Clint Eastwood may have been named 2008’s Best Actor by the National Board of Review last night for his part as a grizzled Korean War vet in Gran Torino, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he had to work hard in the role: “I didn’t have to worry about dialogue,†he admitted during a Q&A session at the Soho Apple Store yesterday afternoon. “All I had to do was sit there and go [unintelligible growling noise].†Also, Walt’s constant beer drinking wasn’t much of a stretch, either — “typecasting,†claims Eastwood. So what if the Academy wanted to give him an acting Oscar anyway, you know, because of reports that Torino would be his last-ever on-screen film role? “I think I was musing in front of a British journalist and I said this might be the last one, but I think I’ve been saying that for years,†he said. “When I did Million Dollar Baby I said, ‘This is perfect; this is the last one.’ When I did Unforgiven in 92, I said, ‘This will be a perfect last Western’… You never know.â€
When the effusive moderator complimented Clint’s youthful handsomeness, the actor at first balked (“We need to get you to an optometristâ€), but eventually relented and shared the secret of his seemingly eternal youth (“It’s amazing what a belt sander can doâ€). “I don’t know what kind of great roles, or any roles, they have for guys my age,†said the 78-year old. “I can play butlers and stuff like that.â€
But the business-savvy Eastwood’s years of experience paid off during the making of Gran Torino, which was originally set in Minnesota before being changed to suburban Detroit. “The plotline was about a guy who worked Ford Factory, so it made more sense to be in Michigan,†Eastwood explained. “Besides they had a tax rebate there that made it more attractive. We’ve got a little of the W-H-O-R-E.â€