Five Iconic Movie Characters Inspired by Clint Eastwood

(Credits: Far Out / Beat Albrecht)

Sunday 25 August 2024 18:15, United Kingdom

Clint Eastwood is one of those names that carries weight no matter what context it’s used in. As a Hollywood icon both in front of and behind the camera, it’s hard for many modern actors not to have been inspired by him in some way.

His acting has become synonymous with him as an actor. His traffic-stopping stare, sandpaper-like charisma, and ability to be effortlessly cool resonate throughout the film industry to the point that many characters have since been based on some of Eastwood’s most iconic performances.

He has one of the most celebrated repertoires in cinema, as his legendary roles have since been taken out of context and used to write, play and shape the ideas behind various new characters. A surprising number of actors have been given a character and decided to look back to Eastwood’s previous roles to discover how best to approach them.

Some may seem obvious, while others are better hidden. This list will take a closer look at some of the classic movie characters that Clint Eastwood inspired as a person and actor.

Classic characters inspired by Clint Eastwood:

Trinity – The Matrix

While there may be a stylistic gap between some of Clint Eastwood’s classic western films and the sci-fi world of The MatrixCarrie-Anne Moss has confirmed that some of Eastwood’s performances inspired her character Trinity. “I’ve never been interested in action movies,” she said, “and certainly not science fiction. So when we were there, I decided to watch Clint Eastwood.”

In stepping into Trinity’s shoes, she was inspired by the stoic nature of some of Eastwood’s performances. “I remembered her stillness. Still but so powerful,” she says. “I knew I had to tap into that because I’m not a very still person. And I knew the brothers really wanted that quiet intensity for Trinity. It’s about her eyes, her voice, the way she moves. Or doesn’t move. And I looked at Clint and I thought, ‘Okay, Trinity can be still and still be very powerful.’”

Wolverine – Logan

Given that Hugh Jackman had been playing Wolverine for over a decade when they started making LoganYou’d think he knew the character inside out, but what was supposed to be Wolverine’s swan song saw him go in a completely different direction. A subtly toned-down, R-rated version of a comic book movie was made alongside some of Eastwood’s films, most notably Unforgiven.

“I don’t think we could have made this movie if I hadn’t known it was going to be my last… the stakes tripled for me. There was no safety net,” Jackman said of the film and the direction they wanted to take. Unforgiven Jackman said the film inspired him: “It slightly subverted Clint’s story and what people knew and expected of him.”

Boba Fett – Star Wars

It turns out that Eastwood has such a large shadow in Hollywood that it reaches into the corners of not only this planet but galaxies far, far away. When George Lucas was working on the early Star Wars scripts, he wanted to make Darth Vader a bounty hunter and was inspired by some of Eastwood’s performances.

“When I was sitting down writing the first scripts for Star Wars“I wanted to develop a character who was essentially evil and scary. Darth Vader started out as a sort of intergalactic bounty hunter in a space suit…,” Lucas said. Of course, Vader eventually dressed all in black and became a more grotesque political figure; however, the bounty hunter look was given to Boba Fett. Lucas described him as “very similar to the Man with No Name from Sergio Leone’s Westerns.”

Miranda Priestly – The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada is a cold-hearted and cold-blooded fashion executive. When getting into character, she said she drew inspiration from some of Eastwood’s performances to fully embody the cold, hard personality she needed for the film.

Although she doesn’t name a specific film, Meryl Streep admitted that her fantastic performance as Miranda Priestly was a “straight steal” from Eastwood. The Western superstar inspired everything from her icy stare to her unforgiving language.

Max Rockatansky – Mad Max

Finally, Mel Gibson has already confirmed that Clint Eastwood’s western films inspired his portrayal of Max Rockatansky. Mad Max It’s not a Western per se, the ability to command open space is still a vital part of Rockatansky’s character, and no one does it better than Eastwood and his thousand-mile gaze.

The versatility that all of these characters demonstrate is a true testament to Eastwood’s quality as an actor, as he continues to inspire many characters throughout the world of cinema. Without his influence, some actors may have been lost in their portrayal of characters that are now considered iconic.