When you imagine a typical father-son activity, tossing a ball back and forth or catching a movie together probably comes to mind. If you're Clint and Scott Eastwood, however, family bonding means posing on the cover of a magazine. The duo's first-ever interview together [1] appears in the latest issue of Esquire, and it's full of strong political opinions, insights into Scott's childhood, and a whole lot of personality. See the interview's best highlights below, and then check out all of the father-son lookalikes in Hollywood [2].
Scott on growing up with his famous dad: "My father's definitely old-school. And he raised me with integrity — to be places on time, show up, and work hard."
Scott on how he hopes to follow in Clint's career footsteps: ". . . Like he says, it's feast or famine for an actor. If you're not creating your own material, then you're just fighting for whatever's out there. I definitely have the desire to go to the other side."
Clint on his infamous "chair talk" at the 2015 RNC: "It was silly at the time, but I was standing backstage and I'm hearing everybody say the same thing: 'Oh, this guy's a great guy.' Great, he's a great guy. I've got to say something more. And so I'm listening to an old Neil Diamond thing and he's going, 'And no one heard at all/Not even the chair.' And I'm thinking, 'That's Obama.' He doesn't go to work. He doesn't go down to Congress and make a deal. What the hell's he doing sitting in the White House? If I were in that job, I'd get down there and make a deal. Sure, Congress are lazy bastards, but so what? You're the top guy. You're the president of the company. It's your responsibility to make sure everybody does well."
Clint on America's political situation: "We're really in a p*ssy generation. Everybody's walking on eggshells. We see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff. When I grew up, those things weren't called racist. And then when I did Gran Torino, even my associate said, 'This is a really good script but it's politically incorrect.' And I said, 'Good. Let me read it tonight.' The next morning, I came in and I threw it on his desk and I said, 'We're starting this immediately.'"
Clint on what he wants to see change: "I'd say get to work and start being more understanding of everybody — instead of calling everybody names, start being more understanding. But get in there and get it done. Kick ass and take names. And this may be my dad talking, but don't spend what you don't have."
Clint on the deeply serious reason he became an actor: "I don't have any great pickup lines. I was never an extrovert, so I always had to have someone meet me halfway. If she was interested, we'd come together, and if not . . . when I became a movie actor and became well-known, it took care of itself. Maybe that's why I became an actor."
Scott on his childhood: "[My mom] was definitely a little more understanding. You get the law laid down, you know, the ax. I look at it like weapons in my war chest now. He made me hustle, and claw, and fight. That's all stuff you want. You want that drive."