July 17, 2025 • 6 mins
Shawn Levy, author of "Clint - The Man and The Movies" joined Todd Walker to talk about his subject matter, Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're talking with Sean Levy, author of Clint. The Man
in the Movie is the first biography about Clint Eastwood
in about twenty years. And Sean, first of all, I
guess that we all think we know Clint Eastwood. But
what in your research was maybe the most surprising or
revelatory part of his personal life that comes to light
(00:21):
in your book.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, I think that we think of Clint as sort
of this right wing you know, sort of icon, and
his politics are much more nuanced than I understood prior
to doing the research. You know, he supported the Brady
Bill for gun control. He's a land conservationist and wildlife activist.
(00:43):
He's literally served on bureaus for the California state government
protecting wildlife and conserving land. And you'd have no idea
about that if you just thought of, you know, this
guy with a gun or this fellow who spoke at
Mitt Romney's convention. So I was pleased to see that
his movies are more subtle than I granted them credit
(01:05):
for before I started work, and his personal life is
much more nuanced and complex.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, certainly his significance behind the camera and in front
is maybe equal, and that's very rare in Hollywood, right, Sean, Yes, this.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Is a guy with a seventy year acting career, much
of it at the very tippy top of the Hollywood pyramid,
and a fifty year directing career. He's directed almost as
many films as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and he's
got more Best Picture Oscars than either of those guys.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, that's a great stat you know, Sean. To have
that long of a career, you would think that a
guy is well liked and or well respected. What about
those two aspects of Clint amongst his peers.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, you know, people may not get along with him personally,
and he's had some falling outs over the years. Being
a human being, that happens, But I think universally he's
also regarded as like the last of his kind. He
came up in the nineteen fifties when the studios still
had talent schools. He was under contract learning how to
sword fight and speak to the camera and do a
(02:14):
little dancing even, and he was one of the first
independent filmmakers in Hollywood. Starting in the mid sixties, he
had his own production company, and I think people look
at that sort of in retrospect and say, oh, here's
a path I can follow. If you're say Tom cruise Er,
Brad Pitt or George Clooney, you can follow someone who
(02:36):
cut a path that still is viable today. And props
to that guy. That was an innovation and a tough
thing to do.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Sean Levy is the author of Clint, The Man in
the Movies, the new biography about Clint Eastwood. Of course,
his personal life was sort of a mess, and really
the number of children he has fathered is actually unknown,
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I mean, we can all say that in jest, but
in Clint's case, I think it's quite possible. There are
eight children that are, you know, acknowledged publicly, one of
whom he wasn't aware of until he was in his
fifties pushing sixties, and one of whom is in her
late twenties and just gave him a new grand baby
(03:20):
a few months ago. He's always been a loner. He's
always been on his own. As I say, he had
his own production company before he really was viable as
an American movie star. And he's kind of conducted his
private relationships in that same way. And the women who've
chosen to be with him. I think know sort of
(03:40):
what's on the end of the fork. They see him
for who he is and you go with that or
you don't. And it's never painless when these things sort of,
you know, these human entanglements become you know, stretched and strained.
But the children are all around him, and that's not
true of everyone in his generation of showbiz. So I
(04:02):
think he's a strong family man. I think partnership is
a difficult thing for him.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah. Of course, his breakup with Sondra Locke was pretty
public and kind of ugly back in the day. Sean,
what about Eastwood as a family man then, certainly there
was no not much of a nuclear, traditional family. But
you mentioned his kids are all still close with him,
so he has succeeded in that way, I guess.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah. And his kids have careers in show business. His
daughter Allison has directed films and acted a couple of
times for her dad and many times for others. Scott Eastwood,
one of his sons, is still a rising actor. He
plays lead roles in films. He's got a film, a
World War two film coming out by the director of
(04:48):
The Outpost, Rod Lurie, and he's the star, not just
because he's an Eastwood, because this is a real movie.
Kyle Eastwood, his oldest son, is a jazz music with
many albums and he plays all over the world. So
they're in the arts and he supports them. But it's
not a nepo baby. He doesn't hand them things on
(05:09):
a platter. They earn it. Allison had to audition for
her dad's movies.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Sean, I guess in closing you would say that Clint
Eastwood is a true American icon with all of his
contradictions and flaws.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Right absolutely. You know, I think he'd be the first
person to say I'm not a role model or something
like that. But when you look at him, even his
gait and his sort of physical posture, he feels like
Abe Lincoln or Mickey Mantle or you know, just just
sort of an American figure. And that in itself is
(05:41):
a complicated thing, not only today, but you know, throughout
his seventy year career.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Sean, what's the best way to get the book?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Well, anywhere you buy books or audio recordings of books
or ebooks, it's everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It's called Clint the Man in the Movies. Sean Levy
is the author Sean, thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Thanks so much,
We're talking with Sean Levy, author of Clint. The Man
in the Movie is the first biography about Clint Eastwood
in about twenty years. And Sean, first of all, I
guess that we all think we know Clint Eastwood. But
what in your research was maybe the most surprising or
revelatory part of his personal life that comes to light
(00:21):
in your book.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, I think that we think of Clint as sort
of this right wing you know, sort of icon, and
his politics are much more nuanced than I understood prior
to doing the research. You know, he supported the Brady
Bill for gun control. He's a land conservationist and wildlife activist.
