Reading through the trivia, it looks like Eastwood was quite the diva, never did more than three takes, thinks his performance is as good as Bridges, believes he was upstaged by Bridges, etc. Maybe he didn't bother to read the script before doing the film.
shareI think you are reading too much into it. From all accounts, Eastwood got along great with Bridges. Cimino told Bridges that his acting goal was to make Eastwood laugh, and he did. Kind of difficult to not like someone who makes you laugh and have a good time.
HOWEVER, Eastwood did not like how UA marketed the film and his performance in it, which he felt was worthy of an Oscar nod too (as Bridges got).
As far as the 2 or 3 "takes", well, Eastwood was an experienced director, Cimino was not. This may have been nothing more than Eastwood keeping the ball rolling, and keeping Cimino tight on a short shooting schedule. Without someone like Eastwood keeping tight reigns on Cimino, the production probably would have gotten out of hand, past schedule and over budget... Look at stories of Cimino on the Heaven's Gate production and what a lengthy nightmare he made it.
"I don't want your watch, man. I want your friendship!" - Lightfoot
Eastwood can be a bit bizaare with some of his opinions. He didn't like the finished Kelly's Heroes much, whereas by consensus it's a great movie and he also thought John Williams score for The Eiger Sanction was superior to his Jaws score. Trully a bizaare opinion.
shareHe didn't like the finished Kelly's Heroes much ...
Donald Sutherland's character Oddball was over-the-top and an anachronism as well. It was a detraction from notions of a serious movie undertaking.
Get the facts first - you can distort them later!share
"Eastwood did not like how UA marketed the film and his performance in it, which he felt was worthy of an Oscar too"
The fact that Eastwood actually thought his performance in this was worthy of an Oscar nom shows what an egotistical prick he is. I can't for the life of me see what he believed to be worthy of one. He was his usual wooden self with no range or emotion.
They got along great on the film, bridges has said in interviews clint let him take extra takes and helped him get that oscar nom!
shareMeryl Streep said in an interview for Bridges of Madison County, that Clint Eastwood was the fastest Director she ever worked with.
shareI'll take Bridges over Eastwood as an actor anyday.
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