We all know and love the movie star and director Clint Eastwood.
With numerous film awards, he has been a symbol of masculinity for many years, thanks to his iconic roles, not to mention his role in politics.
His personal life is not something he often talks about, but the 86-year-old star has had his share of romances; in addition to being married twice, he has seven children.
But now, Eastwood has revealed a story that connects him to one of his iconic films; a story he kept secret for decades.
The oldest Hollywood movie star was born in 1930 in San Francisco during the Great Depression. He has a younger sister.
His father was a steelworker, and the family moved around a lot during his youth.
He was nicknamed Samson at birth because he weighed 5 kg and 159 g. He eventually grew to be 1.93 meters tall.
After high school, he moved to Seattle, where he worked as a lifeguard before enlisting in the United States Army in 1950, according to Wikipedia.
But what many don’t know is that at the age of 21, Eastwood was a passenger aboard a World War II Navy plane that crashed in the Pacific.
“I was hitching a free ride from Seattle to Alameda,” Eastwood said in an interview with The Telegraph. “It was stormy and we went down off Point Reyes, California, in the Pacific. I found myself in the water swimming a few miles towards shore. I remember thinking, ’21 isn’t as long as a person wants to live.'”
Eastwood spent several hours in the Pacific, swimming his way through kelp beds before reaching the shore and climbing a cliff to request help via radio.
This experience proved valuable to him when he directed the biographical film “Sully” in 2016: “Miracle on the Hudson,” starring Tom Hanks.
The award-winning film depicts the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009, during which all 155 passengers and crew members survived.
In the movie, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger made the split-second decision to land in the frigid waters of the Hudson River, a decision that was later questioned by his superiors.
“I suppose having been in a similar situation as the pilot, I might have accidentally landed on the water rather than go somewhere where there’s no runway,” Eastwood said in an interview with The Telegraph. “And of course, Sully knew that area well…he chose the right place…he knew someone would see them,” he added.
Despite the miraculous landing that Sully managed to negotiate and the lives he saved, it was what happened afterward that impressed Eastwood the most.
“Anyone who keeps their wits about them when things go wrong, who can negotiate the problems without panicking, is someone of superior character and interesting to watch on film,” said Mr. Eastwood.
“But for me, the real conflict came afterward, the investigative committee questioning his decisions, even though he had saved so many lives.”
Clint Eastwood has had a remarkable career. To learn more, watch the video below.
Even at 88 years old, he is still as handsome, hardworking, and talented… Thank you for making such great films.
Five decades of a career in cinema make this man a living legend. Please share with all your friends if you agree!
