Clint Eastwood Complained That Studios “Wouldn't Consider Him for Parts”. That Changed When He Starred in the $10M Movie
Clint Eastwood did not have it easy. Even though the Dollars Trilogy starring him was a hit, the actor still couldn't make a name for himself in Hollywood until he starred in a hit American film that grossed $10 million.
Although it may seem surprising today, Dollars Trilogy did not at all provide Clint Eastwood with a great career in Hollywood. Although the films were successful and popular, the problem was their origin, according to the star himself. Success outside of Hollywood reportedly meant nothing in Los Angeles, and as a result, Eastwood still had to earn his way into being noticed by the studios there.
As the actor confessed during an interview for The New York Times, Hollywood has “a stigma against television actors, and another against people who make films in Europe.” This has complicated his situation in the industry.
Even though I'd made three pictures that were very successful financially, the studios wouldn't consider me for parts. It wasn't until ‘Hang ‘Em High,’ which was made here, connected that the calls started coming.
So his situation was changed thanks to his role in the American western Hang 'Em High. The film earned $10 million, much less than The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, whose box-office result was $38 million, however, even if the success was less, it was still enough to rock Eastwood's career in the United States. Since then, studios began to call the actor with offers for roles, and his career accelerated.
But it is still the Dollars Trilogy movies that remain the most recognizable in Eastwood's filmography, who made a good decision by choosing to appear in European productions, despite the prejudice against them in Hollywood. And today no one can question the star status of a filmmaker who has made history in American and European cinema.
