, and surprise us with a new movie to show it’s over for him when he says it’s over. Prepare to see the Oscar winner’s possible swan song in theaters on November 1st.

For those looking to cleanse their palette of all the horror movies that have been winning the box office, there’s a legal thriller hitting the 2024 movie calendar that might just do the trick. Juror No. 2 is the 40th and possibly final directorial project for 94-year-old Clint Eastwood and stars Nicholas Hoult as its titular character who finds himself in a pretty interesting moral dilemma. Critics have reached a verdict following the film’s premiere at AFI Fest, and they say the movie is quite enjoyable, despite its contrived plotline.

Juror No. 2 takes place, naturally, during a murder trial, where the eponymous jury member realizes that he is actually the one responsible for the death in question. Will he save the man on trial, or will he save himself? Peter Debruge of Variety calls the film “slightly preposterous but thoroughly engaging,” as Clint Eastwood challenges us to think outside the box in what may be his swan song. The critic writes:

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics rates the movie 3 stars out of 5, and similarly to the above critic, says the premise is “pretty far out there,” but it’s entertaining overall, allowing audiences to contemplate their own morality. Hopson continues:

Christian Zilko of IndieWire says the movie enriches our understanding of Clint Eastwood and serves as a character study about how we are not defined by our mistakes nor ever liberated from them. Zilko gives Juror No. 2 an A-, calling it one of the best studio films of 2024. The critic says:

Tim Grierson of Screen Daily praises Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal of a man with conflicting feelings of guilt, gratitude, fear and moral conscience. The movie moves at a brisk pace, inspires questions of our own ethics and provides the comfy pleasures of the best courtroom dramas. Grierson writes:

Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic gives it a “Fair” 3 out of 5 star rating, also saying that even with taut direction and solid performances, the plot strains credulity to its breaking point and will therefore not be remembered as one of Clint Eastwood’s strongest. Goodykoontz continues:

While its plot lacks believability and Juror No. 2 won’t stand beside Clint Eastwood’s more celebrated movies like Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby, critics largely agree that the director takes viewers on a thought-provoking and entertaining journey. If you want to see this one on the big screen, Juror No. 2 hits theaters on Friday, November 1.

On one level, politics is all about the performance of the candidate, so it makes sense that actors would also be attracted to the world of politics. There have been quite a few actors over the years who have run for political office, and many of those have won their races and served in roles from mayors of their small town, like Clint Eastwood, all the way up to President of the United States, like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Here are 32 examples of actors who have dabbled in politics over the years.

Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono was first known for being the his partnership with (and marriage to) Cher. Sonny and Cher had a slew of hits and a wildly popular show in the 1970s before splitting as partners and spouses. Bono stayed in show biz, appearing in movies like Airplane 2, and eventually turned his attention to governance. First, in 1988, he was elected mayor of Palm Springs, then in 1995 he ran for Congress and won, serving until his untimely death in a skiing accident in 1998.

Cynthia Nixon

...And Just Like That and The Gilded Age star Cynthia Nixon takes her advocacy and politics seriously. The actor, who takes a very progressive stance on most issues, ran for New York Governor in 2018. Though she didn't win, her voice in the race did raise many issues that have become staples of political campaigns in the state ever since.

Shirley Temple

She was the biggest little star of early Hollywood, but after her acting career, Shirley Temple got very involved in Republican politics for much of the latter half of the 20th Century. She ran unsuccessfully for a congressional seat in 1967 and later became a US diplomat, serving in Ghana and Czechoslovakia, as well as in other positions in Republican administrations.

Clint Eastwood

Few people in Hollywood are as iconic as director and actor Clint Eastwood. Though he wasn't the first actor to get into politics, his stint as mayor of his town, Camel-By-The-Sea, CA in the 1980s did open set a new precedent and opened the doors for other celebrities to get involved, no matter which side of the political aisle they stood on.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan is far better remembered and celebrated for his time in politics than his time in Hollywood, though his acting career for notable for movies like Knute Rockne, All American, and Bedtime For Bonzo. He shifted to politics in the 1960s, first as governor of California, then as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

Al Franken

Havard-educated Al Franken made a name for himself as one of the best comedy writers and stars of the '70s and '80s, writing for and starring in SNL and appearing in movies like Trading Places. In 2008 Franken ran as a Democrat for Senate in his home state of Minnesota. He won that race and won again in 2016 before resigning after a controversial photo emerged at the height of the #metoo movement.

Steven Michael Quezada

Albuquerque native and Breaking Bad star Steven Michael Quezada is passionate about his hometown and has served on the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners since 2017. Before that, he served on his local school board.

Melissa Gilbert

Melissa Gilbert gained fame as Laura Ingalls on Little House On The Prairie and was active in the Screen Actors Guild throughout her career in Hollywood, eventually serving as the union's president between 2001 and 2005. In 2016 Gilbert ran for Congress in Michigan but dropped out early in the race.

Hill Harper

Hill Harper first found fame in CSI: NY and later as a cast member of The Good Doctor. In 2024, he parlayed that fame into a Senate run in Michigan as a progressive candidate. Harper had long been active in politics, though he lost in the Democratic primary to Representative Elissa Slotkin.

Fred Grandy

Fred Grandy is most famous to TV audiences for playing Gopher in The Love Boat, but he's been connected to politics his whole life. His roommate at boarding school was President Dwight Eisenhower's son David and Grady even served as the Best Man when David married Julie Nixon at The White House in 1972. Grady served four terms in Congress, starting in 1987, as a Republican Representative from his home state of Iowa. He ran for Governor of Iowa in 1994 but lost.

Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura is a rarity in Congress. Not only did he first get famous as a professional wrestler and later star in movies like Predator and The Running Man with fellow actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was elected as Governor of Minnesota as a third-party candidate. As the only member of the Reform Party to ever win major office, he served one term in the state house after first getting into politics as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN.

George Takei

Beloved Star Trek star George Takei has been active in politics for more than five decades. Not only is he a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, he has worked in local LA politics since the 1970s. He ran for local office in 1973, was later appointed to the mass transit board in LA, and ran for California State Assemblyman in 1978.

Gil Hill

Gil Hill was best known for playing Inspector Todd, Axel Foley's boss in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. The late Hill was a police officer, which is how he ended up playing the police inspector in the movies, his only Hollywood role. In 1994 he was elected to the Detroit City Council and became President of the board in 1997. In 2001 he ran for mayor but lost to the notorious Kwame Kilpatrick.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Other than Ronald Reagan, the most famous actor-turned-politician has to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before conquering Hollywood completely, the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger became an American citizen in 1983 and registered as a Republican. He's first official foray into politics was as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under George H.W. Bush in the early '90s. In August of 2003, the Terminator star announced he would be running for Governor of California and won in a special recall election later in the year. In 2007 Schwarzenegger was reelected to serve a full term, retiring from the Governor's mansion in 2011.

Will Rogers

Entertainer Will Rogers never had an official capacity in government, though he was named honorary major of Beverly Hills for two days in 1926. Still, the legendary vaudeville actor and humorist was actively involved in politics his whole life and even ran a fake campaign for President in 1928 to highlight the absurdities of campaigning.

Glenda Jackson

American actors are not the only ones who have gotten involved in politics. English actress, and two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson gave up show business to run Parliament as a member of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. Jackson was first elected to Parliament in 1992 and served for 23 years before retiring and returning to acting in 2015. Jackson passed away in 2023.

Donald Trump

This entry doesn't need much explanation; it's obvious. Donald Trump, though not an actor per se, found a lot of success in the entertainment business with cameos in movies like Home Alone 2: Alone in New York and Zoolander, and, of course, starring on the hit reality show The Apprentice. Trump parlayed that notoriety into a White House run in 2016, and the rest is history.

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson was known for playing stern characters like an Admiral in Top Gun and probably most famously as District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order. He also served nine years as a Republican Senator from his home state of Tennessee from 1994 until 2003. Thompson ran for president in 2008 but lost in the primary to John McCain.

Diane Neal

While Fred Thompson may be the most famous actor in the Law & Order universe to get into politics, he wasn't alone. Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal ran for Congress in New York in 2020 as a progressive independent, but finished a distant last in a four-person race won by Democrat Antonio Delgado.

Sonny Landham

Almost everyone knows that two members of the cast of Predator became governors, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura both serving as such. But they weren't the only cast members to run. Sonny Landham, who played Billy Sole in the movie, ran in the Republican primary in the race for Governor of Kentucky. Though he lost that race, he stayed involved in Kentucky politics, running for various offices over the years without winning. Landham died in 2017.

Sheila Kuehl

Sheila Kuehl started acting on television in the 1950s and is best know for her role as Zelda on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in the early '60s. In the early '70s she left show business and became a lawyer. Since 1994 Kuehl has served in numerous appointed and elected positions in California and has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Ben Jones

Though Ben Jones played kind of an idiot on The Dukes of Hazzard (the mechanic, Cooter), in his real life, he served two terms in Congress as a Democrat representative from Georgia. He'd long been involved in political movements dating back to the '60s when he was active in the Civil Rights Movement in the South.

Kimberlin Brown

Soap opera legend Kimberlin Brown has played the role on Sheila Carter in well of 1000 episodes of soaps, most notably The Bold And The Beautiful. In 2016 she became a staunch advocate from Donald Trump and spoke at the Republican National Convention that year. In 2018 she ran for Congress in California's 36th District, losing to incumbent Raul Ruiz.

Ralph Waite

Ralph Waite is most famous for playing the patriarch of the Walton family in The Waltons in the 1970s. Later he starred as Jackson Gibbs, father of Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in NCIS. Three times Waite ran for Congress as a Democrat in California, including once in a special election to replace the recently deceased Sonny Bono in 1998. Later that year he ran again for the same seat in the general election. He lost both races to Bono's widow, Mary Bono.

George Murphy

Before Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, there was another actor who won a statewide election in California. George Murphy served as a Republican Senator from California for one term from 1965 until 1972. Before that, he was also president of the Screen Actors Guild and starred in some of the biggest musicals of the 1930s and '40s.

Antonio Sabàto Jr.

Antonio Sabàto Jr. made a name for himself as a model and actor in the 1990s, starring on shows like General Hospital and Melrose Place. He has long been a staple of Reality TV in the years since. In 2018, Sabàto ran for Congress as a Republican in California's 26th District. He lost to incumbent Julia Brownley in the heavily Democratic district.

Tex Ritter

Tex Ritter was a legendary actor in Westerns and on stage as a country singer. He was also the father of the late, great John Ritter. In 1970 he for the Senate in the Republican primary in Tennessee, but lost to Bill Brock. Brock went on to pull off an upset in the general election when he defeated Al Gore, Sr.

Park Overall

Park Overall is best known to sitcom fans as the sassy nurse on Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls. In 2012, she was a progressive candidate for a Tennessee Senate seat and finished third in the Democratic Primary.

Stephen Peace

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is one of the all-time great B-movies from the 1970s. The man behind the whole series is producer and actor Stephen Peace. The low-budget movie became such a hit in video rentals that it spawned a franchise. After developing the first film, Peace got into politics, first getting elected to the California State Assembly in 1982, where he served for 12 years before moving to the State Senate in 1994 and serving eight more years there.

Bob Dornan

As an actor, Bob Dornan is best known for his recurring role as a pilot in the legendary ABC series 12 O'Clock High. He is far better known for his staunch conservative politics as a Congressman from California for almost twenty years from the '70s until the '90s.

Tracy Brabin

Coronation Street star Tracy Brabin entered politics in 2016 when she stood for a seat in Parliament in the U.K. as a Labour Party candidate. She won the seat and served in the House of Commons for five years, leaving in 2021 to stand for mayor of West Yorkshire. She's served in that role since winning that year.

Alan Autry

After a brief career as a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers (starting three games in 1976), Alan Autry turned to Hollywood and co-starred as Bubba Skinner on NBC's In The Heat Of The Night. He left show business after becoming a born-again Christian and settled in Fresno, CA. He served as the mayor of Fresno for two terms before leaving because of term limits in 2008.

It can be pretty amusing when two celebrities look enough alike to confuse people. Jesse Plemons, for instance, has said he’s been mistaken for Matt Damon, and the Vampire Diaries cast has a whole running joke about Paul Wesley looking like Justin Bieber. The entertainment industry is full of pretty people, after all, so if fans are going to get mixed up, at least the comparison is usually flattering. Apparently that’s not the case when it’s your mom, though, or David Spade’s mom to be exact. The Saturday Night Live veteran revealed who his mother said he looks like, and he could not sound more disappointed.

David Spade shared this peek into the mind of his mother on his Fly on the Wall podcast, where he explained how she came to the conclusion that her son resembled none other than Clint Eastwood. The Tommy Boy actor said:

That was certainly not where I would have thought the conversation was going, and apparently David Spade was just as surprised. But who knows a son better than his mother, right? So, does he resemble the four-time Oscar winner?

Sorry, mom, I don't really see it. Clint Eastwood stays clean-shaven for most of his professional work, so we don’t get the beard David Spade’s mom talked about, but I can see maybe a similar thing going on with their hair.

David Spade’s hangup seemed to be more about the age, and I can understand a 59-year-old man not wanting to be compared to someone who’s 94 (not 97, as the comedian said on the podcast). However, while he’s closer in age to Brad Pitt and George Clooney, I’m not sure I’d buy the Ocean’s Eleven stars as Spade look-alikes either.

One thing’s for sure, though. David Spade wasn’t getting confused for any other celebrity when he dressed up as his titular character from Joe Dirt over the Fourth of July. That big mullet, complete with goatee and sideburns is pretty unique, to say the least, especially when Spade starts spouting some of the funniest lines from the movie.

The actor may not have been too impressed with his mom comparing his appearance to Clint Eastwood, but she undoubtedly meant it as a compliment. After all, the Million Dollar Baby star has to be one of the better-looking nonagenarians, right?

American actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood just turned 94 years old today. Known for his acting and directorial skills in some of the best Western movies of all time, Eastwood isn’t letting age stop him from filmmaking. With his upcoming movie Juror No. 2 under his belt, a cast member of the American thriller has nothing but “badass” things to say about him.

The last time Clint Eastwood was behind the camera was when he filmed Cry Macho back in 2021. Back in November, he was still putting his directorial talents to good use on the set of his next movie Juror No. 2 which resumed production once the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike ended. The Mindy Project’s Chris Messina, who worked with Eastwood on Juror No. 2, got honest in December about his initial expectations for the Dirty Harry actor. He recalled to People:

I feel like I would have the same expectations. If you take a look at Clint Eastwood’s best movies, one thing his characters have in common is their gritty, tough-guy personas. Whether it’s an unorthodox police inspector from the Dirty Harry series, a hardened boxer trainer in Million Dollar Baby, or a grizzled Korean War veteran in Gran Torino, it can be easy to believe you’re going to work with a director with as much grit as his memorable characters. But based on Chris Messina's kind words, it looks like the real-life Eastwood has a “gentle” personality with a light-hearted nature to him.

When Chris Messina spoke to People about working with Clint Eastwood, his Juror No. 2 director was only 93 at the time. Back then, the Julie & Julia actor had badass things to say about him that I’d like to believe would still ring true today at Eastwood’s new age of 94.

I have every reason to believe that Clint Eastwood is a “badass.” While many use this time in their ‘90s to retire and slow down, the Unforgiven actor and director previously said he still plans to work because he hasn’t found any excuse not to. Given what a Hollywood legend Eastwood is, I'm sure audiences aren’t going to refuse to see his movies no matter how old he is. It seems like he still has the strength to deliver more powerful films to the world of cinema.

Juror No. 2 is the latest Clint Eastwood movie that follows the plot of a jury member who believes he may be responsible for the victim’s death. Other than Chris Messina, the star-studded cast of the new thriller includes Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Keifer Sutherland, and more. While postproduction wrapped up in April, a release date still hasn’t been set yet.

At having just turned 94 years old today, Clint Eastwood’s Juror No.2 actor Chris Messina confirms that his director is still a “badass” in his ‘90s as well as a “gentle” soul. It’s very inspiring to see Eastwood not letting age stop him from doing what he loves. Check in with our 2024 movie releases just in case Juror No. 2 makes its way there. Happy birthday, Clint Eastwood!

Acting and directing are two very different skills, and for someone to be able to do both is a mark of a hard-working and talented person. It doesn't always work out for actors, but it's remarkable how often it does. Here are 32 such examples of great actors who became great directors as well. 

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood's career has lasted an unbelievable eight decades. He started humbling with small roles in the '50s and as the decades have gone on, he's only gotten bigger and bigger. After directing his first movie, 1971's Play Misty for Me, he's gone on to helm a remarkable 39 more and has won 2 Best Director Oscars, for 1993's Unforgiven and 2005's Million Dollar Baby.

Ron Howard

Ron Howard has been in the lives and living rooms of Americans since he was just a kid as an actor on The Andy Griffith Show. He went on to star in Happy Days in the 1970s before directing his first low-budget film, Grand Theft Auto, in 1977. He's since gone on to direct such classics as Splash, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and many others. 

Bradley Cooper

If the start of Bradley Cooper's directing career is any indication, you can expect huge things. So far, the actor-turned-director has only helmed two movies, A Star Is Born and Maestro and both have been nominated for Best Picture Oscars. Not a shabby record. 

Penny Marshall

Penny Marshall got her first big break on the sitcom The Odd Couple but became a household name as Lavern in Lavern & Shirley. She didn't stay in TV though, instead, she started directing and made two of the most beloved Gen X movies of all time, Big and A League of Their Own. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck might not have been the first actor you picked to become a director, but his stellar career as an actor is matched by his work as a director. In fact, though he's never won an acting Oscar (something that should be remedied), he did win Best Director for Argo. 

Robert Redford

By the time Robert Redford directed his first movie, Ordinary People, in 1980, he was already one of the most legendary film stars ever. The second half of his career is as known for his directing as it is for his acting, with movies like Quiz Show and A River Runs Through It.

Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau's acting career started humbling with supporting roles in movies like Rudy and PCU. After he wrote and starred in Swingers, his star shined a little brighter. That was only the beginning though. Favreau has the honor of directing the movie that launched the most successful film franchise of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Iron Man and its sequel. He's since moved on to Disney live-action remakes with The Lion King and The Jungle Book. Oh, and he also directed one of the most beloved holiday movies ever with. Elf.

Mel Gibson

The controversial career of Mel Gibson began with a small movie that made huge waves in his native Australia. Mad Max made him famous and by the late late-'80s, he was one of the biggest stars in the world. He then moved into directing and reached his pinnacle early with Braveheart for which he won Best Director. 

Richard Attenborough

As an actor, Richard Attenborough starred in massive hits across generations with movies like The Great Escape and Jurassic Park. As a director, he helmed some of the best biopics of all time, like Gandhi, A Cry Freedom, and Chaplin as well a the legendary war flick, A Bridge Too Far. 

Regina King

Regina King's directorial career is only getting started, but judging by her first movie, One Night In Miami, the future is bright. So far, the Academy Award-winning actress has mostly directed TV shows, but you can be sure more films will be coming her way.

Denzel Washington

What can we say about Denzel Washington that hasn't already been said? He's a living legend at this point, as a multiple Oscar winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He's also one heck of a director with movies like Fences and The Great Debaters.

John Krasinski

John Krasinski became part of our collective family as Jim on The Office. Who would have thought from that role, his career in Hollywood would reach the point that he is a major power player? Now that he's moved into directing, the sky is truly the limit. The first movie Krasinski directed, The Hollars, made for a humble beginning, but his second, A Quiet Place established him as a force to reckon with and it's since become a franchise.

