Clint Eastwood is a legendary actor, filmmaker, and musician who has been entertaining audiences for over six decades. He is best known for his iconic roles in westerns such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Unforgiven.
His career spans from acting to directing some of Hollywood’s greatest films. Along with his work in front of and behind the camera, Eastwood has also become known for the many wise words he has spoken over the years.
Here are some of Clint Eastwood’s most inspiring and memorable quotes.
- Full name: Clinton Eastwood Jr.
- Born: May 31, 1930
- Born in: San Francisco, California, United States
- Occupation: American actor, filmmaker, musician, and politician
- Height: 6ft 4in (133 cm)
- Weight: 90kg (198 lbs)
- Net worth: $375 million
You always want to quit while you are ahead. You don’t want to be like a fighter who stays too long in the ring until you’re not performing at your best.
Drama usually has some sort of intense conflict.
I don’t really get into a big intellectual analysis of why I am going to do a certain script or not.
I’ve always felt that if I examine myself too much, I’ll find out what I know and don’t know, and I’ll burst the bubble. I’ve gotten so lucky relying on my animal instincts, I’d rather keep a little bit of the animal alive.
I’m just a kid – I’ve got a lot of stuff to do yet.
My old drama coach used to say, ‘Don’t just do something, stand there.’ Gary Cooper wasn’t afraid to do nothing.
I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
I just think it is important that you realize, that you’re the best in the world. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you’re libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go.
I always liked characters that were more grounded in reality.
I’m a mentor to anybody who’s interested.
I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s going to rain, it will.
My mother knew how to read music and everything. But I just kinda learned off of records. And so, I was listening to records and I’d play ’em over and over.
Aging can be fun if you lay back and enjoy it.
What you put into life is what you get out of it.
I tried being reasonable, I didn’t like it.
Whether you like it or not, you’re forced to come to the realisation that death is out there. But I don’t fear death, I’m a fatalist. I believe when it’s your time, that’s it. It’s the hand you’re dealt.
I think being able to age gracefully is a very important talent. It is too late for me.
I still work out on a daily basis.
Actors know, with me they aren’t going to be allowed to rehearse a scene for a couple of hours and then get away with doing 25 takes before we get it right. So they come with their full bag of tricks.
Crimes against children are the most heinous crime. That, for me, would be a reason for capital punishment because children are innocent and need the guidance of an adult society.
If a person doesn’t change, there’s something really wrong with him.
The less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
You can’t stop everything from happening. But we’ve gotten to a point where we’re certainly trying. If a car doesn’t have four hundred air bags in it, then it’s no good.
I’ve had moments when I’ve thought about somebody, picked up the phone to call them and they are on the line already, and I think that maybe there’s some vibration, some connection.
If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.
I just make the pictures and where they fall is where they fall. If somebody likes them, that’s always nice. And if they don’t like them, then too bad.
The country has come a long way in race relations, but the pendulum swings so far back. Everyone wants to be so sensitive.
We boil at different degrees.
This film cost $31 million. With that kind of money I could have invaded some country.
When I see a story, I ask: is this something I’d like to be in? Is this something I’d like to see? And if I’d like to see it, would I like to tell it?
You should never give up your inner self.
Men must know their limitations.
If you think it’s going to rain, it will.
God gave you a brain. Do the best you can with it. And you don’t have to be Einstein, but Einstein was mentally tough. He believed what he believed. And he worked out things. And he argued with people who disagreed with him. But I’m sure he didn’t call everybody jerks.
We are like boxers, one never knows how much longer one has.
I’ve never met a genius. A genius to me is someone who does well at something he hates. Anybody can do well at something he loves – it’s just a question of finding the subject.
Everybody accuses me of moving fast when I direct a picture. I don’t move fast, but I just keep moving.
There’s a lot of great movies that have won the Academy Award, and a lot of great movies that haven’t. You just do the best you can.
Everybody thinks making films back to back is a big deal but they did it all the time in the old days.
A lot of people are bored of all the political correctness.
Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.
There’s only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I’ll get married again.
I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we – we own this country. We – we own it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.
