Clinton Eastwood Jr was born on 31 May 1930, in San Francisco, California USA, of British, Dutch and Irish descent, and is an actor, film director and producer, composer, and television producer, known widely for his acting and directing of many successful films during a career now spanning six decades, including three so-called ‘spaghetti westerns’, the ‘Dirty Harry” series, and award-winning films including ‘Unforgiven'(1992) and “Million Dollar Baby”(2003).
So just how rich is Clint Eastwood? According to sources, Eastwood’s net worth is estimated to be almost $400 million as of early 2016, the vast majority gathered from his prominent career as an actor, director and producer in over 80 films and TV productions since 1955.
Clint Eastwood Net Worth $400 Million
Clint was educated at Piedmont Junior High and Oakland Technical High Schools. He had a variety of jobs before becoming an actor, working as a lifeguard, grocery clerk, golf caddy, paper carrier, forest firefighter, before being drafted by the US Army in 1951 and appointed as a swimming instructor at Fort Ord in California. Clint survived when a military ‘plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and he and other survivors swam three miles (five kms) to shore. His military pay was the basis of his net worth.
Eastwood’s first major television role was as Rowdy Yates in over 200 episodes of the Western TV series “Rawhide” from 1959 to 1965, starting on $750 per episode, but receiving a payout of $120,000 when the series ended. He appeared in several uncredited parts in a number of movies over the same period, until in 1963, Eastwood starred in the Italian-made ‘spaghetti western’ entitled “A Fistful of Dollars” playing an anti-hero, and signing an eleven week contract worth $15,000. The film proved popular enough to spawn two more movies, entitled “For A Few Dollars More”, and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, the last taking $8 million at the box office, very significant then, including for his net worth, and with which Clint formed Malpaso Productions.
Clint’s first production was another western, “Hang ‘Em High’, a critical and commercial success, and then he starred in and wrote the score for a musical western – “Paint Your Wagon”(1969) with Lee Marvin and Jean Seberg. In the same year, he starred with Richard Burton in the war movie “Where Eagles Dare”, with a boost to his net worth of $750,000 – Clint Eastwood had certainly “arrived”.
Clint Eastwood has now been involved in a total of 80 films, as actor, director or producer – sometimes all three, the vast majority successful at the box office if not critically acclaimed. The “Dirty Harry” (Callaghan) series of five films was particularly popular in the ’70s, and films such as “Play Misty For Me”(1971) to “American Sniper”(2014) and nominated for Best Picture, have constantly kept him in the public eye. A few still manage to stand out – “Unforgiven”(1992) won him Oscars for Best Picture and Director, and for Gene Hackman Best Supporting Actor, while “Million Dollar Baby”(2003) also won him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and a nomination for Best Actor. He has also directed Tim Robbins and Sean Penn in “Mystic River”, and Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank in “Million Dollar Baby”, to win Oscars. “The Bridges of Madison County”(1995) with Meryl Streep was also a hit, as was “Jersey Boys”(2014), based on the pop group The Four Seasons which he directed and co-produced, and Clint’s latest is “Sully”, released in 2016. In addition Eastwood directed “Mystic River” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”, both of which earned him Academy Awards nominations.
A lesser known fact is that Clint Eastwood is also a composer, and has written over 15 scores for his films, for such movies as “Million Dollar Baby” with Morgan Freeman, “Flags of Our Fathers” with Ryan Phillippe and Adam Beach, and “Grace is Gone” starring John Cusack. The latter earned Eastwood a nomination for the Best Original Score, while the song “Grace is Gone” was nominated for the Best Original Song and won the Satellite Award for Best Song.
Apart from those mentioned, Clint Eastwood has received numerous other awards and honours, including Golden Globe and People’s Choice Awards. In 1996 he was awarded an American Film Industry(AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2009 an honorary degree from AFI. In 2006, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame by then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in 2007, Clint was awarded France’s highest civilian honour, Légion d’Honneur, In 2009, the Lumière Award honored his entire career, then in February 2010, Eastwood was recognized by President Barack Obama with an arts and humanities award. He has also received a number of honorary degrees, including in 2007 an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music.
Somehow, Clint Eastwood has also found time to become involved in politics, becoming mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in April 1986, serving a two-year term during which he supported small business, environmental protection, and the extension of the library, among other facilities. He was also an appointee to the California State Park and Recreation Commission in 2001, with particular reference to environmental protection. Surprisingly, perhaps, Clint is also a long-time strong proponent of gun control
In his somewhat complicated personal life, Clint Eastwood was first married to Maggie Johnson (1953-84) – including a separation during which he had a son with Roxanne Tunis – with whom he has a son and a daughter. He was then partnered with actress Sondra Locke(1975-89), also starring with her in five films. During the late ’80s, he had a son and a daughter with Jacelyn Reeves. From 1990-05 he lived with actress Frances Fisher, and they have a daughter. In 1996 Clint married Dina Ruiz, and they also have a daughter; they divorced in 2014. He is now seen with Christina Sandera, who apparently would like to be Mrs Eastwood number three – officially, that is!
Finally, despite working on many western films and TV series, Clint is allergic to horses!