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks might not have been an actor you'd have guessed would go into directing, like others on this list, but she has in a big way. She has shown she can direct blockbusters like Pitch Perfect 2 and indie darlings like that one about the bear who indulges in some, uh, white powder he finds, and goes on a rampage.

Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig is quickly becoming a voice of a generation. Her direction and writing of Barbie has been praised far and wide for its snappy dialog and heartfelt message. Gerwig's acting career started in the mid-'00s when she was mostly in smaller, supporting roles. Since moving into directing, she's become a huge star.

Jordan Peele

Key & Peele was a huge hit for Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key, and made them both stars. No one expected Peele to turn to directing horror movies, but that's exactly what he did and we should all be grateful for it. With massive hits like Get Out, Nope, and Us, the future is bright for Peele and for all of us too, who will get to watch his work.

Rob Reiner

Though he had a leg up coming from a Hollywood family, Rob Reiner has staked out a claim all his own in the entertainment business. First as an actor on the hit show All in the Family, then as the director of some of the most loved movies of all time. Starting with his first movie, This is Spinal Tap, and running through the '80s and early '90s, he had an unbelievable run that included The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and Misery. Wow!

George Clooney

Not only is George Clooney one of the most bankable movie stars ever, he's also a fantastic director. His acting career is legendary and his directing career, while not quite at the level of his acting, is still fantastic. He's directed TV (Catch-22) and movies (The Boys In The Boat, The Midnight Sky, Good Night, and Good Luck, among others) and you can be sure there will be more from him.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's directing career hasn't always gotten the best reviews, but I'd say her movies are very underrated. The talented actress has an eye for behind the camera as well, and movies like Unbroken and First They Killed My Father are powerful movies.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton's acting career came on as a slow burn to fame, but his directing career started with a band. His first film was a masterpiece called Sling Blade. he followed that up with the underrated All The Pretty Horse and a few others, though his pace has slowed over the last couple of decades. Let's hope he finds that directing bug again. 

Ben Stiller

There was a time in the '90s and '00s when it seemed like Ben Stiller was in every movie released. Not only was he working hard in front of the camera, he was killing it behind the camera as well. Starting really with Reality Bites, and moving on to great movies like the controversial but hilarious Tropic Thunder, and the Zoolander movies. 

Jodie Foster

The great Jodie Foster has been an acclaimed actor and star since her teenage years and of course, that talent has translated to directing. Though lately she's done mostly TV work like directing episodes of Black Mirror and Orange is the New Black, she's done a few movies too, like Little Man Tate and Money Monster.

Kevin Costner

In addition to being one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Kevin Costner has never shied away from making epic films. Though he's only directed four movies in his career, they have all been big films. Starting with Dances With Wolves in 1990, he's since directed The Postman, Open Range, and 2024's Horizon: An American Saga.

Tim Robbins

The directing bug caught Tim Robbins in the early '90s and he directed a couple of great movies with Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking. He's directed a smattering of movies and TV shows more recently, but he's mostly stuck to acting over the last few years. 

Sean Penn

Since the early 1980s, Sean Penn has been wowing moviegoers with his impressive acting chops and diversity. In the '90s he dipped his toe into directing with his first film, The Indian Runner and has directed a good handful of movies since, with his best being Into The Wild in 2007. 

Zach Braff

Acting-wise Zach Braff's big break came as a regular cast member of the hit sitcom Scrubs. As a directed, he burst onto the scene with his very first movie, Garden State in 2004. He's continued directing here and there over the last 20 years, including the great movie about getting older, Going In Style, and a few others, in addition to some TV work. 

Warren Beatty

In the 1970s, there was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty. By the end of the decade, he had moved into directing as well, starting with 1978's Heaven Can Wait and continuing the '80s and '90s with acclaimed movies like Red and maybe his most remembered, Dick Tracy in 1990.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is a force of nature. For decades she's been one of the best and most popular actresses in Hollywood, and though she's only dipped her toes into directing, mostly in TV, she's on this list for one important reason. Keaton directed the music video for "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle and that is a stone-cold Gen X classic. 

Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh might be as well known for his directing as he is for his acting, and that's really saying something. Not only has he directed some of the best Shakespeare adaptions for the silver screen, but more recently he's been killing it with his Agatha Christie adaptations. 

Leonard Nimoy

Appropriately, Leonard Nimoy's first foray into feature film direction came in the Star Trek franchise when he directed both Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Outside of the iconic franchise he helped make famous he also directed the beloved Three Men and a Baby. 

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone has always been a self-starter. His work to get the original Rocky made is legendary and after it made him a huge star, he wasted no time getting into directing, starting with Rocky II and adding Rocky III, Rocky IV, and 2006's Rocky Balboa as well. Of course, he's also directed in two other franchises he was at the center of with 2008's Rambo and the first Expendable movie. 

Helen Hunt

This one might surprise you, but Helen Hunt has had an impressive career as a director. Most of her work has been on television on shows varying from her own Mad About You and This Is Us. She also has two feature films under her belt with 2007's Then She Found Me and 2014's Ride. 

Joel Edgerton

Joel Edgerton is seemingly everywhere these days, popping up in all kinds of movies and TV shows from Star Wars stuff to Dark Matter. He's also started directing, but his output is limited, with 2015's underrated The Gift and 2018 Boy Erased. Let's hope he finds more time to direct in his busy schedule. 

Before Dumb and Dumber was introduced to Jeff Daniels, he established himself as a dramatic actor. You’d see him in a lot of serious movies like the box office weekend hit Terms of Endearment, Arachnophobia, Speed and more. When Daniels took on the role of air-headed Harry Dunne in Dumb and Dumber, he was afraid the buddy comedy’s infamous toilet scene would put his own career in the shitter (ignore the pun), that is, until he caught Clint Eastwood’s reaction.

Dumb and Dumber may already be one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, but USA Today reported that Jeff Daniels also had to get himself into some comedy hijinks in order to stand out in the film as well. When Daniels read in the script that his character would have an explosive intestinal purge in the toilet after drinking laxative-spiked tea, he admitted being afraid this particular scene would destroy his career. As he recalled:

It’s true that Jeff Daniels really did go all out in his hilarious scene moving his pelvis around and making that animated facial reaction while uncomfortably doing his business. Especially since I’m assuming the sound effects were placed in post-production, I’m sure the Fly Away Home actor had to stick with his imagination on how bad his character’s bodily functions were without knowing what sounds were going to be put in place. It makes the scene all the more hysterical when it’s revealed the toilet was broken!

It’s comedic moments like exploding in someone else's toilet why Dumb and Dumber is one of the best movies of the ‘90s. It’s a situation that could sadly be relatable to any of us, because when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Just when Jeff Daniels thought the toilet scene would be his own career down the toilet, he discovered a fan of the Peter Farrelly comedy flick. Clint Eastwood, known for starring in the best Western movies, introduced himself to Daniels at a celebrity golf tournament and went raving about his legendary toilet scene:

What did I tell you? Audiences can watch this scene in Dumb and Dumber and look back to their own humiliating moment on the toilet in full laughter. It's all the more reason why Dumb and Dumber is a good comedy to watch when you need some cheering up. With the toilet scene and the great improvised film moment of what the most annoying sound in the world is, it would be impossible not to feel good after.

It’s hard to believe that New Line Cinema originally wanted no part of Jeff Daniels because of his reputation as a dramatic actor. Even Daniels’ agents discouraged him from going in the direction of Dumb and Dumber, afraid of what it would do to his career. But the Man in Full actor wanted to challenge himself with a comedy and work with Jim Carrey. To think that the studio offered Daniels a ridiculous salary of $50,000 to Carrey’s $7 million thinking he’d turn it down, only to go on accepting it.

Fortunately, the Emmy Award winner’s career is still alive and well 30 years later. While Jeff Daniels may have initially had fears doing Dumb and Dumber’s toilet scene, he made sure to mention how grateful he is for it now.

Just when Jeff Daniels thought an embarrassing collaboration with a busted toilet in Dumb and Dumber would ruin his acting career, Clint Eastwood commended him for portraying a moment similar to what the Dirty Harry actor went through. It proves you really do have to "plunge" right in and take risks in your comedy with the hopes it'll be celebrated by fans.

30 years later, Jeff Daniels has a prominent acting career with Season 2 of the crime drama American Rust just released in March on your Amazon Prime subscription. You can also watch his new drama miniseries A Man in Full with your Netflix subscription and take a look at our 2024 movie releases for any cinematic projects of his.

Some actors are best known and even defined by a single character that has captured the hearts of audiences all over the world. However, in many cases, said iconic character does not necessarily reflect the performer’s strongest performance, which they often tend to save for the role that they hope will earn them an Academy Award nomination or, at least, challenges them the most. The following is our attempt to distinguish the most iconic roles from our choices picks for the absolute best roles of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Chris Evans

The role that skyrocketed Chris Evans to the A-list and the one he will always be most famous for is Steve "Captain America" Rogers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, his talents are even better utilized in his scene-stealing performance in the Knives Out cast as the hilariously smug and conniving Ransom Drysdale.

Amy Adams

The world first fell in love with Amy Adams when she absolutely nailed the Disney Princess schtick as Giselle in 2007’s Enchanted. Yet, she is truly a captivating, commanding, and heartbreaking force to be reckoned with in Denis Villeneuve’s powerful 2016 alien invasion movie, Arrival, as linguistics expert Louise Banks — which, surprisingly, is not one of the six roles that earned her an Oscar nomination.

Kurt Russell

For many people, when they see Kurt Russell, they see the dystopian anti-hero Snake Plissken in Escape from New York from 1981 or helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in another great John Carpenter movie, 1982’s The Thing. Yet, even the actor’s biggest fans might agree that those performances pale in comparison to his acclaimed portrayal of Wyatt Earp in the 1993 Western movie classic, Tombstone.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie first captivated audiences everywhere as Naomi Lapaglia in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street and her portrayal of Harley Quinn in the DCEU immediately became one of the Batman villain’s most essential iterations. However, the Australian actor gave, arguably, her most captivating and essential performance as infamous figure skating champion Tonya Harding in the 2017 biopic, I, Tonya, which also earned her her first Oscar nomination.

Nicolas Cage 

Nicolas Cage is at his most iconic when he is at his most unhinged and few characters define that better than Castor Troy — a ruthless terrorist who switches faces with FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) in Face/Off. Of course, it is Cage's performance as severe alcoholic Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas that earned him an Oscar win.

Julia Roberts 

Having been referred to as the Queen of rom-coms, it would make sense to call Julia Roberts’ strongest contribution to the genre — Vivian Ward from 1990’s Pretty Woman — the most iconic of her career. Yet, her strongest contribution to cinema might actually be her Academy Award-winning performance in the title role of 2000’s Erin Brockovich, which is based on the true story of a legal assistant’s crusade in a California water pollution scandal. 

Tom Hanks

Our choices for both the most iconic role and the best role of Tom Hanks’ career each earned him an Academy Award. While the lovable title hero of 1994’s Forrest Gump is easily the more famous, the actor is at his most gripping and moving as gay, HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia from the previous year.

Ryan Gosling

Playing Noah in 2004's romantic instant classic The Notebook broke Ryan Gosling into the mainstream and playing the nameless wheelman protagonist of 2011's Drive showed his action star potential. The first time critics and audiences truly began to notice his strengths as a versatile performer, however, was when he played a teacher wrestling with his vices in 2006's Half Nelson.

Robert Downey, Jr.

There was no better choice to play Tony "Iron Man" Stark — the role that effectively resurrected Robert Downey Jr.'s career — in what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, has the actor truly ever been better than when he played Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer cast in 2023? Just ask the Academy.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence breathed refreshing new life into the cinematic version of YA dystopian novel hero Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movies. She especially breathed refreshing life into the already beautiful story of love and self-acceptance at the center of Silver Linings Playbook with her Oscar-winning performance as the widowed Tiffany Maxwell.

Jim Carrey

The one role that best represents Jim Carrey’s one-of-a kind erratic style of physical comedy is the ceaselessly goofy title hero of 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. There are certainly traces of that persona in unwitting TV star Truman Burbank from 1998’s The Truman Show, but the performance brought out a certain emotional depth and devastating earnestness we had not yet seen from the actor.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson was already a top A-lister when she was cast as Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff for the MCU — a role that, arguably, became bigger than the actor herself. Yet, her infectious, Oscar-nominated performance in 2019’s Jojo Rabbit as Rosie — the mother of a young aspiring Nazi who is secretly hiding a young Jewish woman — is the heart and soul of Taika Waititi’s dazzling World War II-era satire.

Matt Damon

Is there anything better than watching Matt Damon kick butt in the Jason Bourne movies as the titular amnesiac spy? How about watching him pour out his heart and soul as a young and brilliant, but emotionally troubled custodian in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which he also co-wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for?

Jamie Lee Curtis

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween may have made her the ultimate horror Scream Queen and playing IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once may have finally earned her an Oscar, but neither reflect her absolute best work in our opinion. Her Golden Globe-winning role as Helen Tasker — a woman who discovers her husband (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a spy — shows the extent of her versatile range and is easily the performance from 1994’s True Lies.

Michael Keaton

When you think of Michael Keaton, the first character you picture could be Bruce Wayne from Tim Burton's live-action Batman movies or the title role of another Burton classic called Beetlejuice. Yet, the actor's defining role might really be the one that earned him his first Academy Award nomination: down-and-out actor Riggan Thomson in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

Adam Driver

Typically, any Star Wars actor can call their role in the celebrated sci-fi franchise the most famous character they have ever played and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is certainly no exception. His performance as the Sith Lord is an essential highlight of the sequel trilogy, but his rich, emotionally devastating, and uniquely funny performance as Charlie Barber in 2019’s Marriage Story — his second Oscar-nominated role — really proved he was a force to behold.

Clint Eastwood

The Mount Rushmore of Western Movie Stars undeniably includes Clint Eastwood, whose own carving into the monument would probably be dressed like his three roles from Sergio Leone's "The Man with No Name" or "Dollars" Trilogy — made of up A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Well, forgive us, but we believe that coldblooded-killer turned mild-mannered family man William Munny from 1992’s Unforgiven — which he also directed — is his stronger and deeper contribution to the genre.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams is transcendent as the ultimate ruthless teen queen, Regina George, in the 2004 high school movie classic, Mean Girls. Yet, she is at her most grounded and most captivatingly understated in her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Boston Globe investigative journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in 2015’s Spotlight.

Tom Cruise 

Among Tom Cruise’s many iconic roles — especially Maverick in the Top Gun movies and Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible movies — we are not sure that we would include Ron Kovic in that least. Yet, we do believe the actor has never been better than in his impassioned, Academy Award-nominated portrayal of the real-life Vietnam vet-turned-war-protester in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July.

Emma Watson

Most people — especially Harry Potter fans — still see Hermione Graigner whenever they see Emma Watson. However, one role that came closest to replacing the talented wizard as the British actor’s most celebrated work is Sam Button from the tender 2012 coming-of-age drama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is the face of two of cinema’s most iconic action movie heroes: Indiana Jones and Han Solo from the Star Wars movies. Yet, we have seen the legend give a performance as intense, grounded, and human as Detective Captain John Book in Witness, which also earned him his sole Academy Award nomination.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges had already achieved a storied and widely acclaimed career by the time he landed his definitive role as freewheeling burnout, The Dude, in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 cult favorite comedy classic, The Big Lebowski. It would take another 12 years before he gave his definitive performance as disillusioned country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, which made him an Oscar winner.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jack Dawson from James Cameron’s high-grossing Best Picture Oscar winner, 1997’s Titanic, remains the one role Leonardo DiCaprio is most often associated with despite winning his Oscar for 2015’s The Revenant. However, it is his remarkable portrayal of Howard Hughes, from his rise as an inventive aristocrat to his falls as a disturbed recluse, that earns the highest praise from us. 

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has an extraordinary collection of unique characters under her belt, but none are quite as distinct or recognizable as Satine in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical smash, Moulin Rouge! Yet, the following year saw her give a transformative, Oscar-winning performance in The Hours as renowned author Virginia Woolf during a dismal time in her life.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale had audiences floored by his performance as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, which solidified him as one of the best Batman actors in cinematic history. However, we believe we already saw him at his best in 2000’s American Psycho, giving a brilliantly nuanced performance as a strangely compelling sociopath named Patrick Bateman.

Natalie Portman

Rewatching the Star Wars prequel trilogy is made easier for even its harshest critics by Natalie Portman’s empowering, grounding, and ultimately heartbreaking performance as Naboo’s queen-turned-senator, Padmé Amidala. Yet, we have it on good authority that even those fans of a galaxy far, far away would rather rewatch 2010’s Black Swan and experience her unsettling, bravura, Academy Award-winning turn as Nina Sayers — a ballerina driven mad by her devotion to the lead role of Swan Lake.

Daniel Radcliffe 

Daniel Radcliffe certainly made for a great “The Boy Who Lived” in the Harry Potter movies, but even some of the franchise’s biggest fans might agree that the English actor has only gotten better since exiting the Wizarding World. In fact, some might say he has gotten better as the roles got weirder, and none have been weirder than when he starred in 2022’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story as a hilariously exaggerated version of the legendary musical parodist.

Kate Winslet

Much like Titanic made Leonardo DiCaprio a star, starring in the blockbuster historical tragedy as Rose Bukater turned Kate Winslet into one of the top actors of her time. In spite of her wonderful performance there, many would agree the role mainly paved the way for even better opportunities, such as her Oscar-winning performance in 2008’s The Reader as Hanna Schmitz.

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac was certainly on the path to achieving A-list status before joining the cast of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but playing the charming resistance pilot was his one-way ticket across the bridge. That same year, however, he delivered a captivatingly complex and intriguingly layered performance as tech innovator Nathan Bateman in Alex Garland’s classic A24 sci-fi drama, Ex Machina

Reese Witherspoon

As Elle Woods in 2001’s Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon brings warmth, humor, and authenticity to a character who could have easily been an annoying, one-note stereotype. As June Carter Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line, she absolutely steals the show from Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny Cash with her powerful, Oscar-winning portrayal of the legendary singer.

Henry Cavill

Being, essentially, the spitting image of Clark Kent made Henry Cavill an ideal choice to play Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, but not quite the perfect choice. The English actor’s signature charm, charisma, and sense of humor shine through much stronger as American secret agent Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which we think is gleaming proof of his 007 material.

Brie Larson

You could say that Carol Danvers has become such a popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because Brie Larson is the one portraying her in Captain Marvel and subsequent films. For that, we can likely thank her magnificent, heart-wrenching, Oscar-winning performance in 2015’s Room as a single mother held captive with her son.

There are the characters we cherish and the performances we adore. Both are equally important reasons for why we love our favorite actors.

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

The directors on this list are among the greatest in the history of cinema, with films that are considered the best of all time; films that will never be forgotten. What about those movies they brought all their tremendous talents to, but which aren’t remembered as well? Here is our list of great movies, by great directors, that don’t get talked about enough these days. 

The Frighteners - Peter Jackson

The Frighteners is such a great movie, and it’s criminally underrated. No, it's not as sprawling or overwhelming as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, but it has all the heart and more. Michael J. Fox leads as a con man/exorcist who can see and interact with ghosts. The Frightners is really funny, well-paced, and delightful. 

The King Of Comedy - Martin Scorsese 

When you think of Martin Scorsese, “comedy” is not usually the first word that pops into your head, but The King Of Comedy is really a pretty great movie, and while it’s technically a comedy, it’s really dark. Goodfellas has some comedy in it, like Joe Pesci acting like a clown… but a true (dark) comedy? This Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis-led film stands alone in Scorsese’s canon. 