(00:43):
He's literally served on bureaus for the California state government
protecting wildlife and conserving land. And you'd have no idea
about that if you just thought of, you know, this
guy with a gun or this fellow who spoke at
Mitt Romney's convention. So I was pleased to see that
his movies are more subtle than I granted them credit
(01:05):
for before I started work, and his personal life is
much more nuanced and complex.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Well, certainly his significance behind the camera and in front
is maybe equal, and that's very rare in Hollywood, right, Sean, Yes, this.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Is a guy with a seventy year acting career, much
of it at the very tippy top of the Hollywood pyramid,
and a fifty year directing career. He's directed almost as
many films as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and he's
got more Best Picture Oscars than either of those guys.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, that's a great stat you know, Sean. To have
that long of a career, you would think that a
guy is well liked and or well respected. What about
those two aspects of Clint amongst his peers.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, you know, people may not get along with him personally,
and he's had some falling outs over the years. Being
a human being, that happens, But I think universally he's
also regarded as like the last of his kind. He
came up in the nineteen fifties when the studios still
had talent schools. He was under contract learning how to
sword fight and speak to the camera and do a
(02:14):
little dancing even, and he was one of the first
independent filmmakers in Hollywood. Starting in the mid sixties, he
had his own production company, and I think people look
at that sort of in retrospect and say, oh, here's
a path I can follow. If you're say Tom cruise Er,
Brad Pitt or George Clooney, you can follow someone who
(02:36):
cut a path that still is viable today. And props
to that guy. That was an innovation and a tough
thing to do.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Sean Levy is the author of Clint, The Man in
the Movies, the new biography about Clint Eastwood. Of course,
his personal life was sort of a mess, and really
the number of children he has fathered is actually unknown,
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I mean, we can all say that in jest, but
in Clint's case, I think it's quite possible. There are
eight children that are, you know, acknowledged publicly, one of
whom he wasn't aware of until he was in his
fifties pushing sixties, and one of whom is in her
late twenties and just gave him a new grand baby
(03:20):
a few months ago. He's always been a loner. He's
always been on his own. As I say, he had
his own production company before he really was viable as
an American movie star. And he's kind of conducted his
private relationships in that same way. And the women who've
chosen to be with him. I think know sort of
(03:40):
what's on the end of the fork. They see him
for who he is and you go with that or
you don't. And it's never painless when these things sort of,
you know, these human entanglements become you know, stretched and strained.
But the children are all around him, and that's not
true of everyone in his generation of showbiz. So I
(04:02):
think he's a strong family man. I think partnership is
a difficult thing for him.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah. Of course, his breakup with Sondra Locke was pretty
public and kind of ugly back in the day. Sean,
what about Eastwood as a family man then, certainly there
was no not much of a nuclear, traditional family. But
you mentioned his kids are all still close with him,
so he has succeeded in that way, I guess.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah. And his kids have careers in show business. His
daughter Allison has directed films and acted a couple of
times for her dad and many times for others. Scott Eastwood,
one of his sons, is still a rising actor. He
plays lead roles in films. He's got a film, a
World War two film coming out by the director of
(04:48):
The Outpost, Rod Lurie, and he's the star, not just
because he's an Eastwood, because this is a real movie.
Kyle Eastwood, his oldest son, is a jazz music with
many albums and he plays all over the world. So
they're in the arts and he supports them. But it's
not a nepo baby. He doesn't hand them things on
(05:09):
a platter. They earn it. Allison had to audition for
her dad's movies.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Sean, I guess in closing you would say that Clint
Eastwood is a true American icon with all of his
contradictions and flaws.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Right absolutely. You know, I think he'd be the first
person to say I'm not a role model or something
like that. But when you look at him, even his
gait and his sort of physical posture, he feels like
Abe Lincoln or Mickey Mantle or you know, just just
sort of an American figure. And that in itself is
(05:41):
a complicated thing, not only today, but you know, throughout
his seventy year career.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Sean, what's the best way to get the book?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Well, anywhere you buy books or audio recordings of books
or ebooks, it's everywhere.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
It's called Clint the Man in the Movies. Sean Levy
is the author Sean, thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Thanks so much,
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.