When Clint Eastwood was born in Oakland in 1930, the nurses in the maternity ward nicknamed him Samson for his size. The Great Depression was on, so his father, who had worked in securities, was taking whatever jobs he could find. This meant moving frequently up and down the West Coast. Clint would speak of his father’s work ethic and ability to provide more than most for his family, but also of the childhood loneliness that resulted from all the moves. He took solace in playing the family piano, developing a lifelong love of jazz, and going to lots of movies. After graduating from high school, Clint moved to Seattle. He worked in logging and paper-milling before being drafted into the Army, where he crossed paths with novice actors Martin Milner and David Janssen and became interested in acting himself. Soon after being discharged in 1953, he moved to Los Angeles. Less than a year later, he was signed to a $75-a-week contract by Universal. Five years after that, he was off to the races.
Eastwood has appeared in 60 films, 47 of them in starring roles. He has directed 40 films, including last year’s Juror #2. Now 95, he seems finally to have called it a day. In 1998, film historian David Thomson called him “the last classic star.” Although he only starred in eleven Westerns, four of which he directed, he’ll also go down as the greatest Western star of