Peggy Sue Got Married - Francis Ford Coppola

Peggy Sue Got Married is a deceptively simple film. Unlike Francis Ford Coppola’s more-talked-about epics like The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now, this film, starring Nicolas Cage and Kathleen Turner, is smaller, but that doesn’t mean it’s lesser. It’s a weird time-travel tale, but at its heart, it’s really a love story, and while it's not Coppola’s best work, it’s well worth a watch and should be talked about more often. 

Jackie Brown - Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Taratino has famously said that his next movie, his 10th, could be his last. Whether that holds true or not remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet Jackie Brown will still be his least talked about.

Strange Days - Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow’s won Oscars (for The Hurt Locker) and she’s directed cult classics (Point Break). Strange Days is certainly closer to the latter. In it, Bigelow dabbles in science fiction, a rarity for her, but it’s unsurprising, as Strange Days was written by her then-husband James Cameron. It doesn’t have the iconic quotes that Point Break has, nor is it as white-knuckle as The Hurt Locker, but it is a great time capsule to filmmaking in the mid-90s and well worth remembering. 

Amistad - Steven Spielberg

Wedged between The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s filmography, is Amistad. It’s easy to understand why this powerful historical drama revolving around a landmark court case regarding the slave trade is overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. It’s a moving story, told expertly as only Spielberg can, with a monster cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, and Djimon Hounsou, among many others. 

Clockers - Spike Lee

Let’s be clear here, Clockers is not Spike Lee’s finest work. It doesn’t reach the heights of movies like Do The Right Thing or Malcolm X, but it's still a really good movie. It gets lost in Lee’s stellar filmography, which is understandable. It’s also a testament to just how good Lee’s career has been. 

Talk Radio - Oliver Stone

Talk Radio has everything you expect from an Oliver Stone movie. Its pacing and storytelling are perfect, it’s a fascinating and terrifying story that pulls from the real-world events of a murdered radio show host. It also has a healthy dose of conspiracy, as any great Stone film does. 

The Bling Ring - Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring is a meta-tastic heist film that is not only a ton of fun to watch with celebrity cameos and great acting performances, but it also touches on some of the emerging trends that exploded in the years after the movie came out, notably influencer culture. It’s too often overlooked in Coppola’s stellar filmography. 

The Game - David Fincher

David Fincher is a master, and his filmography is full of great movies, like Se7en and Fight Club. The movie he made between those two classic is The Game with Sean Penn and Michael Douglas. Understandably, it’s overshadowed, but it’s an amazing film that is every bit as good as those two more talked-about movies. Even when people watch Fincher’s whole body of work, The Game gets overlooked and it shouldn’t. 

Casualties Of War - Brian De Palma

Casualties of War was released in 1989, which was the tail end of a slew of excellent Vietnam War movies released in the late ‘80s, like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Hamburger Hill. Despite earning well-deserved praise from critics, the Brian De Palma film bombed, and as such, it's unfortunately one of the director’s least talked about movies when it should be one of the most. 

Matchstick Men - Ridley Scott

Usually, when movie fans talk about Ridley Scott, it’s his sprawling historical epics like Gladiator or Napoleon that dominate the conversation, along with sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner. Matchstick Men is a smaller movie, a dark comedy about a con man with a myriad of personal problems played by Nicolas Cage. It’s a wonderful performance by Cage, and despite not performing well at the box office, it’s been well-reviewed over the years.

Inherent Vice - Paul Thomas Anderson

Inherent Vice from Paul Thomas Anderson is a complicated movie, based on a complicated book by Thomas Pinchon. It’s easy to understand why it’s not as talked about as some of Anderson’s other movies, like There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, but it’s every bit as good as those, featuring great acting performances and wonderful cinematography. 

Out Of Sight - Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderberg is known for stylish filming techniques with snappy dialog and interesting plot twists. It’s all right there in Out Of Sight, but the movie still gets overlooked. It was Soderbergh’s first big-budget film, and maybe that’s why it doesn’t get talked about enough. It was also his first collaboration with George Clooney, which makes it even more confounding that it’s not more popular. 

Barry Lyndon - Stanley Kubrick

It’s hard to really argue that any of Stanley Kubrick’s films are not talked about enough, but Barry Lyndon comes the closest here. It’s most revered for its cinematography, but it’s also a wonderful story. While it doesn’t have the panache of A Clockwork Orange or the scope of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it’s still a Kubrick film and it’s one of the best ever made. 

Stardust - Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn has quietly put together one of the finest resumes in Hollywood. The Kingsman movies are a hot franchise, he’s dabbled in Marvel, and may have inspired the choice of Daniel Craig as James Bond after directing him in Layer Cake. Stardust seems to get lost in the shuffle, but it’s maybe, low key, his best film. 

Ryan's Daughter - David Lean

David Lean is rightfully most remembered for three films, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago. Lost in the discussion of those films is Ryan’s Daughter, a retelling of Madame Bovary set at the end of World War I. It was the last film Lean directed for 14 years and we can only wonder what he might have done had he not semi-retired. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson has developed one of the most distinct styles in film history, which translates brilliantly to animation, as well. Anderson’s first foray into the genre was Fantastic Mr. Fox, starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray, among others. While it may never outshine his live-action classics, it should be discussed more as one of his best works. 

Bound - The Wachowskis

The DNA of the Wachowskis is very evident in Bound, their first movie. It was made on a shoestring budget, so it doesn’t have the over-the-top effects of The Matrix series, but you can see where they were headed in their filmmaking. 

Intolerable Cruelty - Coen Brothers

When you have a filmography like the Coen Brothers, inevitably, some of the movies won’t get talked about as much as others. Intolerable Cruelty is one of those that gets lost in the mix, behind movies like The Big Lebowski and others that are among the best movies of the ‘90s and beyond. 

Insomnia - Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is among the most beloved directors of the 21st century, creating what feels like independent films, but with monster budgets. That DNA was on display early in his career with Insomnia, which has everything you’d expect from a Nolan movie, but with less than half the budget of Oppenheimer. 

The Fan - Tony Scott

There are few better action directors in Hollywood history than Tony Scott. Most remembered today for classics like Top Gun, and Days of Thunder, The Fan should be talked about more. It’s not a perfect movie, but De Niro’s performance is terrifying (in a great way) as a baseball fan obsessed with Wesley Snipes' character. It’s action horror, and it’s great. 

Vincent And Theo - Robert Altman

Robert Altman had one of the most up-and-down careers in Hollywood history. After a string of successes in the ‘80s, his career was almost sunk by Popeye. It took years for him to rebound, but he did with Vincent & Theo. That led to a career revival, but it’s hardly remembered anymore, overshadowed by his early and later films. 

She's Having A Baby - John Hughes

One of the biggest reasons John Hughes is so loved by people who came of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s was his ability to write and direct genuine teenage characters. That extended to a young married couple starting their lives together in She’s Having A Baby. It’s not as quotable as some of Hughes’ other movies, but it’s still sharply written and a fun watch. 

Only The Lonely - Chris Columbus

Chris Columbus has some directed some huge films in his career, most notably Home Alone and Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone. He's also got movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Adventures in Babysitting on his resume. One film that is not talked about enough is Only The Lonely starring John Candy as a man looking for a wife, but dealing with a controlling mother. 

Beowulf - Robert Zemeckis

Generations of high schoolers have been confounded and frustrated by Beowulf. Some love the old English classic, but many hate it. It takes a bold director to take it on as a movie. Robert Zemeckis makes it work, and work well. Still, given the material, it’s not a surprise it’s not talked about as much as Zemeckis’ more popular movies like Back to the Future. 

Great Expectations - Alfonso Cuaron

Director Alfonso Cuaron has made some of the best movies of the last 20 years, including Roma, Gravity, and Y tu mamá también. One of his films that doesn’t get talked about much anymore is 1998’s Great Expectations starring Gwenyth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke. It’s a bold modernization of the classic Dickens novel that can be polarizing, but still worth talking about more.

Ed Wood - Tim Burton

Of all the movies Tim Burton has made, it’s unsurprising that Ed Wood is one of his least discussed. It’s a love letter to legendary B-Movie director Ed Wood, and despite being filled to the brim with great performances, it's not as popular as many of Burton’s other works. 

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil - Clint Eastwood

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is not exactly the kind of film you might expect from Clint Eastwood, but you should. Some of his best work is when he strays away from the tough guy movies he’s so well known for and this is a great one, starring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. 

Away We Go - Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes is best known for movies that cover heavy topics, movies like American Beauty, 1917, and Road to Perdition. That's probably the reason 2009's Away We Go with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph isn't talked about as much, but it's a sweet movie about a couple dealing with major changes in their life and how to handle them. 

Sleepers - Barry Levinson

Sleepers is a dark, dark film. It's also really, really good. With an all-star cast that includes Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, and many more, it's surprising it doesn't get talked about as much as some of director Barry Levinson's other work, but given the subject matter, it can be a very hard watch.  

High Anxiety - Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks is a living legend and his filmography is filled with some of the most quotable movies of all time. One that doesn't get quoted much, or even talked about much, is High Anxiety. It was, believe it or not, the first time Mel Brooks also played the lead in one of his movies, so that alone should garner more attention. 

Great directors usually have long filmographies, so it's only natural that some of their finest work would be talked about less than their most groundbreaking or biggest films. That said, many movies should be talked about as much as those classics, but aren't. Here's to that changing now! 

The top actors in Hollywood make a lot of money, but anyone will tell you that the real money is in production. That means that many of the biggest stars in the world have formed their own companies to produce both their own films and other projects that interest them. 

Often, these company names and logos appear at the beginning of the movies, along with larger, more recognizable studios like Paramount and Disney. Here is a list of many of the actors with their own production companies, along with the name of the company to look out for. 

Jordan Peele - Monkeypaw Productions

Jordan Peele has become one of the most exciting and interesting directors and producers in recent years. His Monkeypaw Productions has produced or co-produced his own movies, like Get Out, Us, and Nope, as well as other films like Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, and Adamma Ebo's Honk For Jesus, Save Your Soul.

Tom Hanks - Playtone

Tom Hanks' Playtone has been wildly successful on the big and small screens. With movies starring Hanks like Cast Away, Charlie Wilson's Way, The Polar Express, and Greyhound, as well as films not starring him, like Mamma Mia and its sequel, the company keeps winning. It has also hit it big on TV with shows like Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and John Adams on HBO, and the CNN series about each decade of the last 60 years. 

Elizabeth Banks - Brownstone Productions

Elizabeth Banks has been on a hot streak with her company Brownstone Productions. It's most notable for the Pitch Perfect franchise, but the company has also co-produced movies like 2019's Charlie's Angels, and that surprise 2023 hit about a bear that gets into something it should not have in the woods, with scary (and hilarious) results. 

Reese Witherspoon - Pacific Standard

When Reese Witherspoon started Pacific Standard in 2012, she did so with the express purpose of highlighting and producing projects with strong female leads, crews, and topics. So far, it's been a huge success with films like Gone Girl and Wild, as well as TV shows like The Morning Show, and Big Little Lies. 

Adam Sandler - Happy Madison Productions

Adam Sandler movies are not for everyone, but wow, do they make him a lot of money through his company, Happy Madison. Though the two films it's named after Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison were not his productions, almost everything he's been in since 2000 is, and it continues to make a ton of money for the actor. The company has even dabbled in TV, most notably with The Goldbergs.

Drew Barrymore - Flower Films

Drew Barrymore's company, Flower Films, has produced or co-produced a ton of movies since she founded it in 1999. With movies like Donnie Darko, 50 First Dates, Fever Pitch, and the Charlie's Angels franchise, it is safe to assume Barrymore has made a pretty penny. Of course, it also produces her daytime talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show. 

Queen Latifah - Flavor Unit Entertainment

Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment started out producing movies with moderate budgets that she starred in, like The Cookout and Beauty Shop, but these days, it's been successful on TV with her show, The Equalizer.

George Clooney - Smokehouse Pictures

Smokehouse Pictures is the second company founded by George Clooney after he shut down Section Eight Productions in 2006. Most movies he's starred in or directed since 2008 have been produced under the Smokehouse banner, including Leatherheads, Monuments Men, and The Boys In The Boat, plus other projects like Ocean's 8 and Argo.

Sandra Bullock - Fortus Films

Sandra Bullock may not be acting as much these days, but her production company, Fortus Films, is still humming along. Through the company, Bullock has produced movies like Miss Congeniality and its sequel, Two Weeks Notice, and The Lost City.

Courteney Cox - Coquette Productions

Friends star Courteney Cox and her ex-husband David Arquette started Coquette Productions together in 2004. The business relationship continued after the couple split six years later, though they haven't actually produced much in recent years. 

Brad Pitt - Plan B Entertainment

Plan B Entertainment was started by Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, and producer Brad Grey in 2001. In 2004, Pitt and Grey bought Aniston out in the midst of her split from Pitt. Since then, the company has gone on to major success, with three of its movies, The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight all winning Best Picture Oscars, with seven others receiving nominations for the award. 

Sterling K. Brown - Indian Meadows Productions

This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown named his production Indian Meadows Productions after the name of the neighborhood he grew up in outside St. Louis. Though it's just getting started, there are some interesting things on the way as Brown's star continues to shine brightly. 

Margot Robbie - LuckyChap Productions

Margot Robbie may have gotten snubbed at the 2024 Oscars for Barbie, but you can be sure she wasn't snubbed out of money as one of the producers of the hit movie. Robbie's company, LuckyChap Productions, has also produced movies Robbie starred in like I, Tonya and Birds of Prey as well as other projects she didn't star in like Saltburn and Promising Young Woman.

Leonardo DiCaprio - Appian Way Productions

Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions produced two Oscar-winners with The Aviator (which won five) and The Revenant (which won three, including Best Actor for DiCaprio). Through the company, DiCaprio not only produced feature films, but documentaries, as well. 

Nicole Kidman - Blossom Films

While Nicole Kidman's Blossom Films has dabbled in movies, most notably the 2011 rom-com Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez, it has found its biggest successes on the small screen. With shows like Big Little Lies, The Undoing, Nine Perfect Strangers, and 2024's Expats. 

Michael Douglas

Further Films, founded by Michael Douglas, doesn't have the portfolio that others may have on this list, as they seem to have found a niche in thrillers and suspense films like Swimfan, Don't Say a Word, 2017's Flatliners, and the streaming show Ratched.

Natalie Portman - Handsomecharlie Films

Natalie Portman named her company, Handsomecharlie Films, after her beloved dog, and she's put together a nice run of movies. She's produced many of her own projects, like No Strings Attached and Jane Got a Gun, as well as a surprise that she didn't star in, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 

Eddie Murphy - Eddie Murphy Productions

Eddie Murphy started betting on himself early in his career through Eddie Murphy Productions and it has paid off, big time. Starting with Raw in 1987, the company has produced some huge movies for the legendary comedian, including Coming To America, Harlem Nights, Boomarang, The Nutty Professor, and Norbit. 

Barbra Streisand - Barwood Films

Barbra Streisand has produced many of her own projects through her company, Barwood Films. 1976's A Star Is Born, The Prince Of Tides, and Yentl are a few of the examples of her biggest successes. Barwood has also dabbled in TV movies, like the groundbreaking What Makes a Family in 2001, about a lesbian couple having a child together. 

Alec Baldwin - El Dorado Pictures

Alec Baldwin's El Dorado Pictures has been in the news a lot in recent years due to its connection to Rust and the tragic events that occurred on set. Baldwin has produced quite a few of his own projects through the company over the years and even got into the TV game show space with the revival of Match Game, which he also hosted. 

Tina Fey - Little Stranger

Tina Fey has one of the sharpest wits in Hollywood, so it's no surprise she would use those same brains to produce. From critically acclaimed movies like 2024's Mean Girls to wildly successful TV shows including 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Fey, and her company Little Stranger, continue to crush it. 

Laurence Fishburne - Cinema Gypsy Productions

The biggest success Laurence Fishburne and his company Cinema Gypsy Productions has seen thus far is the sitcom black-ish, but he's also produced some great movies of his own that have flown under the radar, but are worth checking out, in Five Fingers and Akeelah and the Bee.

Jodie Foster - Egg Pictures

It's no surprise that an actor and director like Jodie Foster, who has been in show business for basically all of her life, would be a producer as well. Through her Egg Pictures production company, she produced many of her own projects, starting with Nell in 1994 and Home for the Holidays in 1995. She closed the company in 2002 when she decided that producing wasn't for her. 

Clint Eastwood - Malpaso Films

Without question, one of the most successful companies on this list is Malpaso Films, founded by Clint Eastwood. It has served as the production company for almost all of the films Eastwood has directed and its history stretches back to the mid-1960s. Many of his classic films, including Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Dirty Harry, Escape from Alcatraz, Million Dollar Baby, Sully, and many more have all been produced or co-produced by Malpaso. 

Halle Berry - 606 Films

Halle Berry's 606 Films has an interesting origin story. Though it was formed as part of her deal to star in Extant, the name has an important meaning. She named it after CA Senate Bill 606, a law intended to protect celebrities' children from the paparazzi.

It was an important issue for Berry, and when the company was formed, her partner, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, said, "606 Films is named for the anti-paparazzi bill, Senate Bill 606, which Halle fought so hard for and won, when no one believed it could be achieved. It truly informs the spirit of our company — making dreams possible, one bill at a time."

Mel Gibson - Icon Productions

Mel Gibson is not the most universally loved man in Hollywood, to be sure, but he's often bet on himself with his Icon Films, and more times than not, it's worked. Since 1989, he's financed many of his own projects completely through Icon, making movies like Hacksaw Ridge, The Passion of the Christ, and We Were Soldiers, plus co-producing maybe his most iconic movie, Braveheart. 

Salma Hayek - Ventanarosa Productions

Ventanarosa Productions, founded by Salma Hayek in 1999 has most often focused on Latin-centric projects, including Hayek's own Frida and the hit TV show, Ugly Betty. Ventanarosa also works throughout Latin America, producing Spanish-language films and TV. 

Will Smith - Overbrook Entertainment

Will Smith grew up in the West Philly neighborhood of Overbrook, which he took for the name of his production company as well, Overbrook Entertainment. Through it, Smith has produced many of his own projects, starting with Ali in 2001. King Richard, for which he infamously won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022, was also produced by Overbrook. On the small screen, the Netflix hit Cobra Kai is an Overbrook production, as well. 

Amy Poehler - Paper Kite Productions

Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Production has dabbled in movies, but most of its success has been on TV and streaming. With shows like Russian Doll, and Broad City, you can see that Poehler likes sticking with what she knows, comedy. You might be surprised, though, that the company has also found success with reality TV and even feature length documentaries.

Danny DeVito - Jersey Films

Danny DeVito is obviously proud of his New Jersey roots, naming his production company Jersey Films. He also has to be proud of the output from the company with films like Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty. He's found a lot of success on TV too, with Reno 911! Another of Jersey's films, Erin Brockovich, was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2001.

Charlize Theron - Denver And Delilah Productions

Denver and Delilah Productions' first film was Monster, starring the company's founder, Charlize Theron. That seems to have inspired a bit of a theme, as the company has produced other serial killer-related projects, like Netflix's show Mindhunters, and the HBO docuseries Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York. There are also a few non-serial killer films, like Bombshell, Atomic Blonde, and Murder Mystery.

Will Ferrell - Gary Sanchez Productions

Before Adam McKay and Will Ferrell had their falling out in 2019 and dissolved Gary Sanchez Productions, the company had been wildly successful, releasing some of the funniest movies and shows over the last couple of decades. Step Brothers, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Daddy's Home, Eastbound & Down, and Drunk History are just a few examples. Add to that a little HBO show called Succession, which has won just a few Emmys, and wow, what a success story. 