I liked Vittorio De Sica a lot, and I got to work with him once in a segment movie. He was a great director. He was a very charismatic character and a guy I watched a lot when he was directing.
Let’s put it this way: there wouldn’t be much point in me attending a high-school reunion now because there wouldn’t be anybody there. We’d struggle to raise a quorum.
The guys who won World War II and that whole generation have disappeared, and now we have a bunch of teenage twits.
Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power.
I’m not a chick-flick enthusiast.
When you’re young, you’re very reckless. Then you get conservative. Then you get reckless again.
Winning the election is a good-news, bad-news kind of thing. Okay, now you’re the mayor. The bad news is, now you’re the mayor.
I was always respectful of people who were deeply religious because I always felt that if they gave themselves to it, then it had to be important to them. But if you can go through life without it, that’s OK, too. It’s whatever suits you.
There’s a rebel lying deep in my soul.
It takes tremendous discipline to control the influence, the power you have over other people’s lives.
My whole life has been one big improvisation.
I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
I’m a movie maker, but I have the same feelings as the average guy out there.
Nobody looks like they did when they were 20, so why not take advantage of the fact that you’re changing, emotionally as well as physically?
Society is at odds with itself.
It’s much more fun to play something you’re nothing like than what you are… It’s much easier to hide yourself in a character.
I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.
There’s only one way to have a happy marriage and as soon as I learn what it is I’ll get married again.
Alfred Hitchcock once told me, when I was analyzing a lot of things about his pictures, ‘Clint, you must remember, it’s only a movie.’
You know when you’re young and you see a play in high school, and the guys all have gray in their hair and they’re trying to be old men and they have no idea what that’s like? It’s just that stupid the other way around.
I keep working because I learn something new all the time.
You have to feel confident. If you don’t, then you’re going to be hesitant and defensive, and there’ll be a lot of things working against you.
I do believe in self-help.
Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.
If you ever go to a music session, you’ll notice that the musicians can sit down and start playing right away, and everyone knows what to do. Of course they’re reading it, but the conductor can tweak little things, and you can take that back to directing motion pictures.
If you’re doing a biography, you try to stay as accurate as possible to reality. But you really don’t know what was going on in the person’s mind. You just know what was going on in the minds of people around him.
I was drafted during the Korean War.
I’m not really conservative. I’m conservative on certain things. I believe in less government. I believe in fiscal responsibility and all those things that maybe Republicans used to believe in but don’t any more.
I don’t mind telling a dark side.
You are always hoping that movie audiences are interested in characters and interested in story values rather than just mindless special effects. But you never know.
Fate pulls you in different directions.
I became a Republican in 1951, the first year I could vote.
They say marriages are made in Heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.
In school, I could hear the leaves rustle and go on a journey.
FAQs
Q: What is one of Clint Eastwood’s most famous quotes?
A: “Go ahead, make my day.”
Q: What did Clint say in his acceptance speech for the Best Director Oscar?
A: “It’s a great honor and I’m very appreciative to the Academy and to all of you who voted for me. I’m just glad that I was able to take a picture that people could enjoy, because filmmaking is a collaborative effort.”
Q: What was Clint Eastwood’s first movie?
A: His first major role was in the western television series Rawhide, which aired from 1959–1965. He made his big-screen debut in the 1964 movie A Fistful of Dollars, which launched him to international stardom.
Q: What did Clint Eastwood say about second chances?
A: “We all make mistakes. That’s why they put erasers on pencils.”
Q: What quote is Clint Eastwood most known for?
A: “Go ahead, make my day.” This quote is from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact and has become one of his most famous lines.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Clint Eastwood is an iconic figure who has inspired generations of people with his words and actions. His quotes are timeless and will continue to inspire people for generations to come. They reflect a sense of strength, courage, and resilience that resonate with many individuals.
Although he may have retired from the big screen, his presence in film and in life will always remain. Clint Eastwood’s words of wisdom are timeless, inspiring, and truly magnificent.
Through his quotes, we can all learn important lessons about life that can help us live more fulfilled lives.
