The early days of the Hollywood industry are fondly remembered for the numerous exhilarating Cowboy action films centered in the wild west, something that the whole world was a fan of. And the most prominent name during this golden age of Hollywood was Clint Eastwood, The original action hero in the world of cinema.
And with more than half a century of delivering some of the best and most memorable action films in the industry, the legendary star was at a point in his life when he thought of taking his leave from all the lights and cameras. But then, while working on a film with Hilary Swank, Eastwood realised that his time may not be over yet.
Clint Eastwood Wanted To Retire From Hollywood Before Working On Million Dollar Baby
Known for his hardcore action-star persona in the early years of his career, Clint Eastwood is a man of many talents that many may not even realize. With absolutely amazing acting as well as execution in action films, the star also found fame in the world of filmmaking, along with success for many of the films he has directed over the years. Therefore, being such an accomplished individual in the world of cinema, the Dirty Harry star made up his mind to take his leave from his acting career, but reconsidered while shooting for Million Dollar Baby.
The film, which also featured Hilary Swank as the lead, was the film that stopped the legendary actor from quitting acting for good. In a past interview, Eastwood talked about how he was thinking of retiring just after he finished his film Blood Work in 2002 until he was offered the chance to direct and act in the 2004 film along with Swank. During the making of the film, he realised somewhere that he still loved acting, and wanted to do it more. He said:
“I think I started saying that back a few years ago, I said ‘I don’t think I’ll act anymore, I’ll stay behind the camera” but then “Million Dollar Baby came along and I liked that role.”
And so, although rarely, the star can still be seen gracing the camera with his presence every now and then in roles that he believes and understands he can execute in his signature fashion.
What Was Million Dollar Baby About?
One of the finest directorial offerings by the legendary actor, Million Dollar Baby is a story about a boxer, but not about boxing as much. The story follows the tale of Frankie Dunn, an old boxing coach who finds a girl named Maggie who is trying to get away from her life as a waitress, and believes that boxing is the only way she can overcome her mundane life. The story follows a very deep emotional and psychological journey that talks about the life of a boxer and the tragedies, sacrifices and stress that they have to go through to become what they want to be.