As this list shows, success as an actor often leads to success in production as well, so actors will continue to open up their own shops, and will continue to crush it, for sure. 

When Michelle Yeoh won her Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once, she told the ladies watching at home never to let anyone tell them when they’re past their prime. She’s not old enough to be on this list, but her words of wisdom apply to everyone that follows. 

Some of these actors had success their entire careers and then just kept having success as they got older. Some of these actors didn’t find a ton of success until much later than life. All reached the mountaintop of acting past the point when many others stop working because they kept pushing and doing groundbreaking work. Here's a look at great actors who had Oscar success later in life...

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins didn’t get his first Oscar nomination until his mid-50s, but once he got his first recognition, the praise did not stop. His work was consistently recognized well into his eighties when he was nominated in consecutive years for The Two Popes and The Father in which he gave very different performances. 

Bill Nighy

Nighy mostly acted in theater productions for the early portion of his career, but he turned to films later in life and found incredible success with Love Actually. That led to key roles in a variety of huge franchises like Pirates Of The Caribbean and Harry Potter, and eventually in his mid-70s, it led to Living, which netted the popular actor his first Oscar nomination. 

Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern worked from the sixties forward on a wide variety of interesting projects in many different genres. He picked up his first Oscar nomination back in ‘79 for his work in Coming Home and got another surprise nomination at 77 more than three decades later for his work in Nebraska, a fantastic Alexander Payne road trip movie shot in black and white.

Charlotte Rampling

Charlotte Rampling made a fantastic career for herself as a model and actress drawn to unusual and daring projects, but it was her work much later in life that attracted huge recognition. Her performance in Swimming Pool was particularly popular with critics and awards voters, but it was 2015’s 45 Years that finally broke through at the Oscars and gave her a well deserved first nomination at age 69.

Clint Eastwood

There aren’t many total people who have had more Oscar success than Clint Eastwood. Over the course of his life, he picked up more than ten nominations, but only two of those were in the acting categories. He got one in ‘93 for Unforgiven and another in ‘05 for Million Dollar Baby. In both, he was also the director and clearly knew how to get the best out of himself as an actor. 

Henry Fonda

A movie based on a play about a couple in their mid-70s doesn’t sound like a likely box office winner, but On Golden Pond won seven weekends in a row at the box office in 1981. It also netted its leads late in life Oscar nominations including one for Henry Fonda at 76. It marked his second acting nomination, more than four decades after the first one for The Grapes Of Wrath in 1940.

Jessica Tandy

Jessica Tandy experienced a ton of success throughout her career in a variety of mediums, but it was her work on the stage that drew the most acclaim. At least that was the case until her 80s when she picked up two Oscar nominations for Driving Miss Daisy and Fried Green Tomatoes. She won for the former and the latter capped a fantastic six year run that also saw her earn raves for her work in Cocoon.

Jonathan Pryce

Jonathan Pryce was ten years younger than Anthony Hopkins when the two picked up acting nominations for their work in The Two Popes. It was his first recognition from The Academy, but it was far from his first recognition overall, as he netted both Emmy and Tony nominations earlier in his career. 

Judi Dench

Judi Dench didn’t pick up her first Oscar nomination until her 60s, but that’s mostly because she was too busy crushing the British theater scene. She somehow netted an astonishing eight nominations after her 62nd birthday, including one at age 78 for Philomena and age 87 for her performance in the touching Belfast. In between all that, she also found time to appear in eight James Bond movies, which introduced her to a new generation of fans.

Katharine Hepburn

Between 1934 and 1969, Katharine Hepburn was nominated for an astonishing eleven Best Actress Oscars. It’s arguably the greatest run in movie history, and yet, she wasn’t finished. At the age of 74, thirteen years after what everyone assumed was going to be her last nomination, she walked the red carpet one more time as a Best Actress nominee for On Golden Pond in 1982. The win made it that much sweeter. 

Laurence Olivier

There aren’t many people on this list that had more success throughout their careers than Laurence Olivier. The beloved thespian won Emmys, Oscars and now is the namesake for London’s version of the Tony’s. At 71, he picked up his last Oscar nomination for The Boys From Brazil but continued to act for another full decade.

Peter O'Toole

Peter O’Toole was nominated for acting Oscars in the '60s, '70s, '80s and '00s. The last of those recognitions came when he was 74, and while he famously lost all eight of his Best Actor nominations, he was given an honorary Oscar by The Academy, who recognized him for his entire body of work, including the fantastic performances he gave late in life.

Morgan Freeman

Many of the nominations on this list came as a bit of a surprise. Not Morgan Freeman’s for Invictus. Playing Nelson Mandela sounded like the sort of thing that could pick him up an Oscar nomination for Invictus, and that’s exactly what happened when the movie came out and at 72, he was quickly given a nomination. It was his fifth overall.

Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer’s entire career was accompanied by praise from critics and numerous nominations, including three at the Oscars, all past the age of 75. None were a bigger surprise than the one he got at age 88 for All The Money In The World. The role was originally shot with Kevin Spacey, but after allegations of misconduct surfaced, producers reshot everything with Plummer in just 8 days.

Judd Hirsch

From Taxi to Dear John to The Goldbergs, Judd Hirsch was a part of numerous popular television shows and worked constantly from the mid-70s forward. Along the way, he was in a ton of good movies, but it was his work first in Ordinary People in 1980 and then in The Fabelmans in 2022 that were singled out by Oscar voters. 

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall was nominated for seven Oscars, but six of those came between 1973 and 1999. His last one was, by far, the biggest surprise, as it came for The Judge when he was 84. It was proof that the popular actor was still capable of greatness, and it was also a sign of how much fans and critics connected with his work at various stages of his life. 

Max Von Sydow

During his incredible career that spanned seven decades, Max Von Sydow played everyone from Jesus Christ to the Three-Eyed Raven on Game Of Thrones. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for his work in Pelle The Conqueror, but he wound up getting recognized one more time at the age of 82 for his incredible work in Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close.

George Burns

George Burns had a fantastic run as a radio star and then an early huge name in television, but he started losing momentum as an actor and shifted to producing until he signed on for The Sunshine Boys in 1975. It was his first movie in 36 years and won him an Oscar at 80, as well as paved the way for the fantastic final act of his career.

Jack Palance

After a successful stage career, Jack Palance became a huge movie star in the early 1950s, picking up tons of fans and multiple Academy Award nominations. He later went to Europe and made a series of popular movies, but his career was starting to fizzle out by the 1980s. Then he was hired to host a revival of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, and the popularity of that show, netted him a bunch of parts including in City Slickers, which proved so popular it won him an Oscar at 73.

Alan Arkin

Alan Arkin worked constantly for sixty years because what director wouldn’t want to hire him? He was seemingly always in very highly seen projects, often in key supporting roles. Little Miss Sunshine and Argo are, of course, the two most notable examples, as both netted him Oscar nominations in his seventies and the former landed him his only win. 

Ethel Barrymore

There aren't many, if any, bigger families in the history of Hollywood than The Barrymores. They were firmly established when Pinky came out in 1949 and netted Ethel Barrymore another Oscar nomination. For much of her career she focused on the stage, but she later shifted to mostly Hollywood and picked up four nods in her 60s and 70s. What a run.

Ruth Gordon

Ruth Gordon had a lot of success earlier in her career as a screenwriter. She picked up three nominations for her writing between 1947 and 1952. Later in her career, she found new life as an actress, picking up multiple Oscar nominations, the last at 72 for Rosemary's Baby, and starring in cult classics like Harold And Maude.

Youn Yuh-jung

With fantastic reviews and strong word of mouth, Minari made a lot of noise throughout award season. It eventually picked up six Oscar nominations, but it was the one for Youn Yuh-jung that fans were most delighted with. The 73-year-old wound up winning in the most feel good moment of the entire ceremony, becoming the first Korean actress to pick up a trophy at The Oscars. 

Helen Hayes

You won’t find many people on this entire list with more success than Helen Hayes. She’s an EGOT winner with at least one additional nomination from all four of those award shows. She picked up her last Oscar at age 70 for her work in Airport, where she stood out next to a ton of other acting legends including Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset and more. 

June Squibb

Mostly a theater actress, she didn’t appear in her first movie until she was in her sixties. In her mid-80s, she found the perfect role opposite Bruce Dern in Nebraska. Audiences fell in love with her performance, and she picked up a surprise feelgood nomination. That opened the door for a ton of fun parts in everything from Pixar movies to Shameless. 

Gloria Stuart

I’m not sure there’s a single quote from Titanic referenced more often than Gloria Stuart’s “It’s been 84 years.” For her, it took 87 years to find a performance that resonated with that many people, but it was so good and connected with so many people that she picked up an Oscar nomination. Well deserved too. One of the most famous movies ever just wouldn’t have the same emotional punch without her. 

Peggy Ashcroft

Peggy Ashcroft made less than twenty film appearances during a career that was mostly dedicated to the stage, but despite that limited output, she was nominated for four BAFTAs and won an Oscar at 77 for her supporting work in A Passage To India. She then turned her focus toward television, where she was picking up Emmy nominations into her 80s. 

Hal Holbrook

Holbrook had plenty of success in his career with wins at the Tonys and Emmys, but it wasn’t until later in life when he was finally singled out by The Oscars for his work in Into The Wild. With more than 130 acting credits, his nomination at 82 was a good reminder that sometimes the best way to get acclaim isn’t by shopping for possible Oscar roles, it’s by consistently doing good, creative work and waiting for the right project to resonate. 

Don Ameche

Cocoon features a ton of fantastic performances from older actors, but it was veteran funnyman Don Ameche’s supporting role that voters most gravitated toward. He picked up a surprise win at 77 for his work as the revitalized Arthur Selwyn. It was a fantastic outcome, especially after the studio fired an early-in-his-career Robert Zemeckis from the director’s chair during pre-production.

Melvyn Douglas

If you want to have prolonged success in Hollywood, you need to find a way to reinvent yourself and start playing different kinds of roles. Melvyn Douglas had a great run early as a leading man, who acted opposite some of the industry’s top leading ladies, but it was later in his career, when he started playing more mature characters that he found Oscar success with three separate nominations, including one for Being There when he was 79.

John Houseman

Probably best known for his work alongside Orson Welles, John Houseman worked regularly as a director and especially producer, but he also found time to be an actor. Late in his career, he picked up an Oscar at 71 for The Paper Chase in a role fans loved so much he later played it on TV too.

Edmund Gwenn

You never know what your defining role as an actor is going to be until it happens. Edmund Gwenn carved out a really nice career for himself on the stage and screen, but his biggest success came when he was seventy. His role as Santa Claus in Miracle On 34th Street is still being watched decades later, and it also opened up the door for some great late career work, including another Oscar nomination in Mister 880.

I have always appreciated when people follow in the footsteps of their famous parents. In fact, I think it is fun to see actors collaborate with their own children on-screen, of which there are more than enough examples. The following are 30 of our favorite movies and TV shows that proved to be a family affair for the stars involved.

Adam, Jackie, Sadie, And Sunny Sandler (You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah)

Not only did producer Adam Sandler star as the father of two girls played by his real daughters, Sadie and Sunny, in the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah cast in 2023. The Netflix original coming-of-age dramedy also stars the comedian’s wife, Jackie, while Idina Menzel handled the role of Adam’s onscreen spouse.

Andie MacDowell And Margaret Qualley (MAID)

According to MAID developer Molly Smith Metzler, it was actually star Margaret Qualley who brought up the idea of casting her own mother, Andie MacDowell, as her character’s mother. The Golden Globe-nominated Four Weddings and Funeral star plays Paula (a woman with severe bipolar disorder) opposite the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast member in the Netflix original miniseries based on Stephanie Land’s memoir.

Angelina Jolie And Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (Maleficent)

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt gave her debut (and, so far, sole) onscreen acting performance opposite her mother, Angelina Jolie, in 2014’s Maleficent — a live-action reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective. According to Vanity Fair, the then-5-year-old got the part of a younger version of Elle Fanning’s character, Aurora, because other children were too afraid of the Academy Award winner in full makeup and costume in the title role.

Ben And Jerry Stiller And Anne Meara (Various)

Ben Stiller shared the screen with both of his late parents, legendary comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, multiple times — the first being the 1989 mockumentary, That’s Adequate, followed by 1991 horror-comedy, Highway to Hell. Ben later played a sadistic fitness guru who purchases a youth weight loss camp from his parents’ characters in Disney’s 1995 summer comedy movie, Heavyweights, before casting them 2001’s Zoolander, with Jerry as Maury Ballstein and Meara cameoing as an egg-throwing protester.

Billy Ray, Miley, And Noah Cyrus (Doc, Hannah Montana)

Both Miley Cyrus and her sister, Noah, made their acting debuts on the medical drama, Doc, which was led by their musician father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Years later, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took a supporting role on Miley’s smash hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, which Noah would also appear on in various unnamed roles.

Brendan, Domhnall, And Brian Gleeson (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1, Frank Of Ireland)

Brendan Gleeson reprised Mad-Eye Moody in the penultimate installment of the Harry Potter movies, which also starred his son, Domhnall, as Ron Weasley’s older brother, Bill, in 2010. More than a decade later, the Academy Award nominee starred opposite the Star Wars movies actor and his younger son, Brian, in an episode of their Amazon Prime comedy series, Frank of Ireland, as a new boyfriend of the title character’s mother.

Blythe Danner And Gwyneth Paltrow (Sylvia)

In 2003, Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow played the title role of a biopic about Sylvia Plath. To play the renowned writer and poet’s mother, Aurelia, Paltrow’s real-life mother, Tony and Emmy Award winner Blythe Danner was cast.

Chris, Tristan, And India Hemsworth (Thor: Love And Thunder)

After his older brother, Luke, portrayed his comic book character in a play in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth made 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder a real family affair. Not only would Luke return, but Chris’s son, Tristan, appeared as the title character’s younger self in a flashback and his daughter, India, played Gorr the God Butcher’s daughter, Love.

Clint And Scott Eastwood (Gran Torino, Trouble With The Curve)

The first time Clint Eastwood acted alongside his son, Scott, was in 2007’s Gran Torino for a scene in which — as the Suicide Squad star claimed to Conan O’Brien — his father threw a few unscripted insults toward his character. Five years later, Scott starred in the baseball movie Trouble with the Curve as a minor leaguer discovered by his father’s character.

Damon Wayans And Damon Wayans Jr. (Blankman, My Wife And Kids, Happy Together)

Daman Wayans Jr. debuted as the younger version of his father’s character — aspiring superhero, Kevin — in the funny ‘90s movie Blankman, before landing a recurring role on his sitcom, My Wife and Kids, and later inviting him to play his dad on his own sitcom, Happy Together. In early 2023, Deadline reported that the Wayans are developing a new sitcom that will pair them up as an on-screen father-son duo once again.

Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, And Rumer Willis (Various)

Rumer Willis’ first two acting gigs were alongside her mother, Demi Moore, as Angela Albertson in the underrated ‘90s movie, Now and Then, and as the daughter of Moore’s character in the classic stripper movie, Striptease. The actor and singer’s next two roles would be alongside her father, Bruce Willis, with an uncredited cameo in the 2000 comedy, The Whole Nine Yards, and as the daughter of Willis’ character in the 2005 thriller, Hostage.  

Donald And Kiefer Sutherland (A Time To Kill, Forsaken)

The first time Donald and Kiefer Sutherland appeared in a movie together — namely 1996’s A Time to Kill — Donald played a civil rights lawyer and Kiefer played a vicious white supremacist. Nearly two decades later, the father and son played a father and son in a western called Forsaken.

Eugene, Dan, And Sarah Levy (Schitt's Creek)

The Schitt’s Creek cast has more than two related actors in it. Eugene Levy and his son, Dan (who also created the hit sitcom together), play Johnny Rose and his son, David, and Dan’s sister, Sarah, also stars as Café Tropical owner, Twyla Sands.

George And Mayan Lopez (Lopez Vs. Lopez)

Comedian George Lopez teamed up with his daughter, Mayan, and Debby Wolfe to create the NBC sitcom, Lopez vs. Lopez. The series — which  was renewed for a second season, according to Variety — also stars George and Mayan as a father and daughter forced to reconnect after year when they have no choice but to move in together.

Henry And Jane Fonda (On Golden Pond)

The 1981 film adaptation of the acclaimed play On Golden Pond was a very special moment in Henry Fonda’s career. In addition to being his final performance, which earned him a Best Actor Oscar, it saw him share the screen with his real-life daughter, Jane, who played his estranged daughter.

Johnny And Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk, Yoga Hosers)

A nearly unrecognizable Johnny Depp plays Guy LaPointe in Kevin Smith’s bizarre A24 horror movie, 2014’s Tusk, which also stars his daughter, Lily-Rose, as a convenience store employee. When Smith made a spin-off in 2016 focusing on Lily-Rose and Harley Quinn Smith’s characters called Yoga Hosers, Depp reprised the French-Canadian P.I. as well.

Judy Garland And Liza Minnelli (In The Good Old Summertime, The Judy Garland Show)

As The Guardian recalls, the multi-talented Liza Minnelli was just three years old  when she made her acting debut with a brief cameo at the end of 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime, alongside her mother — the iconic Judy Garland. The Wizard of Oz star later invited her daughter to perform with her on her variety program, The Judy Garland Show, in the early 1960s.

Kirk, Diana, Michael, And Cameron Douglas (It Runs In The Family)

It Runs in the Family, marks a rare instance of a movie starring three generations of an actor family. It stars Kirk Douglas and his former wife, Diana, as the father and mother of a man played by their real son, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, whose own actual son, Cameron, also stars as his eldest son in the 2003 dramedy.

Leslie Mann And Iris and Maude Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40)

Leslie Mann’s character in 2007’s Knocked Up and its 2012 quasi-sequel, This is 40, is married to writer/director Judd Apatow in real life. Their children, Iris and Maude — the latter of which went on to star in the Euphoria cast as Lex Howard -- appear in both This is 40 and Knocked Up with Leslie Mann.

Martin And Charlie Sheen And Emilio Estevez (Various)

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez are celebrity siblings who have acted together multiple times, including once with their father, Martin Sheen, with small roles in Badlands. However, every other time the actors appeared alongside Martin was individually — with Charlie in Wall Street, Cadence, and Hot Shots, most notably, and with Estevez in In the Custody of Strangers and The Way.

Meryl Streep And Mamie Gummer (Heartburn, Evening, Ricki And The Flash)

When speaking to Jimmy Fallon, Mamie Gummer looked back on her acting debut as a toddler in the 1986 dramedy Heartburn, which was led by her mother, Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. More than twenty years later, Gummer played her mother’s younger self in the 2007 romantic drama, Evening, before playing her estranged daughter in 2015’s Ricki and the Flash.

Ralph And Julia Macchio (Cobra Kai)

Ralph Macchio’s daughter, Julia, has made a name for herself as an actor in movies like Girl Most Likely and shows like Showtime’s City on a Hill. She would share the screen with her father on a couple episodes of Netflix’s Karate Kid sequel series, Cobra Kai, as Daniel LaRusso’s cousin, Vanessa — a young, but highly skilled, child psychology grad student.

Ryan And Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon)

According to Collider, the record for youngest Oscar winner is still held by Tatum O’Neal for her performance in 1973’s Paper Moon. Her character in the crime dramedy directed by the late Peter Bogdanovich is a precocious, Depression-era orphan who teams up with a con artist who could be her father, played the actor’s actual father, Ryan O’Neal.

Robin And Zelda Williams (In Search Of Dr. Seuss, Nine Months, House Of D)

Zelda Williams had her first taste of show business with her father -- Academy Award winner Robin Williams -- right beside her in the 1994 TV movie In Search of Dr. Seuss and the following year with her small role in the Hugh Grant-led rom-com, Nine Months. Her first starring role in a theatrically released film was in 2004’s House of D, which also marked the third and final time she acted alongside her late father.

Sean And Dylan Penn (Flag Day)

Sean Penn and Robin Wright’s daughter, Dylan Penn, got her start as a model before she took up acting. Her biggest role to date was as the unwitting daughter of a criminal played by Sean in 2021’s Flag Day, which the two-time Academy Award winner also directed.

Sylvester And Sage Stallone (Rocky V, Daylight)

In the Rocky movies’ fifth installment, Rocky Jr. was the debut role of star and director Sylvester Stallone’s real-life son, Sage, who would later appear with his dad in the ‘90s action movie,  Daylight. Sage went on to become the founder of Grindhouse Releasing — which prevented him from reprising his Rocky V role in Rocky Balboa — and, according to CNN, sadly passed away at 36 in 2012.

Thandiwe Newton And Nico Parker (Reminiscence)

Nico Parker — known for Disney’s live-action Dumbo remake and HBO’s The Last of Us cast — is the youngest daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker. However, in the 2021 futuristic noir, Reminiscence, she appeared alongside the Westworld star as a grandmother and granddaughter. 

Tom, Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, And Truman Hanks (Various)

Tom Hanks has shared the screen with all four of his children. He cast Colin Hanks in a small role in That Thing You Do! before appearing alongside him again in 2008’s The Great Buck Howard. Elizabeth Hanks was also in That Thing You Do!, but debuted in Forrest Gump. Chet Hanks has been in Larry Crowne and Greyhound and Truman Hanks normally does technical film work, but has appeared in three of his dad’s movies — News of the World, A Man Called Otto, and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.

Will, Jaden, And Willow Smith (The Pursuit Of Happyness, After Earth, I Am Legend)

Jaden Smith has played his father's onscreen son in two of Will Smith's movies — the first being his debut role in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness and the second in the M. Night Shyamalan movie, After Earth. Willow Smith also made her acting debut as her father’s daughter in a heartbreaking flashback sequence from 2007’s I Am Legend.

If you're familiar with some or all of these films, you may agree that much of these parent-child pairings demonstrate the magic that can come from family members working together on screen. 

The Night Agent, which is currently streamable with a Netflix subscription, became a runaway streaming hit when it debuted in March. Not only did the show bring in huge numbers for the streaming service, but it has also arguably helped raise the celebrity status of some of his stars. This has been true for lead actor Gabriel Basso, whose portrayal of Peter Sutherland has mostly attracted positive responses. The show has already received a Season 2 renewal, and it looks like Basso has another gig on the docket as well. He’s teaming up with Kiefer Sutherland and more for a new movie. 

Gabriel Basso and Kiefer Sutherland will star in the latest directorial effort from Clint Eastwood, Juror #2. Deadline reports that at this point, Basso is currently in negotiations to join the production. Should the actor officially sign on the dotted line, he’d join not only Sutherland but also Toni Collette, Nicholas Hoult and Zoey Deutch. Needless to say, Basso is in excellent company. 

Clint Eastwood also serves as a producer on Juror #2 and will direct from a script penned by Jonathan Abrams. The movie centers on a man who finds himself faced with a serious moral dilemma while serving on the jury for a major murder case. Depending on what the character – Justin Kemp – chooses to do, he could either free or convict the wrong killer. The Night Agent star is set to have a juicy role in Eastwood’s latest, as he’ll reportedly play the man who’s on trial. I’m surely interested in seeing him mix it up with the other actors, especially Kiefer Sutherland, who (like him) is no stranger to political thrillers.

The fact that Gabriel Basso has that particular role is somewhat ironic. The Netflix drama sees him play a character who’s on the right side of the law, even though he eventually comes into conflict with the U.S. government due to a far-reaching conspiracy. But in this new movie, the star is set to portray someone who may or may not have committed a serious crime. I’m interested in seeing Basso in such a role, as it’ll be a solid counterbalance to his heroic turn on the show. 

Like the other recent castings, this latest one is also further evidence that Clint Eastwood can still line up plenty of top-tier talent for his productions. The last decade of his illustrious career alone has seen him work alongside the likes of Tom Hanks, Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde and Laurence Fishburne. One would hope that as is customary with the best entries in his filmography, Eastwood will be able to get some strong performances out of his actors. 

As eager as some may be to see Gabriel Basso take on this new gig, others are surely pumped to see him play Peter Sutherland again. A few things have been said about The Night Agent Season 2, though we don’t know what exactly lies ahead for its characters. There’s also uncertainty as to whether it’ll still arrive in 2024, thanks to the ongoing WGA writers strike. We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out on that front, and the same can be said for Basso’s upcoming collaboration with Clint Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland and co.

Be sure to check out the schedule of 2023 new movie releases for news on big-screen debuts while you wait for more word on Juror #2. Also, do yourself a favor and read up on Clint Eastwood’s best movies as an actor and director.

While promoting Black Adam, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been open about the DC antihero’s influence on his life from a young age. That’s why the film was a passion project for over a decade. But the influences on the superhero film don’t stop with the DC universe. The Rock revealed some unexpected inspiration behind the DC character’s rough-and-tumble film debut – Clint Eastwood. After mentioning this surprising inspiration, the Black Adam star gushed about Eastwood’s Dirty Harry and his other classic films.

Black Adam plays into the anti-hero void DC desperately needed filled. Looking back at Eastwood’s early roles, he played the anti-hero with a blend of questionable morals and justice. Growing up with those movies played a role in how the Black Adam team crafted the DC film. The Rock delved into the Clint Eastwood factor while being interviewed by AMC Theaters. He couldn’t help but gush about the multi-Oscar winner’s work.

Dirty Harry is seen as the ultimate anti-hero so, understandably, the cast and crew of Black Adam drew from the macho icon. The DC hero doesn’t question killing anyone who stands in his way, much like the San Francisco police inspector. Harry Callahan was about getting justice by any means necessary with violence and questionable tactics. This is seemingly mirrored in Black Adam’s vengeful rampage against Ishmael Gregor/Sabbac. So, both characters mean well, but their form of vigilante justice can be destructive in the process.

Even Eastwood’s spaghetti westerns blurred the lines between good and bad. The Cry Macho star served as the anti-hero blueprint, on which The Rock based his passion project. Johnson even went to bat for the film to keep in the graphic killing scenes.

Eastwood played rogue cop Harry Callahan across five Dirty Harry films from the 1970s to 1980s. The role not only served as the Oscar-winning director’s career breakthrough but became a cultural icon in the process. His western output like Unforgiven and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly played into the loner or anti-hero he became famous for. These roles set the tone for action roles that persist to this day.

Black Adam is currently available to watch in movie theaters. The film has been a tremendous success despite suffering from bad reviews. After watching the DCEU film, check out what upcoming movies are still hitting theaters in 2022.

A lot is being made, as we head into the upcoming release of Black Adam, that leading man Dwayne Johnson strips away a component of his acting bag of tricks in order to play this solemn, short-fused anti-hero who gets challenged on screen by members of the Justice Society of America (or JSA). That would be his speaking voice, utilized to its fullest in previous Dwayne Johnson movies. The Rock, when he was in the wrestling ring, worked the microphone like no other. Black Adam is a man of very few words, preferring to “speak” through his actions. It reminded me of a classic silver-screen icon, and when I mentioned this actor to Johnson, he shared more than I expected. 

The actor in question is Clint Eastwood, whose name has come up more than a few times while the Black Adam cast and crew have been doing promotion. Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra referenced Eastwood when he described his main character as “the Dirty Harry” of comic book characters. And there are visual cues in the Black Adam movie that will have you thinking about Eastwood’s classic Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. So when I sat down with The Rock to chop up his upcoming DC movie, I asked how much Eastwood influenced his performance, and Johnson told me:

Clint Eastwood was far too old to play a superhero on screen by the time this current Golden Age of comic-book movies began. He’s content starring in quiet dramas that he also directs, or shifting to wildlife documentaries (because he apparently can’t stop working, even in his 90s). But it’s easy to see how a strong, silent type of anti-hero like Black Adam can draw inspiration from the earlier roles of the Dirty Harry star. Black Adam doesn’t say, “Are you feeling lucky, punk?” But he conveys that sentiment with a stone-faced glance toward the JSA members, and the film’s main antagonist.

So far, Black Adam has been receiving mostly positive remarks from critics who managed to see the film early, and predictions are solid for the movie’s opening weekend gross. Black Adam will have to make a dent relatively quickly, as it has stiff competition in the rom-com Ticket to Paradise (some counterprogramming) and the behemoth that should be Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arriving on November 11. There are going to be a slew of upcoming DC movies starting to arrive in 2023, so bookmark that link and keep track of what’s on its way for The Flash, Shazam, Aquaman, and more.

Clint Eastwood is still working in his 90s and not stopping anytime soon. The legendary actor and filmmaker known for films like Unforgiven, Gran Torino and The Mule has taken part in a wildlife documentary. However, this has nothing to do with Warner Bros. head’s critiques of the release of his last film, Cry Macho.

The 92-year-old filmmaker and actor will be narrating the new wildlife documentary Why On Earth, which focuses on human interactions with nature, wild animals and plant life. Conversationalist filmmaker Katie Cleary expressed to Fox News her praises for the Western film star and how this documentary brought out a different side to him, saying:

Cleary’s friendship with Clint Eastwood came from her friendship with his daughter Alison Eastwood, as they work closely together and support each other’s charities like Eastwood Ranch and Peace 4 Animals. This animal advocate loved seeing Eastwood film scenes at his ranch and his interactions with wildlife and his own animals. According to Agrigate Global, the Oscar winner has said in an exclusive interview concerning the film that he appreciates the beauty of animals, as well as seeing everything live. It’s amazing the effects that animals can have on a Hollywood legend like Eastwood who is never afraid to show his tough grit. 

As the Best Director winner expresses what an animal lover he is, it’s pretty clear that his part in this documentary has nothing to do with how Cry Macho performed. The new Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav reportedly wasn’t happy that Cry Macho was released, as he was in the process of canceling movie productions he didn’t think would perform well at the box office. He expressed doubt that Cry Macho would perform well, and he ended up being right. With Eastwood's latest film at a budget of $33 million, the neo-Western drama only brought in $16.5 million. 

This could have had something to do with Cry Macho being simultaneously released on HBO Max. But it showed that the studio didn't think it could afford to turn away a high-profile actor who gave WB massive hits in the past like Dirty Harry and Unforgiven, as well Eastwood having never gone over budget and making sure his projects were done on time. The critical reviews of Cry Macho weren’t exactly praiseworthy either, as many felt the plot was bland and didn’t have much to convey to audiences.

Why On Earth includes rarely before-seen footage of the people on the ground fighting to protect critical species. This includes endangered orangutans facing rapid deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra, the declining shark population in South Africa and the poaching of nearly extinct African elephants, rhinos and lions to be sold on the black market. Katie Cleary has said that she hopes what people will take away from the documentary is to be compassionate with nature and to learn how to connect with the planet again.

Clint Eastwood facing the critiques of Cry Macho’s release is not slowing him down in terms of taking on new projects. Watch this iconic filmmaker and actor show off his animal lover side in the 2022 movie release of Why On Earth hitting major streaming platforms on August 16th. Cry Macho can be watched now with an HBO Max subscription.

Loyalty can do wonderful things when you’re in the entertainment business. However, that sort of trust can only carry you so far, and those limits have apparently been tested over at Warner Bros. With new CEO David Zaslav trying to trim the fat, and cancelling the production of upcoming movies at the studio, his no-nonsense approach to running the company is in full effect. Which is why he allegedly wasn’t very happy when he found out that Clint Eastwood’s flop Cry Macho was made despite executives thinking it wouldn't be a box office winner.

Reportedly, an early meeting between Zaslav and other studio executives revealed as much. In a piece run by The Wall Street Journal,  it was mentioned that Warner Bros. brass allowed Cry Macho to be made despite an assumed loss of millions. The reasons? Apparently, not only had Eastwood been a high-profile actor/director that gave the studio massive hits like the Dirty Harry movies and Unforgiven, he never went over-budget and always came in on time. David Zaslav, unimpressed by this answer, responded with the following: 

That statement is even more powerful considering the clear doubts about how Cry Macho would perform at the box office turned out to be absolutely correct. Even with a slim $33 million budget, Clint Eastwood’s latest film only brought in about $15.5 million during its theatrical run. It probably didn’t help that Cry Macho simultaneously debuted on HBO Max, as part of the run of films that tested the waters for the future of movie exhibition.

Once the recent Warner Bros. and Discovery merger was complete, David Zaslav went straight to work when it came to cleaning house. Zaslav not only cancelled the Wonder Twins movie, but he also suspended scripted programming at both TNT and TBS. While firmly believing in courting talent that has brought glory to the Warner Bros. lot, the profile cited above has David quoting a business mantra that fans of Tom Cruise’s Jerry Maguire are familiar with: 

David Zaslav’s approach to business at Warner Bros. probably has people wondering how far the loyalty to brand and personalities goes in terms of his decision-making. That’s an especially potent question when considering the recent meeting announced between Zaslav and Wizarding World franchise creator J.K. Rowling. With the last two Fantastic Beasts films underperforming at the box office, at least compared to the past efforts of the franchise, that divide could be meaningful in a post-Harry Potter world. In fact, it’s probably the most important factor in deciding whether or not they’ll be a Fantastic Beasts 4 in theaters or on HBO Max.

The power of loyalty is an argument that cuts both ways, even on the Warner lot. In the pre-Zaslav era, we saw that bond tested and ultimately broken between the studio and Christopher Nolan. 2021’s simultaneous streaming experiment led Nolan to break up with Warner Bros., delivering his next film Oppenheimer to rival studio Universal. Though David Zaslav reportedly believes the studio owes no favors to its creators, I'm guessing losing the director may still sting a bit. 

A new day is dawning at Warner Bros., and I'm curious to see where this new regime will lead. However, if you have yet to see Cry Macho or Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, both films are currently streaming on the HBO Max platform. Meanwhile, Warner Bros’ next test of cinematic marketing will be Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, fresh off of its polarizing debut at Cannes. That film will open in theaters on June 24th. 

If you like Westerns even a little and are a fan of Clint Eastwood as both an actor and as a director, then you've more than likely seen the Clint Eastwood classics, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Unforgiven. The former is one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite Spaghetti Westerns of all time, and the latter is one of the very few Westerns to ever win Best Picture. The former is the crowning achievement of Sergio Leone’s The Man With No Name trilogy, and the latter is quite possibly Eastwood’s crowning achievement as an actor and as a director.  

That said, even though both films are beloved by millions of people around the world, which one is the better Western? Now, I’ve tackled which is the better Ari Aster film, which is the better Indiana Jones sequel, and which is the better Back to the Future sequel, but I think this vs. bout may be my toughest yet since my opinion on which is the better Clint Eastwood Western could change on any given day (and sometimes, it’s neither, and my favorite Western of his is The Outlaw Josey Wales). 

Even so, I guess somebody has to do the dirty work, so, out of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Unforgiven, which is the better Clint Eastwood Western? Well, you’re about to find out.       

The Plot 

Every Western needs a sturdy plot, so which Western has the sturdiest? 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s Plot

Depending on whom you ask, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly acts as a prequel to A Fistful of Dollars, and For a Few Dollars More. The story concerns a man nicknamed “Blondie” (The “Good,” played by Eastwood), who bands together with a rogue named Tuco (The “Ugly,” played by Eli Wallach) in a scheme to make them both money. 

“Blondie” is supposed to shoot Tuco down from a noose, and does so for a while, but then gets tired of it, and leaves Tuco in the desert, who of course now wants revenge. Meanwhile, a mercenary nicknamed “Angel Eyes” (The “Bad,” played by Lee Van Cleef) gets tangled up with “Blondie” and Tuco in a search for gold that’s buried by a Union soldier in the desert. It’s really good! 

Unforgiven’s Plot

After a prostitute has her face cut up by some cowboys, her fellow ladies of the night scrounge up some cash to have the cowboys murdered. An aged gunslinger named William Munny (Eastwood) accepts the bounty and goes off to kill the men, but he has competition from another bounty hunter named English Bob (played by Richard Harris). 

All the while, the town’s sheriff (Gene Hackman) wants none of it, since he believes the law should handle things. It’s also really good! 

The Plot’s Winner: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

It’s such a tough call since they’re both SO good (I especially like how Unforgiven is a meditation on not only the Western genre, but also Eastwood’s entire career), but The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, just has so much more going on, and it handles it all so well, so it gets the victory.  

The Characters 

Every Western needs some interesting characters, so which film has the most interesting ones? 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s Characters

As mentioned, you have the Good (Eastwood), the Bad (Lee Van Cleef), and the Ugly (Wallach), and they’re all great and very distinct. That said, I honestly think Tuco steals the show, and all of his manic energy kind of overshadows Eastwood’s and Lee Van Cleef’s performances, if I’m being completely honest.

Unforgiven’s Characters 

Eastwood steals the show as a mourning bandit who has never fully escaped his past, and he’s wonderful. But I feel like I also need to bring up Morgan Freeman and Jaimz Woolvett as Munny’s two partners, Ned Logan and The Schofield Kid, respectively, since they act as a reflection of Munny in both his present and his past, and how they both feel like they’re men out of time. Gene Hackman is also phenomenal as “Little Bill,” and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work. It’s just an amazing cast, top to bottom. 

The Characters Winner: Unforgiven

Sure, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has interesting characters, but Unforgiven’s characters are much deeper and they feel like they have much more to say.  

The Music 

Some Westerns are made legendary by their scores, so which Western has the better music? 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s music

I feel this is kind of cheating, but well, submitted for your approval is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme song. And how legendary is this theme, you ask? So legendary, that I played it for my students (Yes, I’m also a teacher who loves school movies), and at least 50% of my students had at least heard the theme before. Whether it was mimicked in one of the cartoons they watched, or their parents played it for them, for whatever reason, many of my Seventh Grade students knew the tune as soon as I turned it on. If that’s not a testament to the song’s legacy, then I don’t know what is.    

Unforgiven’s music

Like the story itself, Unforgiven’s music is dark at times, introspective at others, and longing throughout. It’s a great score that compliments its movie well. That said… 

The Music Winner: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

With a score by the legendary The Hateful Eight and The Untouchables composer, Ennio Morricone, the mere fact that people know the theme of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly without even watching the movie speaks volumes, so it gets the victory.  

The Cinematography 

Sweeping vistas and vast desert land are staples of the Western genre, so which film has the better cinematography? 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s Cinematography 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a film that needs to be seen on a big screen. Director of Photography, Tonino Delli Colli, made the wide shots feel massive with plenty of desert and bodies, but Leone would also zoom the camera way up in the actors' faces, so we would get nothing but shots of shifty eyes ready for shootouts. It’s really dynamic cinematography that makes the film feel fresh, even today.

Unforgiven’s Cinematography

Jack N. Green was nominated for the cinematography in Unforgiven, and I can understand why. Unforgiven’s whole aesthetic is somber with dark hues and gritty tones. Eastwood almost feels like he’s both out of place in the scenery, and also a part of the scenery itself, which gives the setting a character of decay all on its own. 

The Cinematography Winner: Unforgiven

The cinematography in Unforgiven is very different from that seen in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Whereas The Good, The Bad and the Ugly’s cinematography is bright and one might even call it playful, Unforgiven’s is bleak, but also beautiful at times, like the scenes with the blood red sky. This category is also tough to call, but I admire Unforgiven’s cinematography more and more every time I watch it.  

The Legacy  

Both westerns are highly revered and well-known, but which Clint Eastwood Western has the more lasting legacy?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’s Legacy

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly came out in 1966, and we’re STILL talking about it. It’s probably the most well-known “Spaghetti Western” there is, and for a lot of people, when you say the word “Western,” Clint Eastwood’s steely-eyed gaze in this film fills their mind palace. It’s that iconic. 

Unforgiven’s Legacy

As mentioned earlier, Unforgiven is only one of three Westerns to ever win Best Picture (the other two being the terrible, Cimarron, and the pretty good, Dances With Wolves), and so it has that going for it. But, while people definitely still talk about Unforgiven, it’s more of a deconstruction of the Western, rather than what many would consider the quintessential Western like they do The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 

The Legacy Winner: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

I think I prefer Unforgiven, but most people would rather see The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and that’s just facts.  

The Overall Winner: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

It was a tough battle, but The Good, the Bad and the Ugly nabs the victory as the best Clint Eastwood Western. But what do you think? For news on other great Westerns (Even from recent years), make sure to swing by here often!  

The DC movies have been on a roll over the past few years, but the first few installments were somewhat bumpy rides. David Ayer’s 2016 blockbuster Suicide Squad failed to resonate with audiences, with the filmmaker citing studio interference for blurring his original vision. And franchise alum Scott Eastwood has explained how his father Clint Eastwood influenced his decision not to return for The Suicide Squad.

James Gunn continues the Task Force X franchise with last year’s The Suicide Squad, which was a reboot/sequel to the original movie. A number of original stars returned for that follow-up, but Scott Eastwood did not reprise his role as GQ Edwards. He recently spoke to this decision, saying:

Well, there you have it. Scott Eastwood wasn’t one of the leading actors of the original Suicide Squad movie, which is likely what resulted in a disappointing paycheck. And it seems he had to make the best fiscal decision when turning down an opportunity to join James Gunn’s cast for The Suicide Squad.

Scott Eastwood’s comments about his role in the DCEU come from a recent interview with Insider, where he was refreshingly honest about his absence in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. didn’t issue a response to the claim about a pay dispute, but it's a fairly common reason for actors to part ways with a project. Although his decision was also made possible thanks to advice by the great Clint Eastwood.

Later in that same interview, Scott Eastwood further explained his decision to step away from the Suicide Squad franchise. He went to his father Clint Eastwood for advice about playing GQ Edwards, where the acclaimed actor-director offered his perspective. As Scott put it,

Sometimes actors aren’t happy with their pay, but a role is worth it. Since this seemingly wasn’t the case for Scott Eastwood, he decided to step away from his role in the DCEU. I have to wonder what type of role he might have had in James Gunn’s take on the franchise, especially since the Guardians of the Galaxy director killed so many characters off. In the meantime, fans are hoping to see Eastwood pivot to the MCU, possibly as the new Wolverine. 

Both Suicide Squad movies are currently streaming on HBO Max, in addition to the Peacemaker spinoff series. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Bradley Cooper has been splitting his time between directing and acting in recent years. Taking control of his career has worked, as his movies, such as A Star is Born (the fourth flick to share that title), have drawn acclaim and box office numbers. With so many hits under his belt, it’s hard to believe his acting career was being stifled at one point. The situation led to Cooper producing and starring in the war biopic American Sniper. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star revealed why he made the film with Clint Eastwood after being rejected by other directors.

At this point in the Nightmare Alley actor's career, auditioning is a rare occurrence. Bradley Cooper revealed to Mahershala Ali on Variety’s Actors on Actors that the last time he auditioned was to play Satan in a never-produced film. Starring in film series like The Hangover and Guardians of the Galaxy gave the director plenty of cache in Hollywood. But there was a time when the film industry was beginning to pigeonhole him. Cooper opened up about how American Sniper and Clint Eastwood changed that for him, saying:

The move paid off for Bradley Cooper, as both American Sniper and A Star is Born became tremendous critical and commercial hits. Both films led to the Hangover star scoring Best Actor and Best Picture nominations at the Oscars. The same might happen again as Bradley Cooper been receiving acclaim for Nightmare Alley and Licorice Pizza, with the latter movie also getting some nominations at the 79th Golden Glove Awards. Now we wait to see if either movie will be recognized as the upcoming Academy Awards. 

Bradley Cooper’s story proved once Hollywood sees a performer one way, it’s up to them to take charge and change the narrative. Having that experience had lasting effects as Lady Gaga revealed she has continued to seek Cooper’s acting career advice since completing A Star is Born.

Changing Hollywood’s perception of him allowed him to escape from being typecast. Licorice Pizza and Nightmare Alley are currently in theaters. Fans won’t get to see or hear Bradley Cooper until Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters on May 6. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news about Marvel movies, as well as what else Cooper has coming up.

Celebrity endorsements can be enough to make or break a product. If a name that people trust is attached to a product, then people are going to have a natural feeling of trust for the product itself. This support is likely what led a CBD company to use Clint Eastwood’s likeness without his permission in a series of ads. It’s also what led Eastwood to sue the company, which has now resulted in a $6 million settlement in his favor. 

Last summer, Cry Macho director Clint Eastwood filed two lawsuits in federal court against three manufacturers of CBD products. The lawsuits claimed false endorsement, trademark infringement, and violation of common law as they included quotes attributed to the Academy Award winning director and images that appeared to be from an interview he had given in which he supported these CBD products. However, he had never given such an interview. 

As far as that lawsuit went, it was a pretty easy decision for Judge R. Gary Klausner to make. The defendant in the case, Lithuania based Mediatonas UAB failed to respond to the summons sent in March. As such, a default judgement was entered on behalf of Eastwood and Garrapata, the company that actually owns the rights to the actor/director’s likeness. In addition, the defendant will need to pay about $95,000 in attorney’s fees. 

The judge did stop short of granting all requests on Clint Eastwood’s side, as claims of defamation were denied. According to the New York TImes, defamation “requires additional context to understand what CBD products are and why a person like Clint Eastwood would not endorse a marijuana-based product.” Ultimately, Eastwood’s side would have to show how being linked with CBD is defamation on its own, something they can’t necessarily do if there’s no trial.

This is certainly a big legal win for Clint Eastwood, and potentially several other celebrities who have had their likenesses used in similar ways. While it’s unclear just what sort of business is being done by the company that just got hit with a $6 million judgement, that number will likely still sting.

At the same time, considering that Mediatonas UAB is based in Lithuania, that the company never responded to the suit, and also did not respond to the New York Times when the paper asked for comment, one has to wonder just how easy collecting this judgement will actually be. 

Which may very well have been part of the consideration when the decision was made to fabricate interviews with Clint Eastwood. Since we’re dealing with entities in other countries it won’t necessarily be that easy to collect, and so we might not have seen the end of this legal battle.  

COVID-19 has been one of the main characters in the film industry over the last year and a half. When it hasn’t driven changes to how we watch movies, it’s led to some dramatic moments behind the scenes, as casts and crews have had to deal with the reality of the pandemic. That was true for huge studio films, but even smaller-scale productions, like Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, were not immune to the effects of the virus. Luckily, in this film’s case, a COVID scare actually led to an unexpected moment of joy.

By the time Cry Macho went into production in late 2020, many film sets had a handle on how to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak. That didn’t mean the film was completely free of drama related to the virus. Clint Eastwood told The Los Angeles Times that the Cry Macho set had a scare that could have resulted in a significant change in the film’s production. One of the young actresses cast to play the granddaughter of Marta (Natalie Traven) was set to film her part when she tested positive for the virus. However, he said, ultimately the cast and crew received good news:

The famed actor and director has been making movies for decades, so he is surely no stranger to facing unique challenges on a film set. Still, it’s safe to say this was probably the first time that a pandemic posed a threat to one of his projects being completed the way it was originally envisioned. That’s especially true since the film was first brought to Eastwood as a potential directorial project in the late 1980s. He told the Los Angeles Times that back then, he thought he was too young to play the role of a retired rodeo star who takes on the task of reuniting a father with his son. He also mentioned that at the time, other actors’ participation fell through as well.

As we all know, Cry Macho is far from the only Hollywood film that was affected by COVID-19. In fact, Eastwood and the rest of the crew were very lucky that they didn’t need to make serious alterations to their plans, since many films, including Dwayne Johnson’s Red Notice and Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 had to delay or shut down production due to the pandemic.

While the film hasn’t exactly earned the actor the best reviews of his career by a long shot, it’s still worth noting that at 91 years old, the fact that he’s able to actively work both in front of and behind a camera is admirable.

Cry Macho is currently playing in theaters nationwide, and is available to stream on HBO Max.

Another year, another film from Clint Eastwood. His latest, Cry Macho, just released in theaters and on streaming, and the 91-year-old directs and stars in the movie, still bringing a firm amount of energy to his work. While the movie has received mixed reviews, critics do seem to be marveling at the craftsmanship that Eastwood can still put into his films. With the Hollywood veteran still working at such a high capacity. You might be tempted to ask, 'Why the "hell" is he still working in his 90s? Well, he has a pretty good answer.

Clint Eastwood recently took some time discuss Cry Macho and his storied career. The interview is filled with interesting tidbits, including the number of times Eastwood had to throw punches while making his latest feature. He shared thoughts on why he keeps doing what he’s doing, and he has an interesting take that is uniquely him. He told the The Los Angeles Times:

It would seem that Clint Eastwood hasn't seen any indication as to why he should stop working. He seems to believe that audiences will eventually tell him when they've had their fill. Given how much respect he's earned, it's likely that audiences will never completely dismiss an Eastwood film. So one would assume that he'll keep going as long as he can.

Though Clint Eastwood is a great actor, he's certainly become a talented and eclectic filmmaker. Matt Damon, who's collaborated with him, has spoken about Eastwood’s love of doing only one take for scenes. I think this would explain how he's able to make so many movies at such a high clip. He knows what he wants, films quickly, then he’s on to the next thing. Of course, at the end of the day, he still wants to act as well, and he seems to relish his more recent roles. Clint Eastwood goes on to say:

Movies like Gran Torino and The Mule are only a few examples of how Clint Eastwood has switched things up in his later years. He's had a fascinating career as both an actor and director, carving out a massive legacy for himself in the process, and his continued presence is merely a byproduct of his impact.

Cry Macho is worth checking out, and it has an interesting cast of stars that you've probably seen before. It's a testament to what Clint Eastwood can still do as an artist, and it'll be interesting to see what challenges he takes on next.

Cry Macho is now playing in theaters or, if you can't make it out to one, you can stream the film on HBO Max.

Throughout his career as a director, Clint Eastwood has assembled one remarkable cast after another for his various award-winning westerns, dramas, and thrillers, and that appears to be the case once more with the actor-turned-filmmaker’s latest offering: Cry Macho. The new movie, which follows an ex-rodeo star as he crosses the U.S./Mexico border to find and bring back his former boss’ son, opened in theaters (and on HBO Max) Friday, September 17, 2021, and after watching the movie you might be wondering just where you’ve seen the Cry Macho cast before. And while it’s easy to recall at least one or two movies starring Eastwood or his co-star Dwight Yoakam, other members of the cast, like Eduardo Minett could be a completely different story. Fear not, as we’ve put together a quick yet comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about each actor’s earlier work.

Clint Eastwood (Mike Milo)

Leading the show on both sides of the camera is Clint Eastwood, who portrays Mike Milo, the ex-rodeo star in need of cash and adventure sent south of the border to get his old boss’ son out of Mexico safely and without incident, though neither is guaranteed. The recipient of four Academy Awards (two each for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and a total of 11 Oscar nominations (as well as countless other accolades), Eastwood has spent the majority of his life in Hollywood, appearing in some of the most important movies of all time in a variety of genres. After making a name for himself in Spaghetti Westerns like the Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) and numerous others, Eastwood became even more popular in the Dirty Harry series and various other critical and commercial hits.

Since making his directorial debut with Play Misty for Me in 1971, Clint Eastwood has directed dozens of feature films, the most notable of which being the aforementioned Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, as well as other great additions like Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and American Sniper that have withstood the test of time.

Dwight Yoakam (Howard Polk)

Putting the events into motion in Cry Macho is country-singer-turned-actor Dwight Yoakam, who portrays Howard Polk, the owner of the Texas rodeo where Mike Milo was once a legend. Before playing a father who will stop at nothing to take back his son, Yoakam had one of the most successful country music careers out of anyone in the 1980s and 1990s with hits like “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” “Streets of Bakersfield,” and Christmastime classic “Santa Can’t Stay.”

Following a string of chart-topping country hits, Dwight Yoakam took to acting in the early 1990s with his most notable role at the time and perhaps to this day as Doyle Hargraves, the ill-tempered and downright awful abusive boyfriend of Linda Wheatley (Natalie Canerday) in Billy Bob Thornton’s Academy Award-winning drama Sling Blade. Yoakam would later portray the psychotic Raoul in David Fincher’s 2002 thriller Panic Room before showing up in movies like Wedding Crashers, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Crank, and most recently Logan Lucky.

Eduardo Minett (Rafael "Rafo" Polk)

Stepping in as Rafael “Rafo” Polk, the young teenage boy at the center of Cry Macho’s story is relative newcomer (especially when compared to the rest of the film’s cast) Eduardo Minett. Prior the landing the role of a troubled youth who has made a name for himself in the cockfighting circuit with a champion rooster named Macho, Minett had only a few acting credits to his name, though it’s hard to tell after seeing him stand toe-to-toe with a legend like Clint Eastwood in Cry Macho.

Since his career got underway in 2014, Eduardo Minett has only taken on four roles with one short film — Nochebuena — and three television shows — Papá a Toda Madre, Como dice el Dicho, and La rosa de Guadalupe — all of which in the young actor’s native Mexico. Expect to see more of Minett in the very near future.

Natalia Traven (Marta)

Mike Milo and Rafo Polk encounter numerous characters throughout their journey through Mexico and back to the border, but few have as much of an impact on the pair than Marta, a widow who catches Mike’s eye and heart with her beauty. Prior to landing one of the lead roles in Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, Traven appeared on shows like Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, La Familia P. Luche, and Pueblo Chico, Infierno Grande, but most will recognize the actress from the handful of movies she has appeared in over the years.

In 2002, Natalia Traven portrayed Lita action thriller Collateral Damage alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is ironic because the former governor of California was originally slated to star in Cry Macho when the film first entered development around a decade ago.

Fernanda Urrejola (Leta)

Fernanda Urrejola shows up in Cry Macho as Leta, Rafo Polk’s mother and former wife of Howard Polk, the man who kicks off the movie’s conflict when he sends Mike Milo to Mexico to essentially kidnap his son. Throughout her career, Urrejola has appeared in a number of films, television series, telenovelas, and theatrical productions both in her native Chile as well as various locations around the Americas. One of Urrejola’s biggest film roles to date (besides Cry Macho) is the 2012 action comedy Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman, in which she played the titular role of a famous bounty hunter. Urrejola also had a leading role in the 2021 Netflix movie Blue Miracle alongside Dennis Quaid.

In recent years, Fernanda Urrejola has appeared on television and streaming shows like the Netflix crime drama series Narcos: Mexico, in which she played Maria Elvira, and then the 2020 reboot of Party of Five on Freeform, which saw her take on the role of Gloria.

Horacio Garcia Rojas (Aurelio)

Horacio Garcia Rojas shows up in Cry Macho as Aurelio, which is the latest in a long line of roles in major film and television productions to come out in recent years. Just in 2021 alone, Rojas has had major roles on the Amazon horror action series S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies and Todo por Nada. Prior to that, Rojas portrayed Elvis Infante on the Netflix horror action series Diablero, which followed a priest, a demon hunter, and a superhero who worked together to battle a number of evil and demonic entities.

If none of those shows rings a bell, you will most likely recognize Horacio Garcia Rojas from Narcos: Mexico, which saw him take on the role of Tomá Morlet in the show’s first season.

Paul Lincoln Alayo (Sergeant Perez)

Portraying Sergeant Perez on the Cry Macho cast is Paul Lincoln Alayo, who previously worked with Clint Eastwood on the actor/director’s 2018 crime thriller The Mule. Most of Alayo’s work in front of the camera over the years has taken place on television, with appearances on everything from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he played Francisco Rodriguez in a 2016 episode to the Showtime comedy series Weeds, portraying Chewie for a few episodes in Season 4. Alayo has also taken on small rolls on shows like Criminal Minds, Get Shorty, and S.W.A.T., to name only a few.

Daniel V. Graulau (Mexico Border Guard)

Daniel V. Graulau shows up in Cry Macho as the border guard seen having a quick conversation with Mike Milo as he crosses over into Mexico to find Rafo Polk and bring him back to the United States. Over the years, Graulau has taken on small roles on television shows like American Crime, Snowfall, and Ray Donovan as well as a variety of short films dating back to the early 2000s. He also briefly appeared on the Netflix comedy-drama On My Block back in 2019.

Ana Rey (Señora Reyes)

And then there is Ana Rey, who takes on the role of Señora Reyes in Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho. Rey’s work in show business is mostly in the world of television, including small roles on some of the most popular shows of the 21st Century including the CBS megahit NCIS, NBC comedies Superstore, Parks and Recreation, and Scrubs, and the David Duchovny series Californication in which she portrayed Irma for nine episodes of the popular Showtime comedy-drama between its fourth and seventh seasons.

From top to bottom, the Cry Macho cast is full of talented actors who bring all kinds of experience to the table from the worlds of Spaghetti Westerns, country music, and international television. Now that you have seen Cry Macho and learned all the places the cast has been throughout their respective careers, why not check out CinemaBlend’s list of 2021 movies so you don’t miss any of the movies coming to theaters, streaming services, or both as is the case for all the Warner Bros. titles coming out the rest of the year.

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There are few actors, directors, or Hollywood icons who have brought audiences to movie houses around the world more so than Clint Eastwood. Whether it’s starring in iconic westerns like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, directing hard-hitting crime dramas like Mystic River, or doing both with the likes of Unforgiven, Eastwood continues to provide moviegoers with memorable experiences. The same can be said about his latest effort Cry Macho, the gritty neo-western about an ex-rodeo star who is hired to go find and bring back his former boss’ son from Mexico. But unlike the rest of Eastwood’s previous releases, you can watch Cry Macho streaming from the comfort of your own home — and here’s how.

Where To Watch Cry Macho Streaming

Starting Friday, September 17, you will be able to watch Cry Macho streaming on HBO Max the same day it opens in theaters just like the rest of the Warner Bros. movies coming out in 2021. Once the movie goes live on the streaming service, you will have 31 days to watch Clint Eastwood lace up his boots once more and set off on an epic and potentially deadly journey across the U.S.-Mexico border to reconnect a father and his long-lost son, for better or worse.

One thing that should be noted up front is the fact that Cry Macho is only available for HBO Max subscribers who currently have the ad-free model of the popular streaming service, as those who select the cheaper, ad-supported option cannot watch any of Warner Bros.’ same-day releases during their initial 31-day window.

Watch the Cry Macho trailer on HBO Max. If you have not yet become an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here.

When Will Cry Macho Be On HBO Max For Good

Those who miss out on Cry Macho’s initial 31-day run on HBO Max for one reason or another aren’t entirely out of luck as the latest Clint Eastwood movie will return to the streaming platform at some point within the next half-year. We’ve seen this with the various Warner Bros. movies that have had a day-and-date release throughout 2021, which typically return within five months of their initial release. That means everyone with an HBO Max subscription (no matter which version) should be able to take in the action and drama of Cry Macho in 2022, possibly during or around February.

How To Watch Other Clint Eastwood Westerns On HBO Max

If you are need of even more action after watching Cry Macho streaming on HBO Max, you’re in good luck as the platform is home to some of the best Clint Eastwood movies, including a handful of his all-time great westerns. With the full The Man with No Name trilogy, Pale Rider, and the slow and grueling Academy Award-winning Unforgiven, there’s a lot to choose from whether you’re a longtime fan of Eastwood or just not experiencing his contributions to the world of cinema.

Stream A Fistful of Dollars on HBO Max.

Stream For A Few Dollars More on HBO Max.

Stream The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on HBO Max.

Stream Pale Rider on HBO Max.

Stream Unforgiven on HBO Max.

This should be more than enough to get you all set up for one hell of a Clint Eastwood marathon, but if you want to know what else is coming to theaters and streaming services, check out our list of all the upcoming 2021 new movie releases.

Clint Eastwood is 91-years-old but the Academy Award winner certainly isn't letting age slow him down. He continues to make new movies, and spend time both in front of the camera and behind it, and frequently both. Such is the case with Eastwood's newest effort Cry Macho. In the film, Eastwood plays a former rodeo rider who takes a job from a former boss to bring home the man's young son from Mexico. It's the sort of dramatic tale we've largely come to expect from Eastwood in his later years, and perhaps that's why the movie is falling largely flat with critics.

One of those that was unimpressed with Cry Macho was CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg. He found the plot to "directionless" and the characters to be flat as well, all adding up to a lot of nothing. He gave the movie 1.5 stars in his review, saying...

Cry Macho has more than a passing resemblance to another Clint Eastwood project, Gran Torino. But while critics largely enjoyed that time that Eastwood's character saw the world differently through the eyes of youth, this time it seems that the movie just comes across and bland and sentimental without actually having a great deal to say. As THR puts it...

Cry Macho is a project that sat around for several decades before finally getting made into this film. And more than one critic points out that Clint Eastwood's age here, and possibly more importantly, the much younger age of a couple of female characters in the film that take an interest in his character Mike, is so off that it gets creepy. The Washington Post wonders if perhaps Eastwood should have directed somebody else in the movie...

Still just like there's almost never a movie that everybody loves, there's rarely a movie that everybody hates, and Cry Macho is finding some support from a few critics. While even Indiewire knows that Cry Macho has issues, that review is ultimately won over...

Cry Macho may not have won over most critics, but it's clear that even the negative reviews are a little frustrated the movie doesn't work. Everybody seems to love Clint Eastwood and there was obviously a hope here that Cry Macho would be another movie to add to the list of greats that this Hollywood icon has made.

It doesn’t take long for Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho to start making confounding and confusing decisions. The very first scene finds protagonist Mike Milo (Eastwood) driving into work, and upon his arrival he is met by his boss, Howard (Dwight Yoakam), who proceeds to chew him out for being late. Mike’s awful attitude forces the situation to escalate to the point where he is told to pack up his belongings. He does so and leaves, calling Howard a “small, weak and gutless man,” setting up what appears to be a bitter and antagonistic rapport.

Then, following a quick “one year later” chyron, Mike comes home to find Howard waiting for him in his living room, the ex-boss approaching the weary cowboy as a dear old friend in desperate need for his buddy’s help rescuing his estranged son – a deal that Mike agrees to out of a sense of obligation to his former employer. In an instant every notion about their tension-filled relationship established from the previous scene is eliminated.

It’s a wholly bizarre way of opening a movie – but somewhat in Cry Macho’s defense, it does do an appropriate job setting audiences up for the experience set to unfold. As appealing as the idea of seeing Clint Eastwood in a cowboy hat may be, this is a film that is ridiculously scattershot in its storytelling, all over the map with its characters, and spends the vast majority of its runtime meandering up until it feels it’s time to wrap things up with a deeply unsatisfying ending.

Very loosely based on the novel of the same name by author N. Richard Nash, and based on a script by Nash and Gran Torino/The Mule screenwriter Nick Schenk, Cry Macho is set in 1980 and follows Mike Milo – a retired former Texas rodeo star – as he takes on the alluded-to job. Howard tells him that his 13-year-old boy, Rafael (Eduardo Minett), is living with his mother in Mexico, and that he has some kind of esoteric feeling that the kid is being abused. Asking shockingly few questions considering he’s being asked to commit a felony, Mike says yes and heads across the border.

Sneaking into the mansion owned by Rafael’s mother, Leta (Fernanda Urrejola), and getting caught by her bodyguards, Mike learns that her son no longer lives with her, and instead has been getting by on the streets as a gambler and a criminal. Despite the fact that Mexico City has a population of over nine million people, the lead character is still able to find the teenager almost immediately by wandering into the first cockfight he can find. With practically zero convincing necessary, Rafael agrees to go live with his father in the states – though it’s against Leta’s will, and she feels additionally spurned when the 90-year-old man rejects her sexual advances.

Mike and Rafael begin their trip north to the United States, but all the while must contend with Leta’s bodyguard (Horacio Garcia Rojas) following them and the Federal police searching for them – not to mention car thieves and engine trouble.

Cry Macho never seems to know what it wants to do with its plot.

We have seen a surprising number of stories as of late following a male protagonist who is forced to shepherd a child on a long journey – in the last 12 months alone we’ve seen it in The Mandalorian Season 2, Paul Greengrass’ News Of The World, George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky, and Robert Lorenz’s The Marksman – but Cry Macho is unquestionably the most incompetent of the group. It begins with a lazy setup to get the plot going, doing a hell of a lot of telling instead of showing, and takes a number of narrative shortcuts, but things only get worse once Mike and Rafael come together, as once the movie gets the characters on the road it has no demonstrated clue of what to do with them.

If one makes the effort, it could easily only take a single day to drive from Mexico City to the Texas border, but the film manages to stretch out the excursion over multiple weeks, and 90% of the conflict encountered has nothing to do with the plot. It throws challenges at the leads seemingly not to test their character (there is no growth to be found for anyone in this story), but instead to ensure that Cry Macho makes it to a proper feature runtime. It’s just dumb when it’s small things, like Rafael getting needlessly upset when Mike won’t let him wear his hat, but it gets to a point of being infuriatingly tedious when the duo spends half a month in a small village because their stolen car is leaking oil.

Cry Macho’s characters are a complete mess.

The directionless plot in Cry Macho wouldn’t be a problem if one actually enjoyed spending time with the central characters, but that’s not something that is on the table, as there is nothing particularly engaging about the personalities. Eduardo Minett isn’t given any kind of track to follow as Rafael, and as a result he needlessly oscillates between being an optimistic child and a petulant brat (the former feeling cloying, and the latter being tiresome). With Dwight Yoakam’s Howard, things actually only get more bewildering after the first two scenes, as he reenters the plot three-quarters of the way through to, without any provocation, reveal a truth that changes the whole profile of the movie’s journey.

Truly the most bafflingly awful aspect of Cry Macho, however, is Clint Eastwood’s Mike, who ultimately comes across as an overstuffed ego trip for the director/star. This is character with not one, but two tragic backstories (his wife and child are killed in a car accident AND he was a drug addict and alcoholic following a horrible rodeo accident), and he is written as a spectacular and sexy polymath. Gorgeous women not only throw themselves at this nonagenarian, but he breaks horses, practices rudimentary veterinary medicine, repairs cars, fixes jukeboxes, knows sign language, and more. His only real flaw is that he can be irascible, but that’s hardly a noticeable trait given that it has been a part of all of Eastwood’s performances in recent years.

If you like pretty shots of roosters and other animals in the shining Mexican sun, that’s at least one positive reason to watch Cry Macho – but that’s really just me grasping to find anything legitimately nice to say about it. Fortunately, Clint Eastwood has a long legacy of terrific and classic western movies, and you should really watch or rewatch any of them before bothering with this one.

Matt Damon has worked with an incredible amount of great directors throughout his career, between Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Steven Soderbergh. He must have a ton of amazing stories in his back pocket for movie geeks like us to fall head over heels for. As the actor currently stars in his latest film, Stillwater, he shared a great story about his time working with Clint Eastwood on 2009’s Invictus.

As an acclaimed director along with his acting work, the 91-year-old has built up a reputation for using the first or second take of a scene he shoots in the final product. As you can imagine, that’s not necessarily the easiest rule for an actor to follow. Matt Damon shared how Clint Eastwood’s one-take reputation affected his own performance:

It’s kind of an insane method when you think about it and would require a lot of preparation outside of set to bring one’s A-game. But hey, we can't argue with the results. As a director, five of Clint Eastwood’s movies have been in the running for Best Picture, with two taking home the award (Unforgiven in 1992 and Million Dollar Baby in 2004). Matt Damon continued to share his experience:

Matt Damon told the story while on an episode of Hot Ones, the place on YouTube where celebrities answer questions while eating increasingly spicier wings. You can check out the full episode below:

Invictus would later earn Matt Damon his second of three Oscar nominations, this time for Best Supporting Actor. However, Christoph Waltz took home the Academy Award in 2010 for his performance in Inglourious Basterds, with Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Christopher Plummer also being up for the award. The movie followed Morgan Freeman’s Nelson Mandela as he joined forces with South Africa’s rugby team to help unite his country.

Matt Damon has had a busy 2021 thus far with No Sudden Move, his latest collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, along with Stillwater, a drama that has Damon playing a father who goes to great lengths to help his estranged daughter. The actor will also star in The Last Duel with Ben Affleck and Jodie Comer from a script he wrote with Affleck, his Good Will Hunting partner. The Last Duel comes to theaters on October 15. Check out what other upcoming films are coming this year with CinemaBlend’s 2021 release schedule.

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Although Clint Eastwood delivered Richard Jewell to the public in 2019 in a directorial capacity, we haven’t seen the Western star on screen since the year prior in The Mule. That changes next month with the releases of Cry Macho, a project that Eastwood has been connected to for literally decades. Eastwood’s latest role sees him playing a horse breeder who ventures across the border on a noble mission, and the first trailer for the Warner Bros feature has finally arrived.

Based on the same-named novel by N. Richard Nash, who worked on the screenplay before his death in 2000 (Gran Torino’s Nick Schenk is credited as a co-writer), Cry Macho follows Mike Milo, an award-winning horse breeder and rodeo star in 1979 whose glory days are long behind him and who suffers from alcoholism after losing his wife and son. Like so many characters Eastwood’s played over the years, Miko doesn’t suffer fools gladly and isn’t shy about saying how he really feels about someone, as evidenced by his words to Dwight Yoakam’s Howard Polk, his former employer.

The latest chapter of Mike Milo’s life kicks off when he’s hired to retrieve Howard’s son, Eduardo Minett’s Raphael, a.k.a. Rafo, from Mexico and bring him home. As the trailer shows, Mike succeeds in finding the young man, but as they travel down backroads to make their way back to Texas, they’ll face unexpected challenges, which paves the way for Mike to find his way towards his own sense of redemption. And for those who are wondering about why this tale is called Cry Macho, not only is it because Raphael named his rooster Macho, but Clint Eastwood’s character also gives a nice speech about how the idea of one being macho is overrated.

A Cry Macho movie has been in development since the mid-1970s, when N. Richard Nash first wrote the story as a screenplay, only to have 20th Century Fox reject it twice, leading Nash to turn it into a novel. In 1988, Clint Eastwood was attached to play Mike Milo, but he dropped out in favor of reprising Dirty Harry in The Dead Pool. Fast-forward to October 2020, Eastwood rejoined Cry Macho to both star in and direct, with principal photography occurring from November 1 to December 15 of that same year. Along with the aforementioned actors, Cry Macho’s cast includes Natalia Traven, Fernanda Urrejola and Horacio Garcia-Rojas, among others.

Cry Macho will premiere both in theaters and on HBO Max on September 17. If you’re not subscribed to the latter streaming service, you can rectify that with this link. Our 2021 release schedule is also available to look through if you’re curious what other movies are coming out for the rest of the year.

Like so many movies last year, Dune was delayed due to the pandemic throwing the theatrical industry into chaos. Originally set to drop on December 18, 2020, Warner Bros pushed back Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the same-named Frank Herbert sci-fi novel to October 1, 2021, but as of last Friday, the movie is now scheduled for October 22. However, Dune’s latest date shift is great news for folks looking forward to Clint Eastwood’s next movie.

Two years after he delivered Richard Jewell to the masses, Clint Eastwood will give us Cry Macho later this year, and now it’s arriving earlier than expected. Cry Macho was originally nestled in that October 22, 2021 slot, but now that Dune is sitting there, rather than delay Eastwood’s latest feature, Warner Bros decided to move it to September 17. The studio also moved The Many Saints of Newark, a.k.a. the Sopranos prequel, from September 24 to the October 1 date Dune previously held.

Although Cry Macho is now arriving three weeks earlier, it also enters a significantly more crowded opening weekend space. September 17 will also see the release of Clifford the Big Red Dog, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Copshop and Blue Bayou. Still, it’s a good bet Clint Eastwood’s new movie will draw in a lot of people, though Clifford will unquestionably be the cinematic draw for younger moviegoers and their families that weekend. Let’s also not forget that like Warner Bros’ other 2021 theatrical offerings, HBO Max subscribers will have the option of watching Cry Macho on the streaming service for one month at no additional cost.

Based on the same-named 1975 novel by N. Richard Nash, Cry Macho follows a former rodeo star in the late 1970s who’s hired by an ex-boss to take the man’s young son away from his alcoholic mother, though things become more complicated than expected. Eastwood’s costars include Eduardo Minett, Dwight Yoakam, Natalia Traven, Horacio Garcia Rojas and Fernanda Urrejola. Nash worked on the Cry Macho screenplay before his death in 2000, and Gran Torino’s Nick Schenk is credited as a co-writer.

N. Richard Nash originally pitched Cry Macho as a film, but after it was rejected twice by 20th Century Fox, he turned the screenplay into a novelization. Upon the book’s success, Nash was eventually able to sell the film version of Cry Macho to 20th Century Fox, and worked on its development for his remaining years. Clint Eastwood actually could have starred in Cry Macho back in the late 1980s, but decided to reprise Dirty Harry in The Dead Pool instead. Arnold Schwarzenegger was also once attached as the lead, but by 2011, that iteration of the project was cancelled.

By October 2020, Cry Macho was being housed at Warner Bros, and Clint Eastwood signed on to direct, produce and star in the movie. Along with Gran Torino, he and Nick Schenk previously collaborated on 2018’s The Mule. Now Cry Macho is a little under three months from wide release after decades in development hell. As we wait for its impeding arrival, don’t forget to look through our 2021 release schedule.

Clint Eastwood has been on a roll in recent years directing movies based on true events. This includes The 15:17 to Paris, which chronicled longtime friends Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos foiling the Thalys train attack. Half a decade after that incident, and nearly three full years after the movie’s release, the trial for the attacker, Ayoub el Khazzani, has begun in France, and it’s just been ruled that Eastwood cannot testify in it.

As reported by Reuters, before the trial began, Ayoub el Khazzani’s lawyer requested that the court call Clint Eastwood in as a witness because he could “shed some light” on the authenticity of some of The 15:17 to Paris’ scenes. Khazzani reportedly told investigators that he had a change of heart at the last minute back in 2015 and decided not to carry out the attack. Only by that point, it was too late to avoid the confrontation with passengers.

Because the movie does not depict this change of heart, Ayoub el Khazzani’s defense was worried that The 15:17 to Paris could end influencing people’s view of the attack. As such, she wanted to bring in Clint Eastwood to explain what instructions he’d given to the actors when directing the movie.

The prosecutors opposed this request, saying that because Clint Eastwood didn’t personally witness the 2015 attack, it didn’t make sense to call him in, especially during a pandemic. The prosecution team even went as far as to accuse the defense of trying to “create a buzz.” Ultimately the judge sided with the prosecutors, so Eastwood will not be flying to France to take part in the court case.

Instead, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos will testify in Ayoub el Khazzani’s trial on Thursday and Friday. Stone, Sadler and Skarlatos were able to neutralize Khazzani aboard the train on August 21, 2015 before anyone was killed. Mark Mooligan, a French-American professor who was shot by Khazzani in the back on the fateful day, will also testify on Thursday. With the trial having only just begun, it’s unclear how long it will take for the prosecution and defense teams to run through their arguments and witnesses.

Regarding The 15:17 to Paris, rather than go the traditional biopic route of bringing in professional actors to play the leads, Eastwood decided to have Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos play themselves, as did Mark Mooligan. The cast also included actors like Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, Tony Hale and Thomas Lennon. Dorothy Blyskal wrote the screenplay, which was based off the book The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes by Jeffrey E. Stern.

Arriving in theaters on February 9, 2018, The 15:17 to Paris was primarily met with negative critical reception. CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes gave it just two out of five stars, and the movie ranks at 23% among professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Commercially, The 15:17 to Paris made a little over $57 million worldwide off a reported $30 million budget.

Clint Eastwood followed up The 15:17 to Paris with The Mule later in 2018, and Richard Jewell in 2019. The next movie on the filmmaker’s docket is Cry Macho, which he’ll both direct and star in. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Eastwood’s career, and look through our 2021 release schedule to learn what movies are supposed to come out next year.

Every few years it seems like Clint Eastwood is on the verge of retiring from the acting game. While his directing output has remained steady, as he continues to put out a movie every couple of years or so (sometimes two in the same year), his recent appearances on screen have typically followed long gaps of time where his focus has been on behind-the-camera work. Case in point, we haven't seen a new performance from him since 2018's The Mule – but evidently he's not done quite yet, as the nonagenarian is now preparing to star in the upcoming film Cry Macho.

Clint Eastwood will not only star, but also direct and produce the movie , which isn't too surprising given that in the last 26 years he's only been in one film that he didn't helm himself. The feature is based on the novel of the same name by N. Richard Nash, and Nash has co-written the screenplay with Nick Schenk, who previously wrote both Gran Torino and The Mule.

Set in the late 1970s, Cry Macho follows the story of a washed up horse trainer in Texas who is offered $50,000 by his former boss to snatch his boss' son away from his mother in Mexico City and bring him back to the United States. An adaptation of the book has been in development for a long time now, with the plan a decade back being for the project to be developed as a starring vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger that would be directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer).

That version of the film never came together, which is what has now left the door open for Clint Eastwood to get a crack – but apparently this isn't his first encounter the actor-cum-filmmaker has had with the material. According to Variety, Eastwood considered making the film back in the late 1980s, but decided to make the Dirty Harry sequel The Dead Pool instead.

Should everything move smoothly, it would appear that the film will be Clint Eastwood's follow-up to 2019's Richard Jewell, though it's unclear at this stage when production may start. Shooting a movie during the pandemic is challenging enough when a director isn't in a high risk age range, and that could mean that an Eastwood production would require extra safeguards. That being said, the way the filmmakers prefers to work is probably an asset given that he typically doesn't like to do more than one or two takes of any given shot.

The list of actors who have remained active into their 90s is definitely a short one, and the list of directors active in their 90s is even shorter, so it's obviously impressive that Clint Eastwood is continuing to do both with the development of Cry Macho. Stay tuned for updates about the production as more information becomes available.

Honestly, when you think of all the other insanity that 2020 has wrought, "Clint Eastwood sues CBD companies" seems downright tame. Maybe in an alternative universe where not everything is on fire, this would seem strange and bizarre but right now it's almost quaint that the actor and director has filed a pair of lawsuits against three different CBD manufacturers and 10 retailers of same which have all used quotes attributed to Eastwood in promotion of the produced which the Oscar winner claims he never gave.

Not only did these CBD companies allegedly use false quotes from the actor but they're also accused of using the Clint Eastwood name in the metadata of some of the websites selling the products, which would help to bring the sites up if somebody were to do a web search for Clint Eastwood. The two lawsuits filed in Los Angeles claim false endorsement, trademark infringement, and violation of common law.

Needless to say, this seems like it will be pretty simple and clear in court. Either Clint Eastwood made such statements or he didn't and it should be pretty easy to prove one way or the other. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a company tried to borrow the name of a famous person without permission, but obviously it runs a pretty serious risk.

And it seems like this isn't that unusual a practice. The Wrap reports that Ellen Degeneres and Sandra Bullock have filed similar lawsuits in the past. In addition, Tom Hanks has called out at least one ad for CBD products that used his likeness and a quote that claims to be from him. Hanks was unequivocal that he had never said such a thing.

It's unclear what the endgame here is supposed to be. Certainly, the CBD industry is huge and a lot of these companies are making a lot of money, so it may just be that the plan is for the eventual lawsuit to be part of the cost of doing business. The allegedly false endorsements help bring in the cash, and they use some of it, but certainly not all, to pay off the lawsuit when it eventually comes. Clint Eastwood's lawsuit is asking for a jury trial, but that, of course, doesn't mean this case will actually get that far. It's very likely we'll see this settled out of court. Unless, of course, one side or the other decides they really want to make a public case out of the thing.

Certainly, the lawsuit won't be moving forward overnight, but if it does go to trial, that fact could delay the lawsuit significantly since many courts either aren't functioning right now or are doing so very slowly. We'll have an idea where this is all going once we see the responses from those being sued.

It's hard to think of too many actors/directors with more extraordinary lives and careers than Clint Eastwood. The superstar is a genuine movie icon, particularly in an era where that term can be overspent, and he continues to remain active even in his ninth decade. There's no doubt that Eastwood has accomplished a lot with his time in Hollywood and beyond. Here are some fun facts that you should know about the Oscar-winning moviemaker!

Clint Eastwood Was Fired By Universal Because Of His Looks, According To Burt Reynolds

In an industry that's often defined by how good you look and how you present yourself, it's hard to excel if high-level executives don't care for the cut of your jib. Eastwood is a handsome man but he's also known for his rough-and-tumble look. That's part of his appeal that made him a cinematic icon, though it provided rough beginnings. He was hired and subsequently fired by Universal as a contract player because they didn't like his looks, particularly his prominent Adam's apple. Burt Reynolds, who was also fired — albeit for different reasons -- revealed this information. In any case, despite this setback, these two stars found their way. Here's what Reynolds told Larry King (via CNN):

Clint Eastwood Was Only Paid $15,000 For A Fistful Of Dollars

As an actor making his way on Rawhide, Clint Eastwood was becoming a familiar face, though he wanted to expand himself into moviemaking. He got that opportunity with A Fistful of Dollars, the spaghetti western which helped cement his cinematic stardom. But when he agreed to star in this low-budget western, he didn't get a big payday. As Deseret News reported, Eastwood earned a mere $15,000 for the job, which is a fraction of what he earned for Rawhide overall— and it was certainly minuscule compared to what he rakes in today. Nevertheless, it was a success. Though when it came time to shoot the third film, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, Eastwood made out like a bandit.

As James L. Neibaur's biography, The Clint Eastwood Westerns, revealed, the then-rising actor earned $250,000, 10 percent of the film's box office, and a Ferrari for reprising his role as The Man With No Name following some initial reluctance to return to westerns at that stage in his career.

Clint Eastwood Wore The Same Poncho For The Dollars Trilogy, Plus Never Washed It (And Might Still Own It)

The next time you watch the Dollars trilogy, here's something to consider: throughout the making of these three Western classics, Clint Eastwood wore the same poncho. Not only that, but he never washed it. As he later explained, if you washed it, "it would fall apart." The actor also admitted in this interview that he still owns this piece of movie memorabilia, though it's hard to know if that's still true since he said this in 2002.

The Sully Director Survived An Emergency Plane Landing

In Sully, Clint Eastwood recreated the harrowing rescue of Flight 1549 on the Hudson River performed by Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. While Sullenberger's autobiography is the credited source material, there was an incident in Eastwood's past that might've informed these sequences. As Mirror reported, at some point during the 1950s, Eastwood was looking to spend time with his girlfriend and see his parents in Seattle, so he hitched a ride in a twin-engine Beechcraft. As the plane flew, the door popped open and wouldn't stay shut. He later jerry-rigged it with loose cables. As a storm approached, they flew above it. But oxygen was limited and the plane ran low on fuel. The air vehicle crashed landed in the sea, and Eastwood and the pilot swam through shark-infested waters to shore. Thankfully, they made it to shore safely.

Clint Eastwood Got Into Acting Because He Thought It Would Be Easy Work, According To Fritz Manes

The best actors make it look easy. When you watch movies or TV, you might think acting is a cakewalk. You say a few lines and hit a few marks, right? While those elements do come into play, the truth is that acting is tough stuff. But Clint Eastwood didn't realize that when he strolled into Hollywood. As a high school dropout working several odd jobs throughout his early life, film historian Richard Schickel noted in 1996's Clint Eastwood: A Biography that Eastwood was averse to hard work at that time. Fritz Manes, his longtime friend/producer, claimed he got into this business to avoid hard work like firefighting, lumberjacking, and steelworkers (his previous professions) before discovering the hard way that acting ain't as easy as it looks in the pictures.

Clint Eastwood Received Some Of France's Highest Honors

Clint Eastwood has received many honors throughout his life, including four Oscars, five Golden Globe awards, the Golden Lion award, and several other distinctions. But some of his biggest accolades came from France. In 2007, Eastwood was awarded French Ordre National de la Légion d'honneur, France's highest civilian distinction. French President Jacques Chirac claimed Eastwood embodied "the best of Hollywood." In 1994, Eastwood received the French Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres — another one of France's greatest, most prestigious honors.

Clint Eastwood Got The Role Of Dirty Harry Because Frank Sinatra Couldn't Hold A Gun

Believe it or not, Clint Eastwood wasn't the first actor considered for the title role in Dirty Harry. Or, at least, he wasn't the only actor considered. As Eastwood revealed in an MTV interview (of all places ...), Frank Sinatra very nearly got cast for the part, but he turned down for a specific reason: he couldn't hold a gun. Or, at least, that was the reason given to Eastwood. No matter. He accepted the role. The rest is history.

Clint Eastwood Passed On Playing Superman, John McClane, Bond, And Apocalypse Now

Just as it's hard to imagine anyone besides Clint Eastwood playing Dirty Harry or The Man With No Name, it's difficult to envision Eastwood playing John McClane in Die Hard, the Man of Steel, or James Bond. Yet, apparently, all those roles were on the table for Eastwood at different points in his career. As MTV News reported, Eastwood was approached to play Superman, but he said, "Superman? Nah, that's not for me." He didn't think it was a bad role, but he thought it was for "somebody" else. Similarly, as Collider reported, Eastwood was offered James Bond, but he turned it down, claiming it "didn't feel right" to take it shortly after Sean Connery's departure.

Additionally, as James Egan's book, 1,000 Facts About The Greatest Movies Ever Vol. 2, reported, Clint Eastwood owned the rights to Nothing Lasts Forever, the source material for Die Hard, and he intended to produce/star in an adaptation, but the time never became convenient. He was also offered the role of Captain Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen's role) in Apocalypse Now, but he didn't want to spend four months in the Philippines, so he declined.

There are several other fun facts available about Clint Eastwood, including his musical history (and his composer resume), his eight children with six women, how he once owned the largest hardwood tree in California, his twice-daily mediation practice over the past 40+ years, his avid golf fandom and his golf club, and his stint as the mayor of Carmel-By-The-Sea, California in 1986, but that's a credit to Eastwood's ever-expansive and diverse life/career, filled with many different triumphs and odd detours. Are you a fan of Eastwood as an actor-director? Let us know in the comment section!

How is it possible that Clint Eastwood is 90-years-old? The man just directed a movie that was released only a few months ago, and a year before that he directed himself in a movie that he starred in. And yet, it seems that it must be true and Clint Eastwood did that work in his late 80s, as yesterday, the Oscar winner celebrated his 90th birthday. Though, celebrated, as it turns out, may be something of an overstatement

A lot of his fans will be happy to celebrate the life of the popular actor and director, but apparently the main himself is a bit less excited. Clint Eastwood's son, the actor Scott Eastwood, recently revealed that his dad isn't a big fan of birthdays, though that wasn't going to stop them from celebrating him, at least a little. A few days before the special day Scott Eastwood told Access...

It doesn't sound like Clint Eastwood's aversion to birthdays is a recent thing as he's gotten older, but a general feeling he's always had. A lot of people just don't get in to celebrating birthdays, at least their own if not others, and apparently Clint is one of these. Hopefully he doesn't mind too much that his family is going to make at least a small deal out of it. I mean, if the cake is good, who cares why it's there, right?

Still, Clint Eastwood's career is one worth celebrating. From his time making westerns as the Man With No Name to his creation of iconic characters like Dirty Harry, to his directorial work including his Oscar-winning Unforgiven. Clint Eastwood has assembled an incredible life on the screen that dates back to 1955.

Clint Eastwood's most recent movie was Richard Jewell, which told the story of the security guard at the 1996 Olympic Games who was falsely accused of planting a bomb. The movie earned Kathy Bates an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

It's unclear where that career goes from here. At this moment, Clint Eastwood doesn't have any confirmed acting or directing jobs on the horizon that we're aware of. Although, certainly, like every other film production around the world, anything that he might have been working on is now on hold. Eastwood recently insisted he was not planning to retire, so one can guess that he either has something he's currently working on, or is looking around for his next gig.

Whether or not we've seen the end of Clint Eastwood's career, we can certainly celebrate what he's done in his 90 years.

Clint Eastwood’s new movie Richard Jewell tells the story of the 1996 Olympic Park Bombing from the perspective of the man who first discovered the explosive device, and was subsequently suspected of having planted it. Many of us will know the general story about the rush to judgment and the media circus that surrounded the innocent man, but just what really happened, and how well does the movie Richard Jewell adhere to the facts?

Unfortunately, there’s still a lot we don’t know, organizations like the FBI aren’t exactly entirely open on how things were handled. However, there’s a lot we do know, and a lot more that’s been confidently reported. Here’s where the movie Richard Jewell diverges from the facts, and where it matches up

Richard Jewell's Discovery Happened Largely As Shown

While a lot of the details of Richard Jewell get changed to make for a more dramatic story, there’s actually a lot about the movie which is depicted pretty much exactly how it really happened. Including a lot of very small details about the discovery of the bomb.

Richard Jewell really was sick the day it all happened according to "The Ballad of Richard Jewell" an article published in Vanity Fair that formed the basis for the film. Jewell did find the bag holding the bomb after dealing with a collection of disorderly drunks—though they were reportedly adults, not kids as shown in the film— and it was when it was discovered the bag didn’t belong to any of them that Richard realized there was a problem. The bag also shifted at some point, causing most of the explosion to disperse into the air rather than the crowd. The reason the bag was moved is unknown. In the movie, it’s the drunks who bump it, which is certainly possible.

Richard Jewell’s Former Employer Got the Investigation Focused on Him

Prior to Richard Jewell joining the security force overseeing the 1996 Olympics, we see Jewell in the film as a officer at a college, admonishing kids for drinking in their dorm. He runs afoul of the administration, leading to him leaving the school.

That all very much happened. In addition to that, it was apparently the president of Piedmont College, where Jewell was employed, who called the FBI about concerns he had. Jewell really did reportedly overstep his bounds, including pulling people over on the highway near the school.

Olivia Wilde's Character Is A Topic Of Debate

Olivia Wilde plays newspaper reporter Kathy Scruggs in Richard Jewell. From all accounts, Scruggs was something of a wild card who was described as having a “hard edge,” and that’s very much how she is portrayed in the film. However, there are mainly claiming the characte'rs portrayal in the film is far from accurate.

In the movie, we see Wilde's character offer to sleep with the FBI agent in charge in order to get the information on Richard Jewell. Kathy Scruggs former employer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is adamant that never happened and people who knew Scruggs say that's not something she would ever do.

The FBI Really Did Try To Trick Richard Jewell With A Fake Training Film

The FBI begins investigating Richard Jewell before Richard actually realizes he’s being investigated. He still thinks he’s being hailed as a hero at first, and in the movie the FBI use that to try and trick Richard into admitting something about the bombing.

Vanity Fair confirms that, right down to being tailed by a fleet unmarked cars on the way to the FBI field office, the training film ruse was what got Jewell into their offices. Richard really did believe he was helping the agents make a training film, until they tried to get him to sign statement waiving his rights. When that happened Jewell realized more was going on, and he called his lawyer.

Richard Jewell's Voice Sample Wasn’t Taken Without His Lawyer’s Approval

Even if you’ve only seen the trailer for Richard Jewell, you know the scene where a pair of FBI agents get Jewell to record himself repeating the words of the 911 call that warned authorities of the bomb. In the movie, the two lead FBI agents ask Richard to do this while his lawyer is being distracted by the media, so he can’t object.

However, in reality Richard Jewell’s friend and lawyer Watson Bryant, was notified directly of the FBI’s desire for the voice exemplar, they attempted two get the voice sample along with Jewell’s hair and palm prints, not during the search warrant sequence the movie shows. Also, in the end Bryant put a stop to the FBI getting the voice sample at that point. It’s not clear if the FBI ever made a successful attempt.

The Richard Jewell Investigation Was Bigger Than The Movie Shows

The FBI investigation in Richard Jewell is led by Jon Hamm’s Tom Shaw. He’s an agent who seems to be single-mindedly focused on investigating Jewell. Shaw the man doesn’t really exist. While nearly all the names in Richard Jewell are unchanged, the names of the FBI agents in charge have been.

However, from all accounts, the agents on the ground in Atlanta weren’t actually the ones in charge of the investigation. While we see a little pressure from higher ups on Hamm and Ian Gomez's "Dan Bennet" who is also a fictionalized agent, the pair seem to be mostly in charge. The truth for all indications is that the actual agents in charge in Atlanta were largely taking orders from others. Vanity Fair cites sources which state the FBI director at the time was reportedly directly involved in the investigation and frequently made decisions about the course of action.

Richard Jewell Had Other Lawyers

In Richard Jewell Sam Rockwell plays Watson Bryant, an acquaintance of Jewell that becomes his lawyer, even though criminal law was not his practice. It’s true that Bryant was the first lawyer Richard Jewell called, and he was in many ways the public face of the defense, but he wasn’t the only lawyer Richard Jewell had.

Near the end of the 1996 Olympics, Watson Bryant was afraid the FBI might be close to actually arresting Richard Jewell, and knowing he wasn’t the right man to handle that, he brought in a criminal lawyer. In addition, after Richard Jewell was sued by some of the bombing victims, a litigation firm was also brought on to deal with that side of things. The legal team worked together, frequently divisively, for the duration of the case. It was actually the criminal layer, not Bryant, who attended the final FBI interview of Jewell depicted in the film.

Richard Jewell's House Wasn't Bugged

As part of the ongoing parade of annoyances going on in the life of Richard Jewell over the course of the story, at one point the assistant of Jewell's lawyer Watson Bryant, played by Sam Rockwell, comes into the Jewell apartment to inform everybody that the place is bugged, as is Bryant’s office. There's no actual evidence that anybody was bugged in real life, though that doesn’t mean the FBI wasn’t listening.

While there’s no evidence of bugs and the U.S. Attorney denies phones were tapped, Richard Jewell himself told Vanity Fair he saw agents using sound dish listening devices outside his apartment in an attempt to pick up conversations. Also, the litigation firm that was hired to work on Jewell's case believes the FBI watched them in a similar fashion, from a van parked across the street from the office that apparently stayed in one place for 10 days.

Richard Jewell's First Polygraph Was Inconclusive

The moment where things finally start to break in Richard Jewell’s favor is when he takes a polygraph examination and is found to have “no deception.” There's a clear feeling of relief among Jewell and his lawyer here. While this did happen, it didn’t happen quite the way the movie implies.

Richard Jewell shows the title character taking a polygraph test, but in actually Watson Bryant had two different polygraph tests administered. What we see in the movie is technically the second one, because the first actually came back as inconclusive.

Jon Hamm's Character May Have Actually Believed Richard Jewell Was Innocent

The major character trait of the fictional character of Tom Shaw, played by Jon Hamm is that he is, for some unclear reason, convinced of the guilt of Richard Jewell. Even while hand delivering the FBI’s letter informing Jewell he was no longer a suspect, Hamm’s character says he still believes Jewell is guilty.

While the agents who handled the real case haven’t spoken publicly about it, Richard Jewell claimed, in the Vanity Fair article that was the basis for the new movie, that both agents had privately told him they thought he was innocent, but that directions from higher up were dictating the FBI’s actions. It looks like this character may have had the animosity amped up for dramatic reasons.

There are remarkable number of little details in Richard Jewell that are completely accurate. Richard’s mother’s love of Tom Brokaw was absolutely true. The fact that Jewell kept a piece of debris really happened. Even the fact that when working in Centennial Park, he kept a cooler of water and sodas for cops on duty and pregnant women.

For the most part, Richard Jewell gets it right. Where changes are made are simply in service of the story, but it’s always good to know what parts of a cinematic “true story” you can actually believe and which you can’t.

Can anyone compare to Clint Eastwood’s film career? Between his acting and directing accomplishments, the 89-year-old is a Hollywood icon and even in his later years he has continued to hustle and deliver some incredible works of filmmaking. Eastwood’s next movie, Richard Jewell is another “based on a true story” drama focusing on backlash befalling on a security guard after saving lives during the Olympic Park bombing.

Along with Paul Walter Hauser starring as Richard Jewell, the movie also stars Jon Hamm, Sam Rockwell, and Kathy Bates (who has now been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe this year). CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb interviewed them at the Los Angeles press day for Richard Jewell, they talked about Clint Eastwood’s memorable body of work. Here’s what they said:

Such starpower! Seeing the three of these talents in one room for a Clint Eastwood movie is a compliment to the actor/director’s legacy in itself. They had some awesome answers to give about why their Richard Jewell director has so many movies that will stand the test of time. Jon Hamm instantly went to the types of stories he chooses to tell. He thinks Eastwood tells them “incredibly well” and patted himself and fellow actors on the back for his casting picks.

Kathy Bates echoed Jon Hamm’s sentiments and complimented the real stories he tells. Sam Rockwell really expanded on their points by explaining how Clint Eastwood “plays with archetypes." He took it back to 1992 Best Picture, Unforgiven. Rockwell talked about how the characters in that movie aren’t black vs. white or good vs. evil tales, but complicated characters that surprise you. Like humans do in real life.

The answers to these questions certainly describe how legendary Clint Eastwood was and still is! Unforgiven is a great example, considering it had the actor returning to acting, directing, and the Western genre, along with becoming his first Oscar wins.

Just one year after The Mule, Richard Jewell tells another true American story. After Jewell clears out many visitors in Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics, he is accused of planting the bomb himself for three months. Kathy Bates plays Richard’s mother Bobi Jewell, Sam Rockwell plays Watson Bryant, the lawyer who helped clear his name, and Jon Hamm plays FBI agent Tom Shaw.

The movie was recently met with controversy concerning Olivia Wilde’s portrayal of Atlanta-Journal Constitution journalist Kathy Scruggs. She is shown to be someone who might offer sex in exchange for information for her article. The actress has responded to concerns, explaining that it was not her intention to suggest this about Scruggs.

Richard Jewell is one of many exciting movies currently in theaters this December to check out